Rooting out a ‘tree-mendous’ hobby

Cultivating bonsai plants doesn’t need to clip your time or bank account too much.

You'll probably do better starting with the more common plants that can tolerate abuses more exotic plants can’t. Try these common but hearty plants readily found at local nurseries.

Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea or P. fortuneana): Small leaves; ever-green; red or orange berries in autumn; recovers from over-pruning; branches bend easily.

Cotoneaster (C. dammed, C. conspicua 'Decora', or C. microphylla): Characteristics similar to those for firethorn.

Dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum 'Nana'): Deciduous; twiggy branches; tiny green leaves; red flowers and fruits.

Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum or J. virginiana): Hardy evergreen; heavy foliage takes to pruning; wide variety of forms.

CLASSIC CLIPS

The following classical plants can be clipped to make especially stunning bonsai.

Sargent juniper (Juniperus chinensis sargentii)

Graybark elm or sawleaf zelkova (Z. serrata)

Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii)

Flowering cherries (Prunus subhirtella, P. yedoensis)

Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda, W. sinensis)

Kurume azaleas

Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

BRANCHING OUT

More specialist plants native to certain geographical areas and climates make fine bonsai. These examples may be available in your area.

In Hawaii successful bonsai have been made from the Queensland umbrella tree (Brassaia actinophylla), Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), banyan (Ficus bengalensis), royal poinciana (Delonix regia), bougainvillea, Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora), ironwood (Casuarina, various species).

In the Pacific Northwest some growers have done well with mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), white bark pine (Pinus alhicaulis), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii).

Another example is oregano, a fairly uncommon plant as bonsai material but like a few other woody herbs (rosemary, sage, wormwood) it can often be easily trained into a miniature tree.

ALL AROUND US

Bonsai country is anywhere, even growing on mountainsides.

You are sure to find many small specimens that have been dwarfed by nature in the vicinity of old trees.

For various reasons, some plants don't adapt well to life as bonsai. A few don't take to having their roots confined and some are too vigorous growing.

However, why not accept the challenge and see if you can get anywhere with any of the following that may be available in your area.

Western red cedar or giant arborvitae (Thuja plicata)

American mountain ash (Sorbus americana)

Madrone (Arbutus menziesii - seems to need more root room than it can find in a container)

Rangpur lime (Citrus aurantifolia 'Rangpur' - won't last with overwatering)

Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis - unpredictable; may take to container life, may not)

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos manzanita and other species - a handsome, gnarled shrub in wild, usually doesn't survive long as a bonsai)

Most of the very old bonsai you may see have spent most of their life in natural surroundings, growing in the earth or in cracks in rocks. Through the years they lived in the wild they were exposed to all manner of climatic extremes and physical abuses. Many of them have gone through a real struggle for existence.

Such plants make the best bonsai. They have developed a form that speaks of their environment; they look old (often older than they actually are); they have become adapted to surviving under adverse conditions. When such plants are put into a container, they invariably outshine any other specimens that may be around them.

Sprouting from scratch

There's a great deal of pleasure in watching the early development of a plant and you'll have complete control over its shape.

Some nurseries and mail order companies specialise in seeds and seedlings for bonsai culture. Being such small items, they are quite economical to ship and usually are not disturbed by travel.

In sowing seeds, spread granular soil in the bottom of a flat container and add a layer of regular soil.
The layer should be a couple of inches deep to permit early root development and the soil should have a good proportion of sharp sand for drainage.

Make furrows or prick holes same depth and put in the seeds about three inches apart firming the soil back over them. Water with a fine spray that won't wash the soil away.

Keep the container in a place that gets morning but not strong afternoon sun as this will dry the soil too much and too fast. Keep the soil watered and pluck out any weeds that get started.

Waiting for seeds to sprout can be like waiting for a pot to boil, but one day a little spot of green appears and soon develops into a few inches of seedling stretching above the soil.

Hard-shelled seeds (such as apricot, peach and almond) should be soaked in water overnight before being planted. Such seeds can even be started in water indoors.

Seedlings you have raised should stay in the container for a year. Keep alert for pests, such as slugs, snails, and earwigs who thrive on tender leaves.

At the end of a year, cut and lift the seedlings out with a knife, much like you would slice out portions of a cake. Trim the roots back by about a third, without knocking off all the soil. Pot the seedling in an ordinary clay pot or even a very small bonsai container if you want to enjoy it in its adolescence, adding fresh soil below and around the root ball.

Once the seedling is in a container you can start its training as a bonsai. Prune the branches and wire them, if needed.
These miniature or mame (pronounce it mommy) bonsai can be kept in tiny pots for up to five years or until the plant starts to visually overpower the container.

About this time, the seedling should be put into a regular bonsai container.
If you don't care to enjoy the seedlings as mame bonsai, plant them right in the ground in a corner of the garden or some place where they'll receive good watering and won't be stepped on.

If you plant more than one, keep about two feet of space between them to allow for root growth. Keeping seedlings in the ground for a year or two allows them to grow faster. While in the ground, they can be branch pruned and wired. In the spring before the buds have opened, you can take them up as you would a tree collected in the wild, prune the roots and pot them.

Forgotten plants reborn

One of the easiest methods for obtaining bonsai - and the one best for the novice - is revitalising tired old nursery stock.

Nurseries have a wide variety of plants and your nurseryman can fill you in on a particular specimen's growth habits.

Plants in one to five-gallon cans have been essentially in training pots for some time as their root systems have become adapted to cramped conditions.

Inspect plants from the ground up watching for those with a twisted or dwarf-like character.

A multi-trunk structure may be desirable or side trunks can be cut off when the plant is re-potted.

Another way to get a good look at the trunk structure is to up-end the can and knock it a few times to slide the root ball out of the can. This doesn't harm the plant.

Watch for plants with small leaves, a heavy, thick or twisted trunk, and with an open branching system or one full enough to be pruned and shaped into interesting forms.

Look for large roots that protrude above the soil. Although this is sometimes a sign of the plant being pot-bound, such roots add a lot of character.

After you've chosen your tree, don't let the nurseryman cut the can unless you expect to re-pot the plant immediately. When cans are cut, roots dry out fast.

Don't expect to chop back enormous amounts of roots all at one time to get a canned tree into a small bonsai container. Chances are that the plant won't survive such brutal treatment.

Thin back the root ball instead by a third and put the tree into a container slightly smaller than the one you took it from. In eight months or so, thin the roots some more and transfer the tree to a still smaller container.

By working progressively, you'll be able to get the root system safely down to whatever size you need without risking the plant.