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Planting Bonsai Trees

This is a centuries-old method of trees dwarfing developed by the Chinese, that is fastbecoming a popular hobby in the Westernworld. In short, it permits you to grow ain a flower bowl.

Bonsai isn't a difficult art. What it re-quires even more than skill is patience, sincefully mature specimen may take ten years cclonger to produce.

Some plants are especially well adapted wbonsai dwarfing. Among these are junipe-.Japanese maple, cypress, Mugho pine, andcryptomeria. In general, evergreens need le.feeding, pruning and training, but deciduousvarieties are sturdier and take shape faster..Deciduous kinds also show the change of sea-sons; their leaves turn color in the fall and.artistically trained, their bare winter form is aslovely as when they are full leaved in thesummer. (One caution: use small-leaved typesbecause the foliage is not reduced in proportionto the trunk.)

In any case, whether you choose to grow abiblical cedar-of-Lebanon, a colorful fire thornshrub or anything from an elm or pomegranateto a yew or even a giant sequoia (scale: 1 inchto 25 feet), the method is the same.

You can start with cuttings or by layeringbut experienced growers usually recommen,seeds. You may be able to get very tiny seed-lings from some nurseries, or dig them upwhile on a tramp through the woods. A fla,of sandy loam is best for starting seeds. Keepthem outdoors if possible, sheltered from hotsun and wind.

All seedlings should be transplanted whenone year old. Use an organic soil mixture of rcent loam and 50 percent sand for ever--„tns and 70 percent loam and 20 percent-.J. for deciduous plants. All mixtures should

10 percent leaf mold. Use two-inchwith a bit of moss at the bottom to pre-t clogging of the drainage hole.

Before potting, gently peel the dirt fromthe roots—the Chinese use chopsticks for this—and cut back the taproot about one-thirdmut sharp scissors or pruning shears. Removeail old, dead parts of roots.

Do this operation quickly, in a cool room;al damp basement is excellent.

After transplanting, keep the plants in-AMC, for several days, then gradually expose11):=1 to outdoor conditions. Thereafter, any-ncts that push through the bottom of the pot:amid always be cut away. You can also startpruning the tops lightly at this time, to developa:pleasing shape.

After this, your evergreens will requireaninsplanting every three to five years, broad-tek trees every two and flowering and fruiting-runts yearly. Spring is the best time for eachutecessive transplanting. Use only a slightlycrier pot each time; any container with drain-me holes is suitable.

Always make up a fresh soil mixture, andprzne the roots fairly vigorously. Cut back theskie roots irregularly and thin out the smallerSW. to encourage the forming of a densesystem.

Evergeens need little branch pruning, butdeciduous trees, shrubs and vines should bepinched back to two or three buds on the pre-lims year's growth. Always transplant andprone spring-flowering plants immediately afterbicom has faded.

Culture: Most bonsai experts use strictly.arpnic fertilizers. You will probably have to

work out your own fertilizing program to fit theneeds of your specific plants. Most Chinese andJapanese growers advise very dilute applicationsof liquid fish fertilizer monthly or perhaps moreoften, except when the plant is dormant. Butothers say feeding only three or four times ayear is plenty. Excessive feeding will resultin too vigorous growth, and you'll have a pot-splitting giant instead of an elegant dwarf.

If a tree looks weak, a sprinkling of Vfiteaspoon of high-nitrogen dried blood will perkit up. For regular feedings, very weak manuretea is as good as fish fertilizer. Occasionallight sprinklings of manure compost are alsoexcellent. Just enough fertilizer to keep thetree looking healthy is all that is necessary.

Water only when the soil feels dry to thetouch, and don't overwater. The soil shouldnever be either bone-dry or waterlogged. Indry, hot weather, you may have to water twoor more times a day. (Some Oriental growers,incidentally, use extremely porous soil andwater five or six times daily, on the theory thatstarving the plant by leaching out fertility ele-ments makes for slower, more compactgrowth.) Syringe the foliage now and then toremove dust and soot.

Bonsai do best outdoors, although manypeople have had fine success raising thementirely on sunny windowsills. They needabundant light, with some protection from thehot afternoon sun. Exposure to the elementsmakes the strongest trees, so let them spendas much time outdoors as possible—they pro-vide a beautiful focus of interest for a patio,balcony or walled garden. You can, however,bring them indoors for a few days at a time ifyou put them in a cool spot away from heatsources.

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