Page 7 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q2

Very little was done on the other side except install- Edison Yadao (left) is Fuku-
ing wire anchor points and building a small berm to Bonsai’s customer service/
contain the gravelly potting media. The concrete was workshop manager and
allowed to cure for a week before the planting session. vice president of our sister
non-profit Mid-Pacific Bonsai
The complex landscape was planted on December Foundation. Ryan Chang
14, 2013. Unlike the very young trees in the first “Cre- of Oahu leads the Fast-
ating a Bonsai World,” we used larger trees that are 15 Track Study Group and is a
and 25 years in training. The smaller tree has thick, contributing editor of our
dense aerial roots to suggest the stout growth of trees monthly email Journal of
Tropical & True Indoor Bonsai.
exposed to the elements.
The larger, looser tree will dominate the protected
environment where long aerial roots will drop from
high branches in the highly desirable “rainforest ban-
yan” styling.
Ryan was assigned to bare root the smaller tree
while I attached the multiple tie-down wires. Some
of its roots are in a cave-like section of the major rock
and the tree is featured in the section titled: “The Tran-
sition to Land.”
Once tied down securely, we built a netting with
thin paper-covered wire. Sphagnum moss was placed
inside the wire netting and Ryan used an open top fun-
nel to aid dibbling potting media between the roots.
As he filled openings, it pushed out against the wire
netting which held the media in place.
There is a generous amount of potting media 6 inch- Work continued in the afternoon to check
es deep below the exposed root tree. A flat rock hides every inch, probing with dibbles to find air
that media and creates the illusion of a tree growing pockets that needed to be filled with potting
media. After the areas behind the netting
out of a rocky formation. were firm, a thin layer of sphagnum moss was
The top of the large rock forms a rocky amphithe- spread between the exposed roots and this
ater and we planted the larger rainforest banyan low helped to hold the media down firmly. A thin
so there would be a 4- to 6-inch high rocky cave-wall layer of fine, rich, organic material became the
as the background for this tree to dominate the third finished surface.
section titled: “The Kingdom of the Banyan.”
Edison took a bit longer to bare root the largest tree.
It, too, has a generous amount of potting media—over
five gallons! We pulled the tree tight against the lava “The Giant Sea Cave”
wall and quickly secured it into position. The impressive rock formation
Several anchor points in the base allow tying down dominates the complex
landscape.
the tree from several angles with aluminum bonsai
wire. Selected rocks were placed within the landscape
to break up the large amount of visible potting media
and to create an attractive sloping landscape.
We used a fine nozzle spray to water it down and
expose the rocks. Edison and Ryan did a thorough
inspection trying to point out areas to improve. When
everyone was satisfied, we took the final photo to end
the planting session.
In anticipation of an April publishing deadline, I
decided to prune back the two Dwarf Schefflera trees,
gambling that new growth would appear in time to In anticipation of an April
publishing deadline, I decided
present a more compact appearance. to prune back the two Dwarf
In contrast, to “Creating a Bonsai World,” in “The Schefflera trees, gambling that
World of Bonsai Aloha,” we used older pre-shaped new growth would appear
trees and we had less than three months to take “fin- in time to present a more
ished” photos. As the trees settled into position, the compact appearance.
tie wires were removed, additional rocks added, and
moss planted in time to meet the submittal deadline.

April/May/June 2014 | BCI | 5