Page 38 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q3

members of the rubber tree family exude latex when
cut. When branches are cut, they exude latex quickly
to seal the cut. Roots and leaves also do this.
In a healthy tree, latex moves so quickly that it
makes side-grafting very difficult. The cut fills up, be-
gins to seal the cut, and does this before the scion can
be introduced. Approach grafting works, but it is very
slow and leaves a large lump. That’s why the approach
graft shown here is on the back of the tree—so the
lump won’t be readily visible. I haven’t tried thread-
grafting yet, but will do so as I have plenty of trees to
experiment with.
Did someone say “Cut roots?” The roots after cut-
ting are in the same relative position as in the photo
of the back of the tree, i. e., the crooked tree is on the
left. The cut root second from left is about the same
size in diameter as the trunk of the curved tree. The
small yellow roots are a healthy color. Black roots
would indicate root rot and thread-like white roots
are weed roots.
What I want for this tree is a wide but shallow
pot, with room for vertical as well as horizontal root
growth. Two pots used together will make this pos-
sible.
I learned this trick from Mrs. Sarver, who ran an
azalea nursery in San Diego. Azaleas are well known
to require acidic soil, down to a pH of 4, available in
straight peat moss. The soil in San Diego is highly al-
kaline. She sold her clients azaleas that had broad but
Top left; The roots after cut- cuttings and put them in a moist miniature green not deep root bases with instructions to transplant
ting are in the same relative house, and now have 29 Little Lucys in my back yard. every three years and replace the peat moss that kept
position as in the photo of the I knew that the full-size benjamina required a large
back of the tree the saline soil at bay.
space for roots, but was unprepared for what happened The photo below combining the two pots gives a
to the Lucys. In the saikei pot, soil was no more than good idea how this will work. Soil is added to the top
three inches deep; the trees were crowded and couldn’t of the center pot and more around the edges. The root
grow large roots. Giving them much more growing mass is placed on the center pot, adjusted to give more
space was like undoing one’s belt after a tremendous or less growing space on each side of the trunks, and
Thanksgiving dinner: things just burst loose. then soil is worked in around the remaining roots. The
Look carefully at the photo (previous page, bot- finished product appears bottom right.
tom right) showing the back of the tree. At the base Now it’s time to talk about scars and their healing.
of the pot you will see a few small roots protruding — The scar to be healed is on the right hand tree, just
remember them. In addition to the obvious split in
the one-gallon pot, the branch from the left hand tree
crosses over in front of the right hand tree. (There is
also a scar on the back of the left hand tree—see next
page, top right.) The fact that the benjamina is in the
rubber tree family has a bearing on both. In general,

Bottom; I learned this trick from
Mrs. Sarver, who ran an azalea
nursery in San Diego.

36 | BCI | July/August/September 2014