Page 193 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

Bonsai from the very beginning 193

Lift the seedling and prune the roots

1 Carefully lift a strong
seedling from the flat. Most
trees send out a long taproot,
which is designed to burrow
into the earth to give the tree
stability; once this has been In just six months
achieved, fibrous lateral roots the seedling has
develop. For bonsai you only developed a very
long taproot
want to encourage the fine,
lateral roots—and by pruning
back the taproot, even more
of these finer roots will form.

2 Spread out the roots on a
clean, hard surface. Identify
the taproot, and decide where
you can safely cut it back. In
very warm climates, such as
Japan, black pine seedlings
like these may have all their
roots removed; they are then
treated as fresh softwood
cuttings, which leads to a
completely fibrous root 1 2
system. In cooler, more
temperate climates in which
black pines grow more slowly,
it is better to be cautious and
retain some of the roots.

3 Cut through the taproot
using a very sharp, clean
knife. The cleaner the cut,
the better the chance of
root development.

4 The root-pruned seedling
is left with lateral roots
only—and the makings of
a fine fibrous root system.

3 4