Page 194 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

194 Creating your own bonsai

Pot the seedling Shaping young whips

The next stage of development is the first
wiring, when the trunk shape and style is
set. Try to think ahead, be adventurous, and
don’t be afraid to put dramatic movement
into the trunk at this early stage. Here the
do’s and don’ts of wiring can be seen on two
Scots pines as the straight whips begin their
transformation into literati trees.

5

Prepare a small training pot. Smaller is
Strong terminal
better in this case because it will warm the growth with
roots more rapidly. Insert a piece of drainage several branches
is left for now
mesh and cover with a layer of large-particle
soil to increase aeration.

Long, branchless
trunk may develop
new buds if the top
growth is pruned
back hard

For a literati tree, leave these
6 little shoots to develop some The first node: in the
extra girth in the lower trunk future the strong top
growth will be pruned
Plant the seedling in a very fine-particle back to this point,
soil mix—here, pumice, akadama, and kiryu. leaving two small
You can use the fine pieces from sifting; just shoots and causing
new buds to form
make sure they are tiny particles (not dust)
and use plenty of very fine lava or pumice
that will improve the soil structure, increase
aeration, and not break down.

Stop and relax
To create a shohin tree, cut the
Put the seedlings in a sheltered main trunk right back and use
place initially; move them into one of these branches as the
new leader; there will be an
the sun once they have started
explosion of new growth
to grow. Consider the tree you
want to develop: a tall literati
requires different treatment than a shohin
cascade. If appropriate, prune back woody
terminal growth; this encourages new buds
to form lower down the trunk that can
eventually become the lower branches.