Page 103 - Tài liệu Ebook cây cảnh Bonsai Basics

BONSAI CALENDAR 105

LATE SPRING

While late spnng IS certainly a peak
period for flowering shrubs, it is the
season when bonsai spring back to life
with the start of the summer (although
there is the risk of a late frost).
Some kinds with delicate leaves
(maples, for instance) must be protected
against scorching sun, which can easily
damage the young shoots.
Be more attentive to watering, in view
of the rising temperatures and increased
sunshine. This does not mean drowning
the plants at the first sign of the soil
becoming dry. Excessive watering only
leads to over-rapid growth of shoots
and larger leaves or needles. Moderate
watering will produce smaller leaves and
shorter needles.
The same applies to fertilizers. Over-
use offertilizers causes too much growth
too rapidly. Deciduous trees require
more care than conifers. For a good
stimulant, liquid fertilizers arc best.
The development of new growth
makes late spring the first suitable time
for pinching shoots and clipping leaves.
The buds of conifers in particular should
be reduced, while the leaves of deciduous
kinds can be clipped until mid-summer.
Special care must be taken of flower-
ing shrubs of the heather family, like
rhododendrons and azaleas, as their
dead flowers must be removed. This is a
delicate operation which must be carried
out when the seeds start to form and not
when the blooms start to wither. Care
must be taken not to cut the young
shoots which are beginning to grow at
the base of the pistil and which will
eventually carry the next year's flowers.
Later, these shoots' growth will have to
be kept in check to make sure they do not
spoil the shape of the tree. A choice will From late spring onwards, flowering shrubs of the
have to be made between a profusion of heather family like azalea and rhododendron burst
into full bloom. As soon as the blooms wither, cut
flowers and the shape of the bonsai.
them off. You must be YCr)' careful not to damage
Measured use of fertilizers will help these the side shoots. It is the side shoots which will hear
plants as they start to make new growth. next year's flowers.