SEASONAL SUGGESTIONS

GET READY FOR "PRE-SPRING"

By

MARTY MANN

NO. 97 - JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2006

As the New Year begins, we review the activities at the end of last year that were necessary to prepare trees for the "pre-spring" season. There is still time to do constructive work before the buds begin to develop into the leaves and flowers of the new year.

The pots, soil mixes and fertilizers should be readied for the frantic repotting time that is close at hand. Survey the finished trees you have in bonsai pots. Are they still a proper match in size or color to the tree? Has the maturity and styling of the tree changed it enough to consider repotting into a new pot? Is it taller, wider, fatter? Now is the time to redesign each completed tree. Review your nursery stock to determine the readiness of some of the pre-trained material for transfer to a training pot or a display pot. Check the inventory of pots. If you don’t have one that fits your needs, now is the time to shop - you may pay more if you wait. Maybe you will find that perfect domestic pot that just fits the bill.

This is pot clean-up time. Remove accumulated layers of soil and lime deposits. Restore the drainage line around the edge of potted trees to provide for better water distribution. Some chemicals may help the pots but elbow grease or one of the Japanese erasers works best.

Soil mix preparation is now a must. The next two months will be the time to prepare the ma­terials you need to renew, repot, and freshen up trees that have grown vigorously last year. Prepare a supply of a basic mix -perhaps a combination of at least three materials to permit free drainage and still provide moisture retention qualities. A sandy garden loam, combined with sharp river sand, decomposed granite, pumice, perlite or other aggregates can be mixed with a portion of humus such as fir bark, redwood mulch or, coarse peat moss. The mix can vary in order to accommodate the climatic conditions in your area and the more specific needs of the plant species. A handful or two of bone meal and Ironite can enhance the mix for each 5 gallons of mix.

This is the time to spray dormant trees to prevent the over-wintering of insects. Be sure to avoid foliage on trees that have not dropped from last year. Spray before any signs of new growth that appears during unseasonable warm weather. Use Orthorix (Lime Sulfur) or Volck Oil. Don't be misled by the apparent lack of insect activity around the bonsai displays during quiet winter months. Snails and slugs are still active. Because this period is often dry, the destructive habits of sucking insects continue. To protect the trees, spray regularly with both insecticides and fungicides.

Wires should be well exposed on most of your trees since foliage has dropped and new growth is not obstructing your inspection efforts. Remove all of last year's wires. Severe bark cuts may occur during the slow winter months when the woody portions of the trees tend to lignify and swell. Early spring spurts quickly engulf old wire and causes damage.

This is the time to continue your study of the deciduous tree silhouettes. Evergreens are marking time too. Winter dormancy allows you to spend serious time with each tree, rock planting and grove before the onset of new buds and new growth. Look at the branch structure, branch placement and trunk lines. Apply the guideline rules of bonsai design. Do you have any crossing branches, bar branches, bad angles, and poor elevations? Check the total relationship of the trees to the bonsai scene you have created. Trim, snip and cut. 

I have touted the use of Benomyl as a good all-purpose fungicide. We learned however that the Agricultural authorities removed Benomyl from the retail market. A spray or dust con­taining sulfur or copper can be used as a substitute product, to establish control.  Look for other active products such as Koside®, Ziathain® or Maneb®. Early in the growing season, use a good all-purpose fungicide to prevent the spread of fungus and stop its deadly effect. Recommended products such as PHYSAN 20Ò, ORTHO GARDEN DISEASE CONTROLÒ, or SPECTRACIDEÒ all work. Read the labels of the product for any special warnings.

This is the time of year to renew your bonsai collection. Think in terms of the trees that are developing to become show trees in some future bonsai display. Look at some of the material you have been working on for some time. If it has no future in your overall plan of things -- get rid of it, donate it -now!  Hopefully someone else will have the imagination and good patience to make something nice out of it.

Enjoy your trees. Look forward to spring and all the beautiful new colors and shapes.

Marty Mann