First Season, Bonsai Bench Placement Advice

[BonsaiLoudon]

Need some advice on sun and placement. This is my first growing season and I'm worried about the placement of my bench.

This pic was taken at about 1pm and my plants are getting their first direct sunlight of the day. My backyard is East facing and the large trees block direct sun in the morning. The bench gets direct light until about 3pm when the shadow of the house blocks it out again (about 2 hours of direct light today). There's tons of indirect light throughout the day, but the only other real placement option I can think of is up against the fence away from the house (just behind this POV) that would get more sun into the evening. Unfortunately that would mean dragging the hose across the full yard or using a watering can. Also a bit awkward being right next to the neighbors whenever I'm with my trees. Love these dang trees in my yard so much, but they are really killing the sun I need for my plants.

Any advice on whether moving them is absolutely necessary is appreciated. I've got 2 junipers (love the sun), a boxwood, and a Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia (probably appreciate having a bit less sun).

 

[Paradox]

2 hours of sun isnt enough for pines and junipers, or anything that needs full sun

 

[pandacular]

Unfortunately that would mean dragging the hose across the full yard or using a watering can

Your collection is small enough that, imo, you should be using a watering can rather than a hose. I have about 35 trees and do most of my watering by hand.

 

[bwaynef]

Bonsai became a lot easier when I gave my trees considerably more sunlight. From ~2 hours direct sun w/ dappled - considerable shade, to 7 hrs of direct with bright open shade the rest of the day. If you're not getting runners/whips on your junipers, they're not getting enough sun. If you're still too new to know, let that be your guide.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Need some advice on sun and placement. This is my first growing season and I'm worried about the placement of my bench.

This pic was taken at about 1pm and my plants are getting their first direct sunlight of the day. My backyard is East facing and the large trees block direct sun in the morning. The bench gets direct light until about 3pm when the shadow of the house blocks it out again (about 2 hours of direct light today). There's tons of indirect light throughout the day, but the only other real placement option I can think of is up against the fence away from the house (just behind this POV) that would get more sun into the evening. Unfortunately that would mean dragging the hose across the full yard or using a watering can. Also a bit awkward being right next to the neighbors whenever I'm with my trees. Love these dang trees in my yard so much, but they are really killing the sun I need for my plants.

Any advice on whether moving them is absolutely necessary is appreciated. I've got 2 junipers (love the sun), a boxwood, and a Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia (probably appreciate having a bit less sun).


View attachment 543391

As a fellow hose dragger, mine are about 120' from the house to have full sun all day, I'd drag the hose or a watering can.

 

[BonsaiLoudon]

Your collection is small enough that, imo, you should be using a watering can rather than a hose. I have about 35 trees and do most of my watering by hand.

Figure that's the route I'll go. Too bad, I liked the hose head I was using but with the right can I can probably get the job done in one fill.

 

[BonsaiLoudon]

Bonsai became a lot easier when I gave my trees considerably more sunlight. From ~2 hours direct sun w/ dappled - considerable shade, to 7 hrs of direct with bright open shade the rest of the day. If you're not getting runners/whips on your junipers, they're not getting enough sun. If you're still too new to know, let that be your guide.

I'll take that as a guide. Can you elaborate a bit or share a resource on runners and whips? I feel like I haven't seen that terminology before.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

The runner or whip is the shoot that is growing. It’s the end of a branch on a juniper.
This video breaks it down well.

 

[RKatzin]

Is it possible to thin out that eastern wall? Sometimes just a few strategic branches can open a window for you. It's an east face so the sun is there so the potential is there for at least intermittent full sun.

 

[bwaynef]

I'll take that as a guide. Can you elaborate a bit or share a resource on runners and whips?

Runner is Boon's terminology for the extensions that grow beyond the silhouette. In shimpaku junipers, the foliage gets dense before it begins to extend. That extension signifies that the tree is healthy and ready to be worked on.

Whips are the same thing and what most of the bonsai world calls the growth.

 

[GGB]

Watering my trees with a can is one of my favorite parts of the day. You can always have two spots for your trees too. The current area for things like satsuki azaleas, and a place to move deciduous trees to in the dog days of summer/heat waves. And then a second bench for sun loving things like junipers and pines

 

[GGB]

Oh!! And remember to move the trees slowly into full sun or they will get nuked! It sounds silly but if you move the bench 10” at a time or something like that you can ease it into a sunnier location.

 

[johng]

looks like I will be the odd man out here but...I would suspect that 2 hours of direct sun in your area is plenty...especially since you are new to the hobby and have most likely yet to develop a keen understanding of watering. Ive been doing this for more than 35 years and I am moving more and more trees under shade cloth every year...pretty much only Junipers, pines and Bald Cypress get full sun in my garden. Everything else gets more shade than sun. I prefer morning sun to afternoon...virtually all of my tress do fine in morning sun for almost its duration but afternoon sun is significantly harder on them... I've always gotten a laugh from the folks in the northern states complaining about sun!! Try to grow trees with 30-40 days of 95 degrees plus in the summer

 

[Wood]

If you're stuck with that sun and don't want to move your benches, you could always focus on trees that need less sun than pines and junipers. Most deciduous would do decently with that sunlight. Japanese maples, American and Korean hornbeam, most elms probably

 

[BonsaiLoudon]

You bring up a good point about my non-junipers. Especially in the heat of the summer, my Sequoia, Redwood, and Boxwood would probably prefer to avoid 6 hours of direct sun and 85°+ temps. I'll have to think a bit about how to handle it. I could get a second small bench for my Junipers to put in a sunnier location. Or I could move the bench, but build a shade cloth rig to protect some of my plants from the extra sun. That might be a better idea so I can be more flexible with what I give my plants. I think my Redwoods would actually love more sun, even if they would need some protection during the hot months.

Then I'd move the bench back for winter, I think. Planning on putting up a greenhouse around the whole thing as a sort of cold frame.

looks like I will be the odd man out here but...I would suspect that 2 hours of direct sun in your area is plenty...especially since you are new to the hobby and have most likely yet to develop a keen understanding of watering. Ive been doing this for more than 35 years and I am moving more and more trees under shade cloth every year...pretty much only Junipers, pines and Bald Cypress get full sun in my garden. Everything else gets more shade than sun. I prefer morning sun to afternoon...virtually all of my tress do fine in morning sun for almost its duration but afternoon sun is significantly harder on them... I've always gotten a laugh from the folks in the northern states complaining about sun!! Try to grow trees with 30-40 days of 95 degrees plus in the summer

t

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

My spruce only get morning sun, then filtered sunlight from a big tree.

 

[Pigskin Pete]

My spruce only get morning sun, then filtered sunlight from a big tree.

Im curious does it matter whether it is morning sun or late afternoon, early evening sun as long as it is not the intense midday sun? For those trees we want to give some direction sunlight while avoiding that high noon heat.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Let the trees’ needs for light dictate their placement in the yard. Choose the safest place in full sun for the junipers and pines, and the others with lesser needs accordingly.

I water all 42 of my trees by hand using a watering can that I fill from my rain barrel at the side of my house:

3.5-4 full cans does the job. Watering by hand ensures that you can fill the grow container or pot twice (once to container capacity, and then a second time to soil capacity) for sufficient watering.

 

[We're all Mad Here...🎩]

Im curious does it matter whether it is morning sun or late afternoon, early evening sun as long as it is not the intense midday sun? For those trees we want to give some direction sunlight while avoiding that high noon heat.

I can't say for sure, but I imagine the same duration of the same quality filtered light should be generally equivalent. There are, however, a number of factors to consider like season,Temps, tree health, etc., but that should be obvious. The best way to learn is to try, and sometimes fail. Good luck.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

If you have seen Nigel‘s YouTube videos on the Bonsai Zone he waters all his trees by hand and must have several hundred. The up side of using a rain barrel is you will not be using high pH water which can create issues especially with trace metals.