AndrewS1983
Seedling
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Thanks mark ive learned a lot from this thread , awesome work
Ebihara maples
- Thread starter markyscott
- Start date
AndyJ
Shohin
Folks,
Being new to Bonsai, I am forever scouring the Internet for scraps of info or posting up questions on to my main UK based forum which the members always reply and help. I've spent the last few days reading and rereading this thread. It's just brilliant! I don't think I will ever have the skills to carry out some of the techniques of Ebihara San but it'll be fun to try some of them.
Thanks Scott for starting this and for continually updating it over the last few years and thanks too Adair - you've taught me loads!!
Being new to Bonsai, I am forever scouring the Internet for scraps of info or posting up questions on to my main UK based forum which the members always reply and help. I've spent the last few days reading and rereading this thread. It's just brilliant! I don't think I will ever have the skills to carry out some of the techniques of Ebihara San but it'll be fun to try some of them.
Thanks Scott for starting this and for continually updating it over the last few years and thanks too Adair - you've taught me loads!!
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
I'm glad you feel as though you got something out of our discussion! The maples are in full leaf and growing like crazy - about time to work them again, so we'll continue the topic this spring!
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Spring flush has hardened off. Both maples had lots of strong growth. You can see that there is about 2' of extension on the spring shoots.
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
This is the busy time of the year for maples in development. In fact, I tend to work most broadleaf trees in development in a very similar way.
- In early spring, I don't touch it. I let the spring growth extend and harden off. Hardening means that the new growth forms a waxy cuticle. It's a sign that the tree has recouped its investment in the spring growth and is now storing sugars again. You can tell it's hardened because the leaf color changes from a pale green to a dark green. When this happens it's a perfect time to work the tree.
- For spring work, I'm generally only working the new growth. I don't cut into last year's wood unless there's new growth to cut back to. Objectives are to 1) thin the growth, 2) shoot selection, 3) energy balance, 4) wiring the new growth to develop branches, 5) thinning the leaves to let light and air into the interior growth
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
A good place to start is by cutting off all the downward facing growth. If you have properly placed strong shoots on old wood, its OK to cut back to the new shoots. See this branch? It was wired last year and now it has some good strong upward facing shoots I can cut back to. Then I can wire the new shoots down, creating movement and taper in the branch.
See? It's better now.
Scott
See? It's better now.
Scott
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markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
On broadleaf trees, we have a few tools to balance the growth. Balancing the growth on broadleaf trees means the same thing as it does on pines - we want the apical shoots to have the same vigor as the interior shoots. We want the shoots on the upper branches to have the same vigor as the shoots on the lower. The tools we have to create this balance are pruning, wiring and selective leaf removal. When I say selective leaf removal, I'm not talking about defoliation. In my opinion, it's not good to defoliate completely a tree like this in development - we want the strong growth to develop the branch structure and such defoliation will significantly slow the tree down. But selectively removing leaves can and should be done. Here are the techniques:
Scott
- Prune the extending shoots. But prune the strong shoots harder than the weak ones. Leave the weakest ones alone. Let the extending shoots near the bottom of the tree stay longer than the extending shoots at the top of the tree.
- Remove leaves. On Japanese Maples, I remove one of each of the leaf pairs, leaving an alternating pattern of leaves. Remove more on the strong shoots than the weak ones. Leave the weakest ones alone. Let more leaves remain on the bottom branches than on the strong apical growth. On the strongest growth, cut the remaining leaves in half.
Scott
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Finally, wire all the spring shoots into place. Pines and junipers have a branch structure that is often bent into place. It's different with broadleaf hardwoods. That branch structure is grown into place. Once the wood lignifies, it becomes really difficult to put movement into the branches or adjust the angle that they exit the trunk. But these green shoots can be easily shaped with wire. Once the growth has hardened off, they can handle wiring no problem. But watch that wire like a hawk. In a few short weeks it can start to cut in and we'll be pulling it all off again.
Scott
Scott
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markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
For me, this is a race. I like to get in there and work the tree as soon as the growth has hardened off. The earlier in spring the better because the tree will respond by putting out another flush of growth. That means I can do it again as long as I have growing season left. With luck I can work this tree 2 more times this season. If this were a trident, I might be able to work it 3 or four more times. As the branches get further along, it gets less wiring intensive. But for now, we'll forge ahead until we get the basic branch structure developed.
Scott
Scott
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
Thanks for showing. It's looking good.
barrosinc
Masterpiece
Is there a reason behind the material of the board? Why not use a hard plastic?
Saddler
Chumono
@barrosinc I use the bottoms of old nursery pots. I have been trying cutting the edges off the pot bottom where I want to roots thicker and stronger so they can grow down earlier. With the plastic bottoms, I can do this easily after I have screwed it to the tree.
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi Barrosinc. The main reason for the wood is that it's easy to drive finishing nails into it to direct the root growth.
Scott
Saddler
Chumono
@markyscott ahhhh, definitely a level or two above what I am doing currently. I think next spring I will have to try spreading out the individual roots on some of my favourite trees.
SantaFeBonsai
Shohin
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Great thread fellow TX Marky, it needs to be a sticky!
I tried to find the post that stated Ebihara fertilized 3x/wk? With a growing season of 9 months, very similar to your Houston zone. My experience is a native nectar garden, load the soil up with lots of organic ferts and water like it's never going to rain again! But the bonsai thing is a we bit different. Trying to grasp that ferts don't hang around in bonsai soil but everyone says not to fert in the summer. What was ebihara's take on summer fertilization?
I tried to find the post that stated Ebihara fertilized 3x/wk? With a growing season of 9 months, very similar to your Houston zone. My experience is a native nectar garden, load the soil up with lots of organic ferts and water like it's never going to rain again! But the bonsai thing is a we bit different. Trying to grasp that ferts don't hang around in bonsai soil but everyone says not to fert in the summer. What was ebihara's take on summer fertilization?
-norwegian_blue-
Yamadori
Scott, what book has the pictures of Ebihara's work that you've been posting?
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi -norwegian_blue-
They're from Kinbon magazine, May 2001. Definitely consider purchasing a back issue.
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi NorthTXacer. I don't recall hearing any advice from Ebihara on this issue, but I'll try and remember to ask Boon if he talked with him about this when next I see him.
-norwegian_blue-
Yamadori
Perfect; thank you!
And when is the next time you'll see him? I'm going out at the end of August.
