Tree tips

Our annual show is coming up on October 1st. Getting our trees ready is now an important priority.

Tree Prep

Clean up the pot, remove weeds and put fresh soil on the surface. If you have attractive moss, add that. Check and remove any dead or sick foliage from the tree. We want to have our trees as presentable as we can regardless of their stage of training.

On the second Saturday, September 10th, from 1 to 3pm, I will help any club member prepare his/her tree. I will have top soil, oil for pots and wire available for adjustments, if needed. The address is 4873 Clydelle Ave, San Jose — about 1/2 mile from our regular meeting place.

September Tree Duties

For trees other than ones you are showing, September is truly a transitional time in bonsai where we can work on conifers as well as deciduous and broad-leaf evergreens, and guide them from all-out growth and ramification to holding and directing the trees energy for the big push next spring.

I will stop pruning back to two leaves in the middle of the month. After that I will allow the trees time to mature their foliage and build energy over the late fall and winter. In the meantime, continue cutting back and fertilizing, gradually lessen the amount of nitrogen through November. We’ll be trimming back the winter growth in December and January to the location where you want the ramification to start sprouting in spring. You can still wire to create movement this fall.

Conifers get most of our attention for styling and wiring in the fall and winter months. Wire to develop short incremental arcs rather than long wavy branches to create natural looking branches over time. Aim for different lengths, different angles and different directions.

For all of your trees, fall is still a good time to fertilize. The trees are storing energy in the vascular system to overwinter and start spring with a big bang.