Special Techniques in Bonsai: Grumpy Update

The Delusion Continues:  Create Old Bonsai from New

Remember Grumpy? 
        Once upon a time, along a poor and dusty roadside  far away, a sapling, admittedly a skinny orphan,  grew lazily by the wayside, sneezing heartily from the dust.   
Few branches he had,  for he was but a poor sapling, indeed, born in soil naught but unkind, sharp pebbles and sorry, salty road dust. 
 In spite of his poor start in life and being blessed with few branches and sparse roots, he remained eternally hopeful, dreamed of greater things and stood proudly, waving happily at passers-by.

He was finally chosen by little more than fortuitous luck, rescued he was,  carefully lifted and taken to a strange land by a lowly woodsman seeking to rescue such an imperfect tree.  
Rather than being freed, he was bound firmly to a venerable piece of silvered  wood named Grumpy, and  planted somewhat strangely in a pot.


He was not unhappy, for the new soil was good, the water delicious, and he was not alone. There were others to befriend;  curious, small trees that lived contentedly in pots big and small.
 His lot in live was to wait  five years through snow, rain, storm and sunshine to learn his destiny. 

At first, he stubbornly refused to grow up, the young always expecting more out of life and being rather impatient. The other trees whispered about it regularly among themselves, he duly noted. 
 As time went on,  he accepted his fate,  settled in and began to grow as one with Grumpy, who clung miraculously and silently to the outside of the pot.  They watched  the world go by  for the longest time as they surprisingly grew ever closer together, until it seemed they must be one.

"Oh, what shall we call you? the master asked, one day as he watered the soil carefully and nonchalantly spoke to chickadees flying past.
"You  mean me?....
  Alas, I have no name", the little tree offered bravely, " for I was but a seed dropped by a sparrow in the wind." 
" ---But I had nothing, no hope, no heart, and no life! Grumpy spoke up suddenly, yawning. 
" You bravely gave me your friendship, your heart and a new life too",  , ----"so I must share my name with you, dear friend, for Grumpy I was without a heart, without  life itself until we became one." 

"Then Grumpy shall you be" the master said, smiling wisely. 
"We shall give you a suitable new home immediately!"


And that is how our friend Grumpy the Bonsai  came to be....

 Remember?   You might even want to revisit

Bonsai: Specialized Techniques Creating Unique Trees

We originally rescued our little hero, the spindly white spruce sapling free of branches and little crown  --from along a roadside and certain doom. It was fitted it into a groove carved in a trunk-shaped, silvered piece of driftwood, and the live root system was planted in a deep pot of  rich, free-draining soil.  

You'll recall small wooden blocks and wire were used  to retain the tree in the groove until growth of new wood filled  the space. It took a few years.  That makes sense, doesn't it?  If a live trunk is not retained in the desired position adequately, expansion from new growth can actually push the live trunk out of place.  

As you can see, Grumpy's new trunk  had to be mounted outside of the pot for several growing seasons  to prevent contact with potting  soil while  the tree came back to health --and the spindly trunk expanded. It seemed to take forever, but it was only 5 short years!
 The tree crown is coming into it's own and is as healthy as a weed.  Good thing, too.   It needs to be healthy, because Grumpy's next operation is a major challenge!  He has to be tough and in good condition!

  In this photo, notice the live sapwood and trunk have now pretty much filled the groove, securing the trunk in place.  Additional growth will continue to occur in the narrow visible live strip as the tree grows, but even though future expansion of girth will take place outside of the groove the live trunk will  now remain locked in place.

You can see Grumpy's face on the left side on the lower half of this photo. Pretty cool dude, isn't he?                                                              

Adequate development of the root system and improvement  took several years because the sapling chosen was really a rescue tree from very poor roadside soil--not ideal, and  perhaps a bit stunted and too spindly for the job.  The root system was minimal and poorly suited with a single, long taproot.

In the spring it was time to prepare Grumpy for his new life.  A major operation was necessary which involved pruning of the tap root, branch pruning, trunk preparation,  and finally,  re-potting and securing into a much shallower training pot.  

•  The tree is removed from the deep  training pot and carefully prepared to fit into a shallow, simple  training pot . 
•  The long tap root must be reduced (pruned off)  substantially to allow the fine, healthy  root growth already developed to be arranged directly under the pseudo-trunk.  New growth of  fine feeder rootlets will quickly replace any large roots  or tap root  removed.
• The old soil  is soaked and washed off of the roots rather than just broken off dry,   to minimize damage to the delicate feeder rootlets. Pruning is completed, and the newly-prepared root mass is protected with wet peat moss so it will not dry out while other preparations are being made.

• The  new trunk is treated with lime sulphur to preserve the deadwood. A solution is mixed and  applied with a suitable paintbrush. Lime sulphur  is excellent for this purpose,  preventing mould and decay, and smells terrible --but does not negatively affect live trees.   
• Surprise!  *I followed the instructions on the  product, there's a first to be sure! Two coats are applied, paying particular attention to the bottom of the driftwood piece which will be in constant  contact with damp potting soil and mosses.  

• When the lime sulphur is dry, the tree is established in the new pot and supported with plastic-coated guy wires to hold the trunk securely in position.  ( I use #14 copper wire.)  The root system is arranged directly underneath the large new trunk. With time and growth, the enlarged root system will eventually support the tree without help. 
• New,  free-draining potting soil  is tamped firmly around the roots to eliminate air pockets and ensure excellent growth will continue. 
• Several varieties of moss are added to the surface of the soil  immediately to replicate the natural symbiotic environment of the  Boreal forest and minimize  moisture loss. The soil  is thoroughly soaked and will be watered carefully each day.  The recovering tree will be kept out of direct sunlight for a week or so to minimize stress. 

• The crown ( top) must be  reduced  (pruned) to compensate for  the reduction of the tap root thereby reducing excessive demands on the downsized root system.  Branches and twigs not needed for the final design are carefully removed first.  
•  Minor  branch  wiring is also conducted where branches need to be adjusted as they grow, only because the timing for growth was correct to do so. Normally one would try to avoid  repotting, extensive pruning  and wiring a tree all at the same time to minimize stress,  but Grumpy was strong and healthy, growing very rapidly. 

Now Grumpy needs needs serious time out  to rest and adapt to all of the new changes. The design of the crown is not finalized by any means. Additional branches will be removed over several  seasons to facilitate the final design- depending on the success of the new growth.
All of the remaining branches will be left intact for a couple of growing seasons to ensure the health of the tree, thickening of the trunk and stabilizing of the root structure.

Introducing:  Grumpy the Bonsai

 
The lime sulphur coating changes colour as it dries and will end up almost waterproof.  It becomes a pleasing shade of light silver-gray.
Now Grumpy gets to put in a lot of camping  time on the benches  to grow, develop a much larger root system. The crown will fill out, hopefully where required.

Certain branches are also wired   and temporarily but slightly over-bent for rapid spring growth.
 I use brightly coloured plastic-coated wire that is quite noticeable to ensure the wire is not forgotten and will be removed when necessary.
Some of those wired branches too, may eventually  be removed  in the design process, but only long after the tree is fully recovered** from this stressful day .  




We are one.  
Grumpy is smiling, complete with bold heart and trunk.  He gets to schmooze for a very long life.


Is that incoming I hear?

**Note:  Avoiding instructions may not have been the only problem we have run into.
          Since Grumpy was re-potted, an undetermined,  wide-spread major event occurred that affected a large majority of conifers, primarily White Spruce and Balsam Fir trees in Northwestern Ontario.  Major needle drop, bleaching,  browning,and drying occurred erratically within sometimes as little as  two or three days; some areas were untouched --at times  adjacent trees  were badly damaged while  some are totally unscathed.
Sadly, our bonsai collection of indigenous species was not exempt from this serious problem. 
 Grumpy suffered some minor browning damage, but at this date, looks like he should survive.  We shall keep you updated.   
Many  trees both in our collection and out in the wilds will not be so fortunate, some are already developing new buds and will grow, others appear to have  dried up completely --and are unlikely to recover. 
The cause of this damage is unknown at this time but correctly or not,  has been attributed by foresters to the early, unusual spring weather we  so enjoyed earlier this year!  

Bonsai: Specialized Techniques Creating Unique Trees

Special Techniques can produce Spectacular Bonsai   Photo www. coolgizmotoys.com

Here at Incoming Bytes we admire the durability and tenacity of trees. Do you?  Most gardening types do.   Trees thrive, existing against all odds  in difficult, brutal weather conditions.  Trauma to  natural trees is caused by forest fire, stripped bark, torn wood, loss of branches, --and in the extreme, crowns and trunks are easily snapped off. All trauma causes damage; nature does her best to repair it,  and therein lies the secret to creating special bonsai!

Callus growth: Nature's Repair

  Disease, insects,  and drought conditions over long periods can also cause major or partial die-back of normally healthy, large trees, leaving only a small part of the tree to survive. Have you ever seen very old trees with large portions of the trunk wood  exposed, weathered and dry without bark,  yet there is a  narrow strip of live, healthy bark remaining?


  On these trees, perhaps only a substantially-reduced section  of the crown --or   a single branch -- of necessity--may display live foliage.
 In   higher elevations,  trees subjected to extreme conditions barely survive year to year with extreme swings in temperature, ice and snow, blowing sand, disease, insects, little water,  and brutal, constant wind.  Trees grow  as they must to survive under such conditions, and are often stunted, distorted natural creations of great, but tragic beauty.
   The damaged or threatened tree in nature always compensates  by sealing damage quickly and allowing the equivalent portion of foliage to die back.   The  remaining section of live bark and trunk will then  be capable of providing adequate nourishment for the remaining foliage until the tree repairs itself with callus growth when possible.

   Venerable old bonsai  in highly valued collections often display these characteristics that have developed naturally or otherwise.  Such features  may be created by careful manipulation of  otherwise ordinary, normal trees.

 You can create this natural illusion with bonsai, -- using specialized techniques. For now, let us concentrate on  trees displaying  a simple strip of live bark and wood.  In the following photo, only a small portion of the tree trunk  seems to be  alive and growing.  Is it an illusion? Study it carefully.

Create Bonsai:  Old and New Spirits of the Forest Joined (c) 2012

In fact, the image is a 'tree in design'  or  'tree under construction'  using our  special technique of  joining old and new. Note the fascinating facial character on this silvered, weathered  piece of driftwood. Looks kind of old and grumpy, doesn't he?

Let's get artistic and duplicate that natural  process right here in your workshop or potting shed.
By the way, there's no hurry. It takes time. You can start developing a pseudo-trunk any time, even in mid-winter, and find a live tree later.  The project can actually be as fancy or as simple as the piece of wood you are fortunate enough to discover.


To create a bonsai with that image, you will first need :

•  a suitable  piece of a natural  tree, which can be root wood, a branch, or  a silvered piece of driftwood 10" to 16" long. Your selected piece of wood will become the  pseudo-trunk of your new bonsai.   The size  you need depends  how  large or tall you wish your bonsai to be.  Old trees in nature usually have a noticeable, developed taper on their trunks, so your chosen piece of wood should be naturally tapered to a  larger buttress at the bottom.  Wood must be free of decay -and the more it looks like an old,  natural, but miniaturized 'tree trunk' the better.  Suitably placed "dead branches', splits or cracks are acceptable and can be a beautiful accent.
•   A young,flexible, healthy living tree  of suitable height with very little taper and few branches --but a healthy root system. If it is bare-root nursery stock, prevent the the roots from drying  out by planting it in damp peat moss or other suitable medium temporarily.  Species can be almost any variety suitable for bonsai. Juniper is a bonsai favourite, as are many hardwoods such as Trident maple.
• Ordinary tools:  you probably already have some if you are a do-it-yourself person:  A small saw, narrow chisel and hand wood carving tools will do. 
•  Pencil or pointed  black marker
• Environmentally-friendly wood preservative and paint brush
•  Pliers and Tools suitable for pruning (secateurs,  hand clipper or bonsai tools)
•  A suitably sized plastic training pot,  ie. 10" .
•  peat-moss based, free-draining potting soil.

 Let's get at it!  Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for this project, you are not only the creator but  the beholder!

 Take time to carefully study the piece of deadwood (driftwood, root wood, branch material) for the most attractive, natural  presentation of the material at hand.
Determine the 'bottom' of the new 'trunk' and mark it.
  The bottom of the pseudo trunk will sit neatly on the surface of the potting soil.  Carefully cut the bottom to the correct angle.   Be safe, use gloves, eye protection and caution when using tools.

Stand the trunk in the predetermined position and visualize where the 'top' of the trunk might terminate. The ultimate design  of the foliage of the live tree and the overall artistic  vision desired will determine where the 'top' of the deadwood will be.
Remove any excess wood or undesirable sections. Carve the top to the desired shape.
Tear the wood fiber back to simulate a broken, torn top if desired, using pliers.
 Smooth and wire-brush the remaining surface to the desired texture, keeping in mind the surface you are simulating is  a natural. aged tree trunk.
Treat the wood with environmentally tree-friendly wood preservative or lime sulphur and allow it to dry thoroughly. Pay special attention to the base and  surface that will  come into contact with the soil when  established in the pot. 

Decide the best visual route of attachment for the live tree to follow.  A sketch to visualize the finalized appearance of the tree could come in handy.

Mark and carve your chosen path for the  groove or "channel'  into the length of  the driftwood, ensuring the most natural routing, following the natural grain and twist of the dry wood. The depth of the channel should be approximately half of the diameter of the trunk of the new tree, and at depth, the groove should be marginally wider than at the surface. When prepared carefully the trunk should fit snugly into the channel.

Before you fit the tree into the carved channel, ensure the root of the live tree is  first adequately pruned with the main tap root removed, and remember to leave as many small feeder roots intact as possible. Keep the  roots moist at all times.

When the tree fits correctly,   score and remove a small strip of the live bark from the new tree  just at or below the depth of the groove for the  length of the live tree on both sides where the deadwood will contact the live tree.  You may or may not wish to treat the 'damaged' area of the live tree with growth hormone.  My project tree was left untreated.

Time to join the old and new!  
Carefully place and fasten the tree  into the groove.  Remember, the tree must be held in place securely, as it will attempt to 'push itself out' of the groove as it grows in diameter.

Use small blocks of wood fastened in place with handy wire, and/ or plastic tie-wraps-- to avoid damaging the  live tree with the wire.   Since trees always repair themselves by growing a callus on the edges of damaged bark, the 'damaged' area will respond and begin to heal itself.   The tree grows larger  in diameter in the groove, filling it, and eventually  the callus growth will lock the live trunk tightly in place naturally --although it may take several growing seasons to do so.

"Plant"  your new custom-designed combination tree in a training pot, leaving the " ancient trunk" sitting  slightly above the soil, or even 'offset'  for the first couple of growing seasons.  Why? Because your live tree may need to be replaced if it is accidentally dried out or otherwise fails to  grow.  No point in wasting all that preparatory work on the beautiful, artistic  one-of-a-kind trunk! ) 

 Check regularly during each growing season to make sure the 'live' tree is held securely in the groove, and adjust the retaining wires and blocks as necessary to avoid leaving ugly wire marks on the live bark.

After 3 or 4 growing seasons, the wires and blocks can be removed.  If additional 'channel infilling' is needed in areas, carefully score the live bark along the 'join' seam on each side of the live bark. Use a sharp knife and do it in early spring, just as  sap begins to run.  Callus growth will soon fill in the channel completely. 
 
Keep the tree alive, watering regularly.  New crown growth may be slow, but, as with all growing things, you have time on your side! Prune off any dead or undesired branches.
If your tree is growing rapidly, start pruning and shaping after the first season.  Be careful not to loosen the tree from the deadwood.
The  tree in our demonstration ,  a White Spruce, (Picea glauca)   has been in process and allowed to grow undisturbed  for 5 years.  Notice the crown is only now growing happily. *Note how  the  unique pseudo-trunk was 'offset' by notching the plastic pot to accommodate the final design. Excessive roots will once again  be pruned off to encourage root growth under the "trunk"  when re-potting the tree into a new  pot.

Extra Grumpy & twiggy -- *offset from training pot

In this photo Grumpy  just been removed from the growing shelf (November) to  be bedded down for the winter. Looks pretty upset, doesn't he?  See the grumpy faces?
 In the spring it will be time to re-pot  our new creation and carefully determine the final design of this healthy foliage.    "Twiggy", but healthy-looking, isn't it?
This somewhat stubborn  tree grew and progressed very , very slowly.  It was grumpy,  resisting putting out any new growth for a couple of years,  but we  insisted.
Foliage will be be  selected, pruned and shaped early in the spring and the dry wood will again be treated with wood preservative.

By the way, who says trees don't respond to kindness ?    Study Grumpy's face again...
 Grumpy is bedded down for the winter.  He's already sound asleep. See?

Grumpy is sleeping, bedded down for the winter.

Patience on a bonsai project of this type is essential, but patience learned is also one of the appealing aspects of  the art of bonsai.  Depending on your geographical location, perhaps even after only a  mere couple of growing seasons,  your live bonsai will be healthy and thriving.  It will then be time for you  to get creative and practice  the art of designing your live foliage.  Try this technique, and don't forget to photograph the progress as you go!
Maybe your tree won't be as grumpy.  Have fun!


Is that Incoming I hear?