Deciduous Development, Bonsai Matsu
Development Plan
Defoliation—only at the right time, done practice steps at the wrong time
Seasonal Beauty
Often selects a pot to pair with autumn color.
Winter silhouette is when we show off our best work—all the right decisions and hard work.
Assess health before any work on a tree
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Order of Development
Trunk & Nebari
Primary branches
Secondary branches
Ramification
Don’t jump the order as work may slow down the earlier development. Do work (or let it grow out) at the right time.
Ground Growing
Rapid growth, but uncontrolled—ending up with chunky roots. Gets you on the path quickly, but fast growing heartwood may not last too long when exposed to elements.
Rootwork on field grown trees is as important as rootwork on potted trees.
Fertilizing
If you are in a more defined stage, wait until foliage has hardened off before fertilizing—or you will lengthen internodes. Wait roughly 2 months into the growing season, when foliage turns less vibrant and young. So 1 month of fertilizing before summer.
If in middle development, let the primary or secondary branches push of sacrifice branches—let them grow out then cut back. Scaled back on fertilizing, between young and refined fertilizer (e.g. 1-2 teabags).
If stage one, developing the trunk—peak fertilizing (e.g. 4 teabags).
Stage 4 Fully Refined may start fertilizing a little early as it struggles to get nutrients into congested root network.
Two growing periods:
Spring foliage development
Autumn strengthening
Both good times for wound healing
If you make a cut, protect it from rot by using cut paste
If you are activating healing of a callus, scrape the edges—during a healing period.
Repotting Deciduous
Clip & Grow or Wired Movement?
Wiring can risk knocking off buds or unwiring causing damage
Must be when the vascular flow is high to avoid kinking flow
Wire contact must close or you may likely break a branch
Cut & grow is slow, but directional pruning
Decisions
If it’s too long, too fat or too gnarly—then cut it off