Shohin display

Even in smaller displays it’s hard to get trees that point the right way and complement each other well. The display below does a good job of mixing broadleaf, deciduous, and coniferous bonsai.

Shohin display

Shohin olive bonsai

Root over rock shohin trident maple

The tree above points clearly to the right making it a good fit for the left side of the display. But beyond that, the tree’s silhouette provides a bit of dissonance. It’s well done and very well ramified, but there’s little transition between the trunk and fine branches. I’ve thought about how I might develop it differently and can’t say that I’ve come up with much. It’s an interesting little tree.

Shohin bonsai display

Shohin bonsai display

More simple than the traditional box stands, single tree stands are a great way to show off a tree. I like this stand’s curved support and the way it creates an asymmetrical display.

Shohin juniper with accent

A few trees fell into the large shohin or chuhin categories. These larger trees were excellent.

Mendocino cypress

In sharp contrast to many of the antique pots featured in the exhibit, at least one contemporary pot made a colorful statement. It would be fun to see how these pots are received when they too become antiques.

Shohin ume bonsai in Bunzan pot

Another well-done chuhin bonsai.

Needle juniper bonsai

From what I can tell, the Hotel de Oro really gets into hosting the seminar. Even the front desk provides an excellent, albeit unorthodox, bonsai display.

Ilex serrata with service bell and Missions in California

Accent plant

I believe this accent would make a great compliment to many bonsai displays. I was curious which tree the accent was paired with when I noticed that the accent complemented not a tree but a scroll. Or the scroll complemented the accent – it’s hard to say which. Needless to say, the two work well together.

Accent/scroll display

I appreciate that the exhibit featured several less traditional displays like the one above and I look forward to seeing more of the like in the future.

Grafting requires a bit of homework for success. I highly recommend grafting with someone experienced or reading about it before getting started. Although I’ve been doing it for years, I still have a lot to learn. For pine, I’ve found that the end of winter is a good time to graft. I like grafting when it’s really cold out. On warmer days, sap can fill the cuts before the scion makes contact with the tree’s cambium layer. This year I repotted the day before grafting to further slow the flow of sap. Although this goes against common wisdom on the topic, I wanted to give it a try to see what happens.

For scions, I use branches that are one to two years old. Vigorous, but not too vigorous. I avoid using summer growth – the buds that grew after decandling the previous year. And typically, I used less vigorous shoots than the one below whenever possible, but these strong and compact shoots work too.

Scion – a shoot that developed last spring

The first step in preparing the scion is removing extra needles with scissors. 8-10 pairs of needles are usually enough to keep the scion alive. I’ll leave extras if the needles are short, like below, or fewer if the needles are long.

Scion after removing extra needles – 8-10 pairs are usually enough

Next comes the cutting. This is where studying a drawing of cambium layers comes in handy. Knowing where the cambium layer is helps when inserting the scion.

Scion – ready to graft

Here’s another view from the side to show the angles of the cut. Note that the top cut is a bit curved – that’s no good. Straight cuts fit snugly into the incision – curves can leave gaps that fill with sap and prevent the cambium layers from meeting. This can be fixed with another cut.

Scion – side view

After cutting the scion, I place it in my mouth to keep it humid. I’m careful not to touch the cut surface. I don’t know how much of a difference this makes, but it’s a comforting habit.

The faster the rest of the process goes the better as delays provide time for sap to flow. I use a 1/2″ chisel to make a vertical incision almost one inch long and maybe 1/4″ deep. This prevents the trunk from tearing when making the main incision. This can be done with a number of chisels, though the best come from Japan and are made specifically for the purpose. I try to use chisels that are the same width as the scion.

Making the incision

I make the cut fairly deep as it has to match the size of the cut on the scion. Here’s a view from the side.

Making the incision – side view

Next I remove the scion from my mouth and place it in the incision. This part can be tricky. If the incision isn’t deep enough, the opening may close a bit before the scion makes it inside. This will force the scion to stick out too far and the cambium layers won’t line up.

Scion sticking out too far

When the cut is made properly the scion fits snug.

Scion inserted to proper depth

Scion inserted to proper depth- front view

Next I wrap the trunk with grafting tape. I make it snug but not overly tight. This keeps the scion in place.

I wish I knew of a better source for grafting tape. I’ve used a variety of materials, but the one I like best comes from a Home Depot-like store in Japan. I try to stock up when I get the chance.

Grafting tape holding the scion in place.

The final step is covering the scion with a grafting bag that contains moist sphagnum moss. This provides extra humidity that prevents the scion from drying out before new vasculature can keep it alive.

Graft completed

You may notice that the trunk is cut right above the graft. I don’t expect it to grow – if no sap flows past the graft it’s unlikely to succeed. I prepared this graft last so I could take my time and get pictures along the way. I’ve left it in place to see what happens – it will be fun to see if it works!

Spring growth above – Summer growth below

As you might imagine, the future silhouette of this tree will be much smaller than it is now. I plan to remove the top half of the trunk when I get a few more grafts in place – more on that next week. After some cutback, needle pulling, grafting and repotting, the tree looked a bit more manageable.

All set for Spring

I learned years ago that bonsai folk can benefit from a deep sense of delayed gratification. Today this tree is both gangly and unbalanced – it looks like it’s waving its arms in the air in dismay. But it’s looking better every year and before long it will look great in an exhibit. The effort will be worth it.

I’ve also learned that there’s far more to bonsai than making trees “pretty.” Routine tasks like repotting provide me with plenty of gratification. While repotting this tree, I was very surprised to see the condition of the soil.

Bonsai soil after 3 years in the pot

After at least three years, the bonsai mix had barely begun to break down. I’d used Clay King – the pre-mixed bonsai soil that comes from Japan. It’s a mix of pumice, lava and akadama. Normally I’d expect to repot this tree every or at least every other year. It’s a large tree in a small pot and it’s growing vigorously. But because the soil is so hard, the drainage remained good and the roots developed well.

Combing out the roots

I also appreciate the time savings. Getting an extra year out of bonsai soil saves time and money. Getting that with no cost to the tree’s health is a super combination.

Several years passed – no flowers. I’d already carved away the lower 3-4 inches of the trunk and begun developing the nebari. I carved the trunk and helped new branches ramify. But no blooms. I’ll admit I’m no fan of double pink, but the point of ume is the contrast between new flowers and old trunk. So I started grafting.

Another 5 years passed. The tree looked great with white blossoms – the fragrance was unforgettable – and I’d had fun learning how to care the variety. But ume don’t bud back well, and the grafting became a regular affair. Then, out of nowhere, a few dark buds appeared from some of the original branches. Before long, I saw the first few double pink flowers. Which confirmed my decision to graft.

This year I’m mid- re-grafting the entire tree. I let the branches grow past where I can safely cut back so I’m essentially starting from scratch. Here’s the tree a few weeks ago with the last few white and pink blossoms.

Ume – early February

White flowers

Double pink flowers

Last year I had good luck with my grafts – over half took and I ended up with around 7 new shoots. Another dozen or so grafts and I’ll be back in business.

Scion – one year after grafting

Another one-year old scion

Typically I graft in years when I don’t repot. This is supposed to maintain the vigor of the tree and help push energy to the scions. I hadn’t repotted the tree in a few years – not a problem because the pot was large and the drainage good – but I remembered doing things differently the first time I grafted the tree.

I looked through old photographs and found that when I grafted I cut the branches back heavily and repotted at the same time. I thought I’d try the same this year. Here’s a shot from below half-way through cleaning the bottom of the rootball. Not standard practice, but clearly demonstrative of the amount of roots removed.

Half-way through the rootball

I removed all roots up to the base of the trunk. I knew the base of the tree was flat because I hand carved through three inches of wood ten years ago and still remember the blisters. The work was far easier this time. To further encourage outward growing roots, I removed all growth from the base of the trunk.

Removing downward-growing roots

Bottom of the rootball prepared

I cleaned the remainder of the rootball and realized the nebari was developing well. When I first changed the level of the nebari, only three or four large roots emerged from the base of the trunk, the rest emerged a couple of inches higher. Now fine roots circle the trunk. Not necessarily expected of ume bonsai – trees on which deadwood is far more important than roots – but not undesirable either.

Rootball trimmed

As several years of residue from organic fertilizer displaced most of the bonsai soil left in the roots, I decided to wash the rootball to improve the drainage.

Rootball after washing away excess soil and fertilizer

I set to grafting right after repotting. Here’s a brief step-by step:

1. Insert scion in branch

2. Tie scion in place with grafting tape

3. Secure grafting bag around scion

Graft completed – note condensation from moist sphagnum moss in grafting bag

Grafting and cutback really cleaned up the tree. Here’s how it ended up.

Ume after grafting and repotting

I’ll have a good idea of which scions will make it around Fall. Some usually brown out immediately, others offer a green tease and then flame out in summer. If the grafts make it to Fall, I can usually count on their success. The goal is to get enough in place to begin thinking about showing the tree at a future BIB exhibit. When that time comes, I have just the pot in mind – a yellow oval I picked up in Japan last year – great motivation for me to keep up the work.

Western juniper

My worry was that all of the roots came from a single spot at the far end of the pot. After removing the tree from pot, I learned that the roots were healthy.

Western juniper roots – note new growth in December

The mystery would wait for a few minutes – first I had to prepare the pot. The pot was made by Michael Hagedorn and has a number of features that make it bonsai friendly.

Wired pot from above

Note below the recessed areas on the bottom of the pot for the wire. Note also the recessed area mid-way along the grooves. It’s designed to make room for wire cutters. A number of bonsai pots have similar grooves but no easy way to get to the wires. This can make removing them a challenge. If you find a pot with such grooves, you can avoid future trouble by running the wires perpendicular to the grooves.

Wired pot from below

Once the pot was ready, I combed out the roots. There were plenty after just one year of growth.

After combing the roots

I clipped away the roots that hung down and found the large root that forced the tree to the side of the pot. I removed a fair chunk of it.

Large root distil from the trunk

I combed out the sides and top of the rootball and was left with an odd shape to work with. The rootball was high on one side and low on the other; flush with roots on the right and devoid of roots on the left. The tree was tippy – some engineering would be required to secure it in the pot.

Rootball prepared

The solution Boon and I came up with used a block of wood, an extra wire, and a chopstick. Unorthodox, yet effective.

Tree secured

An extra bit of chopstick held the distil wire snug. After working the soil between the roots, the tree stayed put.

Chopstick to keep tie-wire in place

A few weeks after repotting I prepared the tree for exhibit – what a difference.

Tree and accent as displayed at BIB’s 11th annual exhibit

Although the result was an improvement, I expect an even bigger gain when I repot next year. I’d like to center the tree in the pot and rely more on new roots growing on the left side of the trunk. I’m looking forward to the work – every little bit helps.

Depending on where you live, you may have found that moss doesn’t just show up the week before exhibit. Either that or you find it difficult to keep it under control, a problem I do not have in Northern California. For years now, I’ve taken note of all of the patches of attractive moss I run across that grow on public property. Come January, I go moss-collecting. If all goes well, I end up with a few trays like the one below.

Collected moss

One other ingredient is necessary to make the process a succes – moss. White sphagnum moss, to be specific, the kind usually available from orchid growers. It typically comes in clumps. Run it through the large screen you use when sifting bonsai soil to produce the fine particles shown below.

White sphagnum moss

With these two special ingredients close by, it’s time to get started. The first step is soji – removing, or “cleaning” the top layer of soil. Depending on the quality of your soil, this step may not be necessary. Because I use organic fertilizers like cottonseed meal, I find that in January the decomposed fertilizer becomes gunky and impedes drainage. Now’s a good time to remove it. I do this with bent-nose tweezers – possibly the most used tool in my bag.

Removing the top layer of soil

If any roots stick out, I clip them with root scissors.

Clipping an exposed root

I then fill the pot with bonsai soil but stop a quarter-inch below the lip. This is to make room for the moss. If your moss is thicker, leave a bigger gap.

Fresh bonsai soil (akadama, lava, pumice and charcoal)

Here’s where the sphagnum moss comes in. Sprinkle a thin layer over the soil.

White sphagnum moss

The sphagnum moss helps keep the dollups of fresh moss moist. Watering it down before placing the fresh moss makes the work easier – and keeps it from blowing away.

Sphagnum moss moistened – ready for fresh moss

This is where the moss work becomes technical. Clipping the base of a dollup of moss helps it fit into the pot.

Preparing a clump of moss

Some folks start in corners – others begin around the base of the trunk.

One down, more to go

It’s possible that somewhere, someone has written a treatise about moss-laying. I like to think so anyway. Turns out it’s much easier to do a bad job than it is to make the moss smooth and attractive. I’ve seen many workshop students shrug their shoulders and breeze through a tree only to find themselves reapplying the moss under Boon’s supervision.

Half-way there – Jeff always does a good job

Where can moss-work go wrong? Some things to keep in mind. Like-sized clumps look good together. Placing large clumps on the left side of the pot and small clumps on the right side stands out something awful. The same rule applies to moss color, character, and direction. Yes, direction. Look closely and you’ll notice that most moss leaves that grow together point the same way.

Some of the most attractive work blends together different kinds of moss. It’s worth experimenting to see what effect you like. Bonus points for good use of lichen. We’ll save antenna-theory for another day.

Freshly applied moss

Tamping the moss with tweezers or trowel helps it stay put. As moss frequently grows in mucky soil, firmly pressing the moss into place really sets the clumps into the sphagnum and bonsai soil below.

Tamping the moss with tweezers

Tamping the moss with a trowel

For a final touch, feel free to sprinkle tiny soil particles over the moss and sweep away the excess. By filling in the gaps, the edges of the clumps don’t dry out so quickly. A popular BIB top-dressing is black lava, or “pepper,” as you’ll hear folks refer to it in Boon’s workshops.  The purple lava works well because it stays fairly dark when dry – pumice and akadama are lighter-colored when dry.

Sweeping away excess “pepper”

Moss-work complete

Once all’s set, water in the moss-work. Bonsai with freshly applied moss can be placed in full-sun, but care must be taken so it doesn’t dry out. The longer between the moss application and the exhibit, the more the clumps will fuse together and the taller the moss will sit in the pot. Some day I’ll lay moss early and let it grow for a month before exhibit. It makes for a somewhat rangy look that complements rough-hewn bonsai well.

Here are a few more examples of moss-work from BIB’s 11th annual exhibit.

Black pine with green moss

Ponderosa pine with moss and lichen

Root over rock procumbens juniper with green moss and a small fern

Gooseberry with green mosses

This year a couple of groves stood out at BIB’s 11th annual exhibit. One, a rock-planting with Kingsville Boxwood – and figurine.

“Pandora” – Kingsville Boxwood

Yes, Boon was taken by the film Avatar. A few days before the exhibit, he planted several boxwood on a rock and topped it off with moss. For the display, he mounted the stone on plexiglass pedestals. Soon after a Na’vi figurine appeared.

Na’vi Eytukan

Yes, we’ve been trained to shun such folly. And yes, there was controversy. Did it bother me? I’ll admit no little dissonance, but add that the trees, moss, and stone successfully held my attention.

As did a beech grove a couple aisles over. The trees are a great mix of large and small. The moss-work is excellent.

Beech grove – buna – fagus crenata

I think one reason groves are so captivating is their ability to draw us in – away from the day-to-day and into their own sphere of influence. Not unlike a movie.

The next thing you know, you look a little closer and begin to pick up the details.

Soon you start to imagine that it really is a little forest.

A single tree catches your attention. Up close, the details are compelling.

When you look up, you feel you’re in the forest.

You spot a clearing and head towards it.

You arrive at the clearing.

And for that brief moment, you get a break from the people, the noise, and the shuffle that make up the big world we live in.

Unlike bonsai, there are few rules governing proper use. The primary guide I like to keep in mind is that accent plants must be full. Like skimpy trees, skimpy accents draw attention to what’s missing. And as accents are meant to complement and enhance displays, they need to be full.

Seasonal accents are often appreciated. Fortunately, because we tend to use accents that look good at exhibit time, we’re more likely to pick appropriate accents than we are inappropriate ones.

The following accent plants were displayed at BIB’s 11th annual exhibit.

Native to wet, shaded places in Japan, this accent is a good fit for an antique tile.

Large accents complement large displays.

Reddish sedum provides good contrast color.

It’s perfectly acceptable for accents to spill outside of the pot.

There are a few important rules about accent placement. The greatest of these is direction. Accents always complement a specific element of a display. If that element is to the accent’s left, it better point left. While this isn’t an issue for evenly shaped accents, it becomes very important for more directional accents like the fern below.

Rabbit foot fern

Accents can be displayed on a variety of items, from stands to slabs to ceramics to bamboo. The rule here is that the accent must not be displayed on a stand more formal than the stand for the bonsai it complements. Which makes sense, unless the point is to highlight the accent and downplay the bonsai – an unusual case. Quince slabs are some of my favorites.

Quince slab

Slab with sedum accent. The slab could be a bit bigger – or the accent smaller.

Accents can be a lot of fun. Visitors to bonsai exhibits have likely seen junipers before. They’re less likely to have seen these:

Swelling buds

Moss and flower on lava rock

Accent for shohin

Chicks and hens

I’ve found that well-planted accents can look good for years with little effort. I’ve been using an ajuga now for almost 10 years that requires little more than removing a few brown leaves each year. Other creations require more time and effort. Well-planted accents can look good right out of the gates. But if an accent looks a bit skimpy, don’t hesitate to try again next year – it might be just right.

1. Get a truck for the supplies.

One truck packed – Boon’s happy

2. Get another truck for the trees.

John and I carefully pack the truck

3. Set up the backdrops.

John, Jeff and Vince are champs at setting up backdrops

4. Apply table dressing.

Sam, Marie, Scott, and Janet spread out the felt – light blue, like Kokufu

Backdrops ready to go

5. Gather stands.

We tend to bring more than we need – it helps setting up the displays

6. Set up the displays.

We usually begin with the biggest trees, the stands make good placeholders

Here a fine art/suiseki display is taking shape complements of Mas Nakajima.

We keep the trees off to one side until we’re ready for them.

We protect the stands by applying felt to pot feet.

Accents complete the display

7. Judge the show.

We divide the trees into like groups and vote for the winners.

It’s a good learning exercise – and fun!

8. Place the awards.

Members’ Choice Award – small deciduous & broadleaf

9. Point a lot.

Jim rallies the troops.

10. Ponder the finer points of display.

The serious business of bonsai

11. Hold an auction.

Tom holding a juniper for sale

Our barker extraordinaire, Chris Johnston.

12. Shoot the show.

Taking good pictures makes a big difference. We owe Eric great thanks for managing this for us.

That covers the basics. For bonus points, try:

• printing programs
• hosting a vendor area
• encouraging club sales
• serving tea and snacks
• breaking even

When it’s all over, put everything back in its place.