I really like auctions. It could be within the blood, there’s a narrative of my grandpa, who we referred to as Pee Wee, going to the native public sale and bidding on every part nobody else wished along with his catchphrase:
“ONE DOLLAH!”
All of the grandkids liked going with him to look at him purchase all this crap, although I by no means was sufficiently old to go. He claimed he purchased all of it as a result of he may promote it for no less than two. He by no means did, as evidenced by his home and storage being filled with it. I’m glad I didn’t need to be the one to scrub it up after he handed away, as I used to be already in Florida on the time. That activity fell to my cousin Josh, bless his again. Largely it was scrap and dumpster fodder, although Pee Wee did have a candy 1950’s period guitar with a tremolo bar. I’m wondering what occurred to it?
I may reminisce the entire publish about my childhood and the hoarding that passed off in my grandpa’s storage, and draw some parallels to my Wall of Pots…
However we aren’t right here to speak about that.
Or are we?
I just lately attended the Multi-Membership Public sale hosted by the Bonsai Society of Brevard (BSOB, which might be interpreted because the Bonsai SOB’s, however I digress), and I used to be principally in search of pots.
I obtained a number of good ones,
a Jim Smith,
a Taiko Earth,
and a Clif Potberg…
And I bid on a tree in a candy Rob Kempinski pot as nicely. And received! (Not for a “dollah” sadly)
A willow leaf ficus, it’s slowed down its progress for the yr, however I’d get some after the work I’m about to do. Seems to be prefer it had a bout with the fungus that impacts them right here within the Florida wet season. I’m unsure of the species of fungus (or if it’s even a fungus, it might be bacterial). I had requested my Fl. Dept of Ag to tradition it however they couldn’t get it to develop. It presents with the leaves simply getting brown and it dying off. You’ll lose high quality branching should you’re not cautious. A part of the issue is tradition, if in case you have too dense a cover, within the wet season, the illness takes maintain. I attempt to skinny out and defoliate mid summer season to attempt to fight it. Right here’s some injury on one other tree for reference:
I used to be capable of include it on one department.
On right now’s tree, there may be a few of this injury, however I’m not frightened about it. I’ll have the ability to management it come subsequent summer season with a combo of fungicide utility and even handed pruning when it’s wanted. Hopefully.
In the present day, I’m going to Slip Pot the ficus into a bigger pot, clear the trunk, reduce it again some, decrease the primary department on the best with a wedge reduce, and wire some branches down.
Right here’s the pot I wished, BTW. I obtained the entire thing for about $100, what I’d’ve paid only for the pot, so the tree was principally free. That is an instance of why you shouldn’t skip membership auctions, you possibly can construct your assortment with mature timber for affordable cash.
On older willow leaf specimens, the trunk shade will begin to flip a deep purple/purple.
To deliver that out, I’ll use some common outdated h2o2, full energy.
What you’d get at any pharmacy or retailer. And a trusty nylon brush. I normally suggest utilizing your spouses or vital others toothbrushes, however my spouse learn that in a earlier publish and locks hers away now. So I’ll be utilizing this one, simply present in {hardware} shops (however not so humorous a narrative to inform).
Dip it into the hydrogen peroxide and gently scrub the trunk. It’ll kill any mildew, fungus, lichen, micro organism, no matter, on the trunk, and take away a few of the grayish oxidation from publicity. The h2o2 received’t damage the tree, because it turns into inert water after it comes into contact with catalase (the tactic of motion is a straightforward one: most residing cells include an enzyme referred to as catalase. When the h2o2 encounters it, say in a micro organism or fungus cell, the catalytic conversion breaks the h2o2 into water and oxygen -h2o and o2 respectively-and that’s why you get the effervescent).
Ergo, any liquid that reaches the soil is apparent outdated water, so it doesn’t damage the roots.
I’ll let that sit and do it’s work as I flip my gaze to the pruning.
As you possibly can see, there are plenty of unneeded branches, i.e. branching of three or extra, these going up or down, lifeless twigs and many others.
Let’s do a light defoliation so I can see the branching higher, and begin modifying out some branches.
How’s that?
There’ll be some wiring a little bit later in this system.
Subsequent step will probably be some sculpting. Sharpen the knife or no matter implements of destruction you like….
Establish some ugly bulging and scarring.
And whittle away.
This works on willow leaf spectacularly. A little bit extra smoothing…
Ficus heal in ways in which create knobby scars. Generally that’s an excellent factor (chicks dig scars, in spite of everything) however generally you need the attention to maneuver higher alongside the trunk line (that’s the “artwork” side of bonsai composition).
Subsequent step, let’s get it out of the pot.
A little bit snip…
And it pulls proper out (from a person with 4 kids, there’s a joke there….).
Voila! I used to put in writing it as “viola” however just one particular person obtained the joke. It was unhappy, actually, just like the sound of the worlds smallest violin.
The “new” pot. Only a greater Chinese language manufacturing container. It’ll get a greater one in a couple of years.
Previous pot vs. new pot. Deeper, wider, higher for progress and drainage (a part of that “tradition” I talked about earlier).
My Soil combine. Lacking pumice because it’s arduous to seek out these days.
And into the brand new pot.
Now for the “superior” method
I’ve disinfected the department and my noticed, with the hydrogen peroxide, as one ought to.
You’ll discover the skinny blade with sharp enamel.
I create a loop of wire I’ll use to drag the department down after the cuts are made.
Make the reduce. Generally you’ll want to reduce nearly 90% via to get the department to maneuver, this time I solely reduce about 75%.
Push the reduce down collectively (a wedge reduce is a misnomer. This was only a straight reduce, as I’m solely shifting the department down a couple of levels. However generally you’ll want to make a wedge).
Tie the underside of the wire loop, whereas holding the department down.
Get a stiff piece of wire and start the turn-buckling.
You’ll discover in my tie down wiring I don’t normally use the turnbuckle method. I have a tendency to simply maintain the department down and use a man wire. On this case, we do it for 2 causes, first, it seems to be cool and it’ll impress your mates, however, secondly, and extra importantly, we wish full strain on the reduce, in order that it heals sooner. Lining up the cambium and the strain offering that seal or one thing technical like that.
Now to some wiring. And a little bit extra pruning, methinks (ergo….methinks….who do I feel I’m, Shakespeare? Subsequent factor I’ll be making up phrases. Like hyperbolot: one who makes use of hyperbole 1,000,000 instances a day. Like your mother…).
Wired out.
And in the reduction of. The highest had some reverse taper close to the apex, so I reduce it and have to regrow a brand new one.
I do know, doesn’t appear to be a lot, however it’s going to. in time. Not too lengthy actually, a couple of years, however the work achieved right now will make it go that a lot sooner.
Bonsai is about making use of constant strategies on the appropriate time in a timber rising seasons and degree of growth.
Anyway, keep in mind that it was the pot I used to be actually after, the tree is gravy (on a aspect observe, my Thanksgiving dinner, at my spouse’s uncle this yr, didn’t embody gravy. I imply, actually, no gravy. I’d’ve been misplaced if it weren’t for the bourbon….)
The pot!
Candy, ain’t it?
Rob likes to call issues, and his pots aren’t excluded. It says “The Eleventh Hour”
After I discover a good tree for the pot I’ll publish it on my Instagram. And I’ll replace the tree within the spring.
