Pieces of Bonsai - November 2005
November begins the year for bonsai, and here are some things that should be done:

Pines-make sure your tree is always healthy before doing the following:
Removing pine needles-On small trees pluck out single needles one at a time, leaving the sheath on. If you have no luck at doing this, then cut off the needles. For larger trees you want the long branches to bud back further. Pull off the needles and the sheath on these long branches. This will remove the buds close to the growing tip and force dormant buds further back down the branch to develop. Then feed the tree to help the buds form. You can leave 4 to 6 pairs of needles at the top of the tree and work down to 8 bundles on the bottom. On weak shoots do not remove any needles. The weaker shoots will usually be on the inside or at the very bottom, perhaps shaded by the upper branches.

Pruning and wiring: You can do heavy pruning and wiring on the pines now because the sap flow is the slowest now. Also, because the sap flow is slow, we must protect all wounds with cut paste. The sap or resin acts as a natural protection against cuts, but when it does not flow, the protection is gone. Along with heavy cut back, we can do heavy wiring and bending. Heavy branches must be massaged before bending. If the branch is a half inch thick or larger, it probably should have raffia on it too. Be sure to put the raffia on in both directions. That is, lengthwise along the branch or trunks and also around the branch; this will protect the branch from splitting or breaking. I can’t recommend enough the use of copper wire on evergreens at the least; so many problems can be solved by using copper wire. You can feed the pines through November; and at the end of November, you can give pines their first dormant spray. (Follow the directions on a Lime Sulfur bottle.)

Maples - Maples can be defoliated when the color is done; some trees may be late. When defoliating leave the petiole to inhibit late growth, it will fall off naturally. Heavy pruning and shaping can then be accomplished, and you can see the winter silhouette and develop the branch pattern for next year. Don’t wait too long into December because the sap begins to move in mid-December, and then it is too late to do heavy cutting.

Fruiting Trees- You can probably still get away with repotting fruiting trees if there are still leaves on, but don’t wait until the end of the month. Also, get quince repotted now. 0-10-10 can be applied to the deciduous trees. If you use liquid you must put it on every two weeks at least through the middle of December. If you use granules one application should do it since it lasts 4 to 6 weeks.

Moss- Remove any excess moss from the soil and save the fine gray and gray-green moss. Scrape it or put it through a fine screen, and put it in a tight jar or can and label it. Do not mix the different kinds of moss together. You can apply the moss dust to the soil in the spring, and it will grow. You can store it for several years in the jar as well. Put the darker moss near (but not on) the roots of the tree, and put the lighter moss closer to the edge of the pot. This will give the illusion of having a wider root base if it is done correctly.

Wire - Check all of your trees for wire put on in the mid-year, or any left on for a long time to help set branches such as on cedars and spruces. We should all be very aware of wire marks. We must discipline ourselves to the fact that not even a small scar is acceptable.

Cleanliness- Clean up the fallen leaves and needles on the soil surface and any other debris that little critters can over-winter in. Clean up the bench too; scrub them down good. Lots of little harmful things can hide in the grooves of the wood and cracks in the cement blocks. While you’re at it, clean up and sharpen your tools. Get ready for the work that begins now and will last into May.

Also collect seeds from grasses and reed materials now for mixed accent plantings next year. Share the seedlings or put some on the raffle table for others to enjoy.

John Boyce - Reprinted from Fog City Bonsai 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Tags: fall, Fruiting Trees, Maples, november, Pines, Pruning, Tree Care, Wiring