October meeting on flowering trees? Well, not the time for viewing bright colorful flowers, but the ideal time to start working with these flowering trees in preparation for the spring bloom. Tim Kong led this month’s program talking about not-so-common fruiting and flowering trees he uses for bonsai. Yes, we all know how great flowering quinces, Prunus ume, and crabapples work in bonsai. Tim’s goal at this meeting was to open our eyes to other trees that grow well in the Bay Area and show a bit of color and fruit during the year.

Tim is known for his “urban yamadori”, or collections of old forgotten landscape material around San Francisco. The landscapes of many old homes around the city were planted with flowering shrubs and trees nearly 100 years ago. Large stumps of bougainvillea, osage orange, and pyracanthra are sometimes removed from yards and Tim is there to transform them into bonsai.
Fruiting and flowering trees used in bonsai may not possess the ideal growth habits sought in bonsai. For example, their branch structure may not ramify into tiny twigs or their bark may not become flakey and appear old. The life expectancy of most fruiting trees is also relatively short. Therefore, when these trees are used in bonsai, the primary focus of their display is to show off the flowers and fruit. As a result, they are styled in such away so that fruits may dangle from stretched branches or flowers are presented to the viewer.

Late summer and fall is an ideal time to begin preparing your fruiting/flowering trees for the spring show. After a leaf output has slowed in the summer, you should increase the ratio of potassium and phosphate to your trees. A box of organic bonemeal and potash is available at your local nursery store for just this occasion. At the end of July through January, just sprinkle a tablespoon or two around the base of your tree each month in addition to your normal fertilizing regiment. The increased potassium and phosphate will promote flower bud formation and enhance flower output in the spring.

Repotting of most fruiting trees are is accomplished in late November after the trees have dropped their leaves. Crabapples, pears, apricots, etc are treated this way. With fresh, free draining soil, the roots will be bathed in fresh water from our winter rains. As with most repotting, be sure to clean out any dead or rotting roots from the rootball. Many fruiting trees can take sever root pruning. So, consider take a bit more off during the repotting than normal (after consulting with more advance members and confirming good health of the tree of course).

In the spring, faded flowers can be removed as their color fade. For fruiting trees, the ovaries of the female flowers, if pollinated, will swell and form fruit. Producing fruit is stressful for trees. A lot of energy is used by the plant to produce fruit. Therefore, you should remove most or all of the fruit in the spring after flowering if you do not plan to show the tree in the fall.
Newcomers always wonder whether the fruit on bonsai are small like the trees. Because bonsai are not “stunted” trees the fruit is normal size. When fruits are small like cotoneasters, cherries, or crabapples, many fruits can remain on the tree. For apples, pears, quinces, or pomegranate, only one or two fruits are left. The reason is simple, for some shohin trees, a single mature fruit can be nearly as large as the tree.

Tim divulged one tiny secret during his presentation: Instead of stressing a fruiting tree by growing and ripening a crop of fruit, Tim will use wire hooks to hang “fresh” species- appropriate fruit on the tree just for show. After the show, remove the fruit and enjoy with your favorite yogurt! Tim tells us that this “trick” is popular in Japan….We won’t question his sources .
Tim discussed the use of pesticides on his trees. When available, always consider more organic means of controlling insect pests on your trees. This is beneficial not only to the environment, but also to your trees. Unnecessary application of inorganic pesticides should be avoided. Most of the time, a quick application of an insecticidal soap containing any combination of sulfur salts or natural oils should help control

aphids, mites, and scale. These soaps break down rapidly in the sunlight and are washed away by the rain, so regular application is necessary. Keep an out for caterpillars. In a single day, one hungry caterpillar can destroy next years leaf and flower buds.
Like most things in bonsai, the “fruit” of your labor will not be realized instantly. Fruiting trees definitely fit in that category. Great specimens should be easy to find in old orchards and gardens and become bonsai in a few years. Tim described collecting wisteria and old pomegranates in the old orchards and yards around Bakersfield and Fresno as a good example.

Tags: Fruiting Trees, Tim Kong, Tree Care