June 2006 Meeting Notes:

Dennis Vojtilla gave a short talk on care and cultivation of deciduous trees. Dennis mentioned that he is somewhat unusual in the bonsai world in that he concentrates almost exclusively on growing deciduous material. June is a time when the bonsai artist should be thinking about refinement in deciduous bonsai, including maple, elm, and similar trees. Dennis emphasized that the branches on a tree should be curvy and twisty and that they wont get that way by themselves. He used a valley oak as an example saying that it had many long straight branches, all of which he had wired and twisted to give the tree a magnificent architecture as he started refining the smaller branches.

Dennis brought many examples of his work and talked briefly about a very old large Japanese maple that he had acquired from an older EBBS member. The tree had one section of trunk that had always bothered him because it was too long and straight. Instead of leaving it, he used heavy wire and raffia to bend the section so that it could add to the composition rather than detract from it.

After his talk Dennis offered assistance to attending members with defoliating their trees. Defoliation induces the tree to produce smaller leaves, more twigs and better fall foliage; however, he cautioned that the trees must be healthy to undergo defoliation. Although smaller leaves look better, Dennis mentioned that it is really the finer twig structure that is the principle aim of defoliation work. Maples will develop finer twiging twice as quickly using the technique, and elms, given that you get enough sun and heat can be defoliated multiple times during the season, accelerating their development three fold or more. Defoliation, or partial defoliation also aims to balance the energy of the inner and outer foliage. Outer foliage will naturally receive better light, which leads the interior of the tree to become more weak. Partial defoliation of the exterior of the tree will allow more light into the interior to balance the two sections, in the process promoting good backbudding, finer branch structure and fewer disease and pest problems.

Dennis gave out a sheet Titled “Pearls of Bonsai Wisdom” which is preserved here for your future reference:

Pearls of Bonsai Wisdom

1. Apples are not oranges; maples are not beeches. All deciduous trees cannot be handled the same. Some are more vigorous; some are more brittle. Therefore, know your trees. If you are not sure how trees will react, ask someone or go by the book.
2. Small pot = small trunk. You can’t build a large trunk in a small pot. Therefore, plant the tree in an extra-large pot or in the ground until the desired trunk size is achieved. If you admire a small plant because of its nice branches, don’t expect to grow it into a large plant. Buy trunks, or trunks and superb roots — everything else is easy.
3. Branches feed roots; roots feed branches. Balance is important, but don’t balance by removing all energy sources. Living bonsai are best. Therefore, don’t do major surgery on both roots and branches at the same time.
4. Bad when young - bad when old. Trees usually don’t grow out of their major flaws. Therefore, remove large flaws (bulges, bar branches, coarse branches) early, or choose plants without such flaws. Trunks can’t easily be changed — choose your trunk carefully. Roots can be grafted or layered; branches and twigs can be re-grown. Bad trunks last forever.
5. Summer friendly - winter not. Leaves hide or distract from flaws in the summer. Winter reveals everything. Therefore, if you don’t want to correct the tree’s flaws, show the tree in full leaf.
6. Long straight - cannot wait. Straight is the enemy of quality in deciduous bonsai. Long and straight branches show your impatience ­- or that you haven’t mastered the concept of scale. Therefore, let new shoots grow to 3-5 nodes (depending upon the thickening desired) to build strength in the shoots; then, shorten to one node. Change direction with each node for best refinement. Rule of thumb: no node greater than 3/4″ in length; for shohin, no node greater than 1/4″-­1/2″ in length.
7. Many twigs - small leaves. Leaf size takes care of itself. Therefore, don’t worry about the size of leaves. Create more twigs and the size of leaves will shrink. Defoliation produces more twigs and usually also reduces the size of leaves.
8. Bonsai imitates nature, not other bonsai. Use nature as your guide for tree and branch shape. Deciduous trees should not look like pines. Therefore, don’t remove all flaws; some are features. Don’t remove all up or down twigs - they add three dimensions to the branches and help to keep the branches from looking too stilted. Foliage “pads” don’t always exist on deciduous trees. Twigs and texture are an acceptable substitute.
9. Best trees better. Not all your trees are equal. Concentrate your efforts on the best ones to make them better. Therefore, if you have more trees than you can attend to each year, give your attention to the best trees to ensure that they become even better.

Dennis Vojtilla

photos: Charlene Vojtilla

Tags: Defoliation, Demonstrations, Dennis Vojtilla, Maples, Tree Care