By Douglas Toussaint

Fall is roaring through most of the country right now, and even in Texas, it’s beginning to look a lot like, well, Thanksgiving.

And what that means for those of us whose bonsai collections are largely, and properly, outdoors is that we’re coming to the end of the road – a spectacular end if you’re a maple and other deciduous glories grower; a somber one if you’re not getting that big autumn blast of red and gold.

Ahead likes winter, and everywhere you look, there won’t be a broad leaf in sight. That doesn’t mean there’s not an austere, zen-like beauty in bare trees.  A good design is a good design, and like a Calder stabile or a wrecked English abbey, good bones are gorgeous. But winter’s not exactly why you go into the game of bonsai.

Or is it.

You see, now, with the holidays ahead, is the perfect time to perfect your craft.  It’s when your trees are dormant or, in the case of evergreens, holding their fire, that you can get out the copper wiring and the tools and really go to work.  Really make those skeletal forms sing.  Really get that big black pine you love so much into a deserving Tokoname pot.

And then there’s your tropicals.

Ficus of a dozen varieties, tea trees, serissa now rose are joined a dozen other major varieties of tropical-origin plants flourishing and even blooming indoors year-round. So, if the blasts of winter have you down, consider these bonsai. They are your doorway to a secret springtime of your very own.

BONSAI: FIRST PRINCIPLES

If you’re shopping dallasbonsai.com, you’re probably not one of those poor souls who received a tiny juniper from a florist shop only to watch it die an ugly, brittle death on your coffee table.  Or maybe you did, and you wanna do better this time ‘round. Whichever camp you fall into, don’t be dissuaded from pressing forward with your winter gardening: conifers (pines, junipers, cedars, etc.) can only be grown out-of-doors, and you can pick ‘em up right here on-site or at your local nursery.

Being evergreen, they’ll be beautiful outside even in the dead of winter and only have to be brought in or sheltered during particularly punishing ice storms, etc. (or if you have ‘em in a really shallow dish or up in the air on a table, say). As with all bonsai, be sure that you get them into a proper pot with the proper soil, however, and mind your watering even when it seems gray all the time out of doors.  Not too much, not too little – moderation in all things.

But if you’re looking for indoors, there are the above-mentioned tropicals and semi-tropicals – small ones you can gather right here for yourself (and as gifts – hint, hint), or those you  find in local greenhouses if you’re wanting something beefier. Whichever, choose trees that have a pleasing form and seem hardy with little to no dead wood, yellowing leaves and highly annoying fungus gnats. 

Speaking of which, watering indoors is just as big a deal as out.  Too little, your trees will wilt or wither under the onslaught of your furnace. Too much (the typical problem), you’ll get the aforementioned fungus and there go your roots.  And your plant. Once again, getting a bagful of high-grade soil that drains is key to keeping your new purchase (or old favorite) healthy.

Then there’s watching that watering by not staying on a strict schedule, but rather giving it the finger – test, that is. Simply stick your finger in the soil of your bonsai just past the nail to the first digit and . . . test. Dry? Immerse pot in a pan of water to the base of the tree trunk and let it absorb. Then drain. Not dry? Don’t water! Same holds true for you outdoor specimens, doncha know. 

Now, what about more gear and gift ideas?  Glad you asked.  Before you whip out your rose pruners and start clipping away, make sure you have the proper equipment. The highest-quality tools are Masakuni tools from Japan, but if you’re just getting started, there are a variety of pruning scissors  (not pruners), concave branch-cutters, aluminum bonsai wire, wire-cutters, even bamboo chopsticks.

A decent pair of butterfly-handled scissors can be purchased for $15-$25 and will make nice, clean cuts, promoting better healing. For bigger branches use those concave cutters. They start around $25-$45 and should last forever. Wire-cutters must be made strictly for bonsai wiring efforts; regular cutters can’t cut the wire off branches without damaging the tender bark beneath. And those chopsticks?  They’re for stirring and aerating the soil. Good times, eh?

And you thought fall was the end of the bonsai line.

	Tokoname Pots Pick the Tokoname that's right for your plant!
	Bonsai Trees Special this month only. A fantastically great price to clear out our excess inventory. Great bonsai/great price!
	Bonsai Soil Select the soil that's best for you, we have a variety of potting soils and mediums.
	Masakuni Bonsai Tools From concave cutters to shears we carry the Masakuni tools you love.
	Pruning Shears 8 1/4 Masakuni pruning shear
	Aluminum Wire

Our new monthly Bonsai tips are brought to you, by special arrangement, courtesy of the John Yoshio Naka Family. You can find the full year’s guide and a whole lot more in the book Bonsai Techniques I by John Naka. We have both of Mr. Naka’s books, Bonsai Techniques I and Bonsai Techniques II, available for immediate purchase.

All bonsai should be dormant by now, but if the weather or storage temperature has been too warm they may not be, and care must be taken to prevent a second growth.

Location: Same rules as October. Guard against cold winds, frost and snow storms. Even some freak warm days too.

Watering:Less water this month, but do not let tress dry out even during dormancy. Trees are very sensitive even if they are dormant. Keep an eye on drainage. Never water bonsai when it is frozen.

Trimming: Remove any leaves remaining on deciduous trees. Be sure all fruit and seed pods are off too. This is a good month to remove all tip burned needles on pines, and any unsightly or extra long second year needles. This is also the time for the second trimming on black pines.

Training:Most branches will be too brittle to wire and bend this month.

Fertilizing:No fertilizing this month.

Transplanting:Do not attempt any this month.

Miscellaneous:It is a good time to collect native materials in the Southern states.

B37 Bonsai Techniques I by John Naka - Collector's Item - AUTOGRAPHED $124.95 These books are becoming more and more rare! The Naka family hasn't informed us of a reprint and they have been sold out for almost a year. This copy has John Naka's signature and seal. These are real treasures - and no more will ever be made. If you have one, protect it! The best book in the English language on Bonsai....NO EXCEPTIONS. John Yoshio Naka is our American Treasure Bonsai Master. This book is jammed packed with information that you won't find other places. A treasure trove of Bonsai Wisdom. This book is softback, 8" x 11", 269 pages, 16 pages of color illustrations, many black & white photos and drawings by the author. Included in the contents are tools and supplies for the workshop, general approach to Bonsai, step by step training, rootage, trunk, apex, branching, trimming, wiring, pots, soil mixes, styles.

We thank you for shopping dallasbonsai.com and making us the largest Bonsai Supply in the world!

Sincerely,
Fred & Elizabeth Meyer,
Owners
Dallas Bonsai Garden
www.dallasbonsai.com
fredmeyer@dallasbonsai.com

At your service since 1965.

Call for help 1.800.982.1223 from 1 to 5 Central Time, Monday through Friday

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