To the original Japanese devotees a single tree had an almost religious aspect; they would dwell on it, study it carefully, and meditate upon it. There comes into it the aesthetics of bonsai, that is, the multi-faceted artistic aspects such as shaping, ageing, the development of a living sculpture.
If this sounds rather high flown and far fetched, it isn't, for this is the very foundation of bonsai culture. The object is to reproduce in miniature a tree as it would develop in it's natural habitat in the wild, subject to all the vagaries of nature. A tree on the slopes of a mountain, a seedling taking root in a split in the rock on a cliff face, attacked by frost and ice, snow, lightning strikes, drought, floods. Imagine how such a tree surviving these hardships would grow; gnarled, misshapen, broken and/or missing limbs, dead sections with stripped bark.
There are Japanese names for these reproductions of natures effects on the trees…there are styles. We see many examples of the Windswept (Fukinagashi) round the coasts that are subject to prevailing winds, when year by year as the tree grows it is affected by these winds. The branches on the windward side are stunted, gradually extending on the leeward side, at the same time the trunk grows with a lean away from the wind. This effect can, and is, imitated by the bonsai artist by setting the trunk in its pot at an angle of approximately thirty degrees and shortening the foliage on the selected windward side, while cultivating and training the branches on the opposite side.
The trunk on the windward side would feature a Jin or Shari section, as in all probability the tree in the wild would have dead tissue there as a result of excessive weathering. Jinning simply means removing a vertical strip of bark ands whitening the trunk with lime sulphur, while with Sharimiki you not only remove the strip of bark but you carve out a section of the trunk vertically, representing a tree suffering a lighting strike. The lime sulphur also protects the wood from decay, Sharamiki therefore, can be likened to driftwood if carried out on a larger scale, and that really is the meaning, "Driftwood."
In the driftwood style large sections of the trunk and some related branches are made to look like bleached driftwood, either by bark and cambium stripping, or by utilising already dead sections of the tree. These sections would be shaped with sharp carving tools then whitened with lime sulphur to give the effect of natural ageing by sun, wind and rain.
This can be a very dramatic style and demands a high degree of care, both in the creation and the after care of the tree. The lime sulphur will protect the wood from rot and decay, but the live sections must be carefully conserved. Watch out for frosts!
I was recently reading about the Bald Cypress, apparently a comparative newcomer to the UK bonsai scene, but is available through some garden centres and nurseries sold as Swamp Cypress; Latin name Taxodium Distichum, a deciduous member of the Redwood family. This tree is indigenous to the swamplands of the southern states of the USA, and thrives with it's roots and lower trunk submerged in water. With soft timber and resistance to rot it is ideal for carving into driftwood style bonsai. It also has attractive soft, pale green needle like leaves and reddish bark.
Spring and early summer is the time when your deciduous trees should be starting to wake up, buds should be appearing and in some instances beginning break. It is also the time for some re-potting. Small young trees require this every one to two years, while older trees can be left for three to four years, unless, of course, it appears obvious that they need attention, such as overcrowding of roots necessitating a root prune. Branch and root pruning is best done at this time of the year because they heal quickly.
Your mixture should be 50% multi purpose compost, 30% sand or grit, and 20% good rich garden compost if you have it. A good idea is to add a dash of slow release fertilizer as spring time is about the time feeding should begin. After re-potting make sure that the trees are still protected, they would still be vulnerable to late frosts.
Another point to take care over when re-potting is to arrange the root system correctly. After teasing out and pruning the roots by about one third (and removing the tap root if any) spread the roots radially in the pot. This will encourage an even distribution of branch growth up the trunk.
This is also a good time to lift any young trees you may have in the ground, but do it carefully by undercutting at first, and lifting later, taking care not to damage the roots. You can also start wiring your deciduous trees for shape and style at this time, and carrying out any heavy branch pruning. Most deciduous trees can be pruned now except for Japanese Maples; most evergreens can be done except pines.
So generally speaking, spring is the time to carry out any major re-design and shaping. Look carefully at your trees; which style do they tend towards…formal upright, informal upright, slanting, windswept, cascade or whatever. If they have any tendency to any one particular style then go with it, it's always preferable to help a tree along in a natural style rather than having to force it into something else.
