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Chapter 1. Dwarfed Potted Trees or Bonsai

Kan Yashiroda

Their Culture and Use in Japan

When I was invited to write on dwarfed potted trees or Bonsai, I could not help recalling a British broadcasting talk in which the speaker told us ". . . the Japanese love etiquette, formality and ceremony of all kinds, and to the   average American such things are poppycock." An American Army Colonel one informed me that the purpose behind the Noh plays, the tea ceremony and flower arrangement was simply to waste time. In that view, Bonsai should be in the same category. I fully admit that there may be some truth in it, though I have a different view.

The giant Sequoia (Sequoia gigantea) of the Sierras, having a beautiful, sturdy pyramidal   shape   when   young—for   the first hundred or more years; or the Yeddo Spruce* (Picea jezoensis) of Ezo attaining more than one hundred feet with picturesque branches, or the pure virgin forest of Cryptomeria japonica at Yanase silhouetting perfect form and luxury on the distant sky, are certainly, as G. K. Chesterton has said, "Unique shapes that an artist would copy or a philosopher watch for years." Japanese gardeners were greatly moved by the impressive-ness of freedom, and it was the desire to copy trees in miniature shapes in their gardens and pots that produced dwarfed potted trees.

HISTORY

The history of the cultivation and appreciation of Bonsai is a very long one. The material used is almost boundless as to variety of plants and is no longer limited to the woody kinds only. Whether they are woody plants or herbaceous, dwarfing without hurting their natures, and keeping or modeling the vividness of Nature's own, are first objects in selecting and training of the material. The finished Bonsai should be roughly classified into three groups — naturally dwarfed plants; artificially dwarfed plants; dwarfed plants raised from seedlings and cuttings. Limiting myself to trees and shrubs, including conifers, I will touch on the three classes.

* Although called Yeddo Spruce in America, this name is erroneous. In Japan it is called Ezo Matsu, after its habitat Ezo— which is the island now called Hokkaido. Yeddo is the old name of Tokyo. 

NATURALLY DWARFED TREES

On rocky crevices of high mountains, on perpendicular cliffs of tiny islands, on wettish bogs, and on the poorest and driest mountain slopes, some trees have lived through bravely for almost a century, or more, only growing a few feet high, panting and straining under the pressure of hard weather.  Some of these trees are worthy of our appreciation of their dwarfed but stout trunks, and weather-beaten picturesque branches. The notable examples are Sargent Juniper (Juniperus chinensis sargenti) of Iyo and Echigo Provinces, Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergi) of Shodoshima, Yeddo spruce of Hokkaido and the Kurile Islands, and the rhododendrons obtusum and kiusianum of Kyushu.

Sargent Juniper dwells on high perpendicular cliffs, not accessible by climbing; however, nearly all the noted habitats are now barren of material as it was collected wantonly by the professional collectors. When I was a boy, nice naturally dwarfed trees were found, many on Mt. Ishizuchi of Iyo Province. A professional collector once told me a story of the toil and superstition of his collecting, which will well illustrate how such collecting is done for a livelihood. By his keen eyes or with the aid of a field-glass, from far beneath on the cliff, he first finds a nice tree—which often may vanish into the fog above. He then seeks a suitable spot near the edge of the cliff where he may sleep for the night. Next, he draws a circle some six feet in diameter, and stands on the edge of it, He takes off his upper cloth, or working coat, and places it within the circle, facing toward him. The coat is a substitute for his Deity, and he places grains of rice before it as an offering. Then he prays solemnly, "I am a dwarf tree collector by profession. Please let me rent the spot for the night." After the prayer is done, feeling that he will not encounter or meet with mischief from long-nosed goblins • or monsters, he rests for the night.

In the morning he ties firmly one end of a rope to a tree trunk on the cliff's edge and the other end to his body. Holding the coiled ropes and tools such as hammer and chisel, which are used to remove the roots from the rock, and with saw, scissors and knife, he gratefully works his way downward to the tree, moving along the cliff. Often the tree is growing on the concave part of the cliff. perhaps underneath a protruding rock; in such eases he lowers himself by the rope to the nearby desired dwarf tree, and then swinging himself, he patiently awaits a chance to grasp the tree or the cliff nearby where he can reach the tree. The digging is a most patient and laborious work, taking many hours. Roughly describing his routine of work, the old timer had frightened me, telling, with an exaggerated gesture, how, had he not prayed, the goblin or monster might come and untie the rope while he worked on the cliff below". Oh! the good old timer is dead long ago, but whenever I recall him I recall the poem "The Last Leaf," by Oliver Wendell Holmes. Perhaps he should be called, fittingly, one of the "last leaves" in his orthodox faith and way. Good, kindly and genial man he was. It is possible that the Sargent's Juniper in the photograph is one of the trees he had collected on Mt. Ishizuchi.

Sargent Junipers growing on rocky cliffs are much dwarfed and of artistic beauty so need only a little training if any is necessary. But as they are taken bare-rooted and roughly from rocky places, they should later be given great care. They are planted and cared for for two or more years in specially prepared beds, and at the same time are trained to the desired shape. Foliage is thinned if necessary. When well rooted, and the trained branches are fixed, the trees should be placed in pottery containers. This is how naturally dwarfed trees are prepared.

Another much appreciated tree which is found growing naturally in extremely dwarfed form is Yeddo Spruce. It inhabits wettish bogs where   exposed   to severe wind and cold. It is hard even for the expert to realize that other Yeddo spruces growing not for from the bog, some of them attaining a height of one hundred feet or more, are the same species. On sunny mountain slopes where the residual soil is poor and thin, Needle Junipers (Juniperus rigida) are found a few inches high—with crooked trunks and picturesque foliage (on which waxy, globular fruits hang in decoration). The same region produces, also nearly naturally dwarfed Japanese Black and Red Pines. But nowadays such naturally occurring ones are rarely discovered. Sargent Juniper, Japanese Black Pine and Yeddo Spruce are the big three among the dwarfed trees; these are extensively grown and appreciated in Japan. But owing to the demand, and because naturally dwarfed trees are limited in supply and very expensive, artificially dwarfed trees are also much cultivated.

ARTIFICIALLY DWARFED TREES

The majority of the dwarfed potted trees generally seen are developed from ordinary nursery stock or from somewhat dwarfed trees found in a natural habitat. The practice of artificial dwarfing might be more aptly described as "revolutionizing" normal growth. What, then, is this practice?

Ordinary Nursery Stock

Let me first take some examples of the ordinary nursery stock, and tell about them. Three- to ten-year-old young trees of the following are suitable for "revolutionizing" :

Evergreens:    Japanese    White    Pine (Pinus parviflora), Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi (L. leptolepis)), Hi-noki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), and such conifers as are grown in nurseries for ordinary garden purposes or for forest plantations.

Deciduous: Japanese Maple {Acer palmatum and varieties), Daphne odora. flowering Peach (Prunus persica varieties), Japanese flowering Apricot (Prunus mume varieties), Japanese flowering Quince (Chaenomeles lagenaria), garden varieties of Hall's flowering Crabapple (Malus halliana). Such ornamental trees and shrubs have trunks and branches that are comparatively easy to bend. They are taken from nurseries in autumn, and potted. A small pot is preferred to accustom the plant to the smaller space for root development and to restrain the growth of foliage. However, when selecting the pot, consider its depth; the shallower the pot, the better the result, but it should be of fairly generous width. When the trees are started on their way to dwarfing, they are generally planted in shallow containers, as they look better and seem to have a more aesthetic touch.

In late winter or early spring, possibly while drinking tea, you begin to fancy the shape of the tree when finished. The man experienced in training with wire changes ordinary little trees into different forms almost instantly, sometimes to a shape seen in naturally dwarfed trees. The wiring specialist's way is about like this: in the autumn the tree should have been potted so that the trunk is inclined to slant. Then in spring, to shorten the trunk in height and lower the branches, a wire is fastened to the trunk near the surface of the soil in the pot, and again attached higher up so the trunk can be pulled downward, away from the direction of the slant. It should be fastened at the desired bend with the wire. After the operation the little tree will have been considerably lowered, and then another wire is fastened at the forked part, the end of the wire coiling around the trunk; carefully wind the wire toward the tip, having an inch or more in intervals of the spiral. The branch is then ready to be shaped and fixed to the desired form. The second upper branch is treated in the same way, then the third, and so on. After one or two years, in many cases, the trunk and branches should be settled in the desired positions, so the winding wires are no longer needed, and may be taken off. From year to year the tree is improved in form and foliage as the result of careful pinching of certain tip buds, shortening or removing undesired strong shoots, repeating the pinching often in a season according to the kind of tree and further winding the wire to change the form or improve it. Gradually the artificial look lightens and the "made-up" tree becomes the natural-looking tree. The course of training for years is very fascinating to fanciers, novices and experts alike. It is not unusual in a day's stroll in the villages or towns in Japan, wherever you may be, to come across people who train dwarf trees—they are a set of cheerful boasters.

Ordinary stock of pines, daphnes, azaleas, maples and such ornamentals, when only one or two feet high, are often bent almost upside down, by wire-winding the trunk. Heavy copper wire is used, ranches are wound with lighter wire and bent so as to achieve the desired form. Whenever wiring is practiced, soil in the pot should be drier than usual so trunks and branches are easily worked. Copper wire of heavy gauge should be heated to red-heat, then cooled slowly before using. This makes it easier to bend. But beware. Once bent, it hardens again quickly. Some fanciers do not like to use wire, but the operation is not so shocking as vivisection and not as unnatural as "miniature" gardens sold in America— even though the trees have been completely "revolutionized." After a course of training and settling, the trees grow naturally and look natural; the chief difference is that they grow less rapidly than the ordinary nursery stock. But normal, healthy foliage is produced in tidier textures.

Collected Stock

Now we come to the second group, the trees brought from natural habitats. From mountains and ragged woods, a tremendous   amount  of  material  is   dug and brought to the training beds of dwarfed potted trees specialists each year. There it remains for several years to be established, trained and finally "made-up."

In the ease of naturally occurring, partially dwarfed trees, there is need only for a few wires and a little training. Trees that have lost the greater part of their roots are a more serious problem. Some of them die because of their inadequate root system, particularly if the first summer is hot and dry. To illustrate, I now describe the collection of Japanese Black Pine. On the mountain of Shodoshima or Shodo Island which is located in the Seto Inland Sea National Park a countless number of Japanese Black Pine for dwarfed potted trees have been dug by professional collectors. Many renowned and valuable dwarfed Black Pines were produced from the material collected here. I am writing this at my home which is situated at the foot of the Shodoshima Mountain. On the islet opposite my house a Black Pine was collected many years ago, which became the most precious and dearest of all dwarfed potted Black Pines. There are still some stories or legends circulated concerning it.

Seeing the spot through Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) and Cypress-Pine (Callitris glauca) in the Acclimatization Gardens as I am writing, I vividly recall the days when collectors came to the island in autumn and spring. The surface rock is granite. Higher up on the mountain the rocks weather into coarse whitish sand and the layer of soil is very thin; at lower levels there is a greater depth of soil and always some moisture. The district is one of the lowest in rainfall in Japan. The summer is very hot and almost bone dry. On the upper parts of both sides of the ridge, Black Pine dominates; next comes Red Pine (Pinte densiflora) and in far lesser numbers the Needle Juniper, Rhododendron reticulatum, Rhododendron kaemferi, Bush Clover (Lespedeza bicolor) and Balloon-flower (Platycodon grandijlo-rum).   The   pines   are  very   dwarfed   in size but in most cases they are older than the larger ones seen at the lower levels on the mountain. Three feet is generally regarded as the maximum height of dwarfed potted trees. To keep within the golden rule of Bonsai, the larger trees are often sharply pruned. For example, on discovering a very dwarfed pine five or more feet in height with a trunk five or more inches in diameter, if the lower branches are three feet from the ground and picturesque in form (or promise to be so if trained), the upper portion of the main trunk is sawed off. It is important that when healed the cut surface should be inconspicuous. Undesirable branches are cut off. Then the digging begins. The trench is dug out carefully, cutting off all the roots outside a radius of a foot all the way around the tree, and to a depth of a foot or often less. Only the tap root remains uncut. First the straw rope is coiled cautiously and rather firmly thrice or more horizontally around the ball and then  all around the surface  of the ball, so the very porous, coarse, sandy soil ball is firmly held about the roots; the tap root is finally sawed through, and the tree is removed. You may wonder at the proportionately small size of the ball, but usually seventy per cent or more of the trees collected survive and become well settled as dwarfed potted trees; occasionally in very dry, hot summers, fifty per cent or so succumb. For such collected stock, training by wire is practiced generally after a year or two, when the plants are well established.

DWARFED TREES RAISED PROM SEEDLINGS AND CUTTINGS

One of the most fascinating hobbies is the raising of trees from seeds sown directly in a shallow container. If the seedlings are allowed to grow for a few years, they appear like a miniature forest; the same may be done with cuttings.

The following trees and shrubs may be  sown  directly  in  shallow   containers or boxes, less than four inches in depth; Japanese maples, birches, beeches, Pomegranate, Yeddo Spruce, pines and many other conifers; also Wex-Tree (Rhus succedanea), Lacquer-Tree (Rhus ver-niciflua), Maidenhair Tree (Oinkgo M-loba), Cryptomeria japonica, Ilex serrata and Zelkova serrata. When the young seedlings are established they may be transplanted thickly to another shallow container or singly to a pot. The single planted ones in thumb pots should be shifted to slightly larger pits every two or three years. Two or three such trans-plantings should be enough.

Pinching

During the growing season pinching off growing tips should not be neglected— otherwise, whether seedlings or old dwarfs, the trees will be unsightly in form and disproportionately long branches will be produced. Generally, pinching is practiced and begins when young shoots are an inch or so long. Only one or two leaves are allowed to remain on any one branch. In the case of conifers such as spruces and pines, pinching should be done as the soft new branches elongate and begin to show their new needles. Every 'new twig should be pinched back, except the ones desired to improve form or to fill a gap; only a bit of elongated shoot should remain, from which the new buds are formed. Unsightly or deformed dwarfed potted trees, often seen at the novice's home, are in most cases the result of wrong pinching or neglect of pinching.

Densely twigged trees such as elm, maple, pomegranate and zelkova, should be pinched during the growing season whenever the twigs attain one or two inches in length. Always remember to retain one or two leaves on each branch.

The flowering shrubs such as azalea, enkianthus, rose, quince and jasmine, or fringe-tree and crabapple, contrary to the preceding, should not be pinched even lightly. Pinching back of these varieties removes the flower buds and prevents flowering.
 
The weeping willow and tamarix trained in weeping form are better if all the new twigs are cut off in the middle of spring. When new growth starts again, — the weeping branchlets that are produced will be more slender and delicate.

Varieties

Now, I feel it is better to select a few trees which would probably be of interest to readers and try to describe in a few words the essential points on their culture.

Flowering Cherries. Japanese flowering cherries are nicer as garden trees but sometimes well known garden varieties are attractive as dwarfed potted trees. In dwarfing these trees, the general practice is no pinching or pruning. Among the flowering cherries, the best is Primus incisa and its varieties. This densely-twigged dwarf shrub is very lovely with little single blooms. Prunus kurilensis is good, too. Over-watering may kill the whole plant or destroy most of the branches.

Flowering Crabapples. Among these the most popular is Hall's Crabapple, known for nearly ninety years in American gardens. The tree is easily trained to one or two feet in height by bending or coiling the long shoots. So trained, these produce many flowering spurs and become very floriferous. Every spring the trees are a beautiful sight with their lovely rose-colored blooms hanging gracefully on long, slender, reddish flower stalks.

Fanciers love the aged trees of Malus baccata var. hondoensis with copious small bright fruits, Malus prunifolia and its varieties with yellow or red fruits, and Malus sieboldi, all of them known in American gardens for many years. If bushy growth is desired, all or nearly all the leaves on the current growth should be picked off in early summer; subsequently every auxiliary bud comes into growth. In the autumn the sprouted twigs are shortened to two or three buds.

Peaches and Pears. Though rarely seen as dwarfed potted trees they make lovely ones. These and the preceding are, with a few exceptions, called by the "dignified" connoisseurs merely "potted lowering trees"

Birches. By planting several very young seedlings a few inches high in a shallow container the shape of a rectangle or an ellipse (with a depth of two inches or more, and about one by two feet, or less) the beautiful scenes of a birch community are easily achieved in less than ten years. Every birch that attains one to two feet in height is limited and kept to that height easily, and needs only pinching to regulate growth. The dwarfed trees possess the fine slender white-barked trunks, with handsome foliage. I highly recommend that you try birch. Place the container, in summer, into another larger and shallower basin filled with water and carry it to your room. It will be cheerful to both the birches and yourself.

Beeches, Elms and Zelkova. Easing these densely twigged trees from seedlings is fascinating, but requires patience. In the spring their tender young foliage is a delicate green. They are refreshing in form and color in summer, clear yellow in fall, and in winter they have above all, the enchanting form of pygmy giants. Their aged and exposed roots enhance and express the vividness of "giants'' seen in nature. Unless they are pinched back very often during the growing season the trees do not shape-up well. Besides the pinching, it is advisable to cut off the leaves in early summer to hasten the development of denser twigs, Repotting should be done every other year. Some of the soil attached to the roots is shaken off and the roots thus exposed cut off. The new soil should have fertilizer but less sand than the usual potting- mixture to prevent the dying off of twigs.

Maples. A tremendous number of various garden varieties of Japanese maple are propagated by inarching, trained as dwarfed trees, and sold annually. Few plants are more refreshing than these maples in the hot Japanese summer. On verandas, in windows, in the alcove when guests are expected, on the office desk, in refreshment rooms, and by the side of lecturers, you will find the graceful foliage of these handsome mini-aiture trees. If you like fall color and live where trees do not ordinarily display it, pick off all the loaves in early summer and you can be sure that the second growth of leaves will soon appear, and produce gorgeous colors. Repeated pinching is most needed.

An old collected plant of the five-needy pine (Pinus parviflora) in which the dead section of the trunk has been purposely kept to add character and a feeling of antiquity to the plant.

Rhododendrons and Azaleas. One of the most popular dwarfed potted trees is the azalea. Among these, Satsuki and Kurume azaleas are extensively grown and enjoyed. There are hundreds of desirable varieties. Names of Japanese varieties will not be particularly helpful to bonsai fanciers in other countries. An important quality in rhododendron and azalea bonsai is the fact that they are evergreen. Only small-leaved and small-flowered varieties should" be selected for training. As the flowers fade, or earlier, undesirable twigs should be cut off or shortened. In the latter case the new growth, if crowded should be thinned. Young plants should be repotted once a year, but every two or three years is sufficient as they grow older. Nowadays, I regret to say, there is a fever for over wiring to hasten the production of dwarfed trees —and thus to fill the gap caused by the loss of old trees during the war. This is especially true for Satsuki azaleas, which are in fashion. To me, the resulting plants look as if they had been seized by wires. They are only artificially picturesque and old-looking.

Many nice naturally dwarfed rhododendrons are found and dug out annually. When well settled in containers they are very lovely, though not comparable in gorgeousness, and size of bloom to the modern hybrids. Rhododendron obtuaum and Rhododendron kiusianwn from which Kurume azaleas were derived, are desirable ones to grow as dwarfed potted trees.

Pines. Pines, the inhabitants of the poor, dry, sandy soils, become weakened or die off if the drainage is poor in the containers. But as pines are vigorous in their nature, the repotting is only necessary once in every three or four years. With deciduous trees it is generally better to repot each year. In either case, the best season for reporting is in the spring. If the pine tree is removed from the container, with its ball of soil, very long roots will be seen on the underside; these must be shortened rather severely. Some soil should be removed from all faces of the ball, and the exposed root and rootlets cut off. In repotting, put coarse sand sparingly on the bottom of the same container; place the pine on the sand and fill the container with new soil to take the place of the old (for full instructions on re-potting techniques, chapter 3). For dwarfed and denser growth, the pinching, as previously referred to, must not be neglected. As the tree becomes older the pinching should be lighter. The thickly cork-barked Black Pines are much admired for their trunks; the bark is thicker than the trunk itself. Japanese Red Pines are not much appreciated, but their slender trunks with impressive reddish bark are very ornamental—whether planted singly or several trees together in a container. It is more difficult for the average fancier to keep the branches and twigs of Red Pine healthy. The Japanese White Pine {Pinus parvifiora) is extensively grown and dwarfed, though there are also many naturally dwarfed, aged trees of this species. Pines symbolize longevity.

Japanese Flowering Apricots. If you are in Japan in the midst of winter, you will see Japanese homes with flowering apricots (Prunus mume) in dwarfed potted forms. There are numerous named varieties, single flowered or semi-double, upright and weeping. These dwarfed potted Mumes bring life-long joy with their delightful and very sweet fragrant blooms in late winter and early spring. Just after the blooms have faded, every shoot or twig that bloomed should be shortened to the lowest one or two buds, from which new growth soon comes to replace the twigs that were removed.

Bamboo. The bamboos are dwarfed by peeling off the sheath, one a day, while the shoots are very young. The dwarfed potted bamboos are very decorative indoors and out.

Within the limits of this introductory article, I have tried to give readers something of the feeling of bonsai and the general methods used in their culture. Now please turn to the many special articles that follow!

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