Trees for bonsai: spruce and juniper

Spruce (Lat. Picea)

Spruce is a tall (20–30 meter) evergreen tree of the pine family. Only one species grows wild in Georgia, the Oriental spruce (Lat. Picea orientalis). The Norway spruce (Lat. Picea excelsa) and the Himalayan spruce (Lat. Picea morinda) have also become widespread. Spruce grows slowly for its first 15–20 years and then fairly quickly. It is a shade-tolerant, frost-hardy tree that lives 250–300 years Bonsai styles for spruce: Chokkan (直幹), Shakan (斜幹), Moyogi (模様木), Han-kengai (半懸崖), Yose-ue (寄せ植え) An article on bonsai styles Location: Keep spruce in partial shade. On hot summer days, protect it from direct midday sun. It is quite frost-hardy, down to -10°C, and needs no frost protection. Fertilizer: Once every three weeks during the growing season. Watering: The soil should be moist, not waterlogged. In winter, water sparingly, but never let the soil dry out completely. Repotting: Repot spruce under 10 years old once every 2 years. Repot in early spring, before the buds open. When repotting, cut back at most a third of the existing root mass. Older spruce are repotted once every 4–5 years. It is best to plant a spruce bonsai in a pot somewhat deeper than its size would normally call for. Pruning: Cut back thick branches in autumn. Buds develop on the previous year’s growth and sit at the branch tips. On branches you don’t want to grow any longer, remove the buds in autumn. To maintain the shape, when the fresh tufts of needles reach 3–4 centimeters, trim or pinch off 2/3 of their length. Without trimming, most of the needles will grow only at the branch tips and the rest of the branch will be left almost bare. Wiring: Wire only in late autumn or winter; wiring in spring or summer can damage the branches. Spruce has quite springy branches. To set thick branches in the desired position, the wire should stay on for at least 5–6 months. Possibly even longer. Very often, to avoid damage, the wire has to be removed and the branch rewired a year later.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring. Cuttings are taken in late summer, but they take a very long time to root. Because spruce grows so slowly when young, the best way to get material for a bonsai is to buy nursery stock. Spruce has a poor reputation for bonsai styling: it is hard to hold the branches in the desired position with wire, and getting good ramification is also difficult. Very often, styling a young spruce ends in failure. Even so, experienced practitioners who take the spruce’s peculiarities into account still manage to create beautiful specimens.

Juniper (Lat. Juniperus sabina)

Juniper is a small evergreen coniferous tree or shrub of the cypress family, 6–10 meters tall, with grayish bark. It grows and thickens its trunk quite slowly. The needles are 1–2 centimeters long, sometimes stiff and sharp as thorns. Depending on the variety, the foliage can be green, blue, grayish or even yellowish. It lives 600–3000 years and is not fussy about soil. Its root system is strong and grows deep into the ground. Species found in Georgia include the long-needled juniper (Juniperus oblonga); the savin juniper (Juniperus sabina), a low, spreading shrub 1.5 meters tall; the dwarf juniper (Juniperus pygmaea), found only in Adjara, in the alpine and subalpine zones; the stinking juniper (Juniperus foetidissima); and the many-fruited juniper (Juniperus polycarpos). There is one more species, the creeping juniper (Juniperus procumbens). Young plants of this variety can be bought in specialist plant shops. The creeping juniper is practically ideal for styles such as Kengai (懸崖), Han-kengai (半懸崖) and Ishitsuki (石付) Juniper has several qualities that make it attractive to the bonsai enthusiast: it is easy to grow, responds readily to styling, and tolerates trimming and wiring well. And thanks to its small needles, it can be made into a bonsai of any size. Bonsai styles for juniper: Kengai (懸崖), Han-kengai (半懸崖), Ishitsuki (石付), Fukinagashi (吹 き 流 し), Bankan (蟠幹) Location: Keep juniper in a sunny spot. It likes a dry environment. It tolerates direct sun well and is quite frost-hardy, but during hard frosts it is wise to play it safe and protect the bonsai’s roots. Watering: Juniper is not one of those plants that needs a lot of water, so water once the soil in the pot has dried. High ambient humidity is not recommended either.

Fertilizer: Once every 3 weeks, from spring to the end of September. Repotting: Once every 3–4 years; the best time is the end of winter or early spring. When repotting, cut back 1/3 of the roots. Do not wash the roots bare. Pruning: Branches are cut in spring or autumn. As mentioned, juniper grows quite slowly, so don’t try to change the direction of growth by cutting back branches; it is better to do that with wire. Some varieties need maintenance trimming throughout the growing season: the new growth should be pinched out. Start pinching 1 month after the new growth appears. Try to clear out dead needles and twigs from inside the canopy. Wiring: Ideally done during the growing season, but if necessary it can be done at any time of year. Wire should stay on a juniper for 4–5 months. Propagation: Juniper is mainly propagated from seed. It can also be propagated by layering and from cuttings. Its growth rate is quite low, so it will take you a long time to get a young plant of the size you want. It is better to buy nursery stock.