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Not enough can be said about the collecting of the naturally dwarf trees that originated bonsai. Collected trees represent many of the finest bonsai in existence in the world today. For the most part these trees are obtained from mountainous areas. Collectors search far and wide for specimens that display the protection and care of nature, as well as the fury of the elements. Well-known examples include the magnificent juniper of California, the splendid pine of Colorado, and the larch of Nova Scotia.

As stated in the previous chapter, not everyone is able to plan trips or excursions to the out-of-doors to collect trees. Moreover, trees should not be gathered by those who have not perfected the techniques needed to keep them alive. The horticultural component of bonsai is the most important area of study for the obvious reason that horticultural knowledge maintains the life of trees.

Besides collecting plants in the wild, you can obtain bonsai from seeds, cuttings, the air-layering technique, and nurseries. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to these methods.

SEEDS

Many early books recommended planting seeds to obtain bonsai samples. Following that advice, I filled dozens of small pots with seeds. My husband, taking the sight of black plastic pots everywhere as a sign of my serious interest in bonsai, bought me a complete set of bonsai tools. With pruner in hand, I sat and waited for something tall enough to make a cut on. What a waste of time for the novice! The time would have been much better spent working my hands in the soil, or working on trees that had enough development to allow me to practice pinching, pruning, and wiring. Although obtaining bonsai from seeds may sound appealing, it takes a very long time to obtain specimens large enough to work on. However, planting seeds is a good way to obtain unusual trees.

CUTTINGS

Making cuttings of plant material is a convenient method of propagation. Almost everything can be easily rooted, except pines and some of the other conifers, which require a specific schedule for taking cuttings to be rooted.

With a clear plastic box (available in housewares departments) and two inches of moist sand in the bottom, a jar of rooting hormone containing a fungicide, and a sharp knife or scissors, you are ready to begin rooting. The box keeps cuttings moist and does not require you to think about daily watering and misting. Place the box in strong light, but not in the sun, as the sun will cook the contents. You will know when your cuttings are rooted, since the clear box will allow you to watch the root development.

FIG. 3 Stock plants from a garden center allow you to select the size of the material you want to work with.

A cutting should have four to six healthy leaves. No leaves should be on the stem inserted into the damp sand. Cuttings taken when new growth hardens, before it turns woody, root more easily. As you become more adept, you will want to take thicker cuttings and cuttings with interesting shapes.

AIR LAYERING

This technique allows you to select a branch that looks like a tree and root it while it is still attached and being nourished by the parent tree.

In the spring, select the desired branch. With a knife, cut one-third of the way into the branch, just below a leaf node. Nature will want to start healing this wound as soon as the cut edges meet, so keep them separated by inserting a toothpick. Dust the cut area with rooting hormone containing a fungicide, then wrap it with damp, sphagnum moss. Next, wrap the moss with plastic, and close the top and bottom with twist-ties. When the plastic has filled with roots, cut the branch off just below the root system. Remove the plastic and moss and then pot the rooted branch.

The same process can be used with a branch that reaches the ground. Make the cut on the bottom of the branch, insert a toothpick to keep the cut open, gently place the cut area in a hole in the ground, and cover it with soil. Roots should develop. If necessary, place a rock on the branch to keep it in place. Cut the branch from the parent and pot it when it has rooted.

NURSERY STOCK

The quickest and in many ways the best way to get started in bonsai is with nursery stock. As already implied in this chapter, most beginning students are very interested in working on their bonsai—pinching, pruning, and wiring— and beginning with nursery stock provides that opportunity.

Most bonsai people eventually become involved in various methods of propagation. You will probably find that there is always something you would like to have, that often seeds are available, or a friend is willing to give you a cutting. Browsing in garden centers and greenhouses becomes part of the lifestyle of many bonsai aficionados. By browsing and buying when you see desired material, you end up always having pots of plant material waiting to be worked on. This stockpile provides a fine opportunity to broaden your knowledge by observing plant material in various stages.

BUYING BONSAI

Today there are many bonsai nurseries and retailers offering quality trees and supplies. Sales personnel at a good bonsai nursery will inform you about the environmental and care needs of your trees, especially the matters of light, water, and winter storage. They will give you the proper name of the tree you choose to ensure that you can seek additional information from others, as well as do your own research.

We get many phone calls requesting information about trees the owners do not know the names of, though they usually assure us that their trees have green foliage! Needless to say, such information is almost useless, and in such cases we can give only general information instead of a specific response. By all means, get the proper name and any other available information about a plant when you buy it.

Unfortunately some trees come with wrong or misleading information. One common example is a phrase like "keep it moist," which means almost nothing and too often misleads people into overwatering. When you are given vague information like this, you must ask questions until you completely understand how to take care of the plant you are talking about.

The day you buy a tree, you have to pay some attention to the weather. In winter, be sure the tree is wrapped for protection against the cold. A tree cannot be left in an unheated car while you continue your shopping. In very warm weather, trees left in cars can cook.

When purchasing a tree, look for good color and freshness in needles or leaves. Also, the size of the tree should be right for the pot. Many trees are planted in pots that are too large, resulting in watering problems.

Before you leave the retailer, you should know what kind of light the tree requires. Outdoor placement in the right light should be no problem because of the many choices of location you have. An indoor tree should be placed by a window that receives the proper light for that species. Bonsai are living, growing trees and cannot be placed permanently on bookshelves or coffee tables. They are objects of artistic design, but their horticultural needs come first.

BONSAI BY MAIL

Beware of ordering a bonsai or kit from a catalog house that is not a nursery. Photographs of plants are often misleading, and too often trees are not the size or age indicated on advertisements. Chances of survival are slim. Avoiding this type of purchase saves you not just money but the disappointment of losing a bonsai. This warning does not apply to established nurseries that publish catalogs, advertise in bonsai periodicals, and stand behind the trees they sell.

Bonsai Publications and Organizations

The following well-known publications can assist students of all levels:

Bonsai: Journal of the American Bonsai Society

ABS Executive Secretary

Box 358

Keene, NH 03431

International Bonsai

William N. Valavanis

PO Box 23894

Rochester, NY 14692-3894

Bonsai Clubs International

Virginia Ellermann

2636 W. Mission Road #277

Tallahassee, FL 32304

Bonsai Today

W. John Palmer, Publisher

Stone Lantern Publishing Co.

PO Box 816

Sudbury, MA 01776