Bountiful bonsai _ create instant indoor container gardens with edible fruits, herbs and flowers ( PDFDrive )

BOUN BON Create Instant Indoo with Edible Fruits, RICHARD TUTTLE Tokyo Rutland, V

NTIFUL NSAI or Container Gardens , Herbs and Flowers W. B EN D E R E Publishing Vermont Singapore

Dedication When I was young, my mother told m “Boy, the way you like to eat, you better how to cook.” I grew up with a large veg garden and operated a produce stand to money until I went to college. My famil collected wild mushrooms, fruits, and g animals in the woods. Following Mom’s a I learned to look for food everywhere, learned to cook what I found. I even exp houseplants to provide a useful crop I dedicate this book to my mother Marie K. Bender.

me, r learn getable o earn ly also game advice, , and pect my p. r,

C C 5B C 19 C C 33 B P C 87 F B C 97 L C C 115 T 127 IN

CONTENTS HAPTER 1 Bonsai: An Overview HAPTER 2 Creating Instant Bonsai HAPTER 3 Bountiful Bonsai Possibilities HAPTER 4 Finding Your Future Bonsai HAPTER 5 Long-Term Bonsai Care HAPTER 6 The Bountiful Harvest NDEX

4 BOUNTIFUL

L BONSAI

CHAP Bonsa Over hile the history of bonsa W modern form as develo that mankind has shap grown and tended them were most likely valuable herbs or f transport or protect from harm. Th from Egyptian paintings; Hindu do plants in pots for easy cultivation and Bonsai became a well-developed a CE, as evidenced by the first writing form. By the time of the Sung dynasty was spreading throughout Chinese c nical instructions in the literature of time that bonsai was introduced into the first written records of bonsai app Bonsai developed into its moder and conventions that mirrored the st

5 PTER 1 ai: An rview ai goes back several hundred years in its oped by the Japanese, there is no doubt ped plants for as long as humans have m. The first plants grown in containers food plants that the growers wanted to The oldest images of potted plants come octors were known to keep medicinal d transportation around 1000 BCE. art in China during the first millennium gs and paintings about bonsai as an art y, around 1000 CE, bonsai as an art form ulture with paintings, poetry, and tech- f the time. It was probably around this o Japan, most likely by Buddhist monks; peared there around 1300 CE. rn form in Japan with very strict styles tructured society in which it developed.

6 BOUNTIFUL Specimens were mostly grown outd generations, passing from father to son, suited to the local climatic conditions. art of bonsai during the twentieth centu of World War II. Many American GIs w became fascinated by aspects of Japanes that some of them brought home. The K came out in 1984, introduced bonsai to US. In fact, 1989’s Karate Kid, Part III Miyagi fulfilling his lifelong dream of op was prominent in that movie, includin tree that Mr. Miyagi had planted back in from Okinawa. Throughout the 1980s, garden centers I witnessed an amazing who were looking for bonsai “like Mr. were exposed to and fascinated by bon media attention. Traditional Japanese b of the West. Unfortunately, many of the resulting cessful. Millions of juniper bonsai died out to embrace a fad without understan these trees alive. Traditional Japanese- trees that require a cold dormant per maples. These outdoor varieties are not seldom last long indoors. As the art of b however, more indoor varieties were u that could be put in the house and treat The art of bonsai has developed w schools of thought beyond the tradition indoor varieties has become most prom varieties beyond the usual ficus and seri varieties used by traditional Chinese an

L BONSAI doors, and were often tended for using native plant varieties that were Western society was exposed to the ury, particularly during the aftermath who spent time in Japan after the war se culture, and bonsai was an interest Karate Kid movies, the first of which o a new generation of children in the I opened with the karate master Mr. pening a bonsai shop. A bonsai theme ng recapturing a “repatriated” bonsai n the wild after bringing it to America , as a bonsai artist managing several number of children, primarily boys, Miyagi’s trees.” Millions of children nsai as a result of this type of mass- bonsai had captured the imagination g attempts at cultivation were unsuc- in people’s homes as buyers reached nding the conditions required to keep -style bonsai primarily uses outdoor riod to thrive—junipers, pines, and t suitable for use as houseplants, and bonsai gained a foothold in the West, used, because people wanted bonsai ted like houseplants. with several different philosophies or nal Japanese style. The use of strictly minent of these, embracing many new issa that were among the few tropical nd Japanese bonsai artists. A sideline

CHAPTER 1 Bon to this is the specialization in floweri ilar to traditional Japanese-style bon native to the region and grow them o An older style that seems to be los ral bonsai. This is understandable, as “natural” bonsai that this tradition i natural areas and losses from digging mental ethics preclude digging wild b There is still a place, however, for cleaning brush from cultivated fields bonsai can be collected when cleaning aging our natural areas. A friend cle the most unique bonsai I’ve ever seen trunk that was cut off twelve inches a inch plastic pot. A year later, this stu roots and a fringe of branches grow friend had always wanted a hollow-tr a bonsai show, he used a one-inch b straight down from the top to an inch to meet the bottom of that hole. He and carved a jagged ”lightning strike the top and shaped the hole from th roof of the greenhouse, the tradition amazement at the scene unfolding in year later, and it had survived the har Using herbs as subjects for bonsai in the previous history of bonsai wri cle “Herbs as Bonsai” in the Novemb zine, which was followed by my book changes the whole timescale of bonsa tively fast growth. Impressive specim growing season with a plant such as

nsai: An Overview 7 ing varieties. Another philosophy, sim- nsai, strives to use only local varieties outdoors. sing favor is the collection of wild, natu- s the field trips to wild areas to collect involved resulted in the defacement of g up trees in the wild. Modern environ- bonsai from our dwindling natural areas. r collecting “wild” natural bonsai when s, lawns, or vacant lots. Some amazing g out old yards and fields, without dam- earing brush from a lot collected one of n, a wild elm with a two-inch diameter above the ground and potted into a six- ump had developed a fine, strong set of wing around the rim of the stump. My runked bonsai, so as a demonstration at bit and a hand drill to hollow the trunk h above the ground and in from the side then took a two-handed electric router e” down several inches from one side of he side. As wood chips were hitting the nal bonsai artists in attendance gaped in n front of them. I saw that tree again a rsh treatment. i was only mentioned a handful of times iting before the publication of my arti- ber 1987 edition of Horticulture maga- k Herbal Bonsai in 1996. Herbal bonsai ai development because of its compara- mens can be created in as little as one rosemary, yet these plants can be kept

8 BOUNTIFUL alive in pots for fifty years or more. A provide homegrown fresh herbs in suffi Growing herbs indoors can be a little tr varieties, but the idea of consuming yo to considering a fruiting bonsai that pro It seems a little incongruous to thin harvest to amount to much, but bonsai ditional Japanese classifications include fig or a citrus tree of that size can pro have harvested enough of these fruits to (although I will admit to freezing an en to make two cases of wine). A friend a bonsai wine. I replied, “Of course, we us er ceremonial courtesy when sharing su Limequat Mariachi wine.

L BONSAI A moderately large herbal bonsai can fficient quantity to supply a household. rickier than cultivating tropical plant our bonsai trimmings leads naturally ovides a usable harvest. nk of a bonsai tree providing enough don’t have to be miniature. Even tra- e bonsai up to six feet tall. An edible ovide an amazing amount of fruit. I o make jam and to ferment into wine ntire crop and using a couple of crops asked whether I pour tiny glasses of se sake cups to help provide the prop- uch a rare vintage.” Citrus trees have an added advantage in that most citrus fruits can sit on a tree for several months after becoming ripe without going bad, and can be picked fresh when ready to use. With a small collec- tion of several varieties of citrus, it is possible to have fresh citrus to pick nearly 365 days a year, even in places like my home in the Colorado mountains. You may not be able to pick one every single day of the year, but it is quite reasonable to expect to pick a couple of fruits a week for cooking purposes. Varieties with smaller fruits have more appeal strictly as bonsai specimens, and also provide a bigger crop than

CHAPTER 1 Bon large-fruited varieties. These small varieties include calamondin orange, kumquat, Key lime, and the harder- to-find limequat (a lime-kumquat cross). The limequat is the heaviest bearer of fruit in my experience, and my calamondins here in Colorado usually produce two crops a year. Though many people grow orna- mental ficus trees in their homes, they seldom grow the species that produce edible figs. There are many cultivated varieties, of which Ficus carica is the most prevalent. The “standard” ficus, which resembles a lollipop stuck in a five-gallon nurs- ery pot, is one of the most common houseplants sold in the plant indus- try, and is widely used in interior landscaping. An edible fig variety of the same size can produce sev- eral dozen fresh figs every summer. There are some differences in care and appearance between ornamen- tal and edible figs that might seem daunting, but the benefit of obtain- ing fresh fruit from houseplants out- weighs many other considerations. Many dedicated coffee and tea drinkers don’t realize that these plants are rather easy to grow as houseplants. The camellia, a popular

nsai: An Overview 9 Limequats, a lime-kumquat cross, are a little smaller than an egg and turn yellow when ripe. Though sour, they have great flavor, and can be used peel and all in many kinds of cooking.  This bowl of limequats made seven half-pints of limequat marmalade; the rest was fermented into three cases of wine.

10 B O U N T I F U L flowering tree that blooms in mid-wint northern climates. Camellia sinensis, t tacular flowers than ornamental camell numerous and the blooming season las can be found and purchased online. A to grow their entire supply, but any am addition to a collection of teas. Coffee trees can be easy to find. Larg the large foliage growers in Florida will four-inch pots and include the seedling plants. I’ve found these pots of coffee t collections at garden centers all over the This thirty-inch dwarf pomegranate, cultivated from a five-gallon nursery stock plant, has been in training for seven months.

L BONSAI ter, is often grown as a houseplant in the tea plant, has smaller, less spec- lia varieties, but the white flowers are sts longer. Green tea plants and seeds regular tea drinker may not be able mount of homegrown tea is a worthy ge trees produce many beans; some of throw a handful of coffee beans into s in their shipments of mixed-foliage trees mixed into inexpensive foliage e country. Coffee trees take some time These fruits are considered ornamental. While their quality doesn’t compare to that of full-sized commercial pomegranates, they are beautiful and technically edible.

CHAPTER 1 Bon to begin producing beans, but I have from plants that started as six-inch s fee tree in Montana so loaded with b break. Again, houseplants cannot be but the ability to offer coffee harveste room on special occasions is priceles A few edible species are becoming sai collections, particularly Australia pomegranate (Punica granatum var emarginata), and Natal plum (Cariss find and have several varieties availa duce more fruit than others. Natal plu Miniature Australian cherries seldom flo

nsai: An Overview 11 e not only produced beans in Colorado seedlings, but have seen a six-foot cof- beans there was fear the branches would expected to offer a full supply of coffee, ed from the beautiful tree in your living ss. g more common in indoor tropical bon- an cherry (Eugenia paniculata), dwarf r. nana), Barbados cherry (Malpighia sa macrocarpa). All of these are easy to able, some of which are known to pro- ums are used extensively in landscaping ower. This specimen is sixteen inches tall.

12 B O U N T I F U L in the desert Southwest and should be e Dwarf pomegranates, which can flower popular as bonsai specimens. Large frui er leaves that may go deciduous for a p dwarf variety, but they do bear much la fruiting varieties of Australian cherry large topiary specimens, but the miniatu tacular bonsai only flower sporadically, a I have never seen them bear fruit. Several species of guava, includin cattleanum), lemon guava (Psidium lit sellowiana), produce delightful fruit and be grown from seed out of fruit from t seed to fruiting in Colorado. Avocados, can be shaped into interesting bonsai, alt home. Many people grow jasmine and realizing that these flowers are quite us wine from the flowers of my bonsai jasm not technically edible, aromatic tropical tree, and eucalyptus can be grown as b Furthermore, many unusual tropical fr their native areas could be experimented experimenting with what you find loc captures your imagination. With the v unique varieties, the possibilities are en Bonsai plants have a reputation for grow, and for requiring a lot of time-co afraid to prune the tops of their plants, m able aged specimen. People who are afra with long, spindly stems reaching for t on top. Pruning such a plant in order and creates a stronger, more stable pla

L BONSAI easy to find at nurseries in that area. r and fruit heavily, are becoming very iting pomegranate varieties have larg- period; they aren’t as attractive as the arger fruit. The heavier flowering and are widely sold at local nurseries as ure varieties that make the most spec- and in twenty years of growing them, ng the strawberry guava (Psidium ttorale) and pineapple guava (Feijoa d can be grown indoors. Papayas can the market; I have grown them from , easily sprouted from their large pits, though they are unlikely to fruit in the hibiscus as flowering plants without seful in herbal teas; I have also made mine and hibiscus specimens. While l trees like camphor, New Zealand tea bonsai and provide a useful harvest. ruits that are little known outside of d with as edible bonsai. I recommend cally, or seeking out any variety that vastness of the Internet to search for ndless. r being very easy to kill and hard to onsuming, detailed work. People are much less trim the roots of their valu- aid to prune their houseplants end up the ceiling with a little tuft of foliage to produce a pleasing shape is easy, ant. This is not much different from

CHAPTER 1 Bon shaping a plant as a bonsai. When a plant is intended to produce a crop, some considerations may be differ- ent from traditional bonsai prac- tice, outweighing ideals like always maintaining a perfect shape. Larger, fuller crowns are needed for a good- sized crop, making the sparser, heav- ily pruned style of bonsai unsuitable if production is important. Some desirable fruiting specimens, includ- ing the large-fruited citrus varieties like full-sized lemons, limes, orang- es, and grapefruit, have leaves that are larger than would be desired in a more traditional bonsai style. In traditional bonsai, the ideal specimen has a pot that is no deep- er than the diameter of the bonsai’s trunk. Striving toward this “perfec- tion” leads to most bonsai being sold in very shallow trays that are diffi- cult to keep watered in homes with heaters and dehumidifiers—a proble Especially when growing a large ind several feet in height, a larger, deepe to keep the plant healthy and produc training a tree that might grow over to be an eighteen-inch specimen whe sticking point for many potential bon bonsai, as described in much bonsai dirt from the roots just before the tre

nsai: An Overview 13 This seventy-inch-tall lemon tree bends under the weight of its twenty- seven lemons. em that is compounded in dry climates. door bonsai specimen that might reach er pot than is traditional must be used ctive. Root pruning—a requirement for fifty feet tall in its natural environment en it is 250 years old—also seems to be a nsai enthusiasts. Pruning for this type of i literature, may involve washing all the ee breaks its dormancy in the spring and

14 B O U N T I F U L Small roots were pruned in the process of exposing the base of the trunk and shaping the root ball of this strawberry tree. pruning a third of them before returnin This is very intimidating to the novice. Most of the varieties discussed in t that are easy to keep in shape just by pr times have to let the tops get a little wild season. Most of these tropical plants do exception) and cannot survive such har from the roots. Like most typical house turbing the roots to stimulate growth int Sometimes roots at the base of the trunk aging and give the bonsai character. Bec than with traditional bonsai, harsh root

L BONSAI The original soil level can still be seen on the trunk of this strawberry tree. ng it to the same pot with fresh soil. this book are shrubs and small trees runing the tops, although you some- d and wooly in flowering and fruiting o not go dormant (edible figs are an rsh treatment as washing all the dirt eplants, repotting involves gently dis- to the new soil in a slightly larger pot. k are pruned and exposed to simulate cause larger and deeper pots are used t pruning is seldom required. Lightly

CHAPTER 1 Bon pruning the foliage at the same time balance with the disturbed roots, pre the new hair roots begin to grow and Light requirements are another c flowering and fruiting tropical varieti their best; they may not produce if the actually do much better outside durin and lose all their leaves for a couple in a lower-light situation, or even a b until they start to sprout new leaves a brighter light. Citrus plants are also climates with cloudy and colder wint specimens may need supplemental lig light bulbs that screw into normal soc in any large hardware or lighting stor a huge difference when providing su during low-light seasons. Most people believe bonsai need other the time-consuming work req spread by workers at garden centers, w keep little juniper bonsai alive longe enough that it would take a while for was really quite dead. I observed th plant industry work while managing my own wholesale bonsai business f will benefit a bonsai for a week or so the roots hampers the plant’s ability to cially true in dry climates and when r Outside this period, however, the va need for daily or even regular mistin for years will benefit and look better side with a hose a couple of times a y

nsai: An Overview 15 e as repotting allows the plant to stay in eventing it from going into shock before d nourish your bonsai specimen. consideration in some situations. Most ies in this book require bright light to do ey don’t receive enough light. Edible figs ng the summer. When they go dormant e months in the winter, figs do just fine basement or garage kept above freezing, again in the spring and once again need happier outside in the summer, but in ter conditions, these light-loving bonsai ghting. Inexpensive full-spectrum plant ckets or even track lighting can be found re. Even a single 150-watt bulb can make upplemental light for a large specimen d constant daily misting in addition to quired to keep bonsai. This myth was who hoped that constant misting would er indoors, or at least keep foliage soft the bonsai enthusiast to realize the tree his behavior during thirty-five years of four large garden centers and operating for twenty years. In fact, daily misting after repotting, since the disturbance to o draw water from the soil. This is espe- repotting is done during warm weather. arieties described in this book have no ng (although any specimen that will live after being rinsed in the shower or out- year).

16 B O U N T I F U L Another myth about bonsai is the b men requires hours of detailed work an a complete misconception. Traditional some varieties are only pruned once a y cold storage with minimal care for the bonsai need to be pruned several times ing on fruiting patterns. An edible fig ca months during the spring, during whic of times and then left alone until it goes growing herbs don’t need to be pruned although if a perfectly groomed specim detailed work than slower-growing trop ous or evergreen outdoor bonsai. Becaus most tropical plants, and their leaves ag they need to be pruned more often. A lot of yellow leaves that are just a natur foliage with your fingers will remove mo removed individually when grooming t Growing indoor bonsai that produ difficult. Water a couple times a week, ple times a year, repot every couple of needed, and harvest your bonsai crop in this book will grow in typical pottin mixes designed for evergreens and decid door trees over decades and centuries re but indoor tropical varieties grow year r rule, most commonly available fertilizer work just fine with these bonsai, altho acidic fertilizers. Growing indoor fruiting bonsai is be very rewarding. Many people have sp dly trees that seldom produce fruit; by u

L BONSAI belief that maintaining a bonsai speci- nd pruning on a regular basis. This is outdoor bonsai grow so slowly that year, and in cold climates are put into e entire winter. Fast-growing tropical a year; this can be seasonal depend- an grow a three-foot shoot in a couple ch period it may be pruned a couple s dormant the next winter. Even fast- more than once every month or two, en is desired, herbs need much more pical bonsai or the traditional decidu- se herbs grow so quickly compared to ge and yellow in a much shorter time, neglected herbal bonsai can show a ral part of aging. Simply combing the ost of these leaves; the last few can be the herbal specimen for display. uce an edible crop doesn’t have to be fertilize once a month, prune a cou- f years, add supplemental lighting if when ready. The varieties discussed ng soils—no need for special bonsai duous trees. Miniaturizing giant out- equires very limited use of fertilizers, round and need regular feeding. As a rs used at recommended strength will ough some varieties will prefer more much easier than it sounds and can prouted citrus seeds and grown spin- using the proper varieties and giving

CHAPTER 1 Bon them the correct conditions, a surpri duced even in northern climates. De ficult to grow and keep alive, anyone growing common houseplants shou tropical bonsai that can produce a us the same few varieties of common ho ability to cleanse the air and provide a primary difference between these com trained as bonsai is that flowering an light, and thus may require suppleme useful and edible varieties of tropica large, making possible a distinctive most homes. Furthermore, serving a plant can add a unique dimension to rewarding experience.

nsai: An Overview 17 ising quantity of citrus fruit can be pro- espite bonsai’s reputation for being dif- e who is even moderately successful at uld be able to grow spectacular indoor sable crop. Many plant owners cultivate ouseplant that have no use beyond their a pleasant atmosphere in the home. The mmon houseplants and edible varieties nd fruiting varieties as a rule need bright ental lighting. The number of potentially al plants that can be trained as bonsai is display of green plants unlike those in a guest produce from a beautiful house- o your hospitality, and makes for a very

18 B O U N T I F U L

L BONSAI

CHAP Creating Bon he easiest way to start y T garden center and pur one of the varieties c Australian cherries, d should be easy to find this way. The and won’t bear heavily until they get may also have “bonsai starters,” wh trees in four- to six-inch pots. These mum of pruning and often have large planted in nice pottery and will look Depending on the size and quality where you live, some of the varieties di stock plants in one-, two-, or five-ga pomegranates, olives, myrtles, figs, ros larger pots even in colder climates whe stock. Plants ordered through the In allowing you to develop desired shape

19 PTER 2 g Instant nsai your edible bonsai collection is to visit a rchase an already-created bonsai from commonly used in the bonsai trade. dwarf pomegranates and Natal plums ey will be small, like traditional bonsai, t some age and size. The garden center ich are less expensive partially shaped e groomed starters, which need a mini- e roots to expose upon repotting, can be good immediately. y of your local garden center and the area iscussed here may be available as nursery allon nursery pots. Australian cherries, semary, and citrus are widely available in ere they aren’t planted outside as nursery nternet will likely be young and small, es as they grow. Most herbs and scented

20 B O U N T I F U L geraniums will be in pots no larger tha they grow quickly and can be shaped in Many bonsai guides offer strict ins sai with specific forms, keeping them a changes the parameters, presenting bo pruning times and patterns that are dire ful crops. Some may be satisfied with a but this book considers production of a of the bonsai experience. It also focus typical in order to maximize production The best way to accomplish this go ery plant and “carve” an instant bonsai. blooming or fruiting citrus plants in fiv minimally shaped and repotted into ni specimen with a couple hours’ work. Th bonsai was a nursery “standard” in a five diameter ball of foliage atop a forty-eigh bear a first crop of figs that first summe I took a saw to the stem two feet above stubby trunk. When it sent out new sh wanted and pinched them several times. mer and bore figs again. After another that fig bonsai has a full crown that is bears a large crop of figs. Taking a large matically can be the quickest way to crea short period of time. Besides figs, I’ve Natal plums, and Australian cherries. S diameter stubs and essentially no foliag next year with regular pruning. Although it may not be as dramati pruned heavily, removing a third to mo and foliage, to create a beautiful bons

L BONSAI an six inches or one gallon, although any direction you choose. structions for shaping different bon- as diminutive as possible. This book onsai that are larger than usual and ected toward production of meaning- symbolic crop from a classic bonsai, a useful crop to be an important part ses on creating larger bonsai than is n. oal is to purchase a good-sized nurs- . It is usually easy to find good-sized ve-gallon nursery pots. These can be ice pottery, giving you an impressive The first edible fig plant I trained as a e-gallon pot, delivered as a two-foot- ht-inch stem. I let the plant grow and er. When it went dormant in the fall, e the ground, leaving an unbranched hoots in the spring I left the ones I . The tree grew a nice shape that sum- r year of growing and pinching tips, quite impressive in the summer and e older plant and cutting it back dra- ate a spectacular bonsai in a relatively e also done this with guavas, citrus, ome of these were left with two-inch ge, yet grew out a nice crown over the ic, a nice nursery plant can often be ore than half of the plant’s branches sai immediately. This is where it is

CHAPTER 2 Crea important to have a selection of pla the inner structure that will create t main trunk, the ideal bonsai should some distance above the ground. It s slightly higher up on the opposite si grow from the back of the bonsai, p come from different spots on the tru leaf node. The lowest branch should branch being a little smaller. Branche the trunk and obscuring the inner bo unlikely that a large nursery plant wi you have picked out something with you something to work with. The three plants illustrated in this chap- ter were purchased at a local garden center in Fort Collins, Colorado, near my mountain home. The store offered a selection of six strawberry trees, a dozen myrtle-leaved orang- es, and about thirty Key limes for me to choose my specimens from. Citrus can be very easy to shape as bonsai. The large Key lime shown here was about forty inches tall in a three- gallon pot. It had just finished bloom- ing and had some pea-sized fruits. It was easy to see the future shape in this plant even before anything had been trimmed. Only five growing tips were cut back, leaving the height of the specimen thirty inches from ground level when finished.

ating Instant Bonsai 21 ants to choose from, so you can select the best bonsai. In addition to a good d have a nice main branch to one side should be balanced by another branch, ide, for balance. A third branch should providing depth. These branches should unk rather than from the same original d be the thickest, with each succeeding es that project across the front, crossing onsai, should be removed. Of course, it is ill have this perfect shape, but hopefully good enough balance and shape to give The tallest growing tips were pruned when shaping the crown of this Key lime bonsai.

22 B O U N T I F U L Removing a strong branch that was too low on the trunk of this tree. More than a dozen small, stubby, o the bottom half of the tree. A few that because they carried small fruits. These better expose the open branch form. Th bottom up, exposing the bonsai structu out the top of the crown. One thicker b main fork to open up the bonsai, allow metry of the two main branches. The front of the nursery tree in the p bonsai, showing the scar where the bra some other branches were removed are v with age. Because not much foliage nee men, the root ball was reduced very littl of trunk stem and just roughed up the

L BONSAI Fresh soil being added when potting the trimmed Key lime bonsai. or spindly shoots were removed from t could have been removed were left e would be removed after fruiting to The foliage crown was pruned from the ure, and the tips were pinched to fill branch was removed from below the wing a good view of the flowing sym- photo became the rear of the finished anch was removed. The marks where visible; they will darken and scar over eded to be removed from this speci- le. I exposed a little less than one inch e edges of the root ball, adding some

CHAPTER 2 Crea Finishing the Key lime by covering the soil surface with gravel. fresh soil in a pot big enough to give If you look closely, you can see larger branch, but it needed to be rem fruits on the specimen. The left-flowi is pleasing to the eye and is balanced the two main branches cross each oth shape, but it’s still a very attractive b crown, and a crop of small Key lime this bonsai had new flower buds open fine pea gravel, I placed a snow-capp draw attention through the plant, giv tain in the distance. The myrtle-leaved orange specim tall in a one-gallon nursery pot, an

ating Instant Bonsai 23 Completed Key lime bonsai. This specimen is thirty inches tall. e the bonsai some room to grow. I lost some small Key limes with that moved to look good, and there are other ing movement of the two main branches d by the foliage to the right, even though her slightly. It may not have the “perfect” bonsai with strong branches, a nice full es. Less than one month after shaping, ning. After dressing the soil surface with ped-mountain rock behind the bonsai to ving an illusion of depth with a moun- men shown here was twenty-four inches nd was covered with clusters of little

24 B O U N T I F U L Pruning leaves and small branches from a myrtle-leaved orange tree. oranges. The crown didn’t need to be cu was a good thing because there were ora larger branch was removed from below went with it, although there are several of short branches and leaves were remo structure and to define the lower limit o During repotting, a sharpened bam around the roots and base of the tree, e that had been below the soil. A few small roots were removed w of the root ball was only slightly distur