AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Hi,
My friend Clem had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Hideki Fuse. Here is their conversation:
Q- Do palmatum trees , during the years of formation, are during a few years grown in the field or always stay in a flat & large training pot ?
A Large wooden box is better than the ground. In order to make the trunk fat quickly, some people plant the tree in the ground. But in this way, the skin of the trunk and branches don't turn beautiful. They might be good to sell as you can produce them quickly but for yourself, it's better not.
Q- How often your Shisho transplant/repot young palmatum trees in formation ?
A Young palmatum tree requires to repot every 2 or 3 years unless roots are coming out from a hole of a pot. Repotting is usually in March for most of the bonsai but not palmutumn. Because after the sleeping period in winter, water comes out from the cut of palmutumn. To avoid that, palmutumn should be repotted after the autumn colour leaves but before winter.
Q- What is the best soil for the palmatum trees in construction ? 100% akadama ?
A It's ok to use 100% akadama or mixed with Kiryu or Kanuma. If you use akadama 100%, then it's better to add fertilizers otherwise it grows slower.
Q- Does your Shisho use "chimical fertilzer" to boost growth of the palm trees in construction ? Or always organic fertiliser ?
A It's better not to use chemical fertilizer. As he mentioned in the first question, bonsai grows beautifully thanks to the time. But if you want to use one, tamahi (I don't know the English translation) is an option.
Son maitre utilise de l'organique uniquement. you don't need to add fertilizer all year long, only some just before the new buds come out in March.
Q- Are palm trees always "built" with the fusion of multiple cuttings ?
A To make a multiple trunks bonsai, you just need to gather individual trees and set them together in soil. As time goes by, they melt together and become one big trunk.
Q- and concerning thunberg pines : Why is there so few jins on thunberg pines in Japan ? In my place, near to the see, i can see some jins on all the native adult pines (pinus sylvestris, pinus nigra, pinus pinaster etc)
A Because of the climate difference in Japan most of the black pine do not have shari. But if you go to a top of the mountains or some severe area near the sea, you can find some with shari.
Q- How often do you water -approximately- your palmatum trees in Spring ? Same question in Summer ? in Autumn ? in Winter ?
A) He waters once a day in spring and autumn and twice a day in summer and winter. The demerit of excessive water is root rot. But as there are holes in pots, hence the excessive water goes away from the holes. The demerit of lacking water is bigger as it causes dead of the trees. It's better watering when the surface of the soil looks dry.
Q- Do you water all your trees the same frequency ? or do you water depending on the soil dryness, depending on the need of water of each tree, depending on the maturation state of the trees ?
A) It depends of the species, some needs more water and some doesn't. Hence, you should keep the similar tended trees altogether in one part and water them at the same time.
Q- Do you protect all your palmatum trees in Winter from frost ? If yes, how do you protect them ?
A) Palmatum trees are strong in winter. Hence you don't require to do any protection in winter. Just do not cut branches in winter as they spit water from the cutting part. In order to protect themselves from cold temperature, palmatum circulate the water inside of their body. That's why water comes out easily in winter and may not to be able to stop.
Q- What granulometry/particles size do you use for your trees in construction ?
A) For shohin bonsai, 1 mm akadama and for chuhin bonsai, 3 - 5 mm akadama.
Q- Do you sometimes add oligo-élements/micronutriments to your water to avoid any deficiencies ? If yes, what frequency ?
A) He does not add much fertilizers. If you want to add liquid oligo element into the water, you can add it when palmatums have leaves. Use solid fertilizers when palmatums do not have leaves.
Q- Do you turn your trees on their table to get different exposition of the sun ? If yes, how often ?
A) Change the direction in one month term, eg, face the front of the tree to the sun for one month, then face the back, etc.
Q- How do you get tapper/conicity on the trunks of your trees ? Do you use "clip and grow" technique ? Do you use sacrifice branches to get better size/tapper of the trunk ?
A) 1- In order to make fat trunk, you can repot a tree into a larger pot and add substantial fertilizer. The branches come out should not be cut for a year, then cut. Again leave them for a year without cutting them, then cut. If you do it for three years the trunk can be quite big. Also, this method can not have invisible scars as it takes time to make scars look invisible.
2- There is another way just leaving the trunk as it is which means thin and make branches. In this way, you can not make the trunk fat but the trunk looks natural.
Q- I sometimes see great Kokufu palmatum trees with great tapper/conicity but without any scars or big branches on the trunk so I don't understand how it is possible to do that : Are the scars on the back of the tree or is there another method/technique to get good tapper with invisible or no scars ?
A) Kokufu level bonsai are aged ones like 80 or 100 years. In this period, scars dissapear. But there is a technique to make the invisible scars.
Q) j'ai donc posé la question sur cette technique pour rendre les cicatrices invisibles : Did your Shisho tell you the detailed technique to make invisible scars ?
A No, he didn't teach me the technique. There is another tip. Put 50cm high stand your bonsai when it seems weak. The hight is good to recover the bonsai. He doesn't know the exact reason. But it works. (je poserai la question à Hideki Fuse la prochaine fois)
My friend Clem had the opportunity to chat with Mr. Hideki Fuse. Here is their conversation:
Q- Do palmatum trees , during the years of formation, are during a few years grown in the field or always stay in a flat & large training pot ?
A Large wooden box is better than the ground. In order to make the trunk fat quickly, some people plant the tree in the ground. But in this way, the skin of the trunk and branches don't turn beautiful. They might be good to sell as you can produce them quickly but for yourself, it's better not.
Q- How often your Shisho transplant/repot young palmatum trees in formation ?
A Young palmatum tree requires to repot every 2 or 3 years unless roots are coming out from a hole of a pot. Repotting is usually in March for most of the bonsai but not palmutumn. Because after the sleeping period in winter, water comes out from the cut of palmutumn. To avoid that, palmutumn should be repotted after the autumn colour leaves but before winter.
Q- What is the best soil for the palmatum trees in construction ? 100% akadama ?
A It's ok to use 100% akadama or mixed with Kiryu or Kanuma. If you use akadama 100%, then it's better to add fertilizers otherwise it grows slower.
Q- Does your Shisho use "chimical fertilzer" to boost growth of the palm trees in construction ? Or always organic fertiliser ?
A It's better not to use chemical fertilizer. As he mentioned in the first question, bonsai grows beautifully thanks to the time. But if you want to use one, tamahi (I don't know the English translation) is an option.
Son maitre utilise de l'organique uniquement. you don't need to add fertilizer all year long, only some just before the new buds come out in March.
Q- Are palm trees always "built" with the fusion of multiple cuttings ?
A To make a multiple trunks bonsai, you just need to gather individual trees and set them together in soil. As time goes by, they melt together and become one big trunk.
Q- and concerning thunberg pines : Why is there so few jins on thunberg pines in Japan ? In my place, near to the see, i can see some jins on all the native adult pines (pinus sylvestris, pinus nigra, pinus pinaster etc)
A Because of the climate difference in Japan most of the black pine do not have shari. But if you go to a top of the mountains or some severe area near the sea, you can find some with shari.
Q- How often do you water -approximately- your palmatum trees in Spring ? Same question in Summer ? in Autumn ? in Winter ?
A) He waters once a day in spring and autumn and twice a day in summer and winter. The demerit of excessive water is root rot. But as there are holes in pots, hence the excessive water goes away from the holes. The demerit of lacking water is bigger as it causes dead of the trees. It's better watering when the surface of the soil looks dry.
Q- Do you water all your trees the same frequency ? or do you water depending on the soil dryness, depending on the need of water of each tree, depending on the maturation state of the trees ?
A) It depends of the species, some needs more water and some doesn't. Hence, you should keep the similar tended trees altogether in one part and water them at the same time.
Q- Do you protect all your palmatum trees in Winter from frost ? If yes, how do you protect them ?
A) Palmatum trees are strong in winter. Hence you don't require to do any protection in winter. Just do not cut branches in winter as they spit water from the cutting part. In order to protect themselves from cold temperature, palmatum circulate the water inside of their body. That's why water comes out easily in winter and may not to be able to stop.
Q- What granulometry/particles size do you use for your trees in construction ?
A) For shohin bonsai, 1 mm akadama and for chuhin bonsai, 3 - 5 mm akadama.
Q- Do you sometimes add oligo-élements/micronutriments to your water to avoid any deficiencies ? If yes, what frequency ?
A) He does not add much fertilizers. If you want to add liquid oligo element into the water, you can add it when palmatums have leaves. Use solid fertilizers when palmatums do not have leaves.
Q- Do you turn your trees on their table to get different exposition of the sun ? If yes, how often ?
A) Change the direction in one month term, eg, face the front of the tree to the sun for one month, then face the back, etc.
Q- How do you get tapper/conicity on the trunks of your trees ? Do you use "clip and grow" technique ? Do you use sacrifice branches to get better size/tapper of the trunk ?
A) 1- In order to make fat trunk, you can repot a tree into a larger pot and add substantial fertilizer. The branches come out should not be cut for a year, then cut. Again leave them for a year without cutting them, then cut. If you do it for three years the trunk can be quite big. Also, this method can not have invisible scars as it takes time to make scars look invisible.
2- There is another way just leaving the trunk as it is which means thin and make branches. In this way, you can not make the trunk fat but the trunk looks natural.
Q- I sometimes see great Kokufu palmatum trees with great tapper/conicity but without any scars or big branches on the trunk so I don't understand how it is possible to do that : Are the scars on the back of the tree or is there another method/technique to get good tapper with invisible or no scars ?
A) Kokufu level bonsai are aged ones like 80 or 100 years. In this period, scars dissapear. But there is a technique to make the invisible scars.
Q) j'ai donc posé la question sur cette technique pour rendre les cicatrices invisibles : Did your Shisho tell you the detailed technique to make invisible scars ?
A No, he didn't teach me the technique. There is another tip. Put 50cm high stand your bonsai when it seems weak. The hight is good to recover the bonsai. He doesn't know the exact reason. But it works. (je poserai la question à Hideki Fuse la prochaine fois)
