The Yixing Tea Pot

 One of my favorite things to collect other than bonsai of course are other Japanese and Chinese items that truly only most collectors would appreciate and collect.

 I have always loved tea and of course I drink it a lot and although I drink mostly organic and or herbal teas as I do not like the caffeine in the teas most commonly found in the local grocery. I do however buy special teas found the world over and enjoy most all of them.

 As a collector I started collecting these special tea pots about two years ago and have several now in my own private collection and enjoy them on display because of some of the truly awesome styles and ornate carvings that they have on them.

 The Yixing Tea Pots originated from china and were made from the clay in the Yixing area in Eastern China in the province of Jiangsu and the clay is sometimes called purple clay and does come from Yixing China.

 These pots and the tea drinking practice from them dates clear back to the 15th century and truly tea drinking personally or as a ceremony can still be found today the world over.

 Although unless you have really deep pockets do not hope to find or buy an original Yixing of that time period any time soon. Although you can still purchase Yixing Tea Pots for your self because they can be found in many different locals all over the world and if you do your own research you will find them.

 I personally will not promote any special place to purchase them or find them here as that is not what I intended in this article, more over I did want to let you know that they are indeed a very nice collectible and that they are in point of fact more desirable for tea drinking than your normal or average tea pot simply because of there unique qualities and ability to absorb the flavors.

 Now what is special about these tea pots you might ask? Well its that being of this special absorbing  clay substance that allows these particular tea pots too absorb the flavor of the tea being consumed from that tea pot.

 It is very important that if you do purchase one for your self be sure only too use one type of tea per pot and never mix or brew any other type of  tea in that pot ever. This will allow that particular tea pot a chance to absorb only the flavor of the tea being used and eventually in time it will permanently do so. Then it will also become seasoned too that flavor and special aroma for the entire time you use it.

 It is said that if indeed you only brew one type of tea for that pot for many years eventually it will take on the flavor all on its own not even requiring that you use tea grounds or leaves any more to brew that tea. Simply add your hot water and let it steep until its ready brewed and then enjoy.

 Although I can not attest to this personally as I have not had any of my pots long enough or ever used them enough yet to have had this so called phenomenon happen. There are people that do swear by it though and say its absolutely possible given time.

 Another way to of course heighten the entire process in my opinion would be to submerge the entire tea pot in the special warm tea in a much larger container so as to cover the entire tea pot in the liquid and then just let it sit for several hours as the clay material from that region is very porous and will absorb naturally any of the flavor and aroma of the teas used.

 Makes sense given the nature of the tea pots made of Yixing clay. Pictured above are some Yixing Tea Pots and styles and this picture is from public domain and not mine. There are many pictures too be found on the internet and so enjoy looking around and perhaps you will find your own special pot and treasure.

 One of my favorite teas in these pots is Money Pod Picked Oolong very expensive tea too say the least given where and how it originated. The monkey picked Oolong tea got its name literary because it was picked by monkeys yes sounds phoney I know but trust me it did actually happen long ago.

 As the monks in areas of China planted the tea trees they never expected the tea trees to grow to such tall heights so as the tea trees continued to grow even taller the monks could no longer pick the most tender leaves and or even begin to reach them.

So guess what?

Well the monks actually trained monkeys to go to the top of the tea trees and pick the most desirable leaves for them and in turn the monks fed and cared for the monkeys so it was a win win for both involved. That then is how we arrived at the name Monkey Picked.

 Now I doubt that this particular practice is still being carried out today by monkeys however we still do have a tea called Monkey Pod Picked Oolong. This is a very fine tea and if you ever get the chance when out and about then try some but this special tea is not to be confused with all the other Oolong teas available. There are cheep Oolongs and there are expensive ones so buyer beware of what your purchasing.

Here are some of my most recent Yixing tea pots purchased. Never mind part of my kitchen stove in the background but anyway this gives you some idea of whats out there to collect and enjoy if you have the desire too.

 Please also bear in mind because of the nature of these special pots never use them in a Microwave oven and do not wash them out with any soap as this will truly destroy the flavor absorbed and ruin the pot for any further use and if by chance you use a tea bag in the place of natural leaves and or products then be sure to remove your tea bag from the pot as soon as it has steeped never leave tea leaves or bags in the pots after use as it will cause mold and also ruin the pot simply let it dry out naturally and then replace the lid and wait till the next use.

 The best natural way to brew special teas for these pots is to heat your water to the desired temperature for steeping the tea and use a glass container of some sort to heat the water in and if you can stay away from your city's tap water by all means use a bottled water for better taste and purity.

 In time when your brewing special teas you will learn that some will need to be hotter than others while some if you get them too hot it will also destroy the flavor and make the tea bitter and not very good tasting at all and believe me it takes a little effort to make just the right pot and get just that right taste but in time you will get the hang of it. Then its all worth it on a cold winters night like tonight to sip a lovely tasting special imported tea as you sit back relax and enjoy your evening.

Thanks, for reading,
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com

Cheif Joseph Pine:

 I decided to purchase an early Christmas present for my self as I do most years. Being alone of course affords me not only the pleasure of doing that, but also gives me more to spend on myself as I have no one else to worry about shopping for.

 The Chief Joesph Pine is a well balanced choice for a small nice compact looking bonsai, this two needle pines habit is naturally tight and of course is always a desired look in bonsai especially for conifers.

 This trees very tight and compact growth can give surprising results fairly fast as a bonsai. Of course with most all pines in order to obtain that desired shorter needle it will take a few seasons of work before it happens.

 Only time and many seasons of needle plucking pinching of the candles and shaping by wiring of the branches will get you your eventual desired affect and look but in time and with a lot of diligence it will and can be achieved.

  It is a two needle growth habit pine and in most cases but not all will grow fairly slow as it only has around a two inch growth spurt each year and will not reach more than usually six to eight foot over all in total height even planted and left too grow in the ground in the garden.

 Bonsai of course allows us to keep the tree small and in the confines of a pot and also allows us to shape it clip it and wire it to the desired creation that pleases us as a bonsai. The Chief Joseph Pine is all ready a dwarf conifer and so in my opinion makes a wonderful choice for a bonsai materiel as it truly is the case for most all dwarf trees and shrubs.

 The typical growth habit for this dwarf tree is green needles in early spring and then turning a golden and or bright yellow in the fall and this most often can be accomplished by giving the tree an ample amount of full sun during the growing season. This in turn will promote the lovely color of bright yellow with hints of orange in the needles of the tree for the fall or winter months and in turn makes this tree a very nice bonsai or even in the ground garden tree to look at and admire in the fall time of the year.

 I have wanted one of these trees for some time however they are hard to come by in my area and most often when you do find an ample supply of them then expect to pay a pretty good price for your plant as they are not at all cheap. The reasons I can give for this are that most often this plant is a grafted tree on too another trunk to make it stronger and that in its self takes time and work and then the color is of course another determining big factor. But most often even the smaller ones that would be suitable for beginning bonsai are in the fifty to sixty dollar price range in a one gallon size pot.

 I have not personally seen any in a smaller size than one gallon but I'm sure they do exist and someone out there is growing them for market some where so do your research and you will find a source as I did.

 Pests for this tree are none known by me personally but there are probably some out there so the key of course as with all plants and especially bonsai is too keep a sharp eye and be very vigilante. If you do decide to create and grow one of these pines as a bonsai first look for a nice healthy tree with some nice placement of limbs for shaping and then a suitable pot for your creation, in this case the pot should be a mat finish pot as in this case the tree I chose is a conifer and that most always is the rule of choice for bonsai conifers, a mat finish pot and deciduous and flowering trees or shrubs should have a glazed pot.

 Of course others are are acceptable but they should at least be in one of the bonsai styles and sizes and not just any old ordinary garden pot.

 Rules of course can be broken but then again most people will at times break the rules as a matter of ease for them selves personally rather than by choice. Say for instance you may not always be able to find the pot of choice so you compromise but its not that big of a deal unless your a stickler for the rules like I personally would be, or unless you were offering the bonsai up for show or sale then it should always follow the rules and be placed in the proper medium and pot before you do show it or sell it, once again only my personal opinion.

 But then again any Master would simply chuckle to himself and or at you either to your face or if not to your face certainly behind closed doors if he or she were to see you planting a bonsai in a nicely finished pot before its time.

 But then again a true Master would tell you the reason for this and explain to you why. However I do not consider myself a Master so again only my advise or opinions are given here, but I personally will always break that one rule and plant my bonsai in a nice pot right away. But then again do not miss understand a working bonsai from say a starter or just a newly started plant most of my personal plants that I have been creating and working on are well over the twenty year mark by now and although some are younger most are that age and even older and deserve a nice pot.

 Pots can always be changed later if indeed they need to be or if you so desire, a different pot can be chosen most any time and you can never have enough pots on hand anyway so if you can afford it then what does it matter? What's all this hype over when the bonsai should be planted in a nice pot anyway?  I simply believe that its my choice to make as to when I give it a nice pot and mine alone to make that decision.

 In my personal collection I have the belief that if I'm going too have this tree in my collection and I'm going to tend it work with it and create it into my desired affect and have in on display in my garden then it deserves a nice pot to add to its overall artistic value and look, end of pot discussion for me personally.


 But then again there are a lot of people that simply will not or have not spent money on pots for there plants until such time as they think that its truly a real show stopper or in the case of the bonsai being in the class of a Master tree or a Specimen plant that is truly deserving of a fine pot.. Pots are not cheap especially the nicer ones for bonsai and it becomes at least for me in my area harder and harder every year to find them.

 Reasons of course are that the best pots are most often imported from abroad and in most all cases the buyer is forced to by an entire container load at a time in order to get any kind of a price break.

 This in turn will also affect the prices you pay and or the amount you may find on the market at any given time in local nursery's and so depending on where you live in the country it can be and often times is a long search and can be daunting one indeed to find nice bonsai pots.

 I have often thought to myself that many years ago I should have also learned and created pottery only for the sole sake and specific reason of making my own bonsai pots... So if your a person that doses have a potters wheel and can throw bonsai pots and perhaps you also have your own kiln and can also burn the glazed pots or perhaps you know someone that does then have them contact me.

 This tree was ready for planting as a bonsai with really very little work on my part other than like I said selecting the proper pot and then positioning it in that pot and wiring it to the pot and wiring the tree its self after it was planted to begin the initial shape and styling.

 This tree is rather young even at around eight years in age and will take a lot of time in shaping and styling too create it into a nice deserving bonsai but in time it will truly be a nice addition to my collection.

Thanks, for reading,
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com

Would it really be Black Friday?

 As usual today was the famous so called Black Friday the biggest shopping day after Thanksgiving Turkey day. I of course just like so many others go out looking for bargains and unfounded treasures but seldom find any. More over I would call it Green Friday as all I or anyone else ever does if there serious about shopping on this famous day is spend the green and so why don't they just call it Green Friday.

 I found $387.00 dollars worth of plants today and some will make nice future bonsai with some time and care, then I bought a nice rectangular mat finish pot for a future bonsai, as the price was right and actually more than likely was truly the find of the day since pots in this area have truly accelerated in price, also I found a really nice tiny pair of very small bonsai shears but they will be absolutely great for getting into the really tight spots..

 I purchased first a very nice Spaan's Dwarf Shore Pine. Now since these particular pines grow very compact and with a small tiny short needle structure and somewhat contorted limbs they most often look like a bonsai before you even lend a hand to them anyway.

 The one I purchased is about two and a half feet tall overall height and is nicely balanced and will make a very nice bonsai with some of my wiring and pruning to get a shape that I like started, but the first step will be to get it into some proper bonsai soil as soon as I can because right now its  potted up very loosely in mostly all bark medium and this if left out in the full exposure to the rainy climate we have here will truly have taken its sever toll by spring and I simply do not want to loose this tree.

 It needs to be in a well drained mix that I can make up and that way it will drain very fast and not hold on too all that water retention and drown the roots.

 Then I bought a very nice little shrub most often used in the garden as just that a true shrub, but I plan to bonsai mine as usual and then train it in some sort of bonsai style. The plant is called Beautyberry Or Callicarpa Bodinieri.

 A very lovely shrub with green leaves in spring and a purple looking berry all over the limbs in the fall.. This hopefully will make a nice bonsai if I live long enough too see the results as this shrub has at present a very small caliper trunk and will take a few years to develop a larger trunk for beauty.

 Even if planted and field grown it would still take longer than I wish to wait to see a finished result in trunk size. So I will look now for a lager one with hopefully the larger trunk and then perhaps just plant this one as a simple garden shrub.

 Unless of course in my many travels around the country and to many nursery's I do get lucky and find one that has a really much larger trunk, but doubtful with out really shelling out a lot of the Black Friday or as I called it the green Friday... MONEY MONEY oh that MONEY...You don't suppose they would consider taking one of the many silver dollar plants I have in trade do ya?     Na I didn't think so.

 The second round of little beauty's I found were two hybrid red pines and they are called  Pinus densiflora Jane Kluis. These guys are grafts and will make some cute bonsai for my garden once I have imparted my handy work on them, surgery if you will... and by pruning them and cutting out some of the limbs then wiring and shaping them to get that initial style created then I will have the great start of indeed yet another fine smaller bonsai for a few years as these plants are still very young and only at this time would be considered nursery stock by most, but then again most people are not looking at them with the intent to create bonsai from them.. Most are at best just looking for another garden shrub around there home or patio.

 Since most of us tend to buy a lot of our material from local of traveled nurseries anyway were not out in the wild gathering bonsai stock. However truly not all of us are Yamadori collectors and just in case you do not know what that means... Well its a collected plant from the wild if you truly get lucky and get the material or in the process of trying to get it do not get thrown in jail or a big whopping fat fine so be careful and get permission if you ever plan to get any material like this for use as bonsai.  Always be sure too ask first before you go just go out digging.. Always remember that land belongs to someone..

 The Red Pines that I bought today are about eight years old each I would guess and in one gallon pots and have the same problem as the Shore pine they are planted in a lousy bark and will retain way too much moisture with this type of mix as a potting medium so I need once again to get them into some proper potting mix as soon as I can.

 Then I bought a really nice light weight rock often called feather rock and it will be used this spring for some plantings actually planted on the rock and these plants will grow on that rock in a way that they are actually growing on the rock and not root over the rock style.  I will write an article this coming spring showing just how I do this and what materials I use and where to get the materials and then I will give you some step by step instructions on how too accomplish this type of a planting  and then of course you will be able too see what the finished product can or could look like.

 Last for today of course but certainly not my last every too purchase was a nice little grafted Pinus strobus Tiny Curls also another Jan Kluis. This little contorted curly needle White pine will also eventually with some tender love and care make yet another addition to my garden as a nice looking bonsai.

 Sorry I do not really have time to take pictures of all this material right now but if you look them up under there names on the internet you will be able to see examples of what they could look like as a finished bonsai.

Thanks, for reading,
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com







  

Praise is due where praise is needed...Scotch Pine

 Although tomorrow is the big day for Turkey and for a lot of you its a chance to have a day with the family and relax and if your still in the work force then of course you get that chance to stay home too and enjoy.. But for me its just another day in the year and I simply could  not resist the temptation of taking a picture of this pine that I was able to work on today in a workshop with a very nice and most enjoyable small group of other people..

 Please excuse part of my kitchen in the back ground but unfortunately I have all ready put away for the season and winter the table I most often use to take photos of my plants on.

 We had the good fortune to have Ted Matson too help us and impart some of his many years well over 35 I believe in the wonderful world of bonsai creating many bonsai and teaching around the country Ted is probably best known for his very creative work on Shohin and deciduous bonsai and Ted is also very knowledgeable of pines and junipers and many other variates of plants in the plant kingdom. Yes fortunate indeed to have such a wonderful person take time out of there very busy day to teach us for over three hours and for this I say praise is due where praise is needed.. Many thanks to you Ted and all who were there and helped out...

 But trust me when I say I was stumped and simply did not know where to begin with this plant it had been left go for a few years and because of the neglect it had branches that needed complete removal and the rest that remained after a serious look and some real hard needle pulling and or pruning left us with some new desirable branches to wire and get started reviving this plant and turning it back into something that can be most rewarding in the years too come.

 In closing I guess I could not let this go with out showing you a picture of the Scotch Pine that Ted helped me with. I only wish that I had taken a picture before the work so you could have seen the real mess and confusion that I faced with this particular plant. 

There is still a long way to go with this one to turn it into something worth really being proud of but one always needs to just move forward and strive to do what needs to be done and I will for sure you can rest assured on that... At least now with the hard pruning this plant will begin to throw back buds and new buds for more future growth and then give me or the next person in line something nice to work with..

This will be the last post more than likely of the year but if I do something else it will be around or slightly before Christmas..

If not well then here is wishing you all a very Merry holiday and a most wonderful New year....

Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com









 

Turkey day tomorrow..

So here we are at another thanksgiving and I will be alone as my family is all gone and passed away over the last few years.. But I will most defiantly have my little Cornish hen and some dressing and mashed potatoes and gravy and perhaps some traditional cranberry sauce. Then I will just kick back and try too enjoy the remainder of the day lamenting over some of this past years blessings and good fortune.

I wish to tell all my readers and bonsai lovers alike here is wishing you all a very happy thanksgiving and I hope your able to enjoy and have a nice relaxing day..

Thanks from me to all of you, Harold Yearout

Juniperus rigida bonsai

The genus Juniperus rigdia like all other junipers is in the family of Cypress this particular species is native too northern China, Korea, Japan and the very far southeast part of Russia. It can be used as a shrub or a tree and lives in its native areas in fairly high altitudes it is an evergreen.

This tree or shrub has a very shredded like bark and this can look very nice if used in bonsai and it adds a lot of interest to the trunk of the tree but can in the case of bonsai harbor and hide little pests like bugs and ants and other insects so most often when working one of theses plants into a bonsai most people will peal and work that bark away down too the trunk where you will begin to see the reddish colored trunk appear..

You will of course loose some of the trunks interest but your tree will be much safer from insects and not be as apt to get any fungi and or other pests under the shaggy bark.. I acquired this plant from a fellow bonsai enthusiast and it was a very good price and deal for me as I love junipers anyway and thought it would make a nice little addition to my collection..

The tree is too small in trunk girth to have much of a nebari and is lacking there of and might have been the reason the other fellow did not want to keep it or work it any more.. I will always be the first to agree that a strong and well placed nebari on a tree trunk truly will make the tree shine and look fantastic but some times mother nature just does not give it too us in our life time and so we must settle for less than the best effort and take what is handed to us and try our best to still create something nice to view anyway. Or at least I do. I have often times been accused of not even letting a dandelion die even though it is a weed.

I bought it from him anyway and brought it home and re applied some Lime sulpher to re brighten up the Shari on the trunk and then later that day decided too also give it a nice looking pot. Now I know any master would think that I'm totally crazy and wasting my time by not only working this plant and would truly balk at me for giving it a nice pot but oh well rules are meant to be broken at times and I can not stand any plant in my collection not having a decent pot... Plastic and or wood crates and the like just do not cut it for me...

I have no idea how old this little guy is but not too old I suspect as its trunk size is way too small to have been around for too long.

This juniper like most any other conifer likes well drained soil and lots of full sun if you can provide it and although it will tolerate wet feet too some extent I do not leave it or any of my other plants stay that wet and of course since I do live in the Great Northwest I need not water as much like most others will in there areas as here mother nature provides much rain and remains my constant garden hose most all the time.

Some junipers produce berries and believe it or not the berries are used for spice in a fairly wide variety of food dishes and also the berries are used in some kinds of gin, mostly for a special flavor and it has also been used in certain beers.

Pruning should be carried out in early spring and you can trim or pinch some growth most any time of year but always try to pinch off new growth and stay out of the way of your older wood as it will not grow back to readily in the older areas of the tree or shrub. Re potting of this like most all conifers should be done in early spring before the tree begins too bud up and start any new growth.

Junipers are pretty hardy and strong so you do not have too much to worry about with growing this tree or shrub in your garden or as a bonsai.. Nursery's most often have a wide variety of juniper plants on hand so you should not have any problem at all finding a nice plant to work with and create into a nice bonsai in a lot of different styles.

You could even plant one in the ground for several years taking care to dig it up ever other year or so and cutting back some of the root and also to prevent it from getting too deeply rooted this will of course get you some nice trunk caliper and hopefully a nice nebari to start off with and then when your ready dig it up and benign work on it as a bonsai.

 Jin and or Shari of course is not recommended for the absolute beginner you should wait for this until you have a good total understanding of creating bonsai and then you could play with the idea and use it for its intended purpose and that is hide and or cover up a particular messy part of the tree, or old and or or dead wood, a possible branch that is interesting and has died and most often will just be cut away could instead be made into Jin and add the perception of age to the tree and or add other wise too its over all appearance.

In the case of jin on a bonsai it is a matter of scrapping or pealing all of the bark off in a particular area of the tree and making sure that you have it fairly clean and as smooth as possible and wet too some degree and then you paint on a coat of Lime Sulpher over the area that you wish too have as Jin and it will turn a grayish white giving off the appearance of drift wood or weathered wood too the tree. Be careful and wear goggles and use rubber gloves and also be careful and mindful as to not get any of the sulpher mixture down into your soil as it could or may cause the death of the tree. I usually cover the soil in the pot with some sandwich wrap and or an old towel then begin my work.

The Lime sulpher should be applied once in the spring and then again at or just before fall and then again in the next spring and as needed to keep the gray white weathered appearance after that. A lot of the finer master pieces in bonsai have some areas of the tree or shrub that have been made into Jin.

 It certainly does not need to be done but is a matter of personal preference and or the choice of the creator of the bonsai if he or she wishes to Jin or create Shari on any given tree or not.

Lime sulpher is not expensive and if you grow roses and or any fruit trees it can also be used to control fungi and pests so you can also get the other benefits of this product other than just for bonsai use. And as with any and all chemicals first read and understand the label before using for any application.

Well I'm going to end this article here and hope that you find it helpful even if in the slightest way and please by all means try your hand at creating your own juniper bonsai and who knows it may very well turn out being one of the worlds finer masterpieces..

Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com

Lions Main Shishi

 Once again as promised here is a picture of my multiple planting of the Lions main or rather the Shishigashira maple.

 There are four Shishi in this planting and more could be added however most likely not...The pot for this planting is 39" inches long by 30" inches wide and 4" inches deep and the largest Shishi is 51" inches in height and with a trunk caliper of 2-1/2 inches at the base This tree was field grown for many years to obtain height and trunk caliper and then planted in this group planting early this spring... Eventually the planting will be refined and some nice moss added to help hold moisture and possibly some other small ground cover plants will be added as I have time.


Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com

The Chinese Elm for bonsai
Ulmus Parvifolia

 The Chinese elm is more than likely a very good choice for the beginning bonsai artist as it is very forgiving to a point and pretty easy to train. It can be trained in almost all of the bonsai styles other than up right as the plant is very twisty so to speak and does not lend its self to that style very well.

 I personally would choose and informal style or one of  the cascading styles for this plant. The bonsai you see here is one from my own collection and has been in training for about fifteen years now and is coming alone nicely..

 The Chinese elm is a deciduous plant and can be grown either indoors or out, however it will tend to do much better as do most bonsai left out doors. But pay particular attention to the plant in the winter months and protect it from harsh blasts of wind and or frost or any freezing weather as this would truly kill the plant and it would not take long at all over night in fact. So when old man winter gears up more than the usual then take the plant into a safer location indoors but still store it in a some what cooler place.

 I live in the Great Northwest in the state of Oregon and that would be considered zone 8 on the plant scale map and just for all of you that do not know what that is well here is a link below to the best one around that will help you to understand state by state the growing zone for that area.

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#

 As with any bonsai watering is a very important factor and no one plant is the same they all have different watering habits and you will only learn by study and reading and practise. But the general rule with nearly all bonsai is to water every day in the growing season especially in summer when it begins to heat up as the plants are planted in very little soil and have a very compact root system thus eliminating any water fairly fast.

 Over all I use my fingers to tell me and if I push my finger down firmly into the soil at least half an inch or more and it feels dry then its time to water.. The Chinese and Japanese actually use chop sticks made from the softer wood and they will break one in half and use one of the broke half's to test for watering as the sick will absorb the water and leave a moist spot on the sick at the level where water would have been last and if you pull the stick up and check and it seems dried out then its time to water... I just prefer the finger method my self.

 There are also plant meters that you can purchase from local nursery's that will tell you soil reading and dampness levels.... from around $12.00 dollars and up so look for one if you like....But the best practise is to learn your individual plants by heart and there specific watering needs by species and then you will not have any guess work involved.

 The Chinese elm can take the sun as long as you move it out into the sun gradual and not all at once in other words give it a chance to acclimate and then move it on out.. Air flow should be good too and not real windy but normal.

 These plants will need a lot of trimming as they tend to produce a lot of new growth and fairly fast in early spring right on into the summer months... So do not be afraid to give them a hair cut as with any bonsai and the rule here is leave two leaves and trim the third away.. Chinese elm is very twiggy and will produces tons of little twiggy growth all over the plant so once you have began to develop a some what acceptable limb structure on your plant then you will want to strive for branches where the leaves look and grow into a rounded pad if you will outstretched away from the trunk.

 I managed to take many cuttings from this mother plant about 7 years ago and so now have many in my collection that are in starter pots and have been in training for about five of the 7 years and they are also coming alone nicely and will make wonderful bonsai in the future for me to add to the garden or too sell you can see a picture of Chinese elm at the top of the article.

Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: 

Hedge Maple As Bonsai

ACER CAMPESTRE OR HEDGE MAPLE

Hi there all,

 In this article I will try to give you information on what is called the Hedge Maple Or Field Maple.

 This variety of maple is used in many landscape designs and works well in most all public areas like around malls parks center dividers on public streets and the like it is more native to Europe and Asia and many other areas around the globe. In North America thou this maple is known as or called by a more common name Hedge Maple or even Field Maple. Although it is used more commonly in Europe it can still be found here however in nursery's and as I said they are more commonly used in landscape design than for bonsai.

 But as usual I personally will try most any kind of tree or shrub for bonsai simply for not only a learning curve but also to increase my own personal collection. So I was lucky to have picked up some of these little guys at a local nursery and created a grove of them in a bonsai style forest planting or Penjing style if you will.

 Now for all of you that do not know what Penjing is well that is another day or another article but in the mean time if you wish to really know what Penjing is  then Google it...But to make it quick and simple its what is considered multiple plantings or in this case a planting that is more than one tree in the same pot and is often a style of bonsai used more by the Chinese than any other.

 The Hedge Maple has a nice small leaf structure making it a very good choice for a group planting as there always tend to be several trees in any group planting and thus being planted very close together and all growing in the same pot which of course means that we will need room for the top growth and yet do not want it to look overly crowded. So more often than not I personally will choose a shrub or tree that has smaller leaves and a bit of a slower growth habit if used for a forest panting.

 For this planting I choose an oval non glazed pot 12" inches long by 6" inches wide and 2" inches total depth and there are a total of 14 trees in this planting and so far this season all are doing fine.The bark on hedge maple tends to lean towards a gray almost cork fissured look with age and like I said although grown more for an ornamental look it can also of course be bonsai-ed as I have shown here.

 The Hedge Maple is also a hard wood used a lot in the making of furniture and musical instruments.It is very shade tolerant in its early infancy but will tend to need and want more direct light and sun as it grows larger and it does tend to like full sun but be careful and watch what is happening very closely if you keep it in full sun.Full sun is more for a tree in the ground than in a small bonsai pot that will tend to dry out quickly.

 The Hedge Maple if left in the ground and not in a pot can grow to heights of over 25 feet and will make a lovely shade tree and can also be used in nearly any landscape as a hedge if planted close together in rows along fences or driveways or as dividers on property lines, simply use your own imagination if using the trees this way... But they will cluster together nicely making eventually a very nice tight hedge thus of course where the name was derived Hedge Maple.

 But for this article I chose to make a group planting and add several of these small trees to one small pot and then grow them on as a forest planting... The Chinese create most of there bonsai in this style called Penjing. They also of course go a little further than I tend too and add other items to there planting so as to make a scene and this is also nice and makes a very nice looking planting if you have the time and patients to do so..

 Watering for this plant is normal pretty much every day as in this pactiular instance being planted in a very shallow pot it will tend to dry out much faster necessitating a more rigid watering regime. In the hotter weather as spring evolves into summer and things warm up then you will want to be more vigilante and keep your plant well watered and some what shaded from the direct sun as maple tends to burn rather easy and it would not take more than one good hot afternoon to cook your plant and ruin it for sure.

 For soil I use a nice medium mix I personally use for most all of my bonsai three parts plain regular garden soil simply gathered from my own property and one part sand and one part perlite you could of course purchase all of these products from any garden center. Mix all three parts well and then add to your pot as needed during your planting. If  your pot provides extra holes in the bottom of it for wiring then you should of course take advantage of this and wire the trees or tree into the pot so as to prevent it from toppling in the winter and spring wind storms.

 Living in the Northwest we of course tend to get a lot of rain and a lot of these small storms in early spring and of course all winter long and since I do not remove my plants from their garden locations unless the temperatures get into the teens they winter out doors all season and come wind rain or snow they still manage to survive. But some plants can and will be just by the way you plant them rather top heavy so you should alwasys take this into consideration when planting and wire them into the pot if possible.

 But then again as an avid grower of bonsai I tend to be right on top of things during all seasons watching my plants and tending them nearly every day.

 Pests to maple are few so not to much worry there but never the less keep a sharp eye as always its better safe than sorry.  Maple happens to be one of my favorites in the garden and happens to be one of the easier plants to grow and to manage. I grow all of my maples from seed unless I'm picking up a really very good bargain from the local nursery which I might add is not often. Most maples I have or have had around for any time seem to start producing there own seed after they are about eight to ten years old and I gather the seeds in the fall and stratify them and then sow the seeds in the early spring of course to indeed have more maples either for my self or for resale..

 Well not much more I can tell you at this time about Hedge Maple but as always if I pick up on any other good hints or tips about this little plant then I will add them to this post. So have fun with this one and look for some in your local nursery and make your very own Penjing or forest planting.


Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: 

Hi too everyone,

I'm back

All of you that have been on this site or may see this site in the future may or may have not noticed by looking at the dates of my blog posts I have been away for a very long time... Due to some major health issues and family deaths I have not had the time nor the inclination to keep up with the blog...

But a new spring is upon us and I have many new plants and a lot of new additions too my garden and a lot of information to give my readers and perhaps new followers and so I will attempt once again too keep everyone who comes here or reads my posts supplied with new information and hopefully one and all will gain something from it and learn and maybe even have some fun along the way as you follow what will hopefully this time be a long and fruitful blog and I truly hope that the articles and posts that I add here for you will not only inspire you but help you to understand this as possibly one of the most rewarding hobbies in the plant kingdom.

http://thelivingbonsai.blogspot.com

Harold Yearout.

A Red Pine Bonsai

The Red Pine as bonsai.


The Red Pine is of course not the best choice for a beginner to this most rewarding hobby but none the less makes a lovely and wonderful addition to any collection if you have the time and patients to create it..

First of all the Red pine like most all pines is very slow growing so do not expect results fast and if your an elder person too the hobby well then you may want to find a specimen plant to deal with if you do wish results right away, otherwise plan on waiting for many years to get a Red Pine to any size that would be acceptable as bonsai and a tree nice enough too have and too view in your collection.

The Red Pine is of course a native tree to North America and can be found in the forests of many states and could be dug from the wild if you are lucky enough to find a nice one that could be suitable for use in bonsai. Or you could grow one from seed but it would take many years. So if you truly wish to start one to add too your collection then I highly recommend that you find one already growing as nursery stock and work from there.

Red pine is a conifer and has a rather tall growth habit it can grow to a height of any where between roughly 65 feet to over 115 feet if left to grow naturally in the ground but is not a large tree around in diameter only usually reaching around three feet at maximum growth. But however for this article were talking about keeping and growing one as a bonsai so were not worried about the tree ever reaching any height like it would in the wild..

The bark of the red pine has a crackled look in most cases and is fissured and if you look down through it at varying heights on the tree you will see some red appearance thus the derived name Red Pine. Branches on Red Pine are very brittle so must be handled with care if wiring in traditional bonsai forms. The Red Pine will produce cones with age and the cones will have a slight purple look too them when first coming out and of course turn brown with age.

Here is a close up of the trunk of my tree and so as you can see as I described the crackled bark and the red look of the bark, in this case near the base of my tree however this red fissured look will occur all up and down the trunk of the entire tree with age and time...


Like most all trees in the pinus family they are very drought tolerant in the wild and can survive for long periods of time with out water. But they will not of course last at all for any duration as bonsai without you as the care giver being very vigilante and observant with its over all care and especially its watering.

It loves full sun so you should then of course try to find a spot in your garden to provide full sun or at least if not full sun then you should give it at least four to five hours a day of natural sun light. The tree will produce new growth early every spring and this growth is traditionally called candles and in some cases others call them by other names. These candles must be pinched out in late June if you wish not to have them grow on to make more heads on your tree with new needles.

In other words if you wish your trees heads or pom poms as I call them to remain the same size and not get lager or more dense then pinch out the new candles and growth every year as it becomes evident on your tree.

The needles of the red Pine like a whole lot of pinus will be rather long, some where between two and three inches in normal growth but as with all bonsai if you continue too grow and nurture your tree over many years the needles will eventually be shorter in length witch of course is the desired effect we all are wanting and looking for in most any pine that we create as a bonsai.

 I have seen as an example a Red Pine that was created and grown by a Japanese family for over ten generations making the tree close to 900 years in age when I viewed it in 2006 in Japan and its needles were less than an eight of an inch long. This tree was absolutely one of the most awesome bonsai I personally have ever had the chance to view. This was of course by private invite only and not in some standard nursery..

This Red Pine has been in my own personal collection now for over 14 years and was originally purchased as nursery stock and then field grown for ten years so I could get trunk caliper and then dug back up and re-potted and then worked as bonsai to get what you now see in the present picture above.  Of course as with any bonsai it will always be evolving and changing in size structure and appearance as with any bonsai they are truly never finished.

You could grow any bonsai your entire life time and it would still never be finished and of course this my own  personal opinion

I truly hope that the small amount of information I have given you here is enough to possibly inspire you to perhaps try your hand at creating and growing your very own Red Pine as a bonsai.

Thanks for reading.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2013 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: