Clinton's Jobs

August

* The wet weather has continued through most of Winter and has certainly been very welcome. Particularly when you're digging trees out of the ground!! With that extra moisture in the air any plants you have dug up from whatever situation have an excellent chance of making a full recovery in their new found home. Digging plants out during dry windy days can really knock collected plants about. It can dry out the pruned tips very quickly causing some die-back, resulting in very poor and late shooting in Spring or it may even turn up it's toes. Try to seal most of the ends of pruned branches to help reduce moisture loss as much as possible. A dose of Seasol will help the root system get back into full swing at a much faster rate as well. Apart from a couple of windy days the chore of watering has been a very easy going task, but as the temperatures start to increase keep a more watchful eye on your trees as complacency can lead to some unpleasant surprises.

* Wow how about those frosts!! Some of the heaviest frosts I have experienced here for a very long time. Plants that we don't normally worry about protecting at the nursery like Lilly Pilly's certainly got well and truly burnt back this time around. I have heard quite a wide variety of trees got effected from talking to a few Bonsai enthusiasts. Some of the plants mentioned were Lantana, Jade, Lilly Pilly, Boganvillia, Figs and Lilac Cap. So what do you do now? I think it's best advised to leave the effected foliage on the plants to protect the remaining foliage that didn't get scorched. Obviously also you should try and place the plant in a position where it won't receive anymore visits from the frost. Once we get into Spring you can cut back the burnt foliage from your effected plants and the new growth at the top of your plant should re shoot without as problem.

* By the end of August early shooting deciduous trees such as Elms and Maples can have their first pruning to encourage multiple branching rather than long elongated growth. Elms can have their growth go out to up to 4 sets of leaves and then be reduced down to 1 or 2 sets of leaves. And the ever-vigorous Japanese Maple should have the centre pinched out after it has put out its first set of leaves to keep a tight internode structure. Any noticeable die back in the branching from over the Winter should be pruned off to maintain a tidy structure. Make sure your trees are adequately spaced from one another on the benches so the growth of one bonsai doesn't inhibit the growth of another. You may have adjusted a certain tree's position in your backyard for Winter so don't forget to re-work the positioning of all your trees for the coming warmer months ahead. As far as pruning goes, deciduous trees are the priority during these first two months of Spring - they really take off with a bang.

* By now most of your deciduous trees re potting would have been completed, however from mid August through to mid Spring is an optimum time to re pot some Evergreen trees. Some species suitable for this period include Privet, Olive, Pyracantha, Cotoneaster, Corokia, and Buxus among others. Most Australian Natives are also suitable for re potting during this time before they put on a growth spurt. Conifers in general can also be re potted with priority to Pines, Cedrus and Picea species. Juniperus, Chamaecyparis and Cryptomeria species can also be re potted but it is not as crucial to fit them in this period as they have a more flexible potting period of well into Spring till early Summer.

* Fertilising can be stepped up as well. Trees recently re potted would have had some slow release fertiliser applied in the mix. However it doesn't hurt to supplement with some organic liquid fertiliser feeding every 2-3 weeks. Try and use a couple in rotation as most often different fertilisers have different volumes of trace elements.

* If you have had Figs in a protected position over the Winter or under shade cloth to protect them from frost they can now be repositioned for the coming Spring. Figs really thrive in an open full sun position, so if you want that vigorous strong growth, shift accordingly.

* Companion plant material such as Blood Grass and Bamboos that have died down over the Winter to a withered and dried appearance can be cut back down to ground level. This will create a much fresher tidier look when the new shoots start coming through in the Spring rather than intermingled with the old withered shoots. To bring the new shoots on quickly the plantings should be placed in full sun and liquid fertilised regularly.

* Finally, with exhibitions coming up, now is the time to isolate trees that are to be displayed and give them some extra attention. If the moss has died off during the Winter, new moss should be reapplied and given ample time to establish before the exhibition. If moss is hard to find, a thick covering of pebbles will do a similar job. When pruning your tree make sure it is done well before the exhibition so the tree has ample time to fill out again and not look freshly cut. Thoughts on display tables or mats should be considered as well as companion plants to complement your Bonsai. Early preparation saves a lot of worrying at the last minute.

Clinton Nesci         (Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursary)