Memories of Golden Bonsai

While I was sorting through old files on my computer yesterday, I came across some pictures from Golden Bonsai Nursery, before it burned down, some of which I don't think have ever seen the light of day. Just thought I'd share them.

Little Azalea

I don't frequently share my trees online. There are a couple of reasons for this. Partly, the work I do and time I spend on my trees is a highly personal experience for me. But there is a far more concrete reason as well. None of my trees have been in cultivation for more than two years and I'm just not ready to share them. With the divorce and the move from Ohio, it was a complete restart... well, with everything, not just bonsai.

However, I figured I am overdue for a couple at least. Below is an azalea I picked up last summer from Edna over at Green Garden Nursery. I almost walked right past it, because it was so large and scrawny, my eyes just cast over it. It wasn't until I was on my way back through to the front of the nursery, and caught a glimpse of the 'back' of this that I pulled up short. I hadn't even been looking for an azalea that day, but then, I always leave Edna's with more than I intended on.



The above picture was just taken for my own reference, so forgive the mess in my work area. Anyway, this year I repotted and did a serious pruning. It has backbudded very well, and growing very well in general, so I'm pretty happy. Obviously, this is no where near complete. I'll let it grow out for the next year and see where I'm keeping the new branches. In two years, I might cut it back even further, as the lower trunk would make a pretty powerful shohin. Right now, it is about five inches high, the trunk is just under three inches wide. The picture makes the roots look a lot messier than they are, though they do need work.

A Closer Look - Bonsai Pests, Scale

A Closer Look - Bonsai Pests

Part 2, Scale

Scale are another ubiquitous garden variety pest in temperate regions. Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale, with many of that rather large number considered pests on our plants. Scale are one of the most destructive insects in the United States, with many species invaders from other areas of the world. They can survive in harsh conditions, from the tundra to the tropics, and thrive on all parts of a plant, commonly the underside of leaves and on branches, but are not limited in their location habits.

There are three general categories scale insects fall in to: most common being Diaspididae, or armored scales; Coccidae, or soft scales; and Pseudococcidae, commonly known as mealybugs. The armored scales are the ones with the most effective outer coating, and subsequently, the most difficult to deal with. (Photo above: Calico Scale)

Scale Habits: Most scale are plant parasites. They feed on the sap of a plant, usually pulled directly from the vascular system. While one or two scale may not be a cause for alarm, a host of these little critters feeding on a tree will quickly lead to problems. Almost every woody plant is a target for one scale species or another. Some scale feed exclusively on one type of plant. Others target a small number of species, while still others are happy to feed wherever they end up.

Scales are around year round. They can over winter in any life stage (see Reproduction/Lifecycle below), but eggs and mated females have the best tolerance and survival of low temperatures. Once the weather starts to warm up in temperate climates, the new flush of growth we see in our plants coincides with egg hatching, though there may be later and earlier hatchers, depending on the scale species and host plant.

Soft scale and mealy bugs can excrete honeydew, sometimes in large amounts. Sooty (black) mould happily grows on this stuff, and while it is generally harmless, it is unsightly. Ants are also attracted to the honeydew excreted, though they do not herd scale the same way they do aphids. Armored scale do not excrete honeydew. (Photo above: Mealy bugs)

Scale Reproduction/Lifecycle: The sexual dimorphism (differences in appearance between male and female) is huge (relatively speaking) in scale insects. Mature female scale are sessile (which means they are unable to move), have no legs or antennae, usually much larger than the males, and are usually the ones we see when we notice a scale infestation. Mature males are smaller, typically have visible wings (one pair, thus making them resemble true flies), do not feed (they don't even have mouth parts), and die in a day or two.

Anatomy of a Scale Insect: Scale insects vary greatly in size, as well as appearance. They can be very tiny, at only a millimeter in diameter, or a little larger, though few are larger than about five millimeters across. Scale come in almost any colour, from brown to green, white to yellow, all depending on the species, and range in shape, including round, oval, pear shaped, oblong or threadlike. They are covered in protective coatings, ranging from shiny waxy covers to pearl-like, from woolly to oyster-like. These coatings are excreted by the insect for protection, the scale living and feeding under the protective coating. While there is a wide range of appearances, most resemble the scales of a fish or reptile, or like scale armor of the medieval ages (hence, the common name!). The armor of female scale are often larger and more obvious than that of the male. The appearance of the armor can vary not only with species, but also the host plant the scale is feeding on, gender, life cycle stage, time of year, and other environmental conditions, which can make identifying the particular species, or even genus, of scale by the layman, very difficult.

All scale have (or had) antenae and six legs, though mature females lose (or almost lose) these features completely. They have piercing and sucking mouth parts.

How do you know if you have Scale: Scale come in all shapes and sizes, but the appearance of small, scale like or woolly *things* on your plants, especially the trunks and undersides of leaves, is usually a good indicator. There may be no other signs until an infestation is serious. A serious infestation will be obvious by stunted growth, yellow spots on the top of foliage (caused by scales feeding on the bottom part of the leaves - these spots will get bigger and bigger the longer the scale feeds), premature foliage drop, and dieback of young twigs and even whole branches if allowed. An untreated scale infestation could easily be the death of a tree. Fortunately however, these are easy to spot early just by keeping a keen eye on your trees. Also keep an eye out for sooty mould or ants, which can be a sign of both scale and aphids.

Scale can live on any part of a plant, so beside checking the most common locations (the stem and under sides of the leaves) be sure to also check in leaf axils, buds, the tops of leaves, along the midveins of leaves and anywhere else you can reach. A magnifying glass can be useful if in doubt, as some scale can look less like bugs and more like naturally occurring bumps on a leaf or stem surface. Crawlers can be detected by wrapping double sided sticky tape around a branch and seeing what pops up over a day or two. Pay careful attention to old wound scars so common to bonsai. The bark may be thinner here, especially if the wound is only a few years old, and the folding of the healing bark can hide scale effectively from view. The colour differences between bark and scale can be very subtle. Wetting the bark can often help differentiate between normal bark bumps and scale.

Examine plants for live scale insects by crushing the wax cover. Dead scales are dry inside. Live ones... well.... are not.

Scale prevention: The best prevention for scale is healthy, happy plants and early detection. When plants aren’t stressed, they have better defenses against infestations. Keep a good distance between your trees to keep good airflow, adequately water your bonsai, and make sure they are getting the right amount of light for their species preferences. Don’t over fertilize. Chemical fertilizers high in nitrogen produce large amounts of just the right kind of growth that attracts aphids and scale. Scale will also lay more eggs on plants receiving more nitrogen. Slower acting, organic fertilizers are better for helping prevent these infestations. While we go for good growth in our trees, this is another reminder for us that balance is the key to all things in bonsai. Scale can also thrive in thick inner canopies of trees, so keep your trees from getting too over grown in the interior. Allowing light and fresh air to penetrate will help prevent other diseases as well. Because they thrive in warm, moist areas, adding additional fans to increase airflow may help. Keep new plants isolated for a week or two before putting them near your other bonsai. This way, if there are scale nymphs (harder to spot than mature females) on the tree that you may have over looked at purchasing, you have a chance to catch it before it spreads to your other trees.

Scale Removal: If despite your best efforts, you notice a scale infestation on one of your trees, don’t panic! There are several steps you can take, ranging from the simple to the more complex. Scale is a difficult insect to get rid of using common insecticides. Because in mature scale (which is usually when we notice an infestation) their waxy coating protects them from most insecticides, other courses must be followed.

In cases of only a few scale, the best bet is to just remove them with your finger nails or a stiff bristled brush. Use a strong jet of water afterward to wash off the plant and any possible eggs that might have been left behind. Continue to check back every few days or so, just in case.

Scale are preyed upon by parasitic wasps. Check for tiny holes in the outer armor which is a sign that the beneficial wasps have already been on the job. Some other beneficial insects, such as lady bugs, green lace wings and praying mantis feed on the nymphs (crawlers), but not on mature scale. These beneficial insects will stick around as long as there is food (i.e. scale crawlers, aphids, etc), but you can encourage them to stick around longer by planting certain things that attract them (yarrow, cilantro, parsley and sweet alyssum are all plants that lady bugs in particular like). Lady bugs and praying mantis eggs can be purchased at most garden centers now, as an alternative to chemical pesticides. If you are going to try beneficial insects, make certain you don’t use any pesticides, as these will kill the good bugs as well as the bad.

Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil (like neem oil or dormant oil) can be used against all stages of scale growth, including mature scale (it suffocates them), and is generally safe for bonsai, but check the label, and if in doubt, do a test on a small portion of the plant to be certain it does not cause an ill effect. An even coat that gets every part of the plant (especially the underside of the leaves!) is necessary. These only work on contact, and do not provide long term prevention. If a spot is missed on the plant, the infestation can balloon again once the oils have dried, and applications may need to be repeated. Do not use oils on water stressed plants (those that have been under watered and have wilted, or those that have been over waters and may have root rot), or if the weather exceeds 90F (30C), as this can harm the plant. Supreme- or superior-type oils will kill overwintering populations when applied in late autumn and again in midwinter. These can be safe to use in conjunction with beneficial insects.

Most insecticides that list scale on their labels are really only useful during the crawler stage, or on mealy bugs. If use of an insecticide seems necessary, use the double sided tape method to watch for crawlers and spray then. If possible, prune off as much of the infested foliage as possible before reating, not only to remove the scale, but also to allow deeper penetration of the insecticides. Follow label instructions, coating the plant thoroughly on all surfaces (especially under the leaves!). Some systemic insecticides may be useful as well. Repeat the process if needed (which is likely) one to three weeks later. Some insecticides are safe for bonsai. Others are not. General guidelines are to follow the instructions on the bottle for usage, including timing and dosage. If in doubt, test it on a small area of the tree. If there are no negative affects (dying leaves, blackening bark), you can probably proceed with the rest of the tree.

Even once scales are dead, they will not always fall from your plant. You can tell a dead scale from a live one by crushing the outer coating. Dead scale are dry on the inside. Live scale will squish. There is no way to remove dead scale, other than manually. Use your fingernails or a stiff brush to remove them from the bark and leaves.

*****

Want to know exactly what kind of scale you are dealing with? Below are two online resources that may help further identification of your scale infestation. There are too many types to go over here, and it would be a disservice to everyone involved if I tried.

Scale Keys - http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/ScaleKeys/index.html

Scalenet - http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/scalenet.htm

Shoes and ships and sealing wax....

I discovered something yesterday. I cannot bend the thickest wire I have. Don't get me wrong, if I have a length of it and put both hands on either side, it bends easily. I cannot bend small areas with my finger tips while I am wiring a tree though. I spent a few minutes, very perplexed over this, and eventually just switched to two strands of a smaller gauge wire. I don't have many larger trees that might require the largest size of wire I have. Heck, I didn't even buy the largest size, but had it given to me as a throw in on a purchase at Golden Bonsai two years ago. I don't even know what gauge it is, but for reference it's about as thick as my pinky finger. I was going to use it to wire up a new leader on a Japanese Maple I acquired earlier in the year, but otherwise, in two years, I've have no use for it whatsoever. And now, knowing that I can't even bend it the way I need to, well.... it'll just keep the bottom of my wire tree balanced.

We (my son and I) went to Green Garden nursery in Northport yesterday. Mostly, I've been searching for a pot for a banyan style schefflera, but you can't go to Edna's and not look around. And I can't go there and not walk out of there with at least three things I didn't actually go there for. In this case it was two J. maples and a Sargent Crab apple. One of the maples and the crab apple are just whips, though the lowest part of the trunk on the smallest maple is nicely shaped. The larger maple is destined for shohin (heck, all three of these are eventually). I found the pot I wanted for the schefflera. It's an interim pot, shallower than the pot it is in now, but not as shallow as I'd like yet. Heck, it is a poor match for the tree in general, expept it was the only pot that was the right width, length and depth. As schefflera are tropical trees, I'll be repotting this sometime in the next week and will post pictures then.

My son turned seven last week. Two years ago, we started a tradition. Beside the usual birthday stuff (this year, he wanted these things called Bakugan), he also gets to pick out a piece of bonsai stock, something that will be his tree in years to come. Sometimes he likes to help water them, sometimes I take care of them (let's face it, mostly I take care of them, but watching him water his trees is too cute for words). This year he picked out a Japanese Maple. The trend is generally whatever tree I've spent the most time on before we go is the kind he picks out. He always picks out the tiniest trees he can find ("Because I'm small too"), and this year I was pretty impressed by the piece he picked out. It's only five or so inches tall, but rather than just being a thin, whippy trunk, the bark is mature and rough (rather than smooth and green like most of the rest of the similarly sized maples), the trunk well shaped and quirky, and the tree, in general, is going to be a nice little shohin in a couple of years. The leaves are abnormally large, however, so we'll see how they reduce in time. Edna actually gave him the tree in question as a gift, which was very sweet of her.

Rowan and his little maple under the big maple in our yard.

Happy Birthday Ro!

Persimmon?

So this is less an informative post and more a post looking for information. I've been looking for a certain variety of persimmon as stock for some time now. Diospyros rhombifolia, or Princess Persimmon. These have very tiny fruit, about an inch across, and I've been wanting to get my hands on one, even just a very small (read: twenty year project) piece of stock to try. If anyone knows someplace on Long Island that sells them, or a reputable online dealer (Brent at Evergreen Gardens had them, but he's sold out :( ), please, let me know!

Summer Poetry and Maples

Michi no be ni
shimizu nagaruru
yanagi kage
shibashi tote koso
tachidomaritsure

In willow shade
where clear water flows
by the wayside-
"Just awhile!" I said
as I stopped to rest

-Saigyo, Poems of a Mountain Home

Summer is here, with a large lack of spring. Today was the first day in a month in a half that I've had to water the bonsai myself. I shall not miss the rain, I promise you that. We didn't really have a spring this year, and summer is launching right in to the thick of things with the wet, humid heat that breeds fungus and pests in bonsai and discontent in bonsaists. Watch here for the next installment of the Closer Look, Bonsai Pests. We'll be hitting Scale insects next.

My species sheet on Japanese Maples has hit the newstands at KOB, check it out!
http://knowledgeofbonsai.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=117&t=2937

Garden Photos

I took more photos than usual of my garden this year. As in, I normally don't take any. Some of these are from my own house, and some from the nursery I work at. Enjoy.



I blame the peonies for my photo craze. These were the pride of my yard a few weeks ago. Can't tell so much in the picture, since there is no frame of reference, but the larger blossoms were the size of dinner plates this year, and I had more than two dozen of them. Gorgeous.

Close shot, same bloom.

Stella d'Oro Daylilies, first of the season a little early.

Rhododendrons on a shrub (I say shrub, but it's taller than my house) that's estimated at around 200 years old.

Mock Orange (Philadelphus) Blossoms. I love the way these smell, like a cross between orange blossoms (hence the name) and jasmine.

Astilbe.

Magnolia.

Yarrow in pinks and yellows around a weeping cherry tree.

More Stella d'Oro.

Hydrangea.