|
|
My Account 
 
|
|
|
 |
by John Romano
|
 Outdoor Shohin Setup
|
Here is my setup for caring for shohin and mame sized bonsai
while they are outside. I have a large 4' x 4' table that has trays filled with turface sitting on it. The tiny trees sit in the turface to maintain moisture levels on very hot days. A canopy of 60% shade cloth covers the table for protection against the hot midday sun. This table has worked for me for years. Along with a proper soil mix, these plants can make it through a 9 hour day in the hot summer. I water well in the morning and again when I get home late in the evening. The turface acts as an additional moisture layer but also the roots of very tiny trees can find their way out of the bottom drain holes and grow in the turface (which helps to keep them healthy, happy and beautiful!)
|
Here is a list of a few good sources for shohin bonsai:- Collected material: It is rather difficult to find a nice collected specimen that is already very dwarf AND old. Often times collected trees have very little foliage down low to work with. I am including a picture of a very nice collected spruce that we have obtained from Colorado that was naturally dwarfed in its harsh environment. I did some initial styling with wire and jin work. (As of this writing we have 2 or 3 other of these collected shohin specimens).
|
 Shohin Yew
|
- Imported material: Believe me when I tell you that shohin bonsai in Japan will make your jaw drop - the ones I have seen are absolutely incredible. The bad news is that importation is currently VERY difficult for bonsai (another story) BUT a) things may loosen up in the future; and b) we do have a few specimens of this wonderful shohin pyracantha species from Japan that were imported two years ago before the stricter guidelines were imposed. These are mature trunks that were developed by specialty growers in Japan, with small leaves and they put out wonderful reddish, orange berries in the fall after flowering.
- Nursery stock, pre-bonsai stock: In the first column, I described what could be made from healthy small juniper stock. This is probably the best source of good material for shohin. There is so much available. A 'Pre-bonsai' is one that has been 'pre trained' by selective pruning, maybe wiring, etc. to enhance a future bonsai (as opposed to just letting a nursery plant grow freely and haphazardly). Another term coined for this material is 'potensai' or 'potential bonsai'. This very dwarf yew bonsai was developed from nursery stock. Part of the front was dying and this was developed into a 'shari'. This tree has been recently styled and repotted. You can see that it has responded well with an abundance of new buds that are bursting everywhere and will be used to fill in the foliage on the branches and canopy.
- Seedlings, cuttings, seeds: I can't exclude these but it usually takes many years to develop a truly good shohin bonsai from a seedling or other small material. However, since I love very small trees, I have many seedlings that interest me and can be enjoyed for their uniqueness. Some species that grow rather quickly can actually be developed in as little as 4 or 5 years.
- Air layering: One of the quickest ways to create an already well developed bonsai is from air layering a section off a larger tree that has some good development. Air layering usually gives you very good surface roots and can take as little as 3- 6 months to grow. When I am looking for good stock for bonsai I always start by looking at surface roots. But with the option of air layering, one can have bad surface roots but layer a new tree with much better surface roots.
Remember, SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL!
If you have specific questions regarding your shohin, please feel free to contact me at: bunjingi@aol.com.
--John Romano
New England Bonsai Gardens resident shohin addict
|
|
Shimpaku Junipers:
Shohin Bonsai and Pre-Bonsai
Shimpaku junipers are available for you to shape and grow as your own shohin bonsai. These junipers are available at three stages of development: - Pre-bonsai (e.g., top right tree, $28), ready for your own personal design,
- Wired and pruned plants that remain in their original nursery pot (e.g., top left tree, $49.90), and
- Shohin bonsai that have been shaped and/or wired and repotted into a ceramic bonsai container (e.g., front row of trees, $65).
Please note that the tree you purchase will be similar to those depicted but will not be the exact tree in the above picture.
|
|
Special note to Members:
The prices on this website do not reflect membership discounts. Similarly, the prices in your order confirmation email also will not reflect membership discounts. However, memberships will be checked and the appropriate discounts will be made prior to your credit card being charged.
|
| |
Shipping and Other Policies
Copyright © 1999-2007 New England Bonsai Gardens
|
|
