Tag-Archive for ◊ deadwood ◊

Author:
• Friday, February 04th, 2011

I wrote the following article for the Bonsai Societies of Florida Magazine, published in 2009 regarding the safe use of Lime Sulfur. However recently I posted a video as well, and I wanted to bring the two of them together on Orlando Bonsai.

A great way of creating drama in a Bonsai is through the creation of jins (stripped branches) and Shari (carved trunks). By exposing deadwood the Bonsai artist can bring on the appearance of advanced aging of a tree, and add more interest. In order to enhance the jins and shari a chemical/pesticide named Lime Sulfur (also Lime Sulphur) is applied. However this is no ordinary chemical compound.

In fact the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) that accompanies this stuff is enough to make even the most seasoned Bonsai Artist run for the hills, or at least it should. In addition to its foul “rotten egg” smell, it is a corrosive skin irritant (inflammation and blistering), a corrosive eye irritant (can result in corneal damage or blindness) and with severe over-exposure or ingestion may even be fatal.

However when used properly the benefits are enormous. In addition to the great whitening effect that Lime Sulfur creates on exposed wood, it works as a preservative, a pesticide, a fungicide, and a strong sterilizer.

For Bonsai Lime Sulfur is to be applied outdoors with a soft brush directly to the exposed wood. I specify a soft brush because a stiff brush can cause the compound to flick off the ends which may spatter on skin or the eyes. To aid in reducing exposure to Lime Sulfur some precautions should be taken. Long sleeve shirts should be worn, along with eye protection (glasses or goggles), and rubber gloves.

Applying Lime Sulfur is pretty simple and is easy as painting the exposed wood. For best results apply on a hot sunny day when it is not forecasted to rain. Usually the first coat can be done in May – June and the second coat a couple months later in the July- August timeframe. Once applied place the tree in direct sunlight so the Lime Sulfur can soak in and dry. When correctly applied the color of the compound will turn to a light chalky yellowish color. This color will remain until rinsed away by watering or rain on subsequent days.

Some times harder woods (Buttonwoods, Junipers, etc.) will not absorb right away, and the Lime Sulfur will “bead” on the wood surface. In these cases it is better to spray the entire tree with water and then let it set for about 15 minutes before applying. The presoak will allow for better absorption of the Lime Sulfur. However the extra water will also cause the Lime Sulfur to “run” a bit easier, therefore apply slowly so that it does not drip down the tree on to the bark, cambium or roots. I generally place a cloth over the soil to absorb any drips or runs during application. Drips on exposed leaves will result in bad burns to the leaves. In order to avoid absorption of the Lime Sulfur into the plant I remove any leaves that come in contact with the chemical.

In the years that follow the whitened wood will sometimes dull, or begin to cover with algae or moss. At which time additional coats of Lime Sulfur may be applied. However many times a simple spray of a White Vinegar (applied full strength) will be enough to restore the deadwood back to its original white appearance.

Please keep in mind that Lime Sulfur is a great tool for Bonsai when used properly. However this chemical compound is dangerous and must be handled, stored and applied with the greatest of care. Each of the components in itself is harmful and once combined the danger increases. Take the time to read the labels on your specific brand, or search for it on the Internet

Good luck and happy Bonsai!


Author:
• Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Well it has been a long time since I’ve worked on my trees, and even longer since my last post. What a crazy year it has been. I can’t believe we are already well into the holiday season. although it is a really good time for me to get caught up and prepare for a busy bonsai time in the coming months.

This weekend I spent some time with Mike Rogers who helped me with a couple of my trees. One was a podocarpus that I had bought from him last year. During the year due to a watering issue I lost the growth on the top of the tree, but left me with tons of deadwood. The problem however was that the deadwood was too long and needed to be reduced. Mike has developed a method to address that.

As you can see there is a long stright section that is rather boring and doesn’t add any interest. I fthe section couldn’t be removed the great spread near the top would have to be removed because the overall tree would be to tall.

Mike’s solution is to cut the section off and drill a 1/2″ hole into the base of the driftwood.  The other end is carved into a peg that slides into the hole. 

The hole is filled with wood glue and the section is held in place for 30 minutes

After the glue dries and the wood is carved you can’t even tell the 4 inch section was even there.  Amazing stuff!


Category: Podocarpus | Tags: , , , , Comments off
Author:
• Sunday, February 21st, 2010

I haven’t worked on a Podocarpus ever since I displayed one at Epcot 3 years ago.  Alothough I have been trying to find a replacement for that one in my collection I have had a hard time finding good material to work on.  Last year I found this one at Mike Rogers’ Nursery and had to have it.  Over tha past year though, I have lost a lot of upper branches and now it turns out that the entire top is dead.

Podocarpus Pre-Bonsai

Podocarpus Pre-Bonsai

But deadwood means a great carving project to address in the future of this tree.  I already have an idea of what I want to do.  I need to establish the branches and structure of this tree first.  First things first, let’s get that tree out of the nursery pot and into some bonsai soil to give this tree a kick start.

Upclose look at the trunk and nebari

Upclose look at the trunk and nebari

The base of this trunk is wonderful, lots of different fronts to the tree so plenty of options for development.

Prior to root pruning

Prior to root pruning

The roots of this tree weren’t great, but at least I didn’t need to prune much off to get it into this bonsai pot.  The soil mix was also pretty poor for drainage, too much sand.  It will really flourish in my bonsai mix

Podocarpus initial potting

Podocarpus initial potting

Well it doesn’t look much of a Bonsai at this point, but this years goals are simple.  Get the tree to develop better roots, and put out new branches.  I may get lucky and be able to chose a few branches, but the styling won’t occur until late this year or next year.  Just need to keep it alive and happy.


Author:
• Thursday, March 21st, 2002


The tree has extremely interesting deadwood. One coat of lime sulfur had been applied by this point.


Category: Buttonwood | Tags: , , Comments off