Warragul Bonsai Group
The Warragul Bonzai Group is a club which specialises in working with Bonsai’s. Some of its members also attend meetings of the Warragul & District Garden Club. However it is a great hobby for those without gardens. Check here for regular updates
Warragul Bonsai Group meets the third Thursday of each Month. New members are very welcome. Any enquiries contact Carol 0438 877393 or [email protected]
August 2024
Raffia is an important tool in the art of bonsai. When an older, strong branch needs a hard bend raffia is key to protecting and containing the bark, creating a callus and keeps the bark from drying out. The delicate bark on maples is an example. The raffia method can be used on conifers in mid winter.
Take a thickness of three plus pieces raffia and knot together to form a long strand. Soak until wet through. This will help the bark soak up moisture and be more pliable, but more importantly will shrink when it dries making a tighter fit.
Don’t water the tree for a few days. Take the raffia and wind on the target branch like a bandage, over lapping and pull tight. Tie off. Cover with electrical tape to seal and to stop unwinding.
Decide on wire gauge, anchor, then start at the bottom of the tree, winding upwards over the raffia. If extra strength is needed, begin another row of wire, spaced a little apart for a stronger bend. For seriously difficult bends a strong wire splint can be incorporated.
Leave for a minimum of one growth season, depending on the tree and depth of bend, removing wires and electric tape when branch position feels permanent. Raffia will grey and eventually fall off after a couple of years. Sometimes the raffia will stick. Use a soft brush to clean off. Do not use a knife or sharp tool.
July 2024
Introducing the very interesting topic of mounting bonsai on a slab. Instead of potting a tree into a container, with a little work, a single tree or forest can be secured to a flat slab using some simple tricks, special moulding clay and moss. The result looks very natural and quite spectacular.
Choose a tree which is ready for display, putting it aside whilst the slab is prepared. Small leafed, tall skinny, lanky trees are good. Not figs as their roots won’t suit a slab.
Start with a flat rock or tile roughly the size needed, nothing too large or heavy. A popular choice is a slate tile from the local flooring outlet. On the top face, draw an outline of the anticipated shape and size of the finished slab. Chip away the excess to form a more natural looking rough edge. A drainage hole can be drilled but is not necessary. Then drill small holes ready for tie wires or a good length of wires can be supa glued to the base instead.
Position with the tree/s and secure with tie wires. Prepare “muck”, kneading together a mixture of clay, cow poo (or crushed fertiliser), spagnum moss and water. Lumping clumps at a time, build a wall, making room for soil and allowing root spread. Leave a border of the tile edge exposed. This wall is no higher than the upper roots and follows the newly prepared rough contour of the tile. The finished wall will enclose the root area completely. Fill this created space with bonsai soil mix, with the tree sitting proud in its landscape.
Finish with lots of green moss. It can be different types, and placed as small pieces to make a whole that covers the soil completely. Small bits joined, will look better than one full sheet of moss. Spray with water to keep moist to keep the muck wall from drying out. A shady spot will be needed in summer and keep water up to it.
The All Important Subject of Tools.
We can survive with the simplest of instruments we may already have in the garden shed. Sharp blade, pointy nosed pliers, pliers, tweezers and a folding pruning saw are a few. Then there are many specialist items we should have in our bonsai tool box.
Japanese are better manufactured over the Chinese counterpart. Stainless steel are better than steel, they won’t rust. These can become a little expensive but we can build our collection one by one, starting with branch cutters and scissors, then root pruners and wire cutters.
Different sized scissors for small and large trees or the job at hand. This is also important for branch cutters, tiny or quite large relative to the size of the branches being worked on. Profile choices are parrot beak or concave depending on the type of wound we want to leave on the tree. If the cut gets too difficult, don’t overwork your tools. If the cut becomes too challenging, go up a size, saves damage to the tool.
Branch splitters aren’t often used and could be left for the more experienced enthusiast. Similarly a Dremmel carving tool is used for more ambitious work.
Chopsticks, craft blades, toothbrush for algae or a soft wire brush are all handy. There is available a small specialist block to help keep the blade clean of sticky sap or use a light emery board. Always sterilise the tool between plants. Eucalyptus oil is a good cleaner after each session.
