A Detailed Guide to the Making and Management of Pine and Cypress Bonsai

Based on the characteristics of the cultural landscape and combined with the thick and dwarfed features of Shandong mountain pines and cypresses, the old trunks and thick branches are thinned and pruned to lower the trunk and reduce the crown; then the method of coarse wiring and fine trimming is adopted, guiding the tree according to its natural tendency, so that the crown follows its natural form and the layers interlock and alternate. Within each large layer there are also small variations, giving both a sense of overall unity and an uncluttered appearance, preserving the wonder of natural formation; and by making full use of dwarfed wild stump resources, black pine stumps are used with grafting methods such as *grafting, high-branch side grafting, and bud grafting to change the crown into five-needle pine. Making use of the abundant Chinese arborvitae stump resources, the *grafting method is used to change the crown into dragon cypress, emerald cypress and other cypress bonsai trees, forming the unique Shandong pine and cypress bonsai style.

On the basis of the original techniques, the strengths of other regions are also absorbed, using the metal wire binding and shaping method: metal wire of appropriate thickness is selected according to the thickness of the branch, and branches in improper angular positions are wound, twisted and hung with wire so as to meet the needs of shaping.

Before shaping, the tree's vigor should be repeatedly examined, and the tree should be guided according to its tendency by observing the straightness or curvature of the trunk and the positions of the main branches. The idea should be established first, and shaping can be carried out in sequence from bottom to top. The vertical planes between layers must not overlap too much, so as to facilitate growth and light penetration; otherwise, as time goes by, the shaded parts will naturally die off and the situation will become uncontrollable.

Pines and cypresses in natural mountain wilds and famous temples generally stop growing upward once they pass their prime age. The lateral growth of branches increases, branches grow densely and extend in length, and due to weight and rain and snow the branches droop, while the small branches on the branches grow sideways. Therefore, when shaping, upright branches and branches should be kept at horizontal or drooping angles, with the size of the angle determined by need, and the branches may have lateral curves. If the top branches can droop, the tree appears even more aged. Due to modeling reasons, the coexistence of lower branches and upward-growing branches is not ruled out, but it must conform to the laws of growth in the natural environment.

The length of upper and lower branches is generally longer below and shorter above; viewed from the front for appreciation, the front branches are short and the back branches are long, and the trunk and main branches should be revealed. The proportion of the lowest main branch on the trunk should be coordinated.

For trunks and thick branches that are not easy to bend with metal wire and the hanging-binding method, the finger interlocking method, successfully tested over many years, can be used to bend them. If it is a large thick branch, a knife can be used to cut deeply into the upper part of the area to be bent to half the diameter, with the length determined by need. Several such cuts are made, and every other cut is cut horizontally at the end, while the other end is the opposite. If force is used to bend it, the horizontally cut ends will tilt up, just like two hands interlocking diagonally. After the main branch or trunk is fixed in place, the tilted parts can be embedded into the grooves and wrapped with adhesive tape, and after two or three years they can heal well.

Because cypress leaves differ from those of pine, the layers should not be too distinct when shaping cypress. Cypress wood is resistant to decay, so dead branches can be created; for dead trunk shapes, the bark-peeling method can be used for dead trunks, and dead branches can be shaped from living branches and then peeled after the shape is set. Cypress bonsai mostly use Chinese arborvitae, but the branches and leaves of Chinese arborvitae are coarse and messy, and the general shaping is monotonous, giving a cluttered impression after formation and affecting ornamental value; this is its shortcoming. The branches and trunks of Chinese arborvitae are aged and highly variable, and large branches are easy to shape; this is the strength of Chinese arborvitae. In the creation of Chinese arborvitae bonsai, if one can maximize strengths and avoid weaknesses and return to simplicity and authenticity, using the natural forms of ancient cypresses from Qufu and Lingyan Temple as the blueprint, and highlighting the aged trunk. In cultivating the main branches and secondary branches, an open-spread shaping style is adopted, so that the proportion of trunk to branches is coordinated, the twists and turns are varied, and the amount of messy fine branches and leaves is reduced; this can overcome the drawback of coarse and messy leaves and raise the ornamental value of Chinese arborvitae.

When digging stumps in the mountains and wilds, select those with thick and strong surface roots, even distribution, a trunk with a certain degree of curvature and variation, and branch thickness, especially the thickness of the main branches, coordinated with the thickness of the trunk.

When digging up wild stumps, do not transplant with loose roots; when planting, it is best to use the original mountain soil. After planting, place them in a ventilated and sunny spot, frequently spray water on the leaf surface, and water again only when the surface of the potting soil is somewhat dry. New pine stumps must not be fertilized in the same year.

Management of pine and cypress bonsai.

1. Watering: Pines prefer sunlight and a dry environment and cannot tolerate waterlogging, so they should be watered when dry, with frequent spraying of water on the leaf surface. Cypresses can be watered more casually.

2. Fertilizing: Pines should not be given heavy fertilizer; in spring and autumn, applying light fertilizer water once or twice is sufficient. If cypresses are to grow vigorously, more fertilizer can be applied.

3. Bud pinching: Pinch buds when growth is vigorous; pinching off leaves can make branches short and leaves dense. For Chinese pine and Japanese red pine, pinching off part of the new growth in summer can produce new buds within the year. For black pine, after pinching buds in spring, multiple new buds can grow again in the same year, and the following year the branches grow short and the leaves dense.

4. Chinese arborvitae should be placed in a ventilated and sunny spot. Chinese arborvitae cultivated in courtyards must not be placed too close to a sunny wall base, so as to avoid harm from red spiders.