![]() He uses his fingers to feel for moisture and checks the color of the substrate to see if more water is needed. A mix of aggregates, not soil, is used to insure an ideal balance of water and oxygen for the roots, Carrillo said. 1, most important fundamental skill” to keep the tree alive, he said. Most trees should be kept in a sunny location outdoors to grow best, and if necessary, placed under shadecloth to protect against the intensity of the sun they can be brought indoors to admire for a couple of days. He recommends growing the tree in a 6- to 12-inch shallow pot the depth of the pot should equal the trunk’s diameter.Īny standard pair of sharp scissors can be used temporarily in place of specialized equipment, he said. Bonsai is not for everybody, but if you stick with it, it’s rewarding,” Wagner said.Ĭarrillo said beginners should start with a small, durable tree suited to the environment in which they live, as Hawaii’s microclimates vary widely. ![]() “It’s like having pets - you really have to pay attention to them, and a lot of people don’t have it in them to do it right. Those most suited to take up bonsai have patience and the ability to keep their eye on long-term rewards, as it takes a good while for leaves and branches to grow into a desired style. “But if you really want to learn bonsai, seeing other people, getting advice and talking to other people is the way to do it.” Many people bring in their trees to the Rainbow club’s monthly meetings to receive input from members, of which about 25 are active. “I was really hesitant to join a club because I was afraid I wouldn’t be accepted, I was such a rank beginner,” Wagner said. Most people who are self-taught mainly through reading usually quit in a couple of years after a few failures, as Wagner once did as a teenager. “In fact, there’s a Japanese style called ‘bungin,’ also known as ‘literati,’ that breaks all the rules, but it has to be done right to be aesthetically good.” “There’s a lot of room for individuality, but you have to know what the rules are so you can know when to break them,” Wagner said. Since then, Wagner has concentrated on tropical flowering plants with a woody structure, such as bougainvillea, ilima, hao and hibiscus.īeginners may get the mistaken impression that bonsai design must rigidly conform to classic styles. He retired as a spacecraft engineer in 2010 and moved to Hawaii with his wife, Andrea, who is also a member of the Rainbow club. Wagner began studying under eminent bonsai masters in the mid-1980s in Southern California and became president of one of its largest clubs, Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai. Rick Wagner, the club’s former president who is now serving as secretary, said the juniper and other evergreens are most commonly used in bonsai, but he has always favored flowering trees. There are many bonsai designs, but the five basic styles include formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade and semi-cascade. ![]() Carrillo said most trees require aluminum or copper wiring of the branches to achieve a good design and allow even exposure to sunlight, which Chan will demonstrate.Ĭarrillo recommended that beginners find an experienced practitioner or join a club to get advice on how to choose a basic design, based on the individual characteristics of the tree, that will be easily sustainable as it grows. Numerous plant vendors and an auction are also scheduled for the Rainbow club’s inaugural visiting artist event.Ĭhan will work on a raw, unshaped miniature juniper and demonstrate how to select the tree’s front, establish its basic design and teach the fundamentals of branch placement starting from the trunk base. He authored the “Bonsai Pocket Guide: A Beginner’s Journey,” and is a prolific teacher on YouTube. ![]() May 29 at the Koko Head Elementary School cafeteria the demo will also will be livestreamed on Facebook. Those who’ve always wanted to try their hand at bonsai will get the chance to learn the basic principles from bonsai artist and teacher Jason Chan of Southern California next weekend, courtesy of the club.Ĭhan, owner of the Eastern Leaf nursery and an online retailer in Chino, Calif., will give a free demonstration from 9 a.m. The club is all about helping beginners succeed at the start of their journey and gathering enthusiasts together to exchange their knowledge. “The tree is never done, you have to constantly work at it … it’s like having a child almost.” “The ability to create a miniature tree in a pot that resembles a tree in nature is the ultimate goal of bonsai practitioners and is a lifelong journey of discovery, reflection and learning,” said Mel Carrillo, publicist for the Rainbow Bonsai Club. Shaping a bonsai tree is a matter of art imitating life, a rewarding process that never ends.
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