Text and Photos by Klaus Buddig, Denmark

My bonsai friend, Joergn Gulmann needed more space at home and therefore brought 6 small potensai to one of our bonsai meetings. He then offered them to the members in a drawing. The tree shown in the picture below turned out to be the last remaining on the table. All the others had been chosen. So I was the 'lucky man;' I ended up with a tree nobody else wanted. At first glance this little tree looked like it would need another 10-20 years of training before anything could be made of it.

Anyway - Every bonsai was once a young bonsai. Maybe a future as a little shohin or mame bonsai would be possible for this tree.

Seeking possibilities

A closer look revealed that the trunk had promising qualities. It had nice movement and good taper. The evaluation of the potential of a tree is, of course, fundamentally important in work with bonsai and can be done in a number of ways. In the following I'll offer you a couple of techniques which can help you accomplish this.

Using this method I now can see that the tree nobody else wanted definitely has a future and that it shows a potential for several possibilities.One technique is to paint the trunk a bright color, which makes it easier to get a feeling for the different possibilities it may contain. As seen on pic #2, I painted the trunk a green shade. This makes it much easier to get a clear picture of its movement without the distraction of branches.

The next exercise is to imagine how the apex, branches and foliage can be arranged in order to create a compact and harmonious tree. Using the size and movement of the trunk as a guideline, I try to imagine a new apex and the ideal foliage placement. The most important part of this process is to totally ignore the appearance of the existing foliage. Keeping this new conception of the tree in mind, I take a look at the origin of the existing branches. Next step is too choose the branches that can be used to fulfill my image of the ideal placement of the foliage.

In a way similar to using bright color on the trunk, you can paint an asymmetrical triangle on a photo/drawing of the tree, / or on a piece of glass which one holds in front of the tree.

The planning

When you have identified the branches, you wish to keep in the final design, it is then a good idea to plan the working sequence. To start out one should clean the trunk and branches of unwanted twigs and buds.

In this case, I want the branch marked B placed a little higher. This branch, although it's the smallest branch on the tree, will become the ichi no eda or the first branch. In the future design it will be more visible and powerful than the other branches. BranchC will be bent backwards and thus add depth to the composition.

My greatest challenge is found with A, the largest branch. It will require a dramatic bend downwards and around, which will in part form the apex and in part contribute to the appearance of the tree as a whole. I have not yet referred to the central branch, for which I have a special plan. It will become a typical multi branched jin. This will enhance the feeling of movement and add a dramatic touch of history.

In addition, I would like to conceal the appearance of a few ugly scars from earlier cuts on some branches. I accomplish this by making a slightly curved shari from one scar to the other. By forming this shari in a slightly backward curve I can use an area, which is not too lively, and together with the end of the upper jin, create a twisted effect characteristic of many shari in their natural state. In the following let us see whether or not my plan of action is successful.

Starting the Work

Now that the decision has been made with regard to which branches are to be formed, and how they fit into the overall plan, further preparation can begin. All branches that need heavy bending must be prepared before work begins. Be sure that no small twigs or buds are left on the branch in the bending area.

Although I know it is common now to use special grafting tapes, I am still very conservative when working with bonsai and therefore use only raffia. Allow the raffia to absorb water for about 15 minutes before using. First place the raffia lengthwise on the branch, being sure to cover the outside part of the bend thoroughly. Next, wrap more raffia tightly around the branch. This method will secure the raffia so it stays in place during the bend. Thick branches or those with thick bark will need several layers of raffia.

We are now ready to wire the branches carefully. Use heavy wire, which has the strength to hold the branch in the desired position. For trees, like pine and juniper, my favorite is copper wire. Copper wire is inexpensive for me, because during the wintertime I anneal my own wire using a wood-burning stove. Copper wire is quite a bit stronger than aluminum wire. In that way I can use a thinner, less visible wire, which also looks better because of the irregular colors of the copper surface.

I have learned through experience that the best method is to wire all branches before bending and positioning. Wiring and bending one branch at a time can bring about a situation where a wired and positioned branch must be re-positioned to allow for the wiring and positioning of the next. This is not an ideal method and may severely damage the previously positioned branch.

Bending

Bending branches in order to improve the design of a bonsai is always an exciting task. I have learned, through the school of trail and error, the following rule of thumb:
“When you bend a branch, you have one try only!”

If you change your mind and try to re-position a branch and re-bend, it is very likely that this branch will not survive. When you bend a branch you will often injure the outermost cambium layer. However, the branch can survive a lesser injury to this layer, since the transport veins are still active on the inside of the bend. The injured area will heal in time and after a year or two one can remove the wire and raffia. Remember though to check the wire from time to time in order not to injure the bark. It is okay to remove the wire and re-wire the branch.

The picture above shows the major bend I have planned. As noted above, I will only have one chance to make this bend.

As seen on thepicture on the right, taken from above the trunk, the branch has been thoroughly wrapped with raffia and strong copper wire. A closer look shows that the raffia functioned properly during the bend, staying firmly in place.

Now the branch has movement, which starts on the trunk bottom, left, - and then moving back again towards the trunk. Afterwards the smaller side branches are bent forward toward the front; one slightly upwards towards the future apex and one slightly downwards to create a second branch of the final design.

The picture on the left shows the tremendous improvement and visual changes in the appearance of the tree, all the result of bending a single branch. I was successful in bending the branch to the desired position. During bending I heard no cracking sounds nor noticed any other problems. In addition, the wire had sufficient strength to keep the branch in the desired position.

Placement of the remaining branches

The secondary branches of the large branch are now repositioned, partly toward the newly created top and partly downward, left, and in front of the trunk. Next step is to raise the small branch on the right just a bit, as shown on the picture. This branch will now become the ichi no eda, the first branch.

As planned, branch C is positioned as the back branch. Already at this point in the working process the progress made is easily seen. The tree now has an appearance that is significantly more compact. In the following, in accordance with our planning stages, we will take a look at the remaining branches and evaluate just how much jin should be created.

Possibly, the top jins will play too dominating a role in the final design. As the tree develops over time perhaps I may reduce to a single jin or remove them completely. Time will tell and later on one can always make changes.

The tree is completely changed. Starting with the appearance of an immature plant, it now has a promising future as a bonsai. Looking at the sequence of pictures one can see how it was nearly possible to fulfill the intended changes in the structure of the tree as described in the initial work plan.

The areas of dead wood need further refinement. I have found that it works well to wait a few weeks before applying lime sulfur to these areas. For the time being the tree should be allowed a rest to gain new strength and energy. In the mean time, I am looking forward to showing Joergn the newly created future for his long forgotten pot plant.

Above: The results of this work

Later on I will change to a rectangular pot, somewhat smaller than the one used at present. The straight sides of a rectangular pot will enhance the perspective of the design and the feeling of maturity expressed through this newly created appearance of the last tree left on the table.