Page 35 - 2019 01 BSF Magazine_v3

BEGINNER TIP:
Winter Shaping REPOTTING

By Rob Kempinski
People unfamiliar with bonsai
frequently are surprised
when you tell them a bonsai
must be repotted to remain
small and healthy. Yet
repotting is one of the critical
aspects of bonsai cultivation.
Temperate trees need to be
repotted now in the winter. In
fact, the repotting season is
coming to close for most of
Florida. When dormant trees
sprout the buds, it is a good
time to repot. Tropical trees
usually like to be repotted
when the soil is warmer, and
the trees are actively growing
Some trees like Buddhist Pine
(Podocarpus) and Japanese
Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii)
do well with late fall repotting
in Florida. Learn your
microclimate and the best
time to report and your trees
will do well.

Some tree can take severe
root pruning while other need
a gentle hand. Learning the

Florida Elm in a semi-windswept style showing the effect of years of winter requirements of each species
thinning is fun aspect of bonsai. This is
where BSF member clubs can
Shedding winter fat in expectation of the summer bathing suit season isn't help. If you have a question,
only for us humans. Late winter is an ideal time to shape branches of ask a fellow BSF or local club
deciduous trees. When the leaves have gone, the past year’s tracery of member.
twigs and branches reveals itself in all its complex glory. While bonsaists
aspire for a mass of finely ramified branches, winter pruning assures next
year's production of a similar amount of growth.

Unlike some other forms of art, a bonsai tree can not safely remain in peak
condition all the time. As the trees grow, they change, adding foliage, girth

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