Happy New Year, Orlando Bonsai friends and customers! 2012, really? Your bonsai are one year older and, hopefully, a little closer to perfection. Just like our trees change and evolve, so does Orlando Bonsai. First, we want to thank our customers and visitors for a really great 2011 for without you, we just take up cyberspace. Second, you’ll see a new name and face around Orlando Bonsai. Hint: see author of this post. We plan to keep the great traditions and customer service that Paul has provided and will add some of our own. Look for my bio and some new products in the near future. Paul plans to focus on other areas of his bonsai adventure so check out the Epcot International Flower and Garden Show this year and mixed in with all those hidden Mickeys you may find a hidden Paul Pikel helping bonsai artists display their awesome trees. We’d like to take a moment to thank our suppliers, especially Joshua Roth and Arbortech, for continuing to provide great product and support. Thanks again, Orlando Bonsai friends and customers - please visit often in 2012!
The most important thing about my on-line store is that I actually use the items that I sell. One item in particular is the Arbortech Mini-Grinder. Once I used one of these for the first time, I became a distributor so sell them. They are just that good!
Old wound scar
I’ve been working on large Neea Buxifolia for a few years now, but for the past couple it has been sitting in a greenhouse growing out. I was hoping to heal a large scar from a big cut made to shorten the tree. However it never healed. I knew if I ever wanted to develop this tree I needed to do a few things.
First would be to remove the old wood on the scar, and trim the cambium to promote healing of the wound. The best tool for this job, Arbortech Mini Grinder.
Carved trunk
Here is the after photo of the freshly carved area. Notice how the green cambium is now showing, and how I was able to remove the dead wood down to hard healthy wood. Also I used this opportunity to create some taper in the trunk. It was a large flat scar before, but now it is rounded and moves from wide to narrow. This should heal nicely.
Non-conifer cut paste
When it comes to big scars I use one product (Cut dressing 6044) more than any other. I’ve seen this stuff work on old wounds where normal cut paste didn’t. It stays on, and slowly flakes off as the tree heals.
Applying Cut Paste
Cut Paste Applied
It helps to warm a small ball of it in your hand before applying. Then just spread it over the wound, and covering any exposed cambium.
Neea Buxifolia
At this point I am just trying to develop the trunk line, and some minor branches. This tree has a long way to go, but this should give us a great start.
This is a picture of Mike Rogers using a grinder with a chainsaw blade to reduce and sculpt the roots so that it would fit into the pot. [Need a grinder]
There have been some serious issues with this tree for a while. However it wasn’t until a tree critique held at our local club did I finally pay attention. First was this long surface root.
With a grinder I reduced the root to a better size that did not distract from the look of the trunk.
Second with the lack of a rounded taper from where the tree was cut over 6 years ago
The grinder was used again to give a more tapered look to the trunk from the initial cuts were made.
Lastly, the trunk was repotted in a more upright position. As you can see the top of this tree is not centered. This is not a problem, because the whole top of this tree is coming off soon in order to restyle the tree. There is no such thing as a finished tree. Jan 2008
