When I clicked on the Internet recently, I was greeted with an article which explains signs that indicate that you are about to be dumped (i.e. good by, farewell, so long, aloha). The first two are from the Internet. The last three have been provided by Jim Turney:

No plans for the future.

No affection.

You come home and find all your possessions are in the street and that they have been repeatedly run over by a dump truck.

You find "Divorce.com" saved as a favorite on your web browser.

You spouse keeps asking questions like "What is our savings account number?"

 

It would be too much of a stretch to take these five signs and attempt to apply them to bonsai. Yet, I can think of five signs that indicate a bonsai is about to be dumped:

No plans for the future. Some years ago I had hundreds of mediocre bonsai. I had so many trees that I could not devote even five minutes a week to each tree. I had no plans for any of my trees – even for the good ones. Look at your trees this winter. Plan for each tree’s future. Is the tree healthy? If not how can I improve its health? Should I change the soil? Should I repot into a larger container? Should I take the tree out of the container and plant it in the ground? If the tree is healthy then you can think about improving the tree’s appearance by wiring and styling?

No affection. Do you have any trees that you just don’t like? I have had some. But, somehow the trees that I don’t like aren’t around for very long. If you have any such trees why not bring them to our annual auction? Or donate them to the club and they will be sold at that meeting by silent auction.

Little or no new growth. I had a ponderosa pine for seven or eight years. Each year in the spring the new growth became less and less vigorous until one spring there was no new growth and the tree was dead. Lack of new growth is a sure sign of weakness. Other signs of a decrease in the tree’s vitality are a decrease in the length of new shoots, fewer buds, shorter length of candles, or a decrease in leaf size.

Persistently wet damp soil. When a tree is strong and healthy it requires a lot of moisture and after watering the soil soon becomes dry. If a tree is weak or dying it has little ability to absorb moisture and the soil will become wet and sour.

Rapid change in the tree’s appearance. When a tree is under stress you should notice such signs such as: a tree dropping all its leaves, the color of the leaves is unusual (fall colors in spring), a change in the color or texture of the needles on conifers, or a change in the size or shape of new leaves.

 

What can I do to avoid dumping my trees?

Plan for your future together – re read point l above.

Show more affection. Give attention to each of your trees.

Attend therapy sessions (our monthy meetings).

Seek advice from friends. If you have a problem club members can often offer constructive suggestions. Even if you don’t agree with their suggestions they may give you new ideas on how to solve your problems.

          Read – subscribe to at least one magazine dedicated to bonsai.

- Jim Hagan