DEVELOPING JAPANESE FLOWERING QUINCE INIATURE …

1 5 INTERNATIONAL BONSAI2006/NO. 1 DEVELOPINGJAPANESEFLOWERINGQUINCEMINIATU REBONSAIILLUSTRATEDGUIDELINESFORCREATING BONSAINO. 109 Editor s Note:This article has been reprintedwith the permission of Kiyoshi Orito, ofSeibundo-Shinkosha Publishing appeared in theIllustrated Guidelines ForFlowering And Fruiting Miniature Bonsai,edited by Garden Life Magazinein Japanesein 1976. The article has been edited and JAPANESE Edition:Keizo Tachibana, AuthorEnglish Edition:Craig W. Risser, TranslatorWm. N. Valavanis, Editortakes it name from the fact that itwill begin to flower and bloom asearly as the New Year through Marchif given just a little warmth.

2 There isa red flower as well as white colorcultivars. Those are the most com-mon flower colors but in additionthere is a cultivar which has flowersdappled with red and white as wellas a variety which has flowers whichbegin white and gradually turn To PropagateJapanese FLOWERING QUINCE is normallypropagated from rooted may also be propagated by airlayering as well as purchased asyoung seedlings and are most commonly styledin the informal upright which are sold are ratherstocky with informal shapes. Next inpopularity is the clump style whichmakes use of the growth habit ofJapanese FLOWERING QUINCE .

3 This isthe form which is indeed the bonsaistyle most appropriate for Japaneseflowering JAPANESE FLOWERING QUINCE ,Chaenomeles speciosa,which provides much needed color on bonsai stands during the winter is afamiliar, appealing plant which isalso easy to grow. Though it does nothave the elegance of the Japaneseflowering apricot, there are manyvarieties and the colors of its flowersvary widely making it a popularspecies for bonsai and for miniaturebonsai as FLOWERING QUINCE VarietiesWinter JAPANESE FLOWERING quincetranslated for our original article described the tech-niques for creating miniature bonsai usingJapanese FLOWERING QUINCE .

4 However, theidentical techniques can also be applied toother FLOWERING QUINCE species as well as tobonsai of larger 1 Select Branches With Interesting Shapes For Stem Cuttings In Late February FIG. 2 Soil For Large Diameter CuttingsMake cuttings 11/2to 21/2 in lengthRemove flower budsCutting For Cascade Style BonsaiPencilsizeCutting For Slanting Style BonsaiSoil level3/4 - 11/4 3/4 - 11/4 Cut endsdiagonallyMake a long and short diagonalcut on each cuttingWindWind blowscutting overUse heavy or old soil forlarge diameter cuttingsCorrectIncorrectLight new soil6 INTERNATIONAL BONSAI2006/NO.

5 1 First Year Rooting JAPANESE FLOWERING QUINCE CuttingsFIG. 5 Plant Cuttings In Pots With TreesWire the future cuttings accord-ingly before actually removing themfrom the parent tree to root. Bewatchful not to let the wire cut intothe Cutting Flat And PlantingCuttings Use a styrofoam box normally usedfor sowing seed for a cutting flatwhich is thirty inches long, thirtyHow To Prepare CuttingsWire the portions of the Japaneseflowering QUINCE that you wish touse for cuttings the year before taking cuttings and give them a general shaping.

6 That is to say, havea general idea in your mind whetheryou want to create an informalupright, slanting, twin trunk or semi-cascade style bonsai in the distant future. inches wide and three inches one-half inch particles of redloam on the bottom of the flat andon top of that add one-quarter inchparticles of red loam. Make holes inthe soil with a bamboo chopstickwhich is narrower than the cuttingsand insert the base of the cutting intothe hole. Space the holes so theleaves of adjacent plants will not betouching when leaves come 7 Place Cuttings Outside In Early AprilFIG.

7 6 Bud Break & Initial Root Activity In Late MarchFIG. 4 Plant Cuttings In Rooting FlatsFIG. 3 Insert Cuttings Into Soil11/4 Soil levelDiagonalcutSecondDiagonal cut3 3 CuttingsLarge diametercuttingsEstablished tree being trainedLeavesemergingRed loamsoilRootsbeginningto growProvide water so the soil surfacedoes not dry outCuttingsCutting flatGrowing tableProvide good sunlight and fresh air and water so the soilsurface does not dry out. Do not prune or 7 INTERNATIONAL BONSAI2006/NO. 1 October. Spread powdered organicfertilizer meal that you have crushedfrom solid organic cakes over thesurface of the container.

8 Use twocaramel size organic cakes each timefor a container that is about twelvesquare inches and don t forget towater it Leggy Growth Before WinterProtectionFirst Year Rooting JAPANESE FLOWERING QUINCE CuttingsFIG. 11 Winter Cold Protection In Late NovemberFIG. 10 Trim Leggy Branches Back To 2 Or 3 Nodes In NovemberAftercareIf you continue watering the cuttings,leaves will appear in late will also become active at thistime so place the cuttings on a tablewhere they will have good exposureto the sun and fresh ApplicationsFertilize the rooting cuttings in earlySeptember and the beginning ofWhen I say leggy branches I meanbranches which have grownextremely long.

9 For example, prunebranches that have grown longerthan four internodes back to twointernodes In trimming the leggy branchesplace the plants in a cold frame, protective shelter or under eaveswhere the exposure to the sun isgood to protect them from the 9 Apply Crumbled Solid Organic Cake Fertilizer In SeptemberFIG. 8 Summer Care Morning Sun, Afternoon ShadeOrganic fertilizer cakesCutCutRoots will grow and fill the pot byearly autumnReed for shadeOpen reed shade during the morn-ing, close in the afternoon anduncover at nightCrumble with handsWooden box covered with poly placed under south facing eveCoverwithblanketat nightSouth8 INTERNATIONAL BONSAI2006/NO.

10 1 Transplant Into Training PotsIn mid-February flower buds willappear on the rooted cuttings andthey should be removed as soon asthey are found. From the mid to theend of March take each rootedJapanese FLOWERING QUINCE cuttingfrom the cutting flat and transplantthem in individual training the cuttings which will betrained in the informal upright stylein the center of the pots. Plantswhich will be trained in the semi-cascade style should be positionedclose to the edge of the training potleaning FLOWERING QUINCE arenormally transplanted in autumnbecause it is difficult for them tobecome infested with nematodes ifthey are transplanted at that time.