|
|
Chris & Lisa Kirk have been
avid bonsai hobbyists for many years. In the many moves
around the country necessitated by Chris’s work, they have come to
know bonsai people and businesses in many states. With
the return to the northwest, and an opportunity to “settle down”
they created Telperion Farms – a tree farm dedicated to growing
material specifically for bonsai. This purpose was
intensified with the USDA quarantine requirements for importation of bonsai from Japan.
Telperion Farms is 104
acres on the side of a mountain in the Cascades, about 20 miles
east of Salem, Oregon. Travel time from Salem is about 30
minutes.
At El Dorado Bonsai in
Placerville, CA, Fred & Dolly Fassio have created one of
the finest bonsai education opportunities in the country.
Their association with bonsai masters in both Japan and America
has offered students rare insights to the art and culture of
bonsai in general, and satsuki azaleas in particular.
In 2004, Fred &
Dolly were looking for a way to downsize their operation, and
focus on the school. The partnership was formed
between Telperion Farms and El Dorado Bonsai, and El Dorado Bonsai
Northwest was created. The spring of 2005 began the task of
moving stock to the Oregon location. We have now
relocated the nursery stock and specimen satsuki azaleas, along
with pots, tools, soils and all the supplies needed to keep bonsai
healthy and happy.
Telperion Farms will be
propagating and developing over 50 varieties of satsuki
azalea. |
|
Why we need to grow trees
differently for bonsai
The commercial nursery industry has developed
over the years to established "standards". This allows a buyer
to know that a "number one" tree is a certain age, trunk of certain
diameter, etc. For landscaping purposes, the industry usually
produces trees that have straight trunks. Pines, firs, etc.
are usually developed in the Christmas tree style. Deciduous
trees are usually developed with straight trunks and no low
branches. This recipe obviously doesn't tend to produce the
type of tree sought by bonsai artists. |
|
How we grow
trees
You've seen the process described in bonsai
books and magazines time and time again:
root prune the young seedlings to develop
360 degree root spread, prune to develop low branches and
sacrifice branches, wire the trunks for movement, etc., etc., etc.
.....
We actually do these things.
Most commercial nursery stock is potted and/or
up-potted taking care not to disturb the roots. Disturbing the
roots does tend to slow the growth and development of the
tree. In contrast, when developing stock for bonsai, the roots
are exposed, undesirable roots are pruned off, and the seedling is
planted with the roots distributed radially to promote 360 degree
root spread. This choice does sacrifice rapid development of
the upper tree for better development of the roots and
nebari. The top will catch up later.
To the right, you see a
shimpaku cutting that has been lifted from a
propagation tray. The roots have been pruned and
teased out for best radial distribution. The
cutting is planted just like this, in a RootMaker®
pot. The RootMaker® pots "air prune" roots when
they reach the pot wall. Rather than letting
roots lengthen and circle in the pot, roots are stimulated
to develop dense ramification. |
 | |
 |
To the left, a
shimpaku that has been grown for a year in a RootMaker® pot
and root pruned again. At this point, the tree
could be planted in a bonsai pot, a larger nursery pot, or
planted in a Root Control bag for field-growing. At
Telperion Farms, "field grown" trees are not just grown in the
ground. Trees are grown in a very porous potting mix,
contained in a Root Control bag. The bag has effects
similar to RootMaker® pots. The trees are not allowed to
develop large tap roots. Roots are "pruned" when
they reach the wall of the bag, and root ramification is
further developed. Some trees are placed on tiles,
within the Root Control bags. When you purchase a tree
grown at Telperion Farms, the tree will have spent it's whole
life in a growing medium similar to bonsai potting
soil. | |
|
To the right, a Japanese
black pine which has been field-grown in a Root Control bag.
Note the nice development of nebari, and the profusion of low
branches.
|
 |
|
| The Satsuki Azaleas The
development process for satsuki azaleas differs somewhat. We
combine the traditional Japanese technique, designed to overcome the
azalea's natural tendency to grow as a bush, with our use of special
containers.
 |
A satsuki azalea, which has been grown
as whip. At this stage, some branching is allowed to
develop, and some subtle movement is imparted by growing the
whip around a bamboo stake. Some varieties are offered for
sale at this stage, but most are moved on for field growing.
|
A satsuki in a root
control bag. During the field-growing stage, the trees are
allowed to grow without pruning. Several years of
this growth leads to the trunk and nebari development seen on
specimen azaleas. Field growing at Telperion Farms
is not just a matter of putting the trees in the ground.
The root control bags are filled with kanuma. This mimics
the Japanese tradition of growing satsuki in raised beds of
kanuma.
|
 |
 |
A specimen satsuki azalea, after years
of branch selection, wiring and pruning to balance the strength
of the tree. This tree was imported from Japan prior to
the ban.
|
|
| | |