🔵 White Birch, #2337
Betula papyrifera, Birch. Local purchase, $20.
Given the size (roughly 3 ft tall), paring down upper branches, clipping hardened tip to promote lower bifurcations. Pruned lesser trunk to follow a more angular movement. Considering pruning the main trunk for some taper and following an angular movement as well.
Oct 2024
Partial defoliation on smaller trunk has buds but not popping after a few weeks. Allowing the stronger trunk to grow.
Sep 2024: using 3-pt bend tool to put subtle movement in the straight trunk.
Sep 2024
Aug 2024 defoliate my daughter trunk
As the split trunk appeared close in diameter, I will slow down the daughter trunk and hope defoliation also generates desirable branches and ramification.
Mar 15 Pruned new leaders for taper and scale
Pruning
The birch takes trimming and pruning very well, but the wood rots quickly if you produce large cuts. This often leads to hollow trunks. If you want to style the branches and twigs in a hanging shape, you will have to wire them very often as the new shoots keep growing vertically. Weaker branches tend to die when they are wired. Guy-wiring or hanging weights on the branches are sometimes better methods for shaping the branches of the birch.
Fertilizing
Apply solid organic fertilizer every four weeks or use a liquid fertilizer every week during the growing season. Always apply the liquid fertilizer on moist soil.
Repotting
Repot the silver birch every two to four years. About ¼ of the roots can be removed. The birch is not very demanding to the soil. But although the tree needs much water you should use a well-draining soil mix.
bonsai empire
Notes from Harry Harrington
Can be a challenging species as branch and trunk die back can occur.
Don’t follow strict bonsai styling rules about eliminating bar branches etc, and develop extra primary branches in case one dies back. Be flexible.
Do not apply new wire after late summer, but leave on until spring before biting in. Branches take longer to set due to their vigorous growth and flexibility.
Bias branches downward but allow the weight of the foliage to add to the bend. Not too open and not too tight.
Sokan (dual trunk) Rules
https://bonsaitoday.com/articles/basics/styles/sokan-double-trunk-style/ [Bonsai Today ]
The junction of the trunks at the base must be sharply “V”-shaped and not “U”-shaped.
One of the trunks dominates because of its length or thickness.
The smaller tree must be no more than two thirds the height of the larger.
Inspiration
Pruning
As with most deciduous bonsai, we need to regularly prune the tree to improve branch taper and increase ramification. The general idea is to prune back extended branches and shoots to two or three leaves. You can start doing this after the growth has hardened off.
Clump and multi-trunk styles are therefore very authentic for birch.
Fertilizer
If you have a young piece of material that needs to develop better roots, grow branches or heal wounds, then I would fertilize it regularly and heavily. That means usually every two weeks with liquid fertilizer, and increasing the quantity you apply with solid fertilizer (consult the instructions).
Pests & Disease
Aphids usually appear in late spring or early summer. The first indicators are sticky patches on the surface of leaves that has a shiny appearance. This is caused by a sugary substance named honeydew that is excreted by the aphids. Honeydew can be a breeding ground for black sooty mold, so you should also watch out for this.
Birch rust is a fungal disease that causes orange or black spots (known as pustules) on the undersides of leaves. It is caused by a fungus named Melampsoridium betulinum.
Bonsaiable
Propagation by cuttings
How do you start a birch tree from a cutting?
We usually cut them in late winter before the buds swell, and either soak them for a few days or plant directly. The most important thing is making sure the soil stays moist every day for the first couple of months, until the roots get established.
Permies.com
Remove the lower leaves and insert the cut ends into a moist rooting media such as vermiculite, perlite or potting mix.