Roy Hicks Bonsai tips for July from the archive.
Roy has found the following tips which he would just like to share with club members Roy would
also like to make the following comment
"Can I add that the Bonsai tips section is not all my own work & that I cant credit the original
author as I do not know who it was.
The tips are from some information sheets I have had for many years & which I have altered / added
to as new practices come along"
July
Temperatures wilt rise higher still during July and watering must continue to be a high priority task. Trees
with slightly tender leaves, such as maples and beech, need to be protected from the fierce mid day sun.
They should be moved to a position where they receive only early morning and / or late afternoon sun. If
no suitable shade is available in the garden then the construction of overhead shading made of nylon greenhouse netting should be considered.
Continue to look out for insects and other pests and deal with them as quickly as possible in order to prevent their spread. Remember to stick to your feeding schedule.
Soft-wood cuttings can still be taken but rooted cuttings should not be potted on until the following spring.
Cuttings taken in July will root by mid August or early September, but losses could be high if they are
transplanted at this time of the year. Rooted cuttings transplanted during late August or early September
will not be able to establish themselves properly to withstand the winter. Continue pinching out your trees
during July in order to keep them in good shape.
Air-layering's of deciduous trees should have rooted by early July and they should be severed from the parent plant and potted up straight away in pure peat. Keep them in a cool greenhouse for about a month or
until the roots completely fill the pot. Fertilizer may be applied now. When the air-layering's appear to be
well established they can be taken out of the greenhouse and hardened off in the garden. The same treatment can be applied to the air-layering's of evergreen trees.
Tony