Diarmuid Gavin: How to grow a bonsai tree

When Bud was opened in 2015, he placed some of his miniature trees in a corner to work on in quieter times. The corner got bigger and customers began to take notice. One man who had been practising bonsai on his own for over 20 years was on the verge of giving up, thinking he was the only one in the area doing so. He was thrilled to discover he wasn’t alone.

Eventually, a group of enthusiasts coalesced, and meet at Bud every month to work on bonsai and exchange tips and experience. The pandemic lockdowns saw a particular rise in interest in bonsai.

There is a meditative quality to maintaining bonsai — you are very much in the moment while weeding and watering. There are also artistic and creative rewards in pruning and shaping your tree. A real emotional bond and connection can develop between person and plant.

This new community of bonsai folk encouraged Egan to stock tools such as pruning scissors and cutters; appropriate soil, including akadama (a free-draining volcanic soil with the perfect characteristics for growing bonsai); pots which range from plastic trainers to Japanese ceramic; aluminium styling wire for bending branches; and, of course, bonsai trees.

The small corner now has expanded and hosts small starter trees, more developed trees and also some ‘Yamadori’ (trees collected from the wilds a la Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid).

Prices range from €20 up to €2,000, though most people starting out will spend up to €100 on their first tree. As they get more confident and experienced, they may spend more — it’s quite common for someone who is enjoying their bonsai adventure to develop a small collection.

And it can get competitive. Egan hosts an annual judged exhibition of bonsai, where trees are displayed on special tables, moss arranged carefully on the soil surface, deadwood whitened with lime sulphur and pots polished.

Chinese elm and Japanese larch are popular starter plants, they are inexpensive (€25-€100), grow quickly, and are both quite durable. Shimpaku junipers, Japanese maples and Japanese white pines are classically Japanese, and because they are imported, are a bit more costly (€250 upwards). Ginkgo, Hinoki Cypress and Trident maples are also popular oriental species.

Irish native and naturalised varieties can also make great bonsai; yew, beech, hornbeam, oak, blackthorn and, in particular, hawthorn, which is unsurpassed when styled as a windswept Atlantic coast tree.

Looking after bonsai involves mainly simple tasks. Watering is 80pc of bonsai. They can dry out fast, especially on breezy days. The rule of thumb is to check them every day and water if necessary. This will be every day, in practice, from April to September.

Starving the trees to keep them small is a misconception. The best growers feed their trees regularly with an array of organic feeds from Japan, seaweed and fish emulsion. Beginners can use a general-purpose liquid feed.

Pruning and wiring are a little more advanced but, in essence, the plants are manipulated into looking like mature trees. This is one of the most rewarding parts of bonsai. No two bonsai trees will be identical; each one is shaped by time, the elements and its caretaker/owner.

Repotting is best done from mid-February to mid-March, ideally in a mix of akadama, pumice and kiryu (granular volcanic soils). For more information, visit budgardencentre.com.

Plant of the week

Weigela Weigela is an undemanding plant that just requires good pruning after the flowers have faded. Completely remove a couple of stems and cut the rest back so the plant has time to grow fresh wood and stems for next year’s blooms. This year is a particularly good one for flowering and I recently spotted Weigela florida ‘Variegata’, which has graceful arched branches laden with delicate pink blooms. Bristol Ruby, which has much deeper crimson flowers, is also very striking right now.

Reader Q&A

I’m looking for advice on how to restore my Acer Shirazz to its former beauty. Last summer, the leaves turned a very dirty brown colour and it had lots of grey twigs. The same thing is happening this year – what should I do? Mrs King

Japanese maples can be a bit delicate and, if they are in an exposed or windy spot, this can lead to leaf scorch, such as you describe. They also will do better in dappled shade, so if it’s in a pot, move it to somewhere more sheltered and shady, which should improve matters. If it’s not in a pot and it’s not too big, you could take a chance and move it in the dormant season next winter.

Submit your gardening questions to Diarmuid via his Instagram @diarmuidgavin using the hashtag #weekendgarden