Second Spring is here in California! In the past several weeks you have noticed that some of your plants has come out of the Summer dormancy and into the long Fall growing season. In California we are blessed with great Fall weather that gives our plant another Spring like growth pattern. If you inspect some of your plants you will have noticed some growth on plants from Japanese Maples to other type of decideous trees.
In the past several weeks, I have been wiring and trimming back some of my pre-bonsai stock so they can have another attempt of a growth spurt before our hard cold Winter! Not! Maybe this year we will get some wet weather.
The photo above is my Crape Myrtle that going for its Second Spring hard cut backs. This tree already had a major hair cut in early July and has flowered once and going on its second round of flowering. The goal of this tree was to grow out its main trunks and make it a nice powerful flowering shohin or a possible secondary tree for a 3 point display for a Winter Silhouette show.
Started with taking off all old wire from early Summer whip development. Then going in and taking out any branch not needed for main branch development. It was pretty much a butcher job. It I must say it was great visualizing where this tree will be going in the next 5-10 years.
Now with most of its haircut complete, you can see the powerful base. The main trunk still has some growing up to do. Currently, its around 3/4" and my final diameter is around 1.5". I got some way to go but until then ton of development to go.
So, you got some trees that have some good growth its time for its last haircut before Winter comes down on us. Put this so called second Spring to good use and help us further develop our trees unlike our East Coast friends.