Craig Coussins Styling's July 2009©

Chamaecyparis/ Hinoki Cypress.
Nursery stock 36 inches tall and about 8 years old.

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For this demo I used a wonderful product called Petflex™. I first used cohesive bandaging when I was demoing in Atlanta in 2004 and the reason I used it was because we had run out of Raffia and I remembered that ankle bandage may do. So we went to a pharmacy to get this but the only colour they had was pink r flesh. So I wrapped all the branches in pink stretch bandage. Yes it did look extremely funny but it sure did the job. I went on to Colorado and some horsy folk told me about a product that they used for their horses fetlocks. And so the use of cohesive bandage was born for the Bonsai artist.

This is a bandage with a coating of natural rubber latex to provide its cohesive properties. These are manufactured from a combination of high strength elastic, general polyester, non-woven cloth and a latex coating. This gives a bandage with excellent cohesive properties adhering extremely well to themselves Cohesive bandages cling to themselves and not to the bark and are very useful for retaining wire and protecting branches when  bent. They allow movement without tightening or loosening and remain lightweight and breathable even when wet as they easily shed water. Re-use of cohesive bandages IS NOT recommended.

I got this bit of stock from Rob Atkinson, a wonderful Bonsai artist who ahs been featured in some of my books. I  cut the apex off and let it grow for a year. I could have styled it then but decided to leave it. I only pinched the lower branch during this period. That helped develop thicker foliage in this one area.

I agree that it did not look promising to most folk. Its 24 inches tall. I am only going to use the lowest branch and will not need the other branches

I use Pet Flex™/   instead of raffia. Raffia sticks to the wood and can tear the bark when its removed after a wile. Not good. This softer wrap does not stick. Using a 1 inch wide roll cut a length. It is doubled over and can be stretched a long way to cover branches.

The same length doubled/folded over. Its is extremely strong and can not be torn in this state. So its particularly good for extreme bending

Wrapping is easy and since me introducing this around the world it has become the preferred method of wrapping to avoid breakage when bending and also protects the soft bark.

I have wrapped the minor branches after doing the main trunk

I am using copper wire in the equivalent of size 4 in Aluminium wire. It is stronger for extreme bending of thinner branches. It will become apparent shortly.

I then cover that with Petflex™ to hold the wire securely n place so that this will not slip on the branch

I then use a copper anodised Aluminium wire in a size 4 to follow the existing line. Two wires are always better than one but in this case I also wanted a very strong core wire. I will leave the fine wiring until after the main bending has been completed.

The first bend takes the branch away from the trunk. It is important to remember that you do not have the luxury of making a mistake and bending the branch back again in another direction. Once bent you are committed to that decision.

As I am shortening the structure I now make the second bend back over the centre line of the branch without altering the base of the first bend outwards-think an S shape sideways

I now make the third bend in the opposite direction bringing the branch over the first outward bend completing the almost three dimensional S shape.

Now I can start wiring the smaller branches as the main bending has been completed

All of these smaller branches will need to be cleaned out by carefully cutting the inner growth, Not pulling  I need this to regrow afterwards

A side view lets you see the initial structure. A smaller branch has been pulled down and slightly to the side. This is the start of the overall shape. Just keep thinking a tree shape when you are working this out and start from the bottom as any other Bonsai styling. That clears space for the upper branches to be pulled down or into the shape. I do not twist the foliage in Chamaecyparis as it has difficulty getting light. In a healthy tree the foliage can turn back but in this kind of extreme styling its better to help the tree work. Otherwise the foliage could quite easily die.

The upper foliage is left n at this stage to geed the rest of the tree. That is simply tied together to keep it out of the way until the new Bonsai has settled down.

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From this side, the temporary front, you can see the structure in place. That will be thickened up next year through pinching the tips.

This is a side view. I always like my Bonsai to look good all the way around and not just a front and back. The sides should look good as in nature.

This is a side view with the top cropped. From now on spray / mist the foliage 2 or 3 times a day. Water well and feed in a couple of weeks time after the styling.

this is a front view with the apex cropped. Pinching will only start the following year after the tree has settled down. Unless of course you live in a slightly warmer climate and will get a lot more growth. Hinoki and similar species prefer cooler climates though

The impossible material tree is now statring to look like a Bonsai tree

This is the back view. When completed the main foliage at the top will be removed. The trunk may be left jinned to act as a design feature.

The front view  the tree will be 10 inches tall when finally re-potted .July 2009

Before I started 24 inches tall -July 2009

this is the back view with a photographic addition of foliage where this will be after a year.

2;  Thinner branches with or without dead wood

The alternative is that looking at the branch with the existing dead tissue. and as long as its under a couple of inches  just follow the above but do not separate the live tissue and bend the entire branch.

Raw nursery stock. I had worked the entire day prior to wire
the whole tree without any shaping for this demo at MABS

After removing the tall apex I shaped the entire tree having already wired everything. This was not for effect it was that watching someone wire is boring for an audience. Most would like an insight into the design process.

The competed Bonsai after 2 hours talking and shaping. The stick is my front view of the Bonsai

This was a very large chamaecyparis obtusa nana globusa which was growing in my garden when I bought the house. It was twice the height of the tree here but removing that extra height made the tree more manageable. Like a number of other established shrubs I found in my new garden , I removed the shrub and potted it into a training pot for a couple of years. Interestingly all the shrubs have survived and are excellent Bonsai material...

I spent a couple of years feeding and pinching heavily so that could make sure that the roots were working and that there would be plenty of them. Nothing that lasts takes no time at all. Its all about preparation of the material and then understanding the horticulture. Although this kind of work is quite basic for a Bonsai Artist it is still a lot of fun.

Like all field or garden grown Chamea this had a huge base which was around 10 inches across. One thing t remember with these trees is that the roots are like silk threads and come from the thick wood . After cutting the long tap root I managed to establish this tree in 3 years of just leaving the pot alone but spraying , watering feeds and pinching the foliage only.

All the structure would come from these spindly little branches at the
bottom-Later to become a prophesy-(the Bottom)

After I repotted the tree and removed the main trunk I discovered that
there was a curve inwards of the root system which allowed me to tilt the
 tree  and show a more interesting base. In retrospect I could have kept the
existing trunk position but there was a huge area under this that would have
needed removing. So I took the best horticultural option and I will learn to
live with my Butt.

I then tilted the tree to one side so that the original trunk line is now visible
on the left side  of the last picture as a short stump

I tied the shrub into the pot with Nylon Twine

1. I gradually cut the upper foliage back over three years so nothing was done all at the one time.
2. That gave the tree enough time to develop strength in the lower areas.
3. I started to pinch the lower spindly section as that was going to be the new structure

The present back of the tree-July 2009

The stump will be smoothed out. Unfortunately no matter which was I turn this tree is looks like someone's backside so its called the Butt. Its a huge tree though with a trunk width of 10 inches. The entire tree was turned on its side during this period and the growth was redirected to this new area

A good pinching one or twice a year gets the foliage mass to thicken out and a lot of feed with Biogold helps build the strength of the tree.

The front of the tree. July 2009

Again developing the vigour in the lowest branch. The main trunk base is seen on the left of the picture and everything else was created from one lower branch. . Over the period I gradually removed all the upper branches until I got down to the lowest branch. It was never an all in one hit.. I will continue to work on this for at least three kore years before it could be called 'finished'

The present pot by Gordon Duffett is too big of course but a suitable pot will be made in due course. 

September after a little refinement. I will not pinch foliage now until next May. I also hope to repot in
March, pot permitting. I will spray with bark cleaner however as soon as I can get a few dry days.

The Butt  (better than calling it something else that may be slightly ruder of course) However,
if I have offended you then please forgive as I am that kinda guy. Meet the wife!