In The Garden
Friday, June 8, 2001
DEAN SENSUI / STAR-BULLETIN
George Masumoto stands in his bonsai garden in Waialae Nui.
For the Buddhist monks who cultivated bonsai in China centuries ago, the art of bonsai was more than creating a perfectly formed miniature tree. It was a way of connecting with the divine by showing one's understanding of the creation of nature. Dentist likes wiring bonsai
plants; unlike patients,
they don’t talk backFor George Masumoto, the art of bonsai is simpler. The after-work hobby is relaxing and enjoyable -- a respite from his orthodontic practice. And, yes, he's good at shaping things with wires, the result of his orthodontist training.
"You can say there is a lot of correlation between what I do during the day and what I do at night. I wire teeth during the day, and I wire plants at night.
"The only difference is, plants don't talk back. They don't give me problems, but my patients, they don't always do what they are told, especially the teenagers," Masumoto said.
The plants do exactly what Masumoto wants them to do, growing into nicely formed specimens under his care. But not all the patients follow at-home care instructions, negating all the effort he puts into creating perfect little Chiclets.
"It can be stressful, and that's why I like to come home and work on my bonsai plants," Masumoto said.
He will be showing his plants at the Pacific Bonsai Club's annual exhibit and plant sale Sunday at Noelani Elementary School in Manoa. There will be bonsai plants and tools, houseplants, flowering plants and other plants for sale. Admission is free.Masumoto said he will not be selling plants since he maintains bonsai strictly as a hobby. The event is an opportunity for him to meet bonsai enthusiasts, socialize and share information with others who want to take up the hobby.
Masumoto said shaping bonsai is a lot like shaping people's teeth. A patient with crooked teeth requires lifelong monitoring, and the orthodontics require updates, just as bonsai requires constant pruning and wiring to reach the desired shape.
"You have to change the wiring on the plant as the plant is grown. It's never finished. You are always trying to improve it," Masumoto said.
The biggest misconception about wiring is that it is difficult, Masumoto said. But it's really simple; all it takes is time.
"You just have to be patient. It doesn't take any special skills. You just have to do it," Masumoto said.
Bonsai plants are groomed to resemble majestic trees that have been growing for hundreds of years in the forests. Metal wire is used to brace the branches to maintain their direction of growth.
A length of wire is wrapped spirally around the trunk or branch to restrict the growth. The wiring must not be tight enough to cut into the branches. As the tree grows, new wiring is required to allow for a larger trunk and branches.
Masumoto took up bonsai 27 years ago when he was a young dentist. He had always enjoyed working with plants, helping his parents take care of theirs.
"My dad grew orchids and my mom grew anthuriums, and I always had to do the watering. Working with plants seems natural to me," Masumoto said.
He likes to begin his bonsai plants as seedlings or cuttings, moving them to larger pots as they grow. He keeps the plants in regular-size pots to allow them to reach the desired size before transplanting them to tabletop bonsai pots.
Although the hot temperature in his East Honolulu neighborhood is best for growing hot-weather plants such as bougainvillea, Masumoto prefers the banyans, junipers, ironwoods and other plants that give him a more traditional-looking bonsai. These plants also are hardy and require less care, he said.
Bonsai reaches maturity faster in Hawaii's tropical climate, but the hot weather makes it impossible to grow white pine, maple, azalea and other classic bonsai plants. In the summer months, junipers begin to turn yellow and brown around the edges, but when the weather cools, the desired bluish hue returns to the leaves.
It usually takes five to 10 years to grow a small plant to the desired size and shape, Masumoto said. Some bonsais -- juniper growing on a rock, for example -- can take 15 to 20 years before they begin to look like a bonsai.
Because bonsai takes so many years to grow, when bonsai thieves strike, the loss can really hurt, Masumoto said. He put up a wood fence around his property 15 years after thieves made off with some plants.
Masumoto keeps his plants on red-clay sewer pipes to raise them off the ground. He also has drip irrigation to keep the watering chores easy, although younger plants require watering by hand.
Growing good bonsai isn't only about imposing your will on the plant, Masumoto said. "A lot of the times, the plant will dictate to you what it wants to do. You have to pay attention to the plant," he said.
Just like his patients.
Gardening Calendar
Suzanne Tswei's gardening column runs Saturdays in Today.
You can write her at the Star-Bulletin,
500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI, 96813
or email stswei@starbulletin.com
