NOTES: This is the month to fertilize all deciduous trees except for fruiting and flowering trees.  Fertilizing should be continued for all evergreen and broad leafed evergreen trees.

This is a good time to start air layers of deciduous trees.  It is also a good time to take softwood cuttings of current year's  growth which has hardened off.  If the cutting "snaps" like a snap bean it is mature and ready.  If it bends into a semicircle it is still immature.

The hot summer weather starts this month and it is a good idea to rotate your bonsai periodically in relation to the direction of the sun.  It is also important to keep humidity at a high level around your bonsai.  When watering, water benches, surrounding ground, shrubbery, etc, to increase local humidity.  With good drainage over‑=watering should not be a problem in the hot months of the year.  However, you should be aware not to over‑water.  Check drainage of containers regularly. If containers stay very wet for two days or more take immediate remedial action by re‑potting the tree in a better draining soil mixture.

Junipers should be pinched continually and sprayed with a miticide for spider mite control.  The pinching will develop dense foliage.  Sevin can be safely used on all elms for insect control.

Keep a close check on azaleas, maples, elms and Zelkova for wire damage.  These plants grow rapidly at this time.

Continue to pinch all bonsai to stimulate compact growth.  Leaf pruning of trees mentioned in the calendar will produce a new set of smaller leaves during the remainder of the growing season.

If you didn't get around to re‑potting all your maples in March you can re‑pot in July after defoliating (leaf pruning) the tree.  The tree must be in a healthy condition for this type of treatment.  Regular fertilization once each week for the first 2 to 3 weeks in June for these trees is a must prior to leaf pruning in the last week of June.  Do your re‑potting in July prior to seeing color in the new leaf buds.

At this "halfway" point in the growing season you should enjoy the aesthetics of your bonsai achievements.  It is a time to reflect on whether or not your goals have been met and a time to plan for future development.  Best of all it is a time for full enjoyment of viewing your bonsai.

TRANSPLANT/ ROOT PRUNE:

Azalea ‑ after flowering, Buttonwood, Citrus, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha, Tropicals, Wisteria.

BRANCH PRUNE:

Azalea ‑ after flowering, Bald Cypress, Birch, Buttonwood, Cedar, Cryptomeria, Tropicals, Wisteria.

LEAF PRUNE:

Make certain your trees are healthy and fertilize them at least 2 weeks before leaf pruning. Apple, Beech, Birch, Elm, Ginkgo, Holly ‑ deciduous, Hornbeam, Maples ‑ all, Quince, Sweetgum, Zelkova

FERTILIZE:

Apricot, Bald Cypress, Bamboo, Beech, Birch, Boxwood, Buttonwood, Camellia, Chamaecyparis ‑ Hinoki, Cherry, Crape Myrtle, Cypress, Elm, Fig (ficus), Fir, Gardenia, Ginkgo, Hemlock, Holly, Hornbeam, Juniper, Maples, Nandina, Oak, Peach, Persimmon, Pines, Plum, Podacarpus, Pomegranate, Privet, Pyracantha, Rhododendron, Sasanqua, Spruce, Sweetgum, Tamarix, Tropicals, Willow, Wisteria, Yew, Zelkova.

WIRE:

Apple, Azalea, Bald Cypress, Beech, Birch, Boxwood, Buttonwood, Camellia, Citrus, Cherry, Cotoneaster, Crab Apple, Crape Myrtle, Elaeagnus, Elm, Fig, Ginkgo, Hackberry ‑ after shoots harden, Hornbeam ‑ when shoots begin to harden you can wire to shape, Jasmine ‑ winter, Maples ‑ all, Mountain Laurel ‑ when shoots begin to harden, Oak, Peach, Pear, Plum, Persimmon, Podacarpus, Pomegranate, Privet, Pyracantha, Quince ‑ Japanese, Rhododendron, Sasanqua, Sweetgum, Tamarix, Tropicals, Willow, Zelkova.

TRIM/PINCH NEW GROWTH:

Apple,  Azalea ‑ after flowering pinch/trim new growth until end of June, Bald Cypress, Birch ‑ trim soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Camellia, Cedar ‑ pinch/trim soft shoots continually, Chamaecyparis ‑ Hinoki ‑ pinch out extending new growth, Citrus, Cryptomeria ‑ pinch out tips of primary and secondary shoots, Cypress ‑ pinch out extending new growth, Elm ‑ pinch/trim new soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Fig (ficus), Fir, Gardenia, Ginkgo ‑ trim new growth leaving 2 leaves; use sterile tools, Hemlock,  Holly ‑ all, Hornbeam, Jasmine ‑ winter ‑ trim primary shoots, Juniper ‑ pinch off tips of primary and secondary shoots, Maple ‑ all ‑ trim new soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Mountain Laurel, Oak, Peach, Pine ‑ black ‑ bud pinch every other year, Pine ‑ white, Podocarpus ‑ trim back soft shoots continually, Pomegranate ‑ trim new long soft growth, Quince ‑ Chinese ‑ trim soft new growth until June 15, Spruce ‑ twist foliage sprouts off with thumb and forefinger, Rhododendron, Sasanqua, Tropicals, Willow, Wisteria, Yew ‑ pinch back soft new shoots continually, Zelkova ‑ trim soft new growth leaving 2 leaves.