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Hatsuji Kato Demo page 2

Styling a Picea abies 'Nidiformis'/Birds Nest Spruce at the Bonsai Society of Greater Hartford

My express thanks go to Dave Glazewski of The Bonsai Society of Greater Hartford, Connecticut for allowing me to use his text and pictures of this demo that took place at his club during Spring 2005.
Son of the reknowned bonsai master Saburo Kato, Hatsuji Kato now runs the family bonsai nursery, Mansei-en, with one of his brothers. Mr. Kato has worked for his father since leaving school. Although he is a director of the Nippon Bonsai Association Cooperative, a Vice-Director of the NBA, and is a sought-after teacher for the Japanese Bonsai Society, Mr. Kato still considers himself a student, developing and studying new ideas and describing new techniques. As a fourth-generation bonsai grower, he is dedicated to furthering the understanding and practice of bonsai, directing people away from the notion that it is only a rich or old person's hobby.


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After thinning the foliage and removing excess branching, Mr. Kato began wiring the tree to reposition many of the branches using a variety of techniques.

Mr. Kato used wire turnbuckles to pull the branches where he wanted them and they can be moved further in the future by inserting a piece of a chopstick through the two wires that were attached to the wiring on the branches and then twisting it.

The branch in the middle of the tree was moved by this method to fill up a space in the tree. Using the turnbuckle, the branch can be moved slowly over time to reduce the risk of it breaking.

 

Mr. Kato also made ample use of the technique of pulling a branch down by hooking guy wires through wires he had previously wrapped around the branch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the tree was repotted into a large training pot.

Mr. Kato broke up all of the roots by using two chopsticks. He was offered a root hook which he did use for a while but then went back to his chopsticks.

 

 

 

The tree at the end of the demo.

 

Hatsuji Kato Demo

 

Hatsuji Kato Demo

 

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Copyright © 2005 Dave Glazewski. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without permission prohibited.


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