By recommendation or simple discovery, go out and select a specimen of Cedrus Atlantica to add to your bonsai collection. Locate a species with a good sized lower branch for branch number one. Your first step is to start shaping it. You give the trunk some sharp bends with a strong cable and cable branch number one in a nice downward curve. Next, cut the entire strand to encourage the development of a second branch. You decide that the back will be a good place. If size allows, remove another strand to grow into the third branch on the opposite side of the first branch. And start your Cedrus Atlantica bonsai.
The strands that remain on the trunk should be on the outermost curves of the trunk, facing in different directions, and come at different heights on the trunk. Next, you cut the top to the final height you want your Atlantic cedar bonsai to be. Tufts can be left at the top of the trunk in positions to form auxiliary branches later. The terminal bud should move forward and face forward.
Although you are starting this Cedrus bonsai specimen from a cutting in spring, keep in mind that hardwood cuttings in fall also work well for propagation of the species. It is also possible to propagate these cedar species from seed sown in spring and grafted in late summer. Grafting is the usual method for Cyprus cedar and glauca (blue cedar) bonsai.
Now you have a good start in the future informal vertical bonsai. You should plant it in the ground or in a large training pot. Water it carefully, keeping the soil moist. Place it in full sun and fertilize it every two weeks during the growing season. Do not include nitrogen fertilizer in August, but start with a 0-10-0 ounce mix monthly through November.
Roots should not freeze or winder dry, so provide ample protection. Fertilizing on the ground or in a cool place that does not freeze are good practices. Transplant your Atlantic cedar bonsai in the spring with little root pruning. After it is well developed, it will be necessary to repot every three to five years in spring, into a free-draining soil mix. Some cedars are sensitive to root disturbance and may shed last season’s needles when transplanting, but new shoots will soon sprout. If you find that your bonsai has this sensitivity, additional moisture at this time can help prevent this situation.
The soil should be light and friable, at least 40% sharp sand or decomposed granite, because good drainage is essential as cedars take root very easily. They are also violently susceptible to spider mite infestation. A grayish appearance of the foliage and the presence of fine telltale webs on the forks of the branches usually indicate that the red spider inhabits our bonsai. Red mites multiply rapidly in dry conditions, so the idea is a dry winterizing environment where the bonsai is protected indoors and covered and the soil is watered but not the foliage. A good winter maintenance practice is to take your Atlantic cedar out once or twice a month in the winter and hose it down with a good, strong stream of water and spray it well with a diluted insecticide.
Pinch back new shoots in the spring and during successive bursts of growth, but do not cut off the needles, as this will cause the tips of the needles to brown. Since watering always seems to be a problem for bonsai owners, remember that cedars don’t like wet soil. This has been my practice for successfully growing healthy and happy Cedrus Atlantica bonsai for over twenty-five years. Naturally, your results will vary depending on what part of the country you’re in, but this is a good starting point.