Clik here to view.
New hinoki bonsai
I recently picked up a couple of large hinoki cypress with the aim of developing them as bonsai. They seemed healthy and had good sized trunks so I thought they’d warrant the effort. Hinoki cypress -...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bonsai fertilizer – follow-up
Last month I began using tea bags filled with fertilizer to feed my bonsai. Unfortunately, it only took a few days for me to realize that this technique didn’t work well as implemented. The bags...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bonsai pests!
If you had asked me, two weeks ago, if my bonsai were healthy and insect free, I would have said yes. At a glance, they all looked great. Looking closer, however, I discovered that one of my pines...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shimpaku cuttings
A few months back I grabbed an armful of juniper branches from the green recycling bin at a Bay Island Bonsai workshop. I’d found both kishu and itoigawa shimapku branches and figured I could use them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pine seedlings
I planted pine seeds again this year – black and red. The seeds came from Shikoku, Japan. It’s legal to import pine seeds – permits are available from the USDA - and the process is surprisingly simple....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Air layering a Japanese maple
Almost a year ago to the day I wrote about a Japanese maple I’d taken on that was ripe for several long-term projects (see Restoring an old Japanese maple). I started on the first, an air-layer, this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Removing flower buds from azalea
I’ve seen satsuki bloom in most months of the year, but they’re most likely to bloom around May. This is natural as the name satsuki (and old phrase for “fifth month”) refers to the month in which they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese plum cutback
My Japanese plum has really enjoyed the warm weather this spring. The many long shoots emerging from the first branch have given the tree a rangy appearance. It was time for some cutback. Japanese plum...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How to pot pine seedling-cuttings
When making cuttings of young pine seedlings – seedling cuttings – it’s important to use a potting medium that retains moisture. An easy way to achieve this is by using a potting medium like sand. Its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Starting an olive bonsai from scratch
Last fall a friend dug up an olive tree growing as a weed in his backyard. He figured someone might be interested in it. I figured it would make a fun bonsai project. Black olive The tree was tall and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Keeping bonsai from drying out in summer
About two months ago, I removed most of the Spring growth from my root-over-rock trident maple (see “Refining Trident Maple” for details). Trident maple – 4/1/12 Mild weather has produced moderate...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Decandling season arrives
If you have a number of red or black pine bonsai, you may have noticed that there are new candles everywhere – a sign that decandling time is near. Pine candles It’s still a bit early for people who...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New bonsai tools from Japan
I picked up a few new tools during my visit to Japan last fall. Among others, I purchased a large root scissors, a wire cutter, basic bonsai scissors and a water wand. Can you guess which has become my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Basic Bonsai Tools
Part of the fun of visiting large bonsai exhibits is shopping in the vendor area. Sometimes there are hundreds of shiny, new tools for sale. After taking a good look at each, I usually tell myself – or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Basic bonsai tool care
I don’t know a lot about taking care of bonsai tools. I sharpen them when they dull and I occasionally oil them to prevent rust. Here’s my basic set-up: Sharpening stones I’ve been using the same...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making a large cut on a ficus bonsai
I’ve been having fun watching my new ficus develop. After seeing how quickly it’s grown, I can better understand the appeal of ficus bonsai. Here are some shots of the tree since the initial cutback in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A cutback-decandling technique
This past January, I attended a workshop run by Daisaku Nomoto. As I was about to start plucking needles on a young pine, Nomoto recommended I leave some of the oldest needles in place. I asked why,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Decandling season isn’t just for decandling
Decandling season, typically late spring through early summer, can entail a lot more than removing spring growth from pine bonsai. It’s also a great time for removing extra needles, light cutback, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Young summer buds on black and red pine bonsai
Summer buds start forming on black and red pines within days of decandling. I try to wire trees that need it before summer buds appear to avoid damaging them. What do I do when small buds appear but I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Refining a yaupon holly
I brought my yaupon holly to a recent Bay Island Bonsai workshop for a trim. Even in the cool Northern California weather, I have to thin or trim the branches every two to three months. And now, after...
View Article