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Initial styling on a Ponderosa pine
I’d been looking forward to working on a Ponderosa pine this year. Now that the old needles are starting to turn yellow and fall away, it was time to do some work. Ponderosa pine – 18″ tall The best...
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Cutback and wiring a Green Island ficus
I’ve been caring for a ficus for the past few months, and have enjoyed seeing the lush green foliage in the garden. Green Island ficus As we’re nearing the end of summer, this is my last chance to...
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Summer watering tip
Have you ever found that some trees dry out a lot faster than others this time of year? It happens a lot in my garden, on old trees and young trees alike. One thing that can cause this is not watering...
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Tips for applying liquid fertilizer
Liquid fertilizer is a great way to provide nutrition for your bonsai. I’ve been using fish-based fertilizers for years and although it’s smelly, it’s effective and offers control when I want to limit...
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Homing in on the ideal environment for satsuki azaleas
A few months ago, two satsuki professionals visited my garden. The weather was unseasonably warm when they arrived – it reached 102, an unusual high for June – and they were worried I wasn’t watering...
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New book showcases bonsai and penjing at the Montréal Botanical Garden
Bonsai | Penjing: The Collections of the Montréal Botanical Garden by Danielle Ouellet. $71.95 in hardcover from Goose Lane Editions. 276 pages. I was excited to find a note from Goose Lane Editions a...
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Bonsai Development Series #17: Thin foliage to preserve interior shoots
Generating new shoots on Japanese black pines is easy. If a healthy tree is pruned, you can expect lots of new growth. Over time, however, crowded shoots can prevent light from reaching the tree’s...
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Cutback on winter jasmine
Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is a deciduous shrub. Unlike trees that have specific branch patterns, winter jasmine produce shoots that emerge in all directions. Winter jasmine They are...
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Diagnosing root rot in black and red pine bonsai
For years, I’ve spotted unhealthy shoots on black and red pines and wondered about the cause. Unhealthy foliage on black pine The main symptoms are discoloration – primarily yellow foliage – and...
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Branch development on Coast Live Oak – results after 8 months
The basic steps of branch development on coast live oak are simple: stimulate new shoots, shape the shoots with wire, cut back to two or three buds in fall. Following these steps can yield secondary...
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Fall pruning on Japanese plum
I’ve been working on a batch of plums for the last few years. I prune them every six months – once in spring, and once in fall. The work is simple. If a branch or section of the trunk is straight, I...
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Timing for fall pruning
Here’s a simple guide for determining when to prune deciduous trees in fall: prune when foliage shows fall color but before the leaves drop. Porcelain berry ready for fall pruning The timing doesn’t...
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Displays at East Bay Bonsai Society’s 58th Annual Show
Last weekend the East Bay Bonsai Society hosted their 58th Annual Show at Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. The event featured a mix of conventional displays along with a few...
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Highlights from Yamato Bonsai Kai’s 48th annual exhibition
Last weekend the Yamato Bonsai Kai held their 48th annual exhibition in Union City, California. For those unfamiliar with the club, Yamato Bonsai Kai is a “sensei club” – a club with a designated...
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Bonsai Development Series #18: Timing cutback to support development goals
I’ve often sat in front of trees and wondered if it’s a good time to prune or if I’m better off waiting. Even when the trade-offs are clear, it can be difficult to figure out the best approach year...
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Fall clean-up on shohin satsuki azalea
Fall is a good time to thin satsuki azaleas that filled in over summer. Shohin satsuki azalea – ‘Hanabin’ Doing this work lets light into the tree’s interior and makes it easy to spray for thrips,...
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BDS #19: Encouraging interior buds on young red pines
After more than twenty years of growing pine bonsai from seed, I noticed a big difference between red and black pines this year. Red pines are harder. Specifically, red pines are less likely to...
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Tracking down banding symptoms in black pine
I was surprised to find yellow banding on a few of my pines this fall. It’s not something I’ve seen much of in my garden over the years so it caught my attention when small yellow patches appeared....
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Fall cutback on stewartia
As the weather has started to cool where I live, leaves are now falling from some of the deciduous trees in my garden. This is the perfect time for fall pruning. Stewartia monadelpha I first remove...
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Refining a 15 year-old black pine
One of my favorite things about working on trees I’ve had for a long time is that the work is straightforward. My normal pattern is to spend the first few years of a tree’s time in my garden getting...
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