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Summer repotting dwarf flowering quince
Chojubai, a variety of dwarf flowering quince, is one of the few bonsai I can repot in summer. Repotting chojubai in early spring also works, but by repotting now I can get a jump on the upcoming...
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Cutback on a white chojubai quince
I usually hold off on pruning deciduous bonsai past the first half of August. Not all trees can grow well enough late in the season to make it worth investing in new shoots before fall. That said,...
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Diagnosing spots and twig dieback on a Japanese plum
Somewhere in the mid-1950s, my grandfather, Leo Dupuich, acquired a number of bonsai from a local landscaper and bonsai enthusiast named Jim Miyasaki. When my teenage father saw the trees, one stuck...
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Insights from using a chemical injector to acidify the water for one year
Last summer, I wrote two posts about the connection between water pH and bonsai health (see “Effect of fertilizer on pH” and “How to lower pH” for details). In light of the recent high temperatures...
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Finding the right hormone levels for making seedling-cuttings
Five years ago I posted the results from an experiment that measured the effectiveness of different approaches to rooting seedling-cuttings (see “Effect of hormone treatments” for details). The study...
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Wiring tip: how to prevent branches from splitting away from the trunk
It might just be me, but I’ve found that it can be easy for wired branches to split away from the trunk during branch setting. This is more of an issue for deciduous trees than for conifers, but it...
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Just in time for fall – pumpkin galls
I’ve been curious about the small, round bumps that develop on the leaves of California live oaks for a while now. Some years I don’t see any, but most years a few show up toward the end of summer....
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Bonsai Development Series #21: The effect of removing a sacrifice branch
Earlier this summer, I pruned and defoliated two field grown trident maples. I reduced all of the branches on one of the trees, and left a sacrifice branch on the other. Both trees have grown...
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The right way and wrong way to make major cuts on young maples
When I saw the young maples growing in Kazuo Onuma’s garden, I immediately wanted to give his techniques a try (see “Onuma’s mini-bonsai growing techniques” for details). I picked up some bare-root...
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Cryptomeria – seven year update and first wiring
Back in 2011, I started an air layer on a large cryptomeria. Two years later, I removed the layer and the tree was off to a new start as a bonsai (see “Large cryptomeria air layer part 1” and “Part 2”...
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Bonsai Development Series #22: cutback-decandling techniques for young pines
Developing refined growth while maintaining sacrifice branches can be a tricky balancing act. If the sacrifice branches are reduced, the future branches become strong. If sacrifice branches grow...
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Seasonal maintenance – removing flowers from dwarf flowering quince
Five weeks ago I pruned and defoliated the chojubai below (see “Cutback on a white chojubai” for details). The tree produced buds right away, and within a few weeks, it was covered with flower buds....
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Rocky Mountain juniper – first wiring
Last summer I did some major cutback on a Rocky Mountain juniper (see “Initial styling” for details). I repotted the tree over winter and let the tree grow freely all year. Here’s what it looked like...
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Visiting ancient Sierra junipers
Last weekend I visited some of my favorite Sierra junipers near Carson Pass, California. On these trips, I visit old favorites and look out for new highlights that’d I’d missed on previous trips....
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Advice wanted: how to overwinter bonsai in cold climates
My recent visit to see the junipers near Carson Pass, California, reminded me of the last time I saw these trees in October (see “Sierra junipers in the snow” for details). The trees had just been...
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Timing for fall pruning when the weather is still warm
As I walked through the garden yesterday, I didn’t see many signs of fall. Here, for example, is a chojubai I repotted in August producing new shoots above and new roots below. New growth on dwarf...
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What to do if your trees think it’s spring
One of my trees seems to have skipped fall – and winter – and is now acting like it’s spring. New leaves emerging on a Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) Over summer, this tree suffered from a fungus...
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Fall flowers on satsuki azaleas
I’ve found that a number of satsuki azaleas in my garden have bloomed this fall. It’s normal for satsuki to produce a few flowers this time of year, and occasionally trees are covered with them. When...
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Bunjin black pines from seed
A few years ago I came across some tall and slender black pines that made a good starting point for creating literati style bonsai (see examples at “Decandling young bunjin pines“). The trees were the...
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New guide: Winter care for bonsai
Thanks entirely to reader contributions, I’ve published a guide to caring for bonsai in winter. Early snowfall (photo courtesy Jeff in Minnesota) Topics include: Tropical bonsai winter carePlant...
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