Setting up an effective workstation

This turned out to be a big year in the garden for repots. Together with Adam, Steve, Christian, and JC, we repotted around 195 bonsai and pre-bonsai plus 14 flats of young trees – far more than the normal routine.

In hindsight, this wouldn’t have been possible without an efficient workstation. I’ve taken different approaches to repotting based on the space I have to work in but only feel like I got it right this year.

The first thing I did was move the repotting station out of the workshop and into an adjacent shed. I didn’t want to fill the workshop with dust as in past years so I set up a space dedicated to repotting that could get dirty.

I placed a turntable next to tables with ample space for tools, supplies, and trying out pots. Just having extra table space nearby proved invaluable as I could easily set the tree aside while prepping or trying out different pots.

Repotting workstation

I kept tie-down wire, drainage screen, a receptacle for wire scraps, a can for organic waste, and a bin with the tools I relied own all within arm’s reach.

Repotting gear

These are the tools I used most this year.

Repotting tools
(not pictured – lots of bamboo chopsticks!)

I kept soil mixes right behind the workstation. At any given time I maintained no more than one or two buckets each of the basics: a drainage mix, a medium mix, and a small mix (see “What kind of mix should I use for my bonsai?” for details).

Bonsai soil mixes

For trees going into show pots, I kept a turntable open in front of a white sheet so I could stand back and make sure the planting angle was right where I wanted it.

Clean backdrop

Of course, simply having a spot with good light that allowed me to work when it was raining was key as we ended up recording one of the wettest years on record.

After finding such a useful setup, it’ll be hard for me to go back to the old way of doing things (namely, stopping what I’m doing every time I need to look for something or find a place to set something down).

On that note, I’m already dreaming about a new and improved repotting station for next year!

News and updates

• This weekend is the American Bonsai Association Sacramento’s 63rd(!) annual exhibit. Come see Todd Schlafer demos Saturday and Sunday and shop at the members’ sale and vendor booths. The event is held at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center in Sacramento’s McKinley Park at 3330 McKinley Blvd. Hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Saturday, April 8th and Sunday the 9th. Learn more from ABAS.
• If you’ll be in the Seattle area next month, plan to stop by the Pacific Bonsai Museum’s BonsaiFEST! on Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14. In addition to seeing the garden at a beautiful time of year, there will be demonstrations, tree sales, an exhibit by the Puget Sound Bonsai Association, and the opening of the garden’s latest special exhibit, “Avant-garden.” Learn more about the fun-filled weekend from the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
• Pre-orders are now available for an exhibition book for the forthcoming “Bonsai as Fine Art” event from the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society and Blue Spiral 1 Gallery. Learn more about the event here. Pre-order the book from the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society.
• Also in June is the American Bonsai Society’s 2023 Learning Seminars presented by the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society in partnership with Denver Botanic Gardens. The event is one of the premier Norther American bonsai events with workshops, seminars, demonstrations, vendors, and exhibition. A lot of effort is going into this year’s event – learn more at the ABS Denver 2023 website.