For the past three years, I’ve been working on a Ponderosa pine with large branches on the upper half of the trunk. I spent the first two years getting the tree healthy enough to work on and I lightly pruned and repotted it last year. The tree responded well and is now ready for styling. […]
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New Guide – Troubleshooting yellow foliage on black pine
Over the years I’ve written about various causes of yellow foliage on black pines. In an effort to record all of this information in one place, I’ve created a new guide that provides info on the following categories of yellow foliage: Old needles are turning yellow New needles are yellow near the base but green […]
Why is my pine yellow? A black pine troubleshooting guide
The following is a guide to help you identify the cause of yellowing in black pine bonsai. First, select a pattern that matches the yellowing you see on your tree. Next, check the candidate causes to see if any sound like a match. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to send […]
Bonsai Development Series #25: Pruning exposed root pines
Some of my exposed root pines are close to seven years old. They have long sacrifice branches to help thicken the roots. Although the fastest way to thicken the roots will be to let the tree grow freely all summer, I often prune this time of year to improve the branch structure. As an added […]
Decandling field-grown pines
When decandling season comes around, I start with the biggest pines in the garden and work my way down to the smallest ones over a period of four-to-six weeks. This gives the larger trees enough time to develop needles over summer that are just the right size (see “Decandling overview” for details). Two of my […]