Two years ago this month, Daisaku Nomoto did a demonstration at the Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Association convention in Olympia, Washington. His helpers were Boon Manakitivipart, Matt Reel and Tyler Sherrod – quite a team! Here’s the finished product. October, 2016 After the demo, I brought the tree home, repotted it in winter, and decandled […]
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When to keep old needles on weak branches
Here’s another black pine that’s slowly regaining vigor. There’s plenty of new foliage on the strongest shoots, but many of the weaker branches have just a few new needles each. Old black pine Where there are many new needles, I can remove all of the old the needles. Relatively strong branch After removing the 3rd […]
Rehabilitating a black pine – removing old needles
I’d like to write a few articles this season about fall work for pines, in particular needle-pulling and thinning. I’ll start with a simple example. One of my recently acquired pines was very weak last year. When I repotted it for the first time, I found enough healthy roots to make me think the tree […]
Accent plants on display at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition
The variety of accent plants on display at the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition was fantastic. Here is a small sample. Dwarf variegated bamboo and pyrossia sp. Sedum on volcanic stone Mixed planting Equisetum, selaginella, and moss Mixed planting Hen and chicks on volcanic stone Violets Dwarf pitcher plant Hen and chicks in Bunzan pot […]
Highlights from the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition
On September 8th and 9th, William N. Valavanis hosted the 6th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York. It was an awesome event. The exhibit featured over 300 bonsai – an impressive feat considering the quality of the trees – demonstrations by Taiga Urushibata, Lindsay Bebb, and Mauro Stemberger, plus lectures, critiques, and the […]
