I found out that the pH of my water can get pretty high a long time ago. It’s not too bad when it’s in the lower ranges, but it definitely needs attention when it creeps into the higher ranges – which it did this summer. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water […]
Bonsai Care
The bonsai care category includes topics like Watering, Fertilizing, Repotting and Bonsai Soil. You can also find information about the Pests commonly found on bonsai, and read Interviews with bonsai professionals.
The effect of fertilizer on water pH
A hidden benefit of many fertilizers is their ability to lower the pH of the water. Had I kept this in mind this past spring, my trees would be a lot greener today. Looking back on my fertilizing habits, I shouldn’t have been surprised that my pines remained yellow despite repeated fertilizer applications. I changed […]
Why are my pines yellow?
I’m used to the pines in my garden looking a certain way. They usually yellow a little in fall and green up again in spring – only this spring, many remained yellow. I figured part of that was a result of fertilizing late this year. But even after fertilizing for a couple of months, many […]
A thousand posts and counting – ten years of Bonsai Tonight
A little over ten years ago, I shared an update about a black pine I’d grown from seed (see “Recent pine work“). This was the first post in what became a bi-weekly blog about bonsai care and development. The tree today – Japanese black pine, 12″ tall Today’s post is number 1000. To date I’ve […]
Watch out for wilting candles on young pines
It’s fun to see new shoots elongating on black and red pines this time of year. The light colored growth makes a nice contrast against the darker green foliage from the previous year and the length of the shoots are a good measure of the tree’s health. Spring growth on a black pine group planting […]