Is it unseasonably hot right now where you live? If so, make sure your bonsai are getting the care they need to stay healthy. The actual temperature during a heat wave is often less important than how much warmer it is than normal. This past weekend, San Francisco set a new all-time high of 104 […]
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.
Evaluating summer growth – how much is enough?
One of the most common questions I get this time of year is whether or not the summer growth on decandled pines is strong enough. A better question might be, based on the summer growth to date, is there something I need to do to keep the tree on track? Here’s a black pine I […]
Repotting an olive bonsai
I could have guessed that an olive I took home a few years ago had a trunk that extended below the soil. It was potted in a deep container and was far heavier than I’d expected. I confirmed this was the case the first time I repotted the tree. There wasn’t much to do about […]
Repotting a field grown trident maple
Some of my favorite bonsai work is repotting trees for the first time. I never take for granted that new trees in the garden have healthy roots and perfect root-bases. Sometimes they do, but other times they don’t. Until I repot a tree, I don’t have a great idea about what condition the soil or […]
Be gentle with pines
Pines can look great after decandling and needle thinning. It’s when we have the best view of a tree’s structure which makes it a great time for making styling decisions and wiring. Japanese black pine after decandling and needle thinning About a week after decandling, you may notice some brown needles on your pine bonsai. […]