Once you’ve determined that a given species can thrive in your area and you’ve found a spot in the garden well-suited to its development, the next order of business is determining the tree’s water needs. At a basic level, determining water needs is simple. Dig down into the soil to where roots are growing and […]
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.
How to identify an appropriate environment for your bonsai
As I’ve been visiting different bonsai clubs this year, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of enthusiasts who are relatively new to bonsai. This has led me to think about the tips, techniques and areas of study that would be relevant for someone starting out in bonsai. What I’ve come up with is […]
Growing medium for terrestrial orchids
This past spring I planted a number of Habaneria radiata – crane orchids – in different soil mixes to see how well each worked for propagation purposes (see Growing terrestrial orchids for details). The first flowers appeared this week so I thought it would be a good time to share the results. A few things surprised me. […]
How to grow Japanese black pine from seed
Growing Japanese black pine from seed isn’t the easiest way to make a beautiful bonsai. It requires a variety of skills and it takes a long time. That said, the process of starting bonsai from scratch can be very rewarding – whether or not you end up with a masterpiece. The basics of growing pines from […]
Repotting a trident maple bonsai
Several years ago, I published a series on how to repot bonsai. For those who missed it the first time, here is an edited version of the series in a single post. Enjoy! How to Remove a Bonsai Tree from the Pot Before a bonsai can be moved into a new pot, it must be removed from […]