I was puzzled, this year, by the appearance of yellow foliage on some of my young pines. Yellow foliage is common on weak trees and often results from bad soil, under-feeding or various kinds of infestation. All of my pines are in the same soil, get the same sunlight and fertilizer and show no signs of infestation. […]
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.
Summer clean-up on a Western juniper
Some of the least exciting bonsai work happens in summer. This is when lots of watering and fertilizing happens, but it is also a good time for jobs that can get put off during busier seasons like fall or early spring. A few months ago, the Western juniper below was wired and cut back. After putting on a […]
Cut it here – my start in bonsai
“Cut it here,” he said. I was working at the family business, a retail nursery in Alameda, California. It was 1993. A man I had not met before was offering me pruning advice, and the advice was good. “Cut it here,” he said again, pointing to another branch. The man had a long name – Boonyarat […]
How to fill a tea bag with fertilizer
Two months ago, Felix Laughlin, President of the National Bonsai Foundation, requested tips for how to fill a tea bag with fertilizer quickly. The process does seem to take a while, but I’ve found I can fill about 9 bags per minute with the following approach. The most important thing is setting up everything within […]
Caterpillar camouflage
I was struck, again, by the crafty camouflage employed by the caterpillars in my garden this week. Looking down at a chojubai, I spotted a caterpillar extending itself stick-like from the leaf it was clinging to. Unlike the completely green caterpillars I’m used to seeing around the garden, this one was clearly suited to the […]