My shohin azalea was long overdue for repotting. I’d wanted to change the angle of the tree for some time as the main branch was too large to bend and the exposed roots were pointing almost straight up. Tipping the tree would approximate bending the main branch down and it would give the trunk better […]
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.
Repotting a Western juniper
It had been a while since I last repotted my Western juniper. Although the drainage remained good, I’d been anxious to repot since styling the tree last fall and deciding on a new planting angle. Wester juniper – August 2012 To maintain the angle indicated during the last styling, I affixed an aluminum wire that […]
Wisterias like water
Last summer, I wrote about an approach to “Keeping bonsai from drying out in summer” by filling trays with gravel and setting trees on top. Knowing how much wisteria appreciate the extra water, I set a dwarf wisteria in a tray and was happy to find that the tree grew well all season long. When […]
Summer watering
Over the years I’ve heard a lot of admonitions about watering carefully in summer. And for good reason – trees can dry out quickly when its warm out. At a glance, it looked like most of my trees were over watered as moss was beginning to develop. Green soil – a sign that the soil […]
Finding the right soil mix
Finding the right soil mixes for my trees has proved surprisingly tricky – and not for lack of trying. I’ve experimented broadly over the years, and have benefitted from the advice of both American and Japanese bonsai professionals. Still, I find room for improvement. In the past few years, I’ve moved to mixes that retain […]