Last May I started an air layer on an old Japanese maple (see “Air layering a Japanese maple“). Curious if there was any root growth, I opened up the bag in February. There was callus, but no new roots. Japanese maple Good callus, no roots To stimulate the production of new roots, I opened up […]
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.
New bonsai fertilizer
Every year I experiment a bit with fertilizer and every year I seem to keep returning to my standard duo – cottonseed meal and fish emulsion. Although they’ve worked well for my trees, I’d like to try a more balanced mix this year. The fish emulsion I use is rated 4-1-1, the cottonseed meal, 6-2-1 […]
The easiest pine maintenance of the year
Like so many varieties, black pine bonsai tend to require our attention throughout the year. In addition to regular watering and feeding, needles need plucking, roots need repotting, and branches need wiring – tasks which often require some level of artistry or at least our close attention. Not so for my favorite spring task – […]
Repotting a shohin azalea
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 […]
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 […]