An update about the past year’s experience using vinegar to acidify the water.
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.
Diagnosing spots and twig dieback on a Japanese plum
Somewhere in the mid-1950s, my grandfather, Leo Dupuich, acquired a number of bonsai from a local landscaper and bonsai enthusiast named Jim Miyasaki. When my teenage father saw the trees, one stuck out to him – a Japanese plum. My dad cared for the tree for a number of years before giving it to my […]
When ignorance was bliss – and good for my bonsai too
There has been a lot of enthusiasm lately for the scientific side of bonsai. I’ve been a part of this, sharing stories, for example, of testing and acidifying water in an attempt to green up my garden. I started pursuing the topic when I noticed how much harder it had become to keep my pines […]
Applying a moss top dressing to satsuki azalea bonsai
The satsuki azalea community decided long ago what their preferred top dressing would be – mountain moss. Also known as yamagoke (“mountain moss” in Japanese), this moss is typically harvested in China and packaged in Japan. It can be used interchangeably with white sphagnum moss, but there are three benefits that make it popular for […]
Watering deciduous bonsai – part 2
One of the easiest ways to slow down the rate at which deciduous bonsai dry out is to apply a top dressing to the surface of the soil. A top dressing is a thin layer of soil or related material that is applied with the aim of retaining moisture and/or improving the look of the […]