The easiest way to tell if a deciduous tree needs watering is to look at the soil. For most deciduous species, I want the soil to start drying out before watering. Here’s what this looks like. Moss covering the surface of the soil Wet soil – no need to water Later the same day Soil […]
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.
Watering conifers
I’ve seen signs, recently, that some of trees in my garden are staying too wet. What does this look like? On pines I might see yellow at the base of the needles. On junipers, new shoots may extend too far or mature growth may turn juvenile. In a few cases, I’ve spotted signs of damage […]
Review: Kimura Masterclass from Bonsai Empire
Bonsai Empire’s newest online course features the best known name in bonsai: Masahiko Kimura. The course was filmed last fall at Kimura’s garden about one hour outside of Tokyo. Here’s what you need to know. Format The course features a pine demo, a rock planting, an interview, and footage of Kimura’s public (front) and private […]
Guest post: The story behind Michael Hagedorn’s Bonsai Heresy
By Michael Hagedorn Galileo had more in common with witches than you’d think. He narrowly avoided being tortured and executed by denying thinking thoughts that he really shouldn’t have been thinking in the 17th century, such as the earth revolving around the sun. Those early heretical scientists were a brave lot. I’ve known a few […]
A good reason to not skip annual maintenance on juniper bonsai
About a year ago, I passed a juniper in my garden that had filled in over the previous growing season. It was a good time to remove the old foliage, so I made a mental note to thin the tree. A full year later, I still hadn’t thinned the foliage. And then I noticed that […]