I’ve had a lot of fun working with red maples, also known as swamp maples, over the past few years. The basic training routine is the same as it is for other deciduous species – prune and reduce foliage in the middle of the growing season and then prune again fall. Depending on how vigorously […]
Bonsai Development
Bonsai Development posts form the heart of Bonsai Tonight. Learn about varieties like Black Pine, Shimpaku and Japanese Maple, techniques like Decandling and Grafting and Air Layering, and bonsai features like Deadwood.
Shopping for pre-bonsai
The process of looking for pre-bonsai can differ from person to person depending on one’s interest in growing bonsai. You can select trees that give you an opportunity to work on skills you want to improve, or buy a tree with great potential that requires a significant amount time to develop. In either case, the […]
Shohin olive ground-layer
About a year ago I received a small olive with an unusual feature – the lower part of the trunk didn’t seem to be alive. The tree continued to grow, but slowly. An even bigger problem was that the trunk swelled a couple of inches above the roots making the tree a poor candidate for […]
Developing shohin olives
In the last few years I’ve started working more with olive bonsai. Although they do best where the weather gets hot, they can grow well in mild climates too. As time goes by, I have less patience for species that don’t thrive where I live which makes olives a refreshing addition to the garden. Many […]
Summer cutback on a large cork oak
After a number of years working with cork oak bonsai, it’s become really clear that for the lower branches to thicken, the top needs regular trimming. This photo from earlier this week makes it clear where the tree wants to produce new growth. Cork oak with new growth on the upper branches Fortunately, if the […]