Toward the end of last winter I repotted a large Sierra juniper. Because it was planted at an angle, I used blocks to support the tree and keep if from tipping out of the pot. Now that the roots have grown in, it’s time to remove the supports. Sierra juniper – 32″ Support blocks After […]
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.
Popular posts about Bonsai Development:
- Korean hornbeam - 10 year progression
- Yaupon holly progression
- Grafting Utah juniper - a post without words
Many Development posts focus on black pine bonsai. Here are some of the most popular:
Bonsai Development Series #12: Avoid growing trunks with straight sections
I’ve set a simple goal for a group of cutting-grown plums: avoid straight growth. The idea is to produce trunks with undulating movement. Each year these plums produce new shoots in spring. I typically wire these shoots in summer and then shorten them in fall. If I find anything straight, I shorten it or wire […]
How not to propagate princess persimmon
After a long wait, I confirmed this year that my oldest princess persimmon can bear fruit. Young princess persimmon – with fruit! Growing princess persimmon from seed is an inefficient approach as there’s no way to determine whether a seed will produce a male or female plant. As most enthusiasts grow princess persimmon for the […]
Bonsai Development Series #11: Culling trees with poor characteristics
I’d like to say that every pine I start from seed grows into a winner, but that isn’t the case. To avoid investing time in trees with flaws that are difficult to correct, I periodically evaluate all of my bonsai and cull out any that don’t make the cut. Doing this frees up time in […]
Bonsai Development Series #10: transitioning to a new sacrifice branch
Here’s a six year-old pine with a large sacrifice branch. Six year-old black pine It’s great that the sacrifice branch has grown this much, but it’s getting big relative to the future trunkline. Sacrifice branch Future trunk If I had reduced the sacrifice branch a year or two ago, it would have grown less but […]
