For the past three years, I’ve been working on a Ponderosa pine with large branches on the upper half of the trunk. I spent the first two years getting the tree healthy enough to work on and I lightly pruned and repotted it last year. The tree responded well and is now ready for styling. […]
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.
Fall cutback on a root over rock trident maple
When most of the leaves on deciduous trees have turned color or fallen away, it’s time for fall cutback. Trident maple ready for cutback I start by removing the leaves so I can see the branch structure clearly. After removing the leaves As you can see, the branch density is good but the branch structure […]
Redwood redesign: step 1
Coast redwoods are a fantastic species for training as bonsai, and one that I plan to write about more going forward. One fun thing about redwoods is that there are a number of different approaches to training them. Some people set the structure of the tree by pruning and wiring, while others build branches by […]
Developing a grafted juniper
I’ve been waiting three years to start shaping one of the junipers in my garden. Since I decided to graft it in winter, 2018, I’ve been allowing it to grow freely until there was enough new foliage to support the tree on its own (see “Grafting follow-up” for the previous post about this tree). I […]
Committing to an approach graft – separating the roots
I recently acquired a California juniper with two approach grafts. The grafts were struck to change the foliage from California juniper to shimpaku juniper. At first glance, it looked like the grafts had both taken. The key indicator is when the branch swells past the graft union. California juniper with two approach grafts Swelling past […]