Last year I tried a variation on my normal spring cutback for ume. Instead of reducing mid-sized branches to 2-3 leaves, I left them long but defoliated them (see “Cutback” for details). I found that the defoliated branches leafed out but they didn’t regain their vigor. As you can see from the photo below, the […]
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.
Thinning a European beech grove
The last deciduous tree in my garden to open up this spring was a European beech. Normally I pinch the new shoots as they open, but as this tree was recently repotted, I let the new shoots elongate to help the tree recover. Now that it’s clear that the tree responded well to the work, […]
Spring cutback on Korean hornbeam
I usually start thinking about pruning and partially defoliating Korean hornbeam in May. It’s around this time of year that the spring growth hardens off and shades out the interior branches which makes it a good time to prune. Dense foliage on a Korean hornbeam – May 12, 2021 For the last few years, I […]
Hard cutback on satsuki azaleas
A number of my azaleas have been slow to leaf out this year. Here’s an example. Exposed-root Kozan-no-hikari As you can see, the foliage is anemic and the old leaves curve downward. It’s the first time I’ve seen these symptoms so I checked my satsuki books and talked with friends who have good experience with […]
Evaluating vigor of trident maples in spring
Before I prune on my deciduous bonsai in spring, I check to see if they’re up for the work. Here’s a trident maple at the end of March. Trident maple – March 30th Although the leaves are healthy, they are pale green and there are no new shoots developing. This tells me that the tree […]