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 […]
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.
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 […]
Removing large leaves on a red maple forest
My red maple forest has filled in nicely this spring – so much so that some of the interior leaves are already turning yellow. Acer rubrum, Red maple Weak interior leaf To let more light into the tree’s interior, I shortened elongating shoots and removed the largest leaves. Elongating shoot with red, bronze, and pale […]
Bonsai Development Series #24: Twisting young junipers
The best strategy for creating junipers with interesting deadwood is to add twists to the trunk while the tree is still young. Some people begin by twisting young whips before they add movement. The alternative is to twist the trunk while setting the initial bends. Here’s what this looks like on a rooted cutting that […]