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 […]
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.
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 […]
Decandling an old cork bark black pine
I’ve been working on the cork bark black pine below for about twenty years. It’s had it’s ups and downs but had filled in enough in recent years that it felt like a good time to thin the tree. The idea is that by reducing the needles on the upper branches I can help the […]
Shohin redwood update
Three years ago I started working on a small coast redwood (see “Creating redwood bonsai: step 1” for details). Since then I’ve grown out some sacrifice branches and removed them when they reached the desired thickness. From here on out the goal is to create a silhouette that complements the trunk. The main way to […]
The middle stages of pine development – my favorite!
When you have a good trunk to work with and the goal is to improve the branches, you’re working with a tree in the middle stages of development. For pines with large trunks, this stage can last five to ten years or more, depending on your goals for the silhouette. The two pines below were […]