There are two goals when developing pre-bonsai trunks: create interesting movement, and minimize flaws. Two of the most common flaws at this stage of development are awkward or inverse taper and scars on the lower section of the trunk. To keep these in check, I prune sacrifice branches before they get too big and thin […]
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.
Notes on Aleppo pine bonsai
My experience with Aleppo pine is limited. Beyond pruning nursery stock for several years, I have yet to train one as bonsai. Aleppo pine, Pinus halepensis, is a great example of a species that can be trained by very different means in pursuit of very different goals. This is possible because the species is incredibly […]
Approaches to managing new shoots on pine bonsai
Last Friday’s post resulted in fantastic feedback from readers around the world (see “What pine species can I decandle?” and the comments on this Instagram post for details). For those who contributed, thank you! The response also made it clear that different people have different ideas about what the phrase “decandling” refers to. I learned […]
Which pine species can I decandle?
Decandling is a great technique for refining selected pine species trained as bonsai. At its most basic, decandling refers to the removal of spring growth with the aim of stimulating summer growth (see “Decandling” for details). Decandling a Japanese black pine As great as this technique is, its full application is limited to a small […]
Spring tune-up on Japanese plum
I like to check every tree in the garden at least once during the growing season. For deciduous trees, I look to see if there are branches that need wiring or pruning. The tree below produced a lot of new shoots this year. By wiring the base of these branches now, the curves can begin […]