One of the best things about working with cork oak bonsai is that you can cut almost anywhere on the tree and expect new buds to pop. The buds don’t always appear where you want them, but there are usually enough to work with. A year ago I repotted the cork oak below and then […]
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.
Shohin redwood creation
I follow a similar approach when I acquire coast redwood pre-bonsai. First I repot, then I let the tree grow for a year, then I can get to work. In this case I let Adam Toth get to work. Adam helps me keep up with the work in the garden and he recently helped out […]
Pruning and repotting a clump style jabuticaba
For the last two years I’ve been working with a species that’s new to me – the jabuticaba (Plinia cauliflora). It’s a fruit tree native to Brazil that produces sweet fruit in summer. Jabuticaba (also known as jaboticaba) When I don’t know much about a species, I tend to proceed with caution until I learn […]
Repotting Strategy
As I go into repotting season, I think about how my plants grew the previous year and whether I want to change the soil mix I use for the upcoming growing season. Last year, summer was mild which meant that many of my trees didn’t dry out between waterings. Among the pines, a few trees […]
Fall cutback on ume
The basics of fall work on ume are straightforward: remove the old leaves and prune to silhouette and/or the desired internode length. Before removing the leaves – no signs of fall color Fall has been mild this year so the leaves remained healthy into December. By removing the leaves, I could better see what branches […]