Generating new shoots on Japanese black pines is easy. If a healthy tree is pruned, you can expect lots of new growth. Over time, however, crowded shoots can prevent light from reaching the tree’s interior. When this happens, the interior shoots we rely on for future primary branches can die off. The best way to […]
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.
Cutback and wiring a Green Island ficus
I’ve been caring for a ficus for the past few months, and have enjoyed seeing the lush green foliage in the garden. Green Island ficus As we’re nearing the end of summer, this is my last chance to prune the tree and expect a good response before winter. The work is simple: reduce all branches […]
Initial styling on a Ponderosa pine
I’d been looking forward to working on a Ponderosa pine this year. Now that the old needles are starting to turn yellow and fall away, it was time to do some work. Ponderosa pine – 18″ tall The best features of the tree are the deadwood on the lower part of the trunk and the […]
Cutback and leaf pruning on Chinese Wisteria
My usual routine for new trees in the garden is simple – keep the trees as healthy as possible until repotting season. When I repot a tree, I can get an idea of what the roots look like and better understand how the tree might respond to bonsai work. A few weeks ago, I brought […]
Bonsai Development Series #16: Developing the trunk with multiple sacrifice branches
A sacrifice branch is any branch that assists in the development of a tree, but will not be part of the final design. Sacrifice branches are most commonly used to thicken the trunk. When the trunk reaches the desired size, the branch is removed. Some bonsai are developed with one sacrifice branch at a time. […]