For my young trees in development, I tend to focus on a single question during the growing season: do I prune now or wait until fall? Chinese quince – four years old from seed The goal at this stage is to develop the trunk as fast as possible. Because the sacrifice branches are well-positioned, I’ll […]
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.
Side-veneer graft aftercare – bag technique
When performing side-veneer grafts on conifers, it’s important to provide extra humidity for the scions to prevent them from drying out. Two popular approaches for doing this are to cover the scion with a small plastic bag or wrap the scion in stretchy material such as paraffinic tape or Buddy Tape. While I appreciate both […]
Before and after – cutback and decandling exposed root black pines in development
I thought I was nearing the end of decandling season when I remembered a table of black and red pines trained as exposed root bonsai. My standard approach is to not decandle exposed root pines until the trees are older and the roots are thicker. Of course, the standard approach also entails wiring the trunk […]
Bonsai Development Series #8: Removing unnecessary branches
When developing material for bonsai, it’s best to avoid creating straight trunks and branches. Many varieties, however, naturally produce straight growth. This gives us two options: cut or wire. Cutting is often preferable to wiring as cuts can be used to create taper and angular movement. Wiring has its place too as it’s a quick […]
Increasing density on a cork-bark black pine
I’ve been working on an old cork-bark black pine since 2004. The tree has improved a lot over the years, but it still has a ways to go. The main focus at this stage is increasing the branch density. Cork-bark black pine – 23″ The tree is strong enough to decandle most years, but was […]