One of the first cork oaks I started working on has developed quickly. I let a couple of sacrifice branches grow freely and they have now adequately thickened the branch that will become the new leader. It’s time to make a big cut. Field grown cork oak The decision to cut has also been influenced […]
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.
Initial work on a cork oak bonsai
I recently picked up a field grown cork oak with some nice movement in the trunk. There are, however, few usable branches at this point. Field grown cork oak As I’d like to encourage new branches to grow from the trunk, I cut back the existing branches to small side shoots. After cutback Most of […]
Bonsai Development Series #3: Evaluating field grown material
There’s a lot to try to keep in mind when shopping for field grown material. It can be easy to focus on the lower part of the trunk and think, “This looks nice, I can fix the rest later.” The fix may not, however, always come easily. At a glance, the pine below has a […]
Double decker air layer on cryptomeria
I’ve always been curious about whether a double air layer could be used to produce three trees at once. Knowing that cryptomeria bonsai layer well, I thought I’d give it a try. Double decker air layer started May, 2017 One challenge I had was that there was little foliage between the two layers. It’s better […]
Redirecting growth on an 8 year-old black pine
I recently picked up an eight year-old black pine growing in an Anderson flat. It had grown in the ground for several years and had been in the flat for the last one to two years. 8 year-old black pine As you can see from the photo above, most of the vigorous growth is located […]