I have yet to find a bonsai variety that develops as quickly in my backyard as cork oak. The cork oak below was dug from a nearby nursery at the beginning of 2016. Unlike the other oaks that were dug the same day, this one promptly lost all of its leaves and showed few signs of […]
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 partial defoliation on trident maple
Healthy trident maples are among the most vigorous deciduous bonsai species. When they are growing well, they can be defoliated three – and sometimes four – times each year. Climate and tree health determine exactly how many times makes sense for any given tree. I partially defoliated a root-over-rock trident back in June. Two weeks later, […]
When not to use colanders for developing young bonsai
I’ve been using colanders and perforated pots like pond baskets for years to grow pines. They’re great for developing roots, they allow for frequent watering and they’re easy to find. What they aren’t great for are developing deciduous bonsai – at least, not without proper watering. Most deciduous trees want a lot of water. Colanders […]
Larger pots make a big difference for young pines
I’ve been growing black pines for a long time. My approach has been pretty consistent the past few years and I can dependably produce trees that look like the following after 2½ years. 2½-year-old black pine This past year I made a small change to the process. Here’s the same 2½-year-old pine next to a […]
Developing a trident maple – before and after
Emphasis is often placed on how much we can remove from our trees. Today, I’ll flip that around to emphasize the importance of generating new foliage. Here’s a trident maple after reducing the trunk. Trident maple – June 2017 The idea is to encourage new shoots that in time will form the upper part of […]