As I approached the decandling season this year, I checked my pines to see if any were on the weak side but still strong enough to be decandled. These trees need to be decandled on the early side so the summer growth has time to fill in before fall. Looking around I saw a lot […]
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.
How to improve ramification by reducing large branches
A common problem of bonsai in early stages of development is that large branches extend from the trunk all the way to the edge of the tree’s silhouette. This is especially true for material that was grown in the ground. That’s the case for the chojubai pictured below. Although a number of small branches are […]
Cleaning up a black pine
I’m only now getting to some of the work I’d lined up for last fall. For some varieties like junipers, this poses no particular challenge. For pines, basic seasonal tasks like cutback and needle pulling get tricky once springs candles elongate as candles can break easily. I don’t mind working on pines that are only […]
Pinching spring candles on black pine
The basic premise behind developing material for bonsai is straightforward: first build the trunk, then focus on the branches. When building the trunk, encourage vigorous growth to thicken the trunk rapidly. When focusing on branch development, encourage less vigorous growth to ensure good branch density. Sounds easy, but there may be a bit more to […]
Time for a smaller pot
First develop the trunk, then work on the branches. That’s how I think about bonsai development. If the trunk has yet to reach its final size, I use large pots and encourage vigorous growth. When I’m happy with the trunk, I move trees to smaller pots and focus on refinement. A number of my black pines turn […]