As I worked my way through the repotting of many pines this winter, I found a young specimen that’s beginning to take shape. Nice, I thought, it even has a good root base. Then I looked closer. Black pine – 11 years from seed Up close, I found that the roots were actually a bit much […]
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.
Repotting young cork bark black pines
Repotting recently grafted young pines is just like repotting non-grafted pines, only additional care is taken to avoid damaging the union. Grafted cork bark black pine After removing the pot Note the white spot – there are signs of root adelgid infestation. For those curious to see how mycorrhiza differs in appearance from adelgid infestation, […]
Cork bark black pine from graft – follow up
Two years ago, I started a few cork bark black pines by grafting (See “Creating cork bark black pine“). The grafts took, and that fall I began reducing the foliage on the host tree. Now, one year later, it’s time to repeat the process. Both the scions and their hosts grew well last year, so I […]
Yaupon holly – before and after
It’s fun to see where bonsai come from. The journeys trees make from seed, layer, graft, cutting or point of collection can be subtle or dramatic. Rapid or dramatic changes are exciting, but continued improvement plays no less important a role in the creation of bonsai. Following a tree’s history can also be informative. People […]
Decandling – how late is too late?
Getting the timing right when decandling is as much art as science – or so it can seem. While it can be tough to determine the ideal time to decandle a tree upfront, in hindsight it’s usually pretty clear what went right or wrong (see When to Decandle for details). When the proper time to […]