I grafted the Utah juniper below almost a year and a half ago (see “Grafting Utah juniper“). The scions have really taken hold – so much so that it’s time to remove some of the original foliage. Utah juniper grafted with kishu shimpaku foliage After removing most of the original foliage I left two of the original […]
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.
Developing black pine – setting the first curves
When developing bonsai from scratch – from seed or from very young stock – the first order of business is creating the trunk. This is easier said than done. Some of the very first curves are set when the tree is still young. For black and red pine, I’ve been applying the first wires at around […]
How to not make seedling-cuttings
I started my first batch of black pine bonsai from seed over 20 years ago. Most of these trees have been developed using the seedling-cutting technique. This year, I’m foregoing the technique and letting the seedlings grow freely for a change. Black pine seedling – July 2014 Striking cuttings from seedlings can simplify the process […]
Developing young pine bonsai
Have you ever found yourself unsure about a young tree’s future? Me too. As young pines transition from trunk development to branch development, the main focus is on slowing the tree down and increasing branch density. I begin this process by decandling the tree and removing extraneous branches. I don’t need a final plan at this […]
Decandling a shohin black pine
Every year I wrap-up decandling season by decandling any shohin pines in the garden. By decandling small pines later in the growing season, summer shoots have less time to develop, yielding smaller needles – the desired outcome for small trees. Shohin black pine – before decandling When decandling this tree, I removed a few shoots […]