Whether I’m working on well-established pines or pines that are have yet to experience much branch development, the basic decandling process is the same – remove spring shoots with the aim of producing summer shoots. One difference is that when I’m working on less-developed pines, I’ll often do more cutback and sometimes a little wiring when […]
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.
Decandling established black pines
The transition from spring to summer marks the middle of decandling season, the time of year when we remove spring shoots from black pines to produce more compact summer growth. If a tree is healthy and received a lot of fertilizer in spring, it’s a good candidate for decandling. Based on this criteria, the black […]
Spring cutback
When deciduous varieties get shaggy in Spring, it’s often a good indicator that it’s time for cutback. To keep these trees strong, I generally cutback to 3 or 4 buds and only remove growth in strong areas. A small number of cuts can make a big difference in appearance. Plum – early May Plum – […]
In praise of colanders
I’ve been growing black pines in colanders for years. Thanks to Bonsai Today issue #20 and Boon Manakitivipart, many enthusiasts have been doing the same. Sizes are convenient, drainage is great, and the cost is reasonable. I have yet to find pots that make it easier to keep black pines healthy. In general, I’ve grown […]
Creating the trunk – charting future growth
Is there a way to determine whether or not my wiring is suitable for creating the bonsai in my mind’s eye? Yes! I learned about it in Mr. Iwakiri’s garden. Iwakiri recommends modeling the trunk line before wiring actual trees. He demonstrated the idea with newspaper and aluminum wire. The idea is to create a […]