Bonsai regularly provides us with opportunities for creative problem solving. I was impressed, at a recent Bay Island Bonsai workshop, by an effort to keep an errant root close to the stone over which it was growing. The root had separated from the rock a bit so effort was taken to encourage it to stay in place. […]
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.
Refining a 10 year-old pine
Rather than make long term goals for trees, I’ll often make short to medium-term plans based on the current condition of the tree. This is true for many of the black pines I’ve been growing from seed, especially the ones for which I can’t see obvious futures. The pine below is one of these trees. […]
Refining young pines
A number of my young black pines are now 10 – almost 11 – years old. Depending on what they look like, I’m making cuts, repotting or letting them grow. The pine below has a number of exposed roots. As the main trunk growing up and to the right will not be part of the […]
Removing leaves from deciduous bonsai
As the end of the year approaches, deciduous bonsai don’t typically look their best. No matter – once the majority of leaves on these trees turn color or fall off, I pluck the remaining leaves. Removing old leaves exposes interior buds to sunlight and reduces hiding places for insects. It also forces me to look […]
Wiring a tree into the pot
Some of the final steps when repotting bonsai are among the most important – especially when it comes to wiring trees into the pot. I typically wire trees into the pot after setting the tree, but when repotting partially or completely bare-rooted trees, I first work some soil into the exposed roots. If no soil […]