At this past weekend’s Bay Island Bonsai workshop, I wired my procumbens juniper. I didn’t use any heavy wire or make severe bends – for the most part I used fairly small gauge wire (mostly 14-18 with some 12) to tighten up the silhouette. No big changes for now while the tree fills in after […]
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 procumbens juniper
This past winter I bought a juniper, procumbens ‘Nana,’ that was already well established as a bonsai. I repotted it soon after taking it home and have been letting it grow freely ever since. I removed about half of the old soil when I repotted, but until I remove the rest, I won’t expect the […]
Thinning procumbens juniper
Thinning procumbens juniper is straightforward. Remove downward-growing shoots, shoots that emerge from branch intersections and shoots that extend beyond the desired pad silhouette. Thin remaining shoots to facilitate wiring. Procumbens juniper – before thinning Before thinning – below Removing a downward-growing shoot After thinning After thinning – below Branch pad after thinning
Yaupon holly cutback
As it turns out, now’s the time for the final significant cutback and wiring ahead of BIB’s January exhibit. I shortened shoots that extended beyond the desired silhouette, thinned out dense growth everywhere and wired a few branches to add movement or make subtle adjustments up or down. Yaupon holly before cutback After cutback From […]
Flowering quince – summer work
Most work on Japanese flowering quince ‘chojubai’ is done in fall or spring, but one task – beyond watering and fertilizing – requires some attention year-round. Removing flowers. Japanese flowering quince ‘chojubai’ in July Chojubai mostly bloom in late winter and early spring, but some specimens can produce flowers – and fruit – year-round. I […]