My fall decandling project has been moving along slowly – as expected. After trimming spring growth last October, small buds appeared before the tree slowed down for winter. By March, the buds had begun growing again. Some of the more vigorous branches produced five or six new buds. To keep these areas in check, I […]
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.
Cryptomeria from air layer
I started an air layer last May on a cryptomeria shoot. I saw a few roots peeking through the plastic after a couple of months, but I didn’t know how many more roots were hidden within the moss. Figuring that too many roots is preferable to too few roots, I decided to remove the layer […]
How to air layer cryptomeria for bonsai
I like cryptomeria bonsai a lot. Unperturbed by the warnings of how much work they can be, I’ve looked for a good specimen with little success for 10-15 years. Maybe they are too much work. Upon hearing that he would no longer be required to maintain a large cryptomeria, Boon Manakitivipart cried out, “I’m free!” […]
Air layering a zelkova bonsai
Air layering is a great technique for improving bonsai with flawed roots. Simply add new roots, and a new tree is born. Janet, a founding member of Bay Island Bonsai, the author of suisekiart.com, and a longtime friend, sent me some photos of a recent layer project that unfolded over the past year. She had […]
Refining a corkbark black pine
Refining old bonsai isn’t always a quick process – especially when the bonsai is a corkbark black pine. With brittle branches, the variety does not lend itself to dramatic restyling. I’ve been fortunate that the pine below has been healthy enough to decandle three years in a row. Many corkbark pines need a year to […]