A few years ago I created some cork bark black pines by grafting. The trees have grown well and are now quite full. Corkbark Japanese black pine Some of the oldest needles have recently begun to yellow which is a tip-off that the interior branches will be yellowing out as well. To make sure that […]
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Be patient with pines in summer
As decandling season comes to a close, you might notice summer buds forming on some of the first trees you decandled this season. Summer buds Ideally we’ll see two buds at the end of every branch. Ideally. It’s common – and perfectly fine – to see anywhere between zero and five or more buds per […]
New bonsai display at the Portland Japanese Garden
On a recent trip to Portland I made it a point to visit the Portland Japanese Garden to see the new Cultural Village that opened in April. In addition to featuring stylish buildings by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the expansion includes the Ellie M. Hill Bonsai Terrace – a space devoted to showcasing beautiful trees. Rocky Mountain […]
Be gentle with pines
Pines can look great after decandling and needle thinning. It’s when we have the best view of a tree’s structure which makes it a great time for making styling decisions and wiring. Japanese black pine after decandling and needle thinning About a week after decandling, you may notice some brown needles on your pine bonsai. […]
Planting medium for shimpaku cuttings
A few months ago I started a number of shimpaku cuttings. Several different soils were scattered around the workshop so I tried some of each to see if it made much of a difference. I did a similar experiment several years back and found a huge difference between soils (see “Shimpaku cuttings” for details). This […]