As the weather cools and the days shorten, I find myself making adjustments in the garden to help trees transition into the dormant season. Common tasks include moving trees around the garden so they get more sunlight, removing shade cloth, and pulling old leaves from deciduous trees in the process of shutting down for the […]
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Summer break edition – some favorite trees at the World Bonsai Convention
Bonsai Tonight will be going on summer break for the next few weeks, but before signing off, I’d like to leave you with photos of some of my favorite trees on display at the 8th World Bonsai Convention held in Saitama, Japan. Enjoy! Red pine Japanese beech Japanese maple Shimpaku Needle juniper Shimpaku Black pine […]
Finding the center – moving a Western juniper to the middle of the pot
One of the challenges I faced with the Western juniper below was that it had no roots on one side of the trunk. This was natural as the tree got its start when it was separated from its larger sibling. Here it is after a few years of training. Western juniper, 2009 – note how […]
How to measure bonsai wire
There’s not much worse than cutting a piece of wire, applying it perfectly and then realizing, on the final turn, that the wire is too short. I picked up my favorite approach to measuring wire from Daisaku Nomoto. I noticed he didn’t seem to look when he cut wire but the size was often perfect. […]
Bonsai Development Series #1: How to treat wire scars mid-way along the trunk
When trees are growing quickly, it’s not uncommon to find wire marks along the trunk. Wire marks above the first branch For young trees early in the development phase, it’s not much of a problem when the wire cuts in at the base of the trunk. Cut marks cause swelling and swelling near the base […]