Early last September, I was helping a number of bonsai into the 5th US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York. After taking care of several other trees, I picked up my entry, a Korean hornbeam, and brought it to a staging table just outside the door of the exhibit. I’d planned to show the […]
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Improving drainage in a compacted rootball
Midway through repotting a procumbens juniper, I found that the center of the rootball was dry. This is common when a tree has gone too long without repotting. Even heavy and frequent waterings – or incessant rain – may not be enough for the water to soak the entire rootball. Rootball with dry center Finding […]
Pot selection exercise – pros and cons of options for a procumbens juniper
After receiving so much feedback relating to a pot for this juniper, I thought I’d say a bit about what I like and don’t like about each option. Before getting started, however, I’ll mention my plans for the tree’s future. Currently the foliage is very heavy for such a slender trunk. To bring the silhouette into […]
Pot selection exercise – procumbens juniper
The very last bonsai I repotted this season was a procumbens juniper. I knew finding a pot for the tree would be tricky because I remember struggling to find a good option three years ago when the tree was last repotted. Here are the eleven options I came up with based on what I have in the […]
How to fertilize black pine bonsai
Fertilizing black pine bonsai is pretty straight forward. For any given black or red pine, I first determine the tree’s stage of development. If a tree is young and I’m focusing on increasing the size of the trunk, I follow one path. If the trunk has reached the desired size and I’m focusing on increasing branch […]