I’ve been enjoying experimenting with the new fertilizers I’m using this summer. Ten days ago I applied Omakase fertilizer cakes to a number of my trees and I’ve already noticed a few things. One of my concerns had been whether or not the cakes would break down quickly as the cakes are very hard out […]
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Developing Yaupon holly bonsai – a tale of when not to cut
Yaupon holly has been on my mind this week. I’m doing a demonstration on one tonight at a club meeting of the American Bonsai Association, Sacramento, and have been collecting notes on their care. Since I began working on Yaupon holly – known formally as Ilex vomitoria – I’ve grown to really appreciate the variety. It’s well […]
Decandling black pine bonsai – an in-depth guide
Now that decandling season is coming to a close, I thought I’d share an overview of the process taken from previous posts. Let’s begin with the obvious question: What is Decandling? There is a lot to say about decandling pine bonsai. There are as many approaches to decandling as there are bonsai professionals, and many […]
What kind of bonsai fertilizer do you use?
I hear the question a lot – “What kind of fertilizer do you use?” The answer is a moving target. So far this year I’ve used various combinations of six different fertilizers. My go-to fertilizers remain cottonseed meal and fish emulsion. They are affordable and they keep my trees healthy. It’s not the cleanest solution nor […]
All about akadama
What is Akadama? Akadama is a fundamental component of bonsai soil. It is used throughout Japan as a potting medium for both bonsai and general gardening purposes. More and more, it is used around the world in the cultivation of bonsai. The term akadama is Japanese for the words “red” – the color of the […]