After pruning broadleaf evergreens in summer, you may see lots of small shoots emerging close to the places that were cut. I usually let these grow a bit before thinning them in fall, but this year I’m removing all of the buds that I don’t plan to use and shortening the buds that are already […]
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Post-bloom thinning satsuki azalea
When healthy satsuki finish blooming, it’s a great time to thin trees that have grown dense. Normally this work happens earlier in the growing season but I didn’t get to it on time and I know that the dense foliage will weaken interior growth and invite insects if I wait any longer to prune. Here’s […]
Should I fertilize my decandled pines in summer?
To determine if a decandled pine needs fertilizer in summer, I check to see how the summer buds look. If they’re strong, I hold off on the fertilizer until later in the growing season (usually September or October). If the buds are modest or small, I consider whether or not the pine looks good in […]
Setting up redwoods for bonsai work: step 0
Before getting to the pruning, wiring, and styling steps, I like to get trees healthy before working on them. For coast redwoods, this usually means repotting and giving them a year or two to regain vigor before going any further. That was the case for a batch of small redwoods I picked up from Bob […]
Coast redwood development update
Three years ago, I wired a shoot on a coast redwood to create a new trunk on a multi-trunk composition (see “Coast redwood cutback” for details). The shoot grew well, and it’s now time to cut it back. Coast redwood – before cutback After cutback – 31″ to the top of the cone-shaped trunk The […]