The transition from spring to summer marks the middle of decandling season, the time of year when we remove spring shoots from black pines to produce more compact summer growth. If a tree is healthy and received a lot of fertilizer in spring, it’s a good candidate for decandling. Based on this criteria, the black […]
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Spring cutback
When deciduous varieties get shaggy in Spring, it’s often a good indicator that it’s time for cutback. To keep these trees strong, I generally cutback to 3 or 4 buds and only remove growth in strong areas. A small number of cuts can make a big difference in appearance. Plum – early May Plum – […]
Matt Reel bonsai program at Bay Island Bonsai
After an incredible 8 years studying with Shinji Suzuki in Obuse, Japan, Matt Reel has returned to the US as a bonsai professional. Matt with recently styled Western juniper I first met Matt in 2009 – 3 years into his apprenticeship – on a visit to Suzuki’s garden (see “Taikan Bonsai Museum“). Already his work […]
The twistiest of junipers
This is the first juniper I fell for on my previous visit to Meiss Meadow. Twisty Sierra juniper It’s one of the twistiest specimens I know of. The deadwood is great. Deadwood detail From some angles it’s difficult to tell if the trunk line is coming or going. So many twists How large is this […]
Spectacular Sierra junipers
Among my favorite trees in nature is this Sierra juniper. Spectacular Sierra juniper The tree sits on a throne facing East where it enjoys limited protection from the wind. It gives evidence to a protracted and tortuous existence. How big is it? Standing on the rock behind the tree for perspective Pretty big. The deadwood […]