About a year and a half ago, I started an air layer on a Japanese maple (see “Air layering a Japanese maple“). I checked on the layer’s progress the following winter and found that the wound had produced callus but no roots. I reopened the wound to stimulate root growth and by spring a few […]
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Keeping a root in place
Bonsai regularly provides us with opportunities for creative problem solving. I was impressed, at a recent Bay Island Bonsai workshop, by an effort to keep an errant root close to the stone over which it was growing. The root had separated from the rock a bit so effort was taken to encourage it to stay in place. […]
Signs of health
A friend brought a healthy California juniper to a Bay Island Bonsai workshop last weekend. I don’t think I’d ever seen such a healthy specimen. Healthy California juniper Junipers tell you when they’re ready for wiring and cutback – the shoots at the ends of branches elongate. The most vigorous shoot Although I’ve seen plenty […]
Winter watering
I find watering this time of year to be challenging. Yesterday only about 6 of my trees needed water – the others were fine. Before and after work it is dark out. This morning the hose was frozen and no water would come out. Watering in spring – how nice! In colder areas, trees are moving […]
Refining a 10 year-old pine
Rather than make long term goals for trees, I’ll often make short to medium-term plans based on the current condition of the tree. This is true for many of the black pines I’ve been growing from seed, especially the ones for which I can’t see obvious futures. The pine below is one of these trees. […]