Sometimes the reasons why we decandle pine bonsai can get lost in the discussion of how we decandle. In short, decandling is the single-most important technique used to develop beautiful pine bonsai. Black pine exhibited at the 2011 Taikan-ten Why decandle red and black pine bonsai? To stimulate back budding. The stress caused by removing […]
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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 of these approaches have merit. As we go into this year’s decandling season, I’d like make a few comments on the topic in as straightforward a fashion as possible. My starting […]
Ficus bonsai – more cutback
If any one tree in my collection deserves the moniker “project tree,” it’s likely my ficus. When I wanted healthy roots I let the branches run. Now that I want to stimulate new branches I cut back hard. Ficus before cutback Ficus after That’s it for the time being – another round of growth and […]
Yaupon holly – before and after
For the past few years, I’ve been refining a Yaupon holly with an eye toward showing it at an upcoming Bay Island Bonsai exhibit. It’s now one of my better candidates for our upcoming 15th anniversary exhibit. Yaupon holly – front Right side The work at this stage involves letting new shoots run for a […]
Large cryptomeria air layer – part 2
Sixteen months into a layering project for a large cryptomeria, it was time to separate the layer (see “Large cryptomeria air layer – part 1“). September 2012 – time to make the cut Over the previous nine months, roots had grown to fill the makeshift pot, pushing the soil almost half of an inch above […]