Earlier this year I grafted a few cork bark scions onto 3-year old black pines (see “Creating cork bark black pine“). As the new shoots inside the grafting bags began to harden off, I opened the bags a big to prevent the foliage from rotting. A few weeks later I removed the tape shading the […]
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Accent plant clean-up
About this time of year, I look through the garden to see if any of my accent plants are candidates for upcoming exhibits. With luck, I’ll find a few. If not, I may put a few together so they’ll have time to grow before they’re needed. Most look somewhat rangy in fall but clean up […]
Graft after-care
This past spring, I grafted shimpaku foliage onto a Utah juniper (see “Grafting Utah juniper”). While getting the grafts right is important, I’ve learned from past experience that the after-care is just as important. Some simple takeaways – don’t open the bags too quickly; open a little bit at a time; leave the tie at […]
And if I don’t make a square cut?
I’ve written on a number of occasions, and you’ve doubtless read here and elsewhere, that when decandling black or red pine bonsai it is important to make a square cut (see “Decandling black pine – making the cut”). Square cut Until recently, however, I’d seen little evidence that the long end of a slanted cut […]
Hinoki air-layer follow-up 1
This past spring I layered two large hinoki cypress (see “Hinoki Air Layer”). I was unsure of the project’s success when I started and I remain uncertain today. The results so far are mixed. Tree #1 Tree #2 Tree #2 layer What accounts for the difference? The layers were done at about the same time […]