I was happy to start working on a field-grown pine earlier this week. Long spring candles and healthy green needles suggested that the tree was strong enough to decandle, so the work started there (thanks for the help, Max!). We also removed some branches that were too large to use in the final design. Here’s […]
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Decandling a cascade black pine in two stages
Decandling is a pruning technique where spring growth is removed to stimulate a second flush of growth over summer. The basic technique can be an effective way to produce dense foliage on black and red pines, and there are several variations that can help us balance vigor between weak and strong branches at the same […]
Spring cutback on ume
Although the basics of spring maintenance stay the same from year to year, I’ll often make adjustments based on how the tree is growing. My standard approach to pruning ume, for example, is to cut every branch back to two or three new buds. Here’s a look at the result of last year’s cutback. Ume […]
Identifying the right time for spring cutback
Last year, I pruned and partially defoliated the Korean hornbeam below in early June. The timing was just about right for the work as each shoot had a moderate amount of new growth (see “Spring maintenance” for details). This year the tree grew more vigorously – likely a result of being repotted – and was […]
Review: Kimura Masterclass from Bonsai Empire
Bonsai Empire’s newest online course features the best known name in bonsai: Masahiko Kimura. The course was filmed last fall at Kimura’s garden about one hour outside of Tokyo. Here’s what you need to know. Format The course features a pine demo, a rock planting, an interview, and footage of Kimura’s public (front) and private […]