I was surprised to find yellow banding on a few of my pines this fall. It’s not something I’ve seen much of in my garden over the years so it caught my attention when small yellow patches appeared. Yellow banding on black pine needles The overall health of the needles is good, and the damage […]
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BDS #19: Encouraging interior buds on young red pines
After more than twenty years of growing pine bonsai from seed, I noticed a big difference between red and black pines this year. Red pines are harder. Specifically, red pines are less likely to develop small shoots in the tree’s interior that can be used to create primary branches after thickening the trunk. Here’s an […]
Fall clean-up on shohin satsuki azalea
Fall is a good time to thin satsuki azaleas that filled in over summer. Shohin satsuki azalea – ‘Hanabin’ Doing this work lets light into the tree’s interior and makes it easy to spray for thrips, lace bugs, or any other insects that feed on satsuki foliage. The work is simple: remove unnecessary shoots, reduce […]
Bonsai Development Series #18: Timing cutback to support development goals
I’ve often sat in front of trees and wondered if it’s a good time to prune or if I’m better off waiting. Even when the trade-offs are clear, it can be difficult to figure out the best approach year after year in a young tree’s life. One of the best ways to overcome this is […]
Highlights from Yamato Bonsai Kai’s 48th annual exhibition
Last weekend the Yamato Bonsai Kai held their 48th annual exhibition in Union City, California. For those unfamiliar with the club, Yamato Bonsai Kai is a “sensei club” – a club with a designated teacher. Since 1976, Yoneo “Johnny” Uchida, proprietor of Grove Way Bonsai Nursery, has been the club sensei. Johnny displayed some of […]