Decandling time is a good opportunity to balance vigor between sacrifice branches and the rest of the tree. This is especially true for pines nearing the end of the development phase. Last year I let the sacrifice branches grow on several pines while decandling the lower branches. As a result, the sacrifice branches became overly […]
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Developing field-grown trident maple – taking the next step
Not all field-grown bonsai are ready for refinement work when they come out of the ground. One of my trident maples is a good example of this. Although the trunk has reached the desired thickness, there are a number of steps to take that will set the tree up for refinement down the road. Trident […]
Directional pruning – a tip from Andrew Robson
Andrew Robson was in town last week to deliver a presentation for the Bonsai Society of San Francisco. For those who don’t know Andrew, he recently wrapped up a three-year apprenticeship with Michael Hagedorn in Portland, Oregon. Andrew working on a dwarf quince Andrew is an incredibly talented bonsai professional with a focus on deciduous […]
Coast live oak – initial styling
Back in March I posted photos of several coast live oaks after cutting off all major branches (see “Reducing branches on coast live oak – follow-up“). The trees have grown vigorously since then. So much so, they were ready for their first styling last month. The goal was to select primary branches and begin setting […]
Bonsai displays at the Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show
Shohin bonsai are often displayed vertically to make use of limited exhibit space and to bring small trees closer to eye level. This can lead to interesting arrangements of trees that are often far more complex than the arrangement of larger bonsai on display. The shohin displays below were featured at the recent Bay Area […]