I started working on a shohin Japanese maple about a year and a half ago. Here’s what it looked like at the end of 2016. Shohin Japanese maple The first order of business was repotting. I found the tree didn’t have a lot of roots so I was expecting it to grow slowly. And as […]
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An alternative approach to repotting trees in development
For young trees growing in colanders, a repot isn’t always necessary when the roots run out of space. Here’s an overview of an alternative approach in two photos. Red pine in 6″ colander After nesting the colander within a larger colander The theory behind this approach is that large roots are less likely to develop […]
2018 Gateway to Bonsai – exhibit highlights
The American Bonsai Society and the Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis hosted Gateway to Bonsai this past weekend in Collinsville, Illinois. The event drew visitors from all over the country – and a few from outside the U.S. – who enjoyed a good selection of workshops, seminars, and demonstrations. In between the scheduled events, attendees had […]
Thinning a red pine forest
In general, I treat red and black pines the same. This doesn’t, however, mean that the trees respond the same to the same work. Black pines are generally the more predictable of the two varieties. After decandling, I can expect between one and three shoots per branch in all but the strongest areas where it’s […]
Protecting bonsai from hail damage
Here’s a topic I never planned to address – protecting bonsai from hail damage. As most readers know far better than I do, hail can quickly damage bonsai – especially deciduous varieties with foliage that has yet to harden off. Upon realizing that it was hailing yesterday morning, I ran outside and grabbed my smaller […]