On May 6, 2012, I defoliated my Korean hornbeam. Here is what it looked like after removing the leaves. Defoliated – May 6 (the few leaves in back belong to an escape branch) One of my main goals for defoliating the tree was to expose the interior buds to more light (see Decandling a Korean […]
Search Results for: pine
Decandling projects
In my ongoing effort to develop interior buds on two of my black pines, I tried decandling them in fall almost two years ago. I decandled them again last year, and to really push these trees, I cut them back heavily after decandling. The result has been very vigorous growth and a number of new […]
Decandling season isn’t just for decandling
Decandling season, typically late spring through early summer, can entail a lot more than removing spring growth from pine bonsai. It’s also a great time for removing extra needles, light cutback, and even wiring. Because the timing of the decandling is of some importance, I usually decandle my trees at the appointed times and then […]
A cutback-decandling technique
This past January, I attended a workshop run by Daisaku Nomoto. As I was about to start plucking needles on a young pine, Nomoto recommended I leave some of the oldest needles in place. I asked why, and he suggested the following technique. Many branches on the young pine below have grown vigorously. Even after […]
Basic Bonsai Tools
Part of the fun of visiting large bonsai exhibits is shopping in the vendor area. Sometimes there are hundreds of shiny, new tools for sale. After taking a good look at each, I usually tell myself – or try to anyway – that I have enough for the time being. And sometimes that works. The […]