I was struck, at the recent Redwood Empire Bonsai Society’s 27th annual show, how the trunk of each bonsai set the tone for the rest of the tree. The roots, branches, and foliage each take their cue from the trunk, and if there is too big a difference in quality between any one of these elements […]
Search Results for: pine
Redwood Empire Bonsai Society – 27th Annual Show
The Redwood Empire Bonsai Society held their 27th annual show this past weekend in Santa Rosa, California. As always, the large show drew large crowds. Kathy Shaner’s demonstrations highlighted each day’s events, and the club’s large vendor area kept visitors engaged. A number of new trees made it into the exhibit this year, and particular […]
Summer Soji
Summer is not the most interesting time of year in the bonsai calendar. The trees rarely look their best, and it’s too hot for them to grow much. They do, however, require a lot of water this time of year. We essentially had our entire summer last week – 4 days over 90° F – […]
Daisaku Nomoto bonsai critique
It always feels good to be a member of Bay Island Bonsai. This week it feels great. Bonsai professional Daisaku Nomoto of Miyazaki, Japan, provided the program for this month’s meeting. It was a critique – members were invited to bring trees for comment and some minor re-working. Turned out to be a great evening. […]
Why decandle?
There are many techniques for developing Japanese black pine bonsai: pinching, plucking, and pruning among them. All are necessary, but none do the work of decandling. I’m surprised each year at how well decandling balances vigor, improves ramification, and reduces needle size. I began caring for a cork bark Japanese black pine in 2004. After […]