Last weekend, Bay Island Bonsai held its 11th annual exhibit in Pleasanton, CA. It was a huge success. After 10 years of hosting our exhibit in Hayward, we were uncertain about switching venues. Turns out this was our top-attended event. Thanks to all who visited and all who helped. I’ll be writing a number of […]
Black Pine
Repotting a Japanese black pine
Boon asked me to post an example of repotting a tree into a two-hole pot – my small pine is a good candidate. Here’s the rootball after removing it from the pot. Before root-work – one year of growth I was conservative with the root-work as I had yet to determine which pot would be […]
Pot selection redux
There are a number of things to consider when selecting a bonsai pot – especially when preparing a tree for exhibit. The pot needs to blend into the composition, but depending on the exhibit, this could entail very different criteria. Garish glazes might be appropriate in a show that focuses on containers. More subtle selections […]
Show pots
When a tree is ready for exhibit – needles plucked, wires wired – it’s time to select a show pot. In Japan, it’s common for bonsai professionals to repot bonsai into show pots so they look their best during an exhibit. For some of the more prestigious shows, bonsai owners rent pots for exhibit. Shortly […]
More pine cone technique
[8/16/16 – See the updated and expanded version: How to grow Japanese black pine from seed] After picking and prepping your pine cones, sunshine, when available, and dry air, work to open the cones. With good weather, which we’ve had in spades lately, this only takes a few days. When you remove the open cones […]