One of my favorite things about working on trees I’ve had for a long time is that the work is straightforward. My normal pattern is to spend the first few years of a tree’s time in my garden getting it healthy. Once the tree is healthy, I can spend the next few years doing any […]
Black Pine
Tracking down banding symptoms in black pine
I was surprised to find yellow banding on a few of my pines this fall. It’s not something I’ve seen much of in my garden over the years so it caught my attention when small yellow patches appeared. Yellow banding on black pine needles The overall health of the needles is good, and the damage […]
Bonsai Development Series #18: Timing cutback to support development goals
I’ve often sat in front of trees and wondered if it’s a good time to prune or if I’m better off waiting. Even when the trade-offs are clear, it can be difficult to figure out the best approach year after year in a young tree’s life. One of the best ways to overcome this is […]
Diagnosing root rot in black and red pine bonsai
For years, I’ve spotted unhealthy shoots on black and red pines and wondered about the cause. Unhealthy foliage on black pine The main symptoms are discoloration – primarily yellow foliage – and deformed needles. The problem affects young trees and old trees alike. On more refined trees, I see short, twisty, needles like in the […]
Bonsai Development Series #17: Thin foliage to preserve interior shoots
Generating new shoots on Japanese black pines is easy. If a healthy tree is pruned, you can expect lots of new growth. Over time, however, crowded shoots can prevent light from reaching the tree’s interior. When this happens, the interior shoots we rely on for future primary branches can die off. The best way to […]