Last year I grew a batch of azaleas that had recently been bare-rooted. To help the trees get established, I let them grow freely all year. By fall they were healthy and full of new leaves. Normally I like to thin azaleas in fall, but because I wanted these trees to continue growing vigorously, I […]
Pruning
Fall cutback on stewartia
As the weather has started to cool where I live, leaves are now falling from some of the deciduous trees in my garden. This is the perfect time for fall pruning. Stewartia monadelpha I first remove the dead leaves so I can get a better view of the branches. After removing the leaves With a […]
Timing for fall pruning
Here’s a simple guide for determining when to prune deciduous trees in fall: prune when foliage shows fall color but before the leaves drop. Porcelain berry ready for fall pruning The timing doesn’t need to be exact, but there are a few things to keep in mind. If the foliage is still green, the tree […]
Initial styling on a Rocky Mountain juniper
I’ve been looking at a Rocky Mountain juniper in my garden for the last three years. The trunk is fairly straight, but there is interesting deadwood on one side. Rocky Mountain juniper – side A Side B Although it was a while before I knew what I wanted to do with the tree, I’d set […]
Bonsai Development Series #8: Removing unnecessary branches
When developing material for bonsai, it’s best to avoid creating straight trunks and branches. Many varieties, however, naturally produce straight growth. This gives us two options: cut or wire. Cutting is often preferable to wiring as cuts can be used to create taper and angular movement. Wiring has its place too as it’s a quick […]