Mid-May is when I usually begin working on my deciduous bonsai. If a tree has grown well, I’ll reduce the new shoots to 2-4 leaves and wire any branches that need adjusting. An ume in my garden has been growing vigorously this year. It’s time for cutback. Ume It was hard for me to see […]
Ume
Fall cutback on ume bonsai
Here’s a brief update on an ume I’ve been working on since losing the top branches. After letting the tree grow freely through the growing season, now’s a good time for some cutback. Before cutback – side A Before cutback – side B The goal at this point is to develop the basic branch structure. […]
Making a big cut on an ume bonsai
I’ve had this ume bonsai for a long time. Several years ago, the tree lost all but a single branch due to fungus. The branch survived, and I’ve been letting the tree grow freely so it can regain some vigor. Now that the tree is strong again, it’s time for some cutback. Semi-cascade ume One […]
Ume at Kokufu 90
The Japanese flowering apricot below was displayed at this year’s Kokufu exhibit in Tokyo’s Ueno park. Ume – Japanese flowering apricot When deciding whether or not to accept ume bonsai for display at Kokufu, the judges consider the odds that the tree will bloom during the exhibit. If a flowering bonsai shows up a few weeks […]
Bonsai museum at Shinpukuji Temple
Adjacent to the Shimpukuji Temple in Okazaki, one can visit a very fine bonsai museum. A rotating selection of trees fills both indoor and outdoor displays. When the ume bloom, they fill the indoor display area. I like ume because they capture some very important aspects of bonsai. The bark shows great age. The flowers, […]
