I’ve seen signs, recently, that some of trees in my garden are staying too wet. What does this look like? On pines I might see yellow at the base of the needles. On junipers, new shoots may extend too far or mature growth may turn juvenile. In a few cases, I’ve spotted signs of damage […]
Watering
Summer watering tip
Have you ever found that some trees dry out a lot faster than others this time of year? It happens a lot in my garden, on old trees and young trees alike. One thing that can cause this is not watering thoroughly. Sometimes, I’ll water a tree three or four times only to dig down […]
How to lower the pH of your water to keep bonsai healthy
I found out that the pH of my water can get pretty high a long time ago. It’s not too bad when it’s in the lower ranges, but it definitely needs attention when it creeps into the higher ranges – which it did this summer. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water […]
The effect of fertilizer on water pH
A hidden benefit of many fertilizers is their ability to lower the pH of the water. Had I kept this in mind this past spring, my trees would be a lot greener today. Looking back on my fertilizing habits, I shouldn’t have been surprised that my pines remained yellow despite repeated fertilizer applications. I changed […]
Signs of overwatering black pine bonsai
About a month ago, I noticed some of my pines turning yellow near the base of the needles. Yellowing pine needles I rarely see this in my older pines, but it sometimes shows up in the younger trees in my garden. It’s a common sign that the trees are staying too wet between waterings. After […]