I acquired a number of field-grown shimpaku junipers earlier this year. Most are growing well. Healthy juniper The best signs of health, in this case, are the green color and the handful of elongating shoots at the ends of the upper branches. Vigorous shoot Here’s another healthy juniper that produced a lot of growth this […]
Watering
Spring watering tips
Spring is my favorite time of year in the garden. It’s also a rather challenging season when it comes to watering. Without checking the soil, it can be hard to tell how much water a tree needs at a glance. Take, for example, the two young junipers below. Cutting-grown kishu shimpaku For the past week, I’ve been […]
How to tell when something is wrong with your bonsai
Even when you water and fertilize properly and keep your bonsai in a location appropriate for their health, problems can arise. Insects, disease, poor drainage or short periods of neglect can stress bonsai and cause trees to weaken. Working on stressed trees, whether wiring or cutting back, can cause further stress. This may sound funny, […]
How to evaluate bonsai water needs
Once you’ve determined that a given species can thrive in your area and you’ve found a spot in the garden well-suited to its development, the next order of business is determining the tree’s water needs. At a basic level, determining water needs is simple. Dig down into the soil to where roots are growing and […]
Spring watering for recently repotted trees
Last week, Michael Hagedorn offered some great advice about watering recently repotted trees in spring: To sum up, only read the moisture level where there are roots to determine when to water. – from Spring Watering Tip I’ve found Michael’s suggestion useful for many of the trees in my garden this year. Cryptomeria Looking at […]