Remove any weeds, moss, fallen leaves and debris from the soil surface. Study the structure of the branches and then cut out any crossing branches and shorten the long branches to instigate more branching (ramification) in spring. Remove the tree from the pot and survey the root system. Using a small bonsai rake, scrape from […]
Being the first month of winter means it’s the first of three ‘bench sprays’ with diluted lime sulphur over the next three months. I like to do any spraying on the first weekend of the month. That way I remember to do the task and it just becomes part of the winter monthly routine. Mix
Towards the end of 2022, BSA was fortunate to have Evan Marsh give a demonstration on growing Shohin bonsai. Evan is well known for his prize winning Shohin and has studied with Koji Hiramatsu who is an expert Shohin grower and board member and instructor for the All-Japan Shohin- Bonsai Association. Shohin are small bonsai.
Nine members attended our workshop last month and had an interesting time doing Root over Rock figs. Some trees created at last year’s Root over Rock workshop had their roots exposed to check on progress. Of these, a few needed adjustments in their position on the rock, roots trimmed or more sphagnum moss added. They
I have a fetish about putting all my trees into bonsai pots, even the trees in early training that don’t begin to deserve a dedicated pot. My benches are just outside my dining room and kitchen windows so you can see the trees all the time, and they simply look nicer in nice pots. But
This is a great time to bring tropical species such as figs to work on. Root pruning and styling are both possible, so make sure you bring everything you’ll need if you want to spend your evening developing your figs. Pruning the foliage and styling of your deciduous trees and conifers is also appropriate during
Don’t we all have pots like this or am I just weird? One of the downsides (?) of being a bonsai enthusiast is the tendency to collect pots for which you have no tree, not now, often never. This translates to a pot collection greater than the number of trees you have. Still, you won’t
June is a busy month at the NBPCA with a large portion of our deciduous trees requiring structural pruning now that the leaves have fallen. Any deciduous tree that bleeds sap heavily requires its structural pruning done as soon as the leaves have fallen. Japanese and trident maples are first up. Deciduous trees that are
Well known for her very beautiful kusamono and kokodama, Young Choe has a deep interest in moss and is a member of a moss identification group along with Zach Stanley, a bryologist from the Pacific Bonsai Museum. In this workshop, she and Zach explained mosses, their identification, collection and cultivation. It was most interesting, even
Have this charming little privet, all of 16 cm high. The trunk has great movement, showy roots and a mushroom top. What more can you ask for? The problem was, the roots were getting too big and the top had nowhere to go/grow. There was bar branching but it wasn’t in your face so it
