I always love this time of year, because a lot of my trees have been repotted and/or restyled. I feel great satisfaction visualising the next step in development for each tree as I work on it. Some have been transferred from a training pot to a bonsai pot and some have been reshaped by wire […]
It’s been pleasant to have a dry, although cold, start to winter, and I’ve been able to commence repotting my deciduous bonsai, as I’m sure many of you have too. Some of the species you should be working on include crabapples, maples, elms, wisteria, liquidambars, flowering prunus of all types, deciduous conifers and ashes. Bear
Our autumn in Sydney had some fairly cold days, forecasting the fact that winter was coming, and is, in fact, now here. With the sun moving lower in the sky during the colder months, you may need to move your trees around to get more direct sun. Keep frost tender trees under protection if frosts
Autumn is well and truly on us now, with cooler nights and crisp mornings. We’ve had a lot of showery weather of late, so watering thirsty trees has probably not been a priority like it is in summer. Keep your bonsai in full sun if possible at this time, as this, combined with cooler nights,
While the weather remains warm, it’s a good time to repot many species, particularly evergreens like pyracantha, cotoneasters, olives and star jasmine etc. Recently repotted trees will need protection if the nights suddenly become cold within the first couple of weeks after repotting. You should leave any recent growth on deciduous species for now, waiting
Late February has been a lovely time for working on our bonsai, with a return to warm and pleasant sunshine and occasional rain. The days are still warm, so keep up with the watering and feeding, taking particular care if it’s windy, as this can dry out the potting media very quickly. Keep an eye
We had a very slow start to summer, but there have finally been some hot days in January. I for one am glad that the forecast of a lot of rain didn’t eventuate, as many of my trees struggle to receive enough light at even the best of times, because of where my collection is
Summer is a very busy time for the bonsai enthusiast. For many species, spring growth will continue and one must be diligent with keeping vigorous trees trimmed to encourage short internodes. The weather has been very windy lately and I have spent this afternoon pruning back long spring growth on my trees, not only for
During November spring growth will continue, and one must be mindful of keeping vigorous trees trimmed to encourage short internodes and an improved design. Fast growing trees can be trimmed back to two leaves per branchlet, whilst less vigorous to four leaves. Australian natives can be pruned relatively hard after flowering. Because of the cool
It has been a slow start to spring, with frequent rain (not unusual this year) and cooler temperatures. However, be mindful that watering should now be done daily, unless rain occurs. Check after a downpour that the soil is moist and the rain has penetrated the soil, as showers combined with wind may mean that
