Repotting is almost finished for this spring. Today I looked at a Japanese Red Pine. It didn’t need repotting this year but really needed some shaping so I allocated some time to pruning and shaping. It’s still definitely a work in progress despite being quite old. I’m still not convinced that the smallest trunk is good design but it’s harder to put back than to cut off so it stays until I’ve come to a firm conclusion.
The hour or so I put in only got as far as removing some surplus branches and wiring the right trunk branches. There’s still plenty to do on this one – when I get some more spare time.
Unfortunately I don’t have any JRP for sale at this stage. Seed is extremely hard to get here in Australia. I have managed to strike a few cuttings but they get snapped up as soon as someone finds out I have them. I planted some trees in our paddock with the view to harvesting seed as they mature. They’ve both produced cones for the last 2 years but the few seeds in those cones have all been empty. Frustrating, but that’s sometimes what working with plants can do.
I do have plenty of Japanese Black Pines but only small seedlings and a couple of larger, field grown trees. That’s another hard to get species now, so they tend to sell quicker than I can grow them.
Spring seems to have come to Shibui Bonsai a bit earlier this year. This crab apple took centre stage at a BSV bonsai show in October about 25 or 30 years ago. Now it’s flowering in early September a full month earlier.
Spring provides those of us in cooler Australian climates with a reward after months of cold and bare trees as the deciduous species begin to waken and push new leaves. i find it interesting that the trees don’t all grow at the same time. These trident maples are all growing within a few metres of each other and receive almost identical care but are progressing at quite different rates.
The shohin sized bonsai are also waking. 3 trident maples and a crab apple.
Please note that none of the trees shown here are for sale. Many of them have taken me 30 years or more to develop. I’m happy to sell pre bonsai and starters but I don’t want to spend another 30 years replacing these ones.
For those who do want an advanced bonsai I have a few older trees that I no longer have space or time for. If you want a special tree contact neil@shibuibonsai.com.au
Managed to get another 30 JBP seedlings potted up today.
These seedlings were left over from last Spring. They’ve been siting in the seed tray all last summer and through the winter. Very crowded so they have not grown much but will still be OK to pot up.
After separating the seedlings we end up with something like this.
Because we are growing bonsai we want good nebari. That means removing any deeper roots so these trees will concentrate root growth on lateral roots. No need to be scared, seedlings are programmed to grow roots so we can cut seedling roots fearlessly. Often i cut roots much harder than shown here.
Pine seedlings generally have few side shoots as they prefer to grow tall and straight. If left as they are that will produce a long, bare trunk. There’s a few techniques to overcome that natural tendency. Today I’ve decided to wire and bend some of the seedlings which will reduce the effective length of that lower trunk as well as giving the future trunk some bends.
You may have noticed I have not updated here for some time. I’ve been spending too much time on other projects but have resolved to post here more often. Lets just see how long that resolution lasts.
Spring has definitely sprung earlier than usual here at Shibui Bonsai The trident maples are starting to open buds and my bonsai crab apple has flowers opening. Maybe some pictures of that in a few days at peak flower.
The deciduous trees have been dug from the grow beds, pruned and assessed. trees for sale are now potted and the trunks that were not yet ready to sell have been replanted for another year of growth.
Today I potted up some Japanese black pine seedlings. These are left over from last spring and have been crowded together in a seed tray all last summer. I’m sure they will be much happier with some space to stretch out their roots.
I also dug the first of the Shimpaku junipers and potted it into a 30cm orchid pot.
ShimpakuAfter 15 minutes with the shovel.roots prunedTop reducedTied into the orchid pot to stabilise the tree.All done.
While some growers transplant with as much soil on the roots as possible, garden soil can cause problems in a pot so I prefer to get rid of field soil right at the start. My transplants still seem to recover well. Junipers seem to recover from root pruning much better when they have active growing tips so it is important to keep some of the branches intact. You can see in the photos that I have reduced the top by removing some redundant branches but still retained plenty to help the tree recover.
Junipers are slower to recover from transplant than the deciduous trees so these junipers won’t be available for sale until February or March. By then it should be clear which are growing well and any that have not coped with the trauma of transplant.
The trees that were transplanted from the grow beds last winter have grown well and the new roots should be strong enough for them to cope with the posties now. Most have already had one haircut.
I spent last week dodging storms and rain to get photos and the new catalogues are now uploaded to the catalogue page. Feel free to browse and see if anything takes your fancy this year.
As most of will now be aware, Spring has come a bit earlier this year. The trident maples hear at Shibui Bonsai have already begun to leaf out. We know that it is safe to dig, root prune and ship bare root tridents while they are dormant but having leaves puts a lot more stress on these trees. Spring budding means an end to the Shibui Bonsai bare root winter sales.
Trees in pots are a much safer bet for beginners and experienced growers alike as the roots are already well established in the pots. Shibui Bonsai has an extensive selection of trident maples and other bonsai species in pots. Select from a range of sizes, shapes and prices from $10 through to around $300. Email neil@shibuibonsai.com.au and let me know what species, sizes and shapes you want to consider. I’m happy to take some photos of trees that may match your needs so you can select the right tree(s) for your project.
Spring has arrived earlier than usual at Shibui Bonsai. Tridents are growing leaves and flowering species that are usually in full flower for shows in October are already opening. As a result I’ve had to get potting up and repotting deciduous species done quicker than usual. I’m still repotting any pines and junipers that need doing this spring as they don’t seem to mind root pruning a bit later than the deciduous species.
Prunus ‘Elvins’ puts on a massed display of blossom which makes it a favourite of gardeners and bonsai growers. This is one that came out of the grow beds 12 months ago so now well established in the pot.
The pot is 20 cm diameter. For scale I’ve put my hand in the pic.
There’s also a couple of other Prunus ‘Elvins’ still available for sale.
Like many species, Prunus glandulosa has a range of common names – Dwarf almond, Chinese Bush Cherry, Chinese plum. It comes in pink and white forms but both have lovely double flowers. Unfortunately this species doesn’t grow a thick trunk but can be used for shohin sized bonsai.
Not sure what variety this azalea is but it has quite small flowers and smaller leaves which makes it great for smaller bonsai. This one is NOT FOR SALE but I do have some younger plants of the same variety if you would like to grow something similar.
On the sales tables, deciduous trees are opening new leaves for the coming growing season. New Spring growth is always something to look forward to as we come out of the grey days of winter.
Even the newly potted transplants are fast putting on leaves. These won’t be ready to travel for a few months but look out for new catalogues in November or December as usual.
Pictured below: New Root over Rock trident maples; Prunus ‘Elvins’; Crab apple ‘Profusion’; collected cherry plum and collected hawthorn and a few of the newly transplanted trident maples.
There are still some good trees from last season’s offering for those who don’t want to wait. I recently updated most to the catalogues to show what’s still here. click HERE for the Shibui Bonsai catalogue page We can post trees to Vic, SA, NSW and Qld customers. Post prices vary according to destination, size and weight so let me know your postcode when asking about a tree so I can calculate delivery cost for you.
I’m sure many beginners are concerned about purchasing bare root trees and having them delivered through the mail so some of you may be more interested in some trident maple trunks that are already established in pots.
These are some of the XL and XXL bare root tridents that were left after last year’s winter bare root sale so I potted up some of the nicer trunks. That means these have had a full year to grow new roots and re-establish in the pots ready for whatever projects you’d like to try with them. Some might need another trunk chop to establish a better trunk line, others are ready to start growing branching this summer.
Delivery for some of these will be a little more than the bare root equivalent but generally a single pot doesn’t change the post price much. As usual, I’m happy to provide a delivery price quote before you commit to purchase. Please supply a mailing address or at least a postcode because post rates depend on what Auspost zone you are in.
Shibui Bonsai also has plenty of smaller trident and Japanese maples in smaller 11 cm pots as well as a good range of other bonsai species. email neil@shibuibonsai.com.au to order or enquire about your next bonsai starters.
I tackled some bigger garden grown trident seedlings today. Thicker roots so these took a bit more time and effort to extract than the smaller ones I usually offer.
After they are out of the ground and roots separated from each other the trunks and roots need to be trimmed
Trident trunks like this are still available bare root – until the new shoots start to open. Prices from $15 through to $30 for these XXL bare root tridents depending on how good the root base, trunk taper and trunk bends. This one priced at $20 as an indication.
XL trunks are a bit thinner, usually around finger thick – that’s about 1.5-3cm thick at the base – and priced at $10 – $15 each depending on quality as above.
As shown, XL and XXL tridents are usually tall and thin. They are good for larger groups as is but can be trunk chopped and grown on to create trunks will have good taper in a few years.
There are a small number that already have forks in the trunk which will give a natural point to chop for taper and for trunk bends. $30 for trunks like this one with good roots and a natural fork for trunk reduction. Not many of these so get in quick before they are sold.
Some have lots of side branches. Expect to pay $20 for a trunk like this. Only while stocks last.
More details of Shibui Bonsai winter seedling offer
Small tridents are up to around 3mm thick near the base. They will generally be from 20-30cm tall as shown here. Some have good lateral roots while others may have few. The good news is that tridents survive with very few roots and can easily grow more. Just snip the tap root short and plant them Next year you’ll be amazed at how many new roots have emerged and grown. Small tridents $1 each
Some customers plan to wire the trunks and make lots of twists and bends as potential shohin and mame sized bonsai. If that’s your plan please tell me and I’ll specially select thinner, more flexible stems which should allow for better bends with less unwanted snaps. From experience there’s no point trying to put tight bends into thicker maple trunks. They rapidly get hard and brittle so larger trunks snap rather than bending well.
Medium tridents are roughly 3mm through to 6mm thick. Again, some will have lots of roots like these and others will have just a few. $2 each. Medium and larger seedlings may have the roots roughly trimmed to make it easier to wrap the roots. Trunks will usually be chopped at around 30-40 cm tall for packing.
Large trident seedlings are from 6mm (around pencil thickness) up to 10mm (almost small finger thick) $5 each
Small Japanese maples $2 each. The Japanese maples are slower growing so the trunks tend to be a but shorter than similar thickness tridents. Some may only be 8-10 cm tall but most will be around 15cm. $2 each for smaller Japanese maples due to slower growth, higher demand and limited numbers.
Any Japanese maples thicker than around 3mm are $5 each. These are mostly 2-3 years old now. There’s not so many of these so only available while stocks last.
Quite a few of the seedlings have had to grow through mulch and other plants which often gives the trunks natural bends and twists. I normally separate out bent trunks so if you fancy growing some small, twisted maples just ask. Same prices listed above depending on trunk thickness.
I’ve just come across a patch of super small Japanese maple seedlings. These have grown in tougher conditions. They are still a full year old but much shorter. That means closer internodes on the existing trunk which should work well when developing smaller sized bonsai. $20 for a bundle of 20 seedlings. Available in either straighter or bent trunks.
Also available:
XL and XXL tridents – These tridents were hiding last year when I culled so are now 2-3 years old. Trunks from 2cm -5 cm thick near the base will give you a head start on growing larger trees. Be aware that these larger tridents have grown quickly and have very little trunk taper. The necessary trunk chop will leave quite a large scar though tridents heal rapidly if they are allowed to grow freely again in the year or 2 after the chop As untrained seedlings they may have good radial roots or not. I’m happy to send photos of potential XL and XXL if you want to see before committing to the purchase.
Forest packs – Bundles of different thickness trident trunks specially selected to make starter group plantings. Forest pack typically consists of 2 large, 6 medium and 6 small trident seedlings at just $20 each. See this post Trident maple group planting for my tips and techniques to build your own group from a Shibui Bonsai forest pack.
All winter seedlings are sent bare root. That means no soil but don’t worry. While they are dormant your maple seedlings won’t even know. Roots are packed in wet newspaper or damp sawdust so the roots don’t dry out, then wrapped in a plastic bag to retain moisture while they travel and packed in a cardboard box to protect them while in transit. Seedlings can travel for up to 2 weeks this way with no ill effects. When your package arrives, open the bag and check that the packing is still damp. Add a little water if required. Bare root plants can be stored for several months if necessary. They will eb fine in the plastic bag for a few days but for longer term storage – dig a hole in the garden and cover the roots with soil or place the roots in a suitable sized container and cover the roots with damp soil, sand or potting mix and they will be fine until you get round to dealing with them. Obviously the sooner you pot up your new Shibui Bonsai seedlings the better but provided the roots don’t get dry the seedlings can be stored this way until leaves start to open in spring.
Don’t forget if you don’t think you have the time or patience to grow your bonsai from small seedlings Shibui Bonsai has lots of more advanced trees in pots. Prices starting at just $10 and up depending on age, trunk shape and branching.
Make sure you include your mailing address when you order so I can calculate post costs to get your order delivered right to your door.
