With longer summer days and temperatures in excess of 40C several days in a row the pressure is really on watering and watering properly. With the dry weather I start to notice the areas on the benches that don’t get full coverage from the watering system as a few trees start to wilt and leaves brown off. Sensitive trees are moved to areas that recieve a full share of water while drought tolerant species can manage better in the ‘rain shadow’ areas. Continue reading
This question is regularly asked by beginners in bonsai. The answer given is usually along the lines of ‘repotting deciduous species must be done as the buds swell and before the leaves open.’
For many years I have stuck with this repotting rule but recently have started to question its validity. Sure it works but is it entirely accurate? Some new information has indicated that this rule may be far more prescriptive than necessary. Continue reading
Days are substantially longer now and the nights are getting warmer. The trees are feeling it too and have started growing new shoots for the coming season. Continue reading
I really love root over rock style bonsai, especially trident maples. Well established trees have roots that flow over and flatten out to clasp the rock as if the tree has been there for ages. I have been experimenting with ways to develop root over rock bonsai for more than 20 years in an endeavour to produce ever better root over rock plantings. Continue reading
I am seeing the first signs that winter is finishing at Shibui Bonsai. The Chinese elms are the first to bud up and some now have fresh new leaves. A couple of small Chinese elms have also produced new shoots but no sign yet on the older elm bonsai.
Last weekend we hosted another Shibui field grown tree dig.
A few friends came and helped get the trees dug from the growing beds so I could prune roots and tops then assess them to see which are ready to go into pots for sale and which would be better back in the ground for another season of development. As well as working we had time to assess and refine a couple of trees I have in training. Thanks to Joe and Matt for the help again this year.
I was too busy keeping up with the enthusiastic digging team to take photos but Joe has posted an article on his blog –http://nichigobonsai.com/2012/07/30/shibui-bonsai/
I’ll try to remember to post some pics of the trees as I pot up and replant.
Bonsai grow in the confined space of a relatively small pot. The roots of all plants keep growing to renew the active root tips that actually do the work of absorbing watera nd nutrients. After a couple of years these constantly growing roots have so filled the spaces in the potting mix that vital air and water cannot enter the mix and the tree will not stay healthy. It is very important to repot bonsai (and indeed, all potted plants) regularly to keep them healthy. Root pruning does not keep a bonsai small. In fact just the opposite. After rootpruning and repotting in fresh mix with new nutrients and room for new roots to grow we usually see an explosion of growth for the first year. The picture in this post will give a good idea of how I root prune and repot deciduous bonsai. Continue reading
When winter comes the leaves fall from deciduous trees making it much easier to assess the structure and ramification of your bonsai. The branches of a good bonsai should have plenty of sub branches and shoots to make it look like a real tree but if the shoots are a tangled mess the tree does not look its best and inner shoots will gradually die out.
How you prune will depend on the stage your bonsai is at but there are a few points that will help develop and maintain really good branches. Continue reading