Menu
The winged spindle tree charms with its cork bark and deep crimson foliage There are a number of species in the Euonymus family that have been appreciated as bonsai for a number of years. They are shrubs which holds interest with both the colours and fruit of autumn. Additionally, the…...
The material used here is a Satsuki. It is a twin trunk and there are two apicies, but without a clear and obvious overall direction. The first thing to do will be to determine the front of the tree and work from there.
Leaf reduction helps to protect and to gain more ramification. One important technique to help deciduous trees during the heat of the summer is leaf reduction, or defoliation. This protects the internal branches. Here we look at several techniques that can be used. Partial defoliation and shoot pruning to improve…...
When we acquire plants or young tree material, we plant them in pots to let them develop further to allow them to adjust to growing conditions at home. But what do we do when we need to repot outside the dormant period, or if we see that our tree is…...
How to pollinate flowering bonsai Under the guidance of Hiroki Miura, Japanese popstar Ayaka Yamamoto tries her luck with fruiting fruit-bearing trees. The fruit of a tree is not always produced when it flowers. If left untouched, some species will not produce any fruit at all. Some species are easy…...
Maintenance work on a mountain cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) During summer you need to deal with the dead leaves formed inside the branches of this very dense-growing conifer. They are removed to prevent ‘stuffiness’. This is a mandatory task every year at this time.The appearance of the tree that Ayaka Yamamoto…...
What can autumn in deciduous trees tell you about the health of your bonsai? ‘The hidden life of trees’, a book by Peter Wohlleben, has transformed our views of the way trees work. For Harry Harrington it was a real eye opener. This article is based on his understanding of…...
How to repot small trees in spring Yukio Hirose (Yamato-en) guides you through the principle techniques of repotting deciduous bonsai. According to Yukio, ‘In spring you have the chance to give the tree fresh new soil, clip the roots and keep the tree healthy. The ideal time for repotting is…...
Harry Harrington’s tasks for native bonsai during late autumn With the growing season left long behind, November sees the last of the leaves fall from our deciduous bonsai, as average day temperatures and light levels drop. The daily chore of watering our bonsai collections has almost finished; however, it is…...
During the growing season there is always something to do, even if the bonsai are of a small size. With the guidance of shohin expert, Hiroki Miura (Miura Baijyu-en, Osaka), the Japanese popstar, Ayaka Yamamoto, carries out some maintenance work on projects she did last year. Shoot pinching At the…...
Harry Harrington sums up the tasks for late summer and early autumn July in the Northern Hemisphere sees the last flushes of growth in most of the broadleaf and deciduous trees. After the vigorous growth of spring months and a pause for midsummer, these last flushes of growth are typically…...
Spring is the time that many bonsai shows arrive on the scene. Here are some tips to get your trees prepared. With guidance of Hiroki Miura, Japanese popstar, Ayaka Yamamoto, learns how to prepare a shohin display step by step. Changing the pot for an exhibition Beniotome is one of…...
Late spring (May/June) tasks for native and deciduous bonsai Harry Harrington: ‘May is always a very busy month for bonsai enthusiasts growing deciduous bonsai. After a long winter and early spring of dormancy, our trees explode into growth and it can feel like it is impossible to keep up with…...
Why do we fertilise and with what? Where do we place fertiliser and what is the most effective NPK mix available? What other methods can we use? It is not simply a case of placing fertiliser on the soil without thinking. The amount and type of fertiliser, as well as…...
Spring time is rush hour for repotting your bonsai, but choosing the right pot cannot be hurried. Spring arrives and it is the ideal time to repot your bonsai. Mostly it’s necessary, but it is also an opportunity to plant the tree you created in its final pot, or in…...
Spring tasks for native deciduous bonsai Repotting is the primary focus for bonsai enthusiasts during spring. However, there are a number of other tasks, often forgotten, that are worth carrying out at this time of year. The beginning of spring and start of the growing season when deciduous trees come…...
