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Spring
The key branch
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.
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A fruitful day
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…...
Pot-bound
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…...
Little to do
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…...
Show time
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…...
Summer is coming
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…...
Increase the effectiveness of fertilisation
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
Rush hour
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…...
A date with spring
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…...
What’s under the soil?
Repotting your bonsai is rather like a health check The trees of Hiroshi Takeyama, the head of Fuyo-en bonsai nursery, have a distinctive character and elegance. He is renowned for his conscientious and thorough work, particularly with repotting, and is considered to be one of the most skilled at developing…...
The birth of new buds
In autumn you can improve the branch setting of your maple The bare branch structure is revealed and good and bad things are seen. You’ll note where node length has become too long, whether there are too many buds or branches from one point and it enables you to correct…...
A solid regime…
Bonsai need water, air and sunlight in order to photosynthesis and grow. The combination of these three elements is enough for a tree to manufacture the sugars and starches it requires from its leaves. Harry Harrington explains how to fertilise your bonsai by taking a no-nonsense attitude, during the growing…...
Easy elm
Japanese elm is ideal for bonsai and easy to grow Being a rapid and very vigorous grower makes it possible to have quick results with Zelkova. The downside is that the elm can overgrow very quickly and so it needs regular pruning and re-styling to stay in shape. Here we…...
Yama no seishin – The beauty of cherry bonsai
One can find great strength in the depths of winter from the dignified beauty of the white flowers and luxurious fragrance. The beauty of Prunus bonsai is imbued with a sense of wabi. In Japan, wherever one focuses on the tree there is a sense of an ancient Prunus, the…...