Manuel Germade deals with a tough case — a Buxus with unbendable branches. Working on a tree that’s long, slender, with a fantastic curling trunk seems like perfect material. But there is just one downside,...

Manuel Germade deals with a tough case — a Buxus with unbendable branches. Working on a tree that’s long, slender, with a fantastic curling trunk seems like perfect material. But there is just one downside,...
How a stump became an elegant chokkan-style bonsai Martin Nielsen tells the story of how he managed to convert the stump he dug from the forest into one of most appreciated native trees exhibited at...
The problem of poor roots on a pine can be solved Can you improve the root base of a pine, just as you can with deciduous trees? A good question, so it seems a good...
François Jeker has created many outstanding Buxus bonsai by pioneering with this variety Boxwood, also known as box, has a reputation for growing very slowly. However, if we know the right techniques, its branches can...
A dull juniper is matched with a rock full of character A rather dull juniper can become very striking when a rock with lots of character is added, Nishikawa Tomoya (Shirasagi-en, Himeji) shows how that...
Kusamono is a different type of bonsai With the guidance of Hiroki Miura (Miura Baijyu-en), Japanese popstar, Ayaka Yamamoto, is introduced to the world of Kusamono. Kusamono is a form of bonsai where a grass...
How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion The pear...
Untangling the dense foliage canopy of a sabina juniper Valentin Brose, former apprentice of Kunio Kobayashi, is a refined artist. The sabina juniper has such a dense canopy that all is hidden away from the...
With almost two branches only, Mauro Stembergercreates one of his best pines Mauro Stemberger’s very full agenda allowed just a tiny opening to work on one of his favourite trees, so he teamed up with...
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,...
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations...
Wild olive trees provides one of most ideal materials for bonsai Marcial Yuste Blasco, who runs a bonsai school in Spain, prefers to work on material from the wild. For Marcial, it possesses the characteristics...
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch. In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods from interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations...
Air-layer experiment. What works best: Sphagnum or a tourniquet? Yukio Hirose (Yamato-en) is up for an experiment. Which of the air layer techniques gives best results, the one that uses sphagnum only, or the technique...
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations,...
A simple yew can be made into a stunning small bonsai in just a few steps. Michael Tran of Minoru bonsai guides you step by step in how to create a bonsai from a yew....
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations,...
Reworking a small juniper Alexandre Escudero is crazy about shohin bonsai. At the nursery of his teacher Hiroyuki Tanibata, he found a little gem of a juniper. Let’s together find the beauty lost on this...
Janine Droste revisits the Mecca of satsuki bonsai If you say Kanuma you at once think of satsuki. Satsuki, or Rhododendron indium, is one of the most popular bonsai varieties cultivated in Japan. Needless to...
Crab apple Malus sieboldii is a member of the apple family, a deciduous tree that can be found growing throughout Japan. Botanically speaking, ‘Miyama Kaido’ is the same, the difference lies in the colour of...
The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch In this series we look at creating bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations...
Understanding the basics of repotting through the example of a young tree One of the big objectives in repotting is to remove a tree’s old roots to provide more space for new roots to grow...