Bonsai Today

Online magazine for Bonsai lovers

bud

Technique

Trachelospermum asiaticum

How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species…

Case History

The survivor

Harry Harrington rapidly develops a field elm into a bonsai...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Styling

Just drop it

Creating a literati red pine by focusing on the dropping branch


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Workshop

The rough type

The arakawa maple is one of the most popular trees in the bonsai world. Andrea Meriggioli shows why.


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Technique

Just a plastic tray

Working with deciduous trees is always a long-term project which needs some clever thinking, too


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Masterclass

Wired up?

Improving your wiring skills with Chiharu Imai


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Technique

Pruned by bacteria?

Using beneficial bacteria for stronger, better ramified and disease-free bonsai.


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Workshop

Hidden in cones

According to Todd, Douglas firs are one of the most unpredictable trees he has worked with.


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Grafting

A ‘needle wrap’

Grafting is a very useful technique for conifers such as junipers and pines.


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Grafting

It has to be perfect

Katsushi Miura (Miura Baijyu-en Osaka) shows us a number of grafting techniques for improving material.


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Technique

POMEGRANATE

Pomegranate: The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Shohin

Think ahead

Get the most from your trees by making corrections for the future. Harumi Ishii (Ueharu-en) specialises in shohin of which refinement is a key element, so ugly cuts or disordered branch settings need to be addressed. Using two examples, Mr Ishii shows you here how to cope with these problems…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Spring

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…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Tree guide

Pyrus pyrifolia

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 A large deciduous tree in the pear genus of the Rosaceae family. It is found…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Shohin

Acer deshojo

Simple adjustments can make a big difference Kenichi Suzuki (Onari-en) is very much into shohin-size bonsai. With simple material he demonstrates how you can change the design by adjusting the planting angle, or the pot. Deshojo maple on rock A tree planted on a rock that Kenichi Suzuki acquired last…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Technique

Cherry on the rocks

The challenge is to create a finished tree starting from scratch How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods withinteresting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion. Prunus lannesiana A deciduous broad-leaved small or…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Spring

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…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Spring

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…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Tree guide

Picea glehnii

How to create a twin trunk style tree with a ‘Yatsubusa’ ezo spruce, Picea glehnii ‘Yatsubusa’. In this series we look at creating 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

Tree guide

Acer palmatum

Acer palmatum, the Japanese maple, has a wide distribution and grows at many elevations throughout its native habitat. In cultivation, it is seen everywhere as a garden plant and as bonsai. Under good conditions, the tree grows from about 2.7m to 4.6m in a spreading or rounded, open-tiered shape, depending

Step by Step

Popstar bonsai

Branch development on an elm Inspired by a colourful autumn, we look at how to develop branches on deciduous trees that show seasonal colour. Guided by Master Hiroki Miura, Ayaka Yamamoto, a famous popstar in Japan, works on one of the mostsuitable varieties for bonsai: the Japanese elm (Zelkova serrata)…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Autumn

The cornerstone

As the leaves fall in autumn, it is time to study the branch structure of the tree in detail and begin pruning This article describes the pruning of deciduous tree branches in autumn. I believe pruning deciduous bonsai at this time of year, rather than spring, is a cornerstone to…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now
Spring

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…...


For Basic, Plus, and Premium members.
Log In Join Now