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tradition is but a springboard—from there, bonsai is limitless
from the blog
Shore Pine Bunjin First Potting
It’s a big shift from a large pot to a small one. Take great care to preserve fine feeder roots in this transition. Feeder roots are the very finest roots. If a pine’s roots are cut leaving only 1/8” roots, and nothing finer, the pine can die. For older pines a solid mass of the root […]
Is Lava Good For Bonsai?
This is a legitimate question. My master Shinji Suzuki never used lava (aka scoria), preferring just akadama and pumice. On coming back from Japan in 2006 I continued using the akadama / pumice mix and have always had strong, fine root growth with dense root masses. Several lava stories have stuck with me over the […]
Chojubai: 10-Year Development
After growing Chojubai for 10 years from 2” cuttings, I now have some idea what’s possible in that time frame. A few weeks ago we had Daisaku Nomoto in the garden, and on going into the Chojubai house where our efforts of the last decade were, he said, “Only ten years! In Japan they’d be […]
Michael Hagedorn 