Are Plants Stressed By Wildfire Smoke?
Given the spate of fires in North America and Europe this summer, those growing bonsai may wonder if wildfire smoke affects plants. And it does—in both positive and negative ways. Wildfire smoke has a lot in it. There are gases, like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and ammonia. Then there are the particulates, […]
Managing Rocky Mountain Juniper Foliage
Rocky Mountain Junipers are grown for their magnificent trunks. Junipers in general are known for their dynamism, but Rockies are exceptionally sinuous and exciting. The foliage of Rocky has a great genetic variability. The color ranges from green to blue to gray to yellowish. And the structure also varies, from the rare trees with fine […]
Mr. Shinji Suzuki Visits Portland, Oregon
Long-time readers of the blog may remember I apprenticed under Mr. Shinji Suzuki in the early aughts, before moving to Portland in 2006. Being a busy fellow, Mr. Suzuki had never been here. The Portland Japanese Garden, who often bring in Japanese masters to give presentations on various traditional arts, invited him over. Personally, having […]
Dwarf Bamboo Care And Display
Dwarf Bamboo in the genus Sasa is a common ground cover and makes a good accent. This is a moss ball, or kokedama, planting. A kokedama doesn’t have a pot, it’s just a mass of roots and soil. Sasa is a vigorous grower and can fill out fast. This one has grown out well but […]
Summer Doings in the Bonsai Studio
These are some of the projects we’ve had going on in the bonsai studio this month. A small bunjin Shore Pine in need of a touch up. The needles stopped growing a month ago, and now some older ones may be removed. After needle pulling and a reset. Some of you may recognize this bunjin […]
Foemina Juniper Revisit, With Design Comments
A Foemina Juniper in 2023, after its first styling. Foemina in early July, 2026. Letting bonsai get shaggy is a good now and then to help build energy and momentum, especially with trees like this Foemina which is left to grow out each year. But if left too long it is hard to get back […]
Suggested Books For Bonsai Enthusiasts: Part 2
A second selection of tree-ish books you might enjoy. None of these books are about bonsai, but like the list in Part I, they may illuminate why bonsai captivate us. The first two books I’ve read and think are marvelous, and the last one has been recommended to me many times, including by readers of […]
Correcting Water pH For Better Plant Health
When we drink water, our kidneys adjust the blood pH to 7.35-7.45. Plants also have the ability to change pH around their roots, up to 1.5 pH points. But in more extreme pH situations, plants suffer. Water pH measures the concentration of hydrogen ions. If you have more hydrogen ions, you have acidic water. If […]
How Hard Water Can Limit Plant Growth
Do you have white buildup on your faucets? If so, you have hard water, which can cause yellowish foliage, few blooms, and lack of vigor in your bonsai. If you see whitish stains on sinks and leaves, the problem is hard water from dissolved salts. This isn’t table salt, sodium chloride, but rather calcium and […]
“Beavering” A Large Low Branch
When I was a kid we lived in Amherst, Massachusetts, and on the weekends would run up to the Berkshires, in the foothills of the Appalachians, to fill a few gallons with fresh spring water. It’s a beautiful wet and wild area. I caught my first brook trout (12”) up there, and saw my first […]