Be Careful with Shore Pine in the Winter-
Shore Pine is one of North America’s most beautiful two-needled pines, with short bright green needles and great bark. It has similarities to many other smaller pines which often have multiple crowns, like pinyon pines. Shore pine does have one distinct difference however, and that (appears to be) cold hardiness. I say ‘appears to be’ […]
Lock Your Trees Down!
This is less a security headline than a technical reminder… …trees can loosen in their pots. Wires can slacken…bracing can slip…and then they can wave around in the wind. Or fall over. Why should we worry about a bit of wiggle? Because those movements can really weaken trees, adding to the stresses that they are often […]
Confusion Over Fall Repotting-
I’ve noticed over the years a lot of puzzlement over the correct time to repot. Much of the confusion stems from placing too much weight on the exceptions to spring repotting. There’s a simple way of looking at it that might help decide when to repot. Ron Weasley pulls up a mandrake When we repot, the […]
Jonas Dupuich on Akadama-
I rarely do this. In fact, this might be the first time, to reblog something. But, I have a reason. I think Jonas Dupuich’s post on Bonsai Tonight about akadama is a very clear, inclusive, and informational LONG post that anyone who is curious about this weird and wonderful stuff should probably give a careful […]
Another Essential to Plant Health: Water Hardness
Do you have a film of white buildup on your pots or leaves? Pale, yellowish, and lackluster growth on the bonsai? If so, you may have very hard water, and that can be a limiting factor for plant health. Above 150 ppm (parts per million) of hardness (Ca + Mg), we get beyond the zone […]
One Essential to Plant Health: Water pH
Have your trees been a bit yellow? Seem stressed out? It may be time to check your water pH. When our bonsai are watered with an acceptable pH, one variable to plant stress is removed. Mineral deficiencies (high pH) and toxicities (low pH) will be averted in that acceptable range. Any kind of water source, whether […]
Flowers on Pine Candles…Leave alone? Take off?
The first. Best to leave them alone. It’s true that flowering weakens a tree a bit. But pine candles are also quite delicate when growing, and sometimes the shoots that flower can be smaller, and smaller means weaker. Taking the flower buds off can really damage that shoot. And any damage that we do to them is therefore […]
Big Difference Between ‘Decandling’ and ‘Breaking’ Pine Shoots…
There’s a storm of confusion around these two techniques…and it’s one of those things we don’t want to get wrong. Pines take a couple years to get back on track, once off track, and so they make us look at our mistakes for a long time. I’ll try to make this short and sweet. For starters, how […]
Green ideas for pest control?
Getting a program for spring and summer pest control underway for the bonsai yard can involve thoughts on green pest management. Predatory and parasitic insects sound great, right? Buy a bottle, wave it around your bonsai, and sit back with a bloody mary and assume great and devastating things going on in miniature, the remains […]
The Benefits of Scrubbing Wooden Benches
Since deadwood is all the rage in the bonsai world, here’s quite a bit of it. Amazing we could find so much that was nice and straight, right? Scrubbing benches with a bristle brush removes the buildup of algae and mold, helping to resist the decomposition of the wood. You will likely find the undersides […]
