Focus on Fall Pruning: Chojubai
It’s been a while since I’ve posted about the endearing and rambunctious flowering shrub Japanese Flowering Quince, ‘Chojubai’. It grows vigorously, flowers well, and stays small. And it’s a good subject for fall work overview. Old Chojubai in the fall Often we are laser focused on our bonsai when they are growing…and then as vaporously […]
East meets West: Chojubai on Riding Spur
This is a Japanese Flowering Quince Chojubai presented on a Western riding spur. ‘Presented?’ ‘Held’? ‘Lofted’? ‘Attached’? One might argue the proper term, but the riding spur was found on a hike in the Arizona mountains about 20 years ago, after falling off someone’s boot decades before. I’ve dragged it around everywhere I’ve lived, figuring […]
How To Develop A Chojubai-
Last week I was flipping back and forth between old photos and newer ones to see how a Dwarf Flowering Quince ‘Chojubai’ bonsai has changed. Just to take six years in the life of this old fella, from 2012 to 2018, one can see a difference in the ramification. The first photo looks uninspiring, old […]
Colorful Long-Term Bonsai Projects-
A couple weeks back we photographed all the Dwarf Flowering Quince ‘Chojubai’ that were looking fancy, as they all decided to bloom at the same time this year. Which is not textbook Chojubai, but it happened. Happy Holidays everyone, here’s some trees in their fancy clothes starting with three older quince, early development courtesy of […]
The Question of the Front…
Even the best front can become boring over time…a pot change, a change in inclination, or even a front change can enliven an old familiar tree and make it feel like we’ve suddenly got a new one. This ‘Chojubai’ quince has several front possibilities. This year we decided to shake it up a bit. The photo […]
If your Chojubai does this, don’t worry…
‘Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…’ And your Chojubai is losing its leaves. And you are freaking out. Well, maybe don’t. In the middle of summer, right around now, your ‘Chojubai’ dwarf flowering quince will yellow and drop off half its leaves. For most things, this would be a weird time of year to lose […]
Chojubai Notes: Part 4— Pots for Chojubai
Being a thin-trunked bonsai, most Dwarf Flowering Quince ‘Chojubai’ would naturally make us think, ‘Shallow pot!’ but we’d be just causing grief to our tree… …or shrub. Because that’s really the crux of the matter. Chojubai is a shrub, a fact which influences everything about its care and maintenance, including pot choice. You’ve probably noticed […]
Chojubai Notes: Part 3—Why is my Chojubai weak?
Few plants come without a puzzling issue or two. For ‘Chojubai’ Dwarf Flowering Quince, the most serious issues are in the roots. Chojubai are strong plants that will normally extend 6” (to 18″) per growth surge. If this is not seen, then be on the alert. A weak tree will not make typical extensions in […]
How not to fertilize…
Last year I wrote a post about fertilizing, Refine your fertilizing this year! I wanted to expand on that and offer a few more notes, since, after all, it’s a brand new year for dung related issues- Blogging is really a bit assumption-ridden, because we make one simple statement as if it’s unconnected to a million […]
Chojubai Notes: Part 2
After the major period of flowering in the cooler months of the year, ‘Chojubai’ Dwarf Flowering Quince will begin to grow. At the end of this period the plant is usually multi-tasking, flowering and growing. What you will see first are whorl growths of several leaves. These do not have an extension. About the time the […]
Michael Hagedorn 