Cork bark Japanese black pine

Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

After styling. The tree is a Cork bark Japanese black pine. The hand belongs to the Ben Gliffin. If you compare this photo with the before photo just below, you can see some real progress with needle thinning and reduction. You might also notice how Ben has left the needles on the far left longer than the needles on top. This will encourage vigor in the direction of the longer needles. The sweet little tree featured here is a Shohin Cork bark Japanese black pine that belongs to Ben Gliffin. If you know Japanese black pines you also know that … Continue reading Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

Off the Couch and on to North America’s Premier Bonsai Event

I’ve never seen a Rosemary bonsai that looks quite like this one. To my eye the deadwood and the way the branching and foliage are styled is reminiscent of an old yamadori Shimpaku from Japan. This remarkable tree belongs to Peter Warren, one of the headliners at this weekends 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. Peter will be tackling a well-known and well-traveled old White cedar bonsai on Sunday. The result will be auctioned at the conclusion of the demonstration. Two more good reason for you to head to Rochester NY this weekend. Hiroyoshi Yamaji and Peter Warren are two of … Continue reading Off the Couch and on to North America’s Premier Bonsai Event

Balancing Growth on Pine Bonsai

Before decandling. Cork bark Japanese black pine from Bonsai Tonight. Decandling, candle plucking, candle pinching… The photos and instructions in this post are all from Bonsai Tonight. The topic is decandling (also called candle plucking or candling pinching) Japanese black pines (specifically a cork bark black pine). The purpose of decandling is to balance growth, develop ramification and reduce needle size. Not all pines are the same, nor should they be treated exactly the same. Still, the basic principles can be applied to pines other than the Japanese black. After decandling. Four zones, twenty days The following is a small … Continue reading Balancing Growth on Pine Bonsai

Green Workshop: Fall Transplanting Pros & Cons

Time to repot. Morten Albek intentionally broke the pot to show this Cork bark Japanese black pine’s dense root mass. From Morten’s book, Shohin Bonsai (Stone Lantern Publishing). Why transplant in the fall? If you transplant in the fall your trees can take full advantage of the next growing season. If you transplant in the spring (that’s when most people do it), by the time the tree recovers, you’ve lost part of the growing season. Why not transplant in the fall? If you have an early winter and your bonsai haven’t fully recovered from transplanting, then you risk serious damage … Continue reading Green Workshop: Fall Transplanting Pros & Cons