Digging & Field Growing Bonsai in the Early Fall

This sumptuous Satsuki is from Bill Valavanis’ 2014 Japan Satsuki tour. Though I don’t know for sure, based on the massive trunk it’s easy to imagine that it was originally field grown. Early fall is good times to dig and transplant. For me, it’s mostly native larch (some cedar and spruce too) from a friend’s land here in northern Vermont. However, unless you live in the frozen north or blazing tropics, Satsuki azaleas just might work for you. This post (from 2009) is taken from one of many field growing posts we’ve done over the years. I have edited (italics) … Continue reading Digging & Field Growing Bonsai in the Early Fall

Bonsai No Satori

From the cover of Bonsai No Satori, Chase and Solita Rosade’s new newsletter. Send us your news We are happy to post bonsai news from around the world. We get around sixteen thousand visits a month from pretty much everywhere. Some of these just might be interested in what you are doing. Send your info to: wayne@stonelantern.com Our news (mostly larches) I’m still digging larches (Larix laricina) and a few Northern white cedars (Thuja occidentalis). A friend of mine has a swampy area on his land that is full of larches. Nothing too old (the swamp was cleared about fifteen … Continue reading Bonsai No Satori

Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

One little man made hill that serves as landscaping and as a growing bed for future bonsai. Coming soon I’ve started digging some of my field grown stuff and putting them in plastic containers. Soon we’ll start photographing and putting some up for sale. Larches and some others More than half of what I’ve been growing are larches that have been collected here in northern Vermont. All have been pruned some. Some has been wired and a few have even been carved. Most are not bonsai pot ready, but all have good potential. Stone Lantern When they are ready, I’ll … Continue reading Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

Fall Fertilizing: Nitrogen

Fish seaweed is mild and well-balanced for fall fertilizing. Reduced nitrogen Horticulturists, bonsai teachers and others have long been advising people to reduce nitrogen fertilizing in late summer and fall. The keyword is “reduce.” Some nitrogen is necessary when you fertilize otherwise the phosphorous, potassium and other nutrients can’t do their job properly. Fall growing season in mild climates Here’s what Michael Hagedorn of Crataegus Bonsai has to say about nitrogen and the fall growing season: “We might also begin thinking about fall fertilizing. I think fall fertilizing is more important for bonsai, particularly developed ones, than spring fertilizing. In … Continue reading Fall Fertilizing: Nitrogen

Field Growing #9: Fall Transplanting #2

Time to go back into the ground I moved this crabapple into this Tokoname pot in the spring. I wanted to photograph it covered in fresh little red apples, but the birds ate them the morning I planned on shooting. It’s not really ready for bonsai anyway; the nebari needs more time, the scar needs to heal and more branching needs to develop, so I’m going to stick it back into the ground in a couple weeks (I’ll post a photo). As an aside, I just noticed how the companion plant’s pot (by Wendy Heller) mirrors the color and texture … Continue reading Field Growing #9: Fall Transplanting #2

Field Growing #8: Old Cole’s Hemlocks

A Cole’s prostrate hemlock (Tsuga canadensis ‘Cole’s Prostrate’) that went from nursery container to my back yard and then into this growing pot (it’s now back in the ground, no photo yet). I cut off about 75% of the original. Some of the deadwood is new, but the more faded deadwood on the trunk was already there. Photo by Amy Palmer. Old Cole’s prostrate hemlocks A couple years ago I stumbled across eight amazing old Cole’s prostrate hemlocks in nursery pots at Palmer Koelb’s Baker Valley Nursery in New Hampshire (Palmer also owns Shin Boku Nursery). Palmer loves Okatsune tools, … Continue reading Field Growing #8: Old Cole’s Hemlocks

Field Growing #7: Clip & Grow Technique

These simple illustrations of the clip and grow technique are from a website called The Bonsai Primer. The left image shows the first cut, the next one shows the second cut, and so forth. If you go to the comments in our previous field growing post, Brian Van Fleet gives an excellent description of exactly what these illustrations are all about. Most large Trident maples (and some other deciduous trees) are started in the field and developed using the clip and grow technique. The result is usually a heavy trunked tree with gentle curves, often in a more or less … Continue reading Field Growing #7: Clip & Grow Technique

Field Growing #6: What’s with S Shaped Curves?

A pretty impressive bonsai with a modified S shape. It’s a Miyajima Japanese-Five Needle Pine (also called Japanese white pine – Pinus parviflora ‘Miyajima’) that was field grown for several years. The artist/owner is Ken Buell. The photo is from the 1st U. S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album. Here’s the text of an email I received from Eric Killian… I think bonsai bark has a lot of potential, but I’d love to see more on field growing. I have about 30-40 trees in the ground now but ground growing is completely new to me. Should I be giving trucks shape … Continue reading Field Growing #6: What’s with S Shaped Curves?

bonsai4me.com on Field Growing

This Goldflame Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’) was originally dug from a garden in the UK. It was styled by Harry Harrington. You can view it and numerous other noteworthy bonsai at bonsai4me.com. One reason we’ve been featuring field growing so much is that the US government restrictions make importing quality stock from Asia somewhere between difficult and impossible (Europe is a whole other story – it’s easy for them to import Asian stock – which helps explain some of the differences between European and North American bonsai). This means that if we are going to develop quality bonsai stock … Continue reading bonsai4me.com on Field Growing

Field Growing 4: Native Soil

This Satsuki azalea (Rhododendron indicum) was originally field grown (it’s from Bonsai Today issue 40). Field growing is common for azaleas; some start as landscape plants and are later dug up for bonsai, while others are grown as bonsai stock from the beginning. In our last field growing post we mention planting directly into native soil without digging in amendments when you plant. A friend of my points out that she has no native soil; her house and yard were built on fill. In our usage of native soil, we mean whatever soil is already there; in other words, my … Continue reading Field Growing 4: Native Soil