For Healthy & Beautiful Bonsai…

Your bonsai may never look like this, but they can be this healthy. It’s a Chinese Quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) from last year’s Kokufu Exhibition.* You can tell by its robust development that this tree has been well-fed throughout its life. Feed your bonsai! Because it’s so practical and timely, this post deserves annual airing. Most what you see here first appeared in 2010. The advice is still spot on and worth a careful read if you’d like to maximize the health and beauty of your bonsai. This magnificently robust Willow leaf ficus (Ficus nerifolia) is by Jim Smith of Dura-Stone … Continue reading For Healthy & Beautiful Bonsai…

Feed Your Bonsai!

Your bonsai may never look like this, but they can be this healthy. This magnificently robust Willow leaf ficus (Ficus nerifolia) is by Jim Smith of Dura-Stone in Vero Beach Florida. The photo is from Bonsai Today, issue 61 and was taken by Jim. While we’re on basic bonsai health topics, we might as well discuss fertilizing. And, because I’m traveling again we’ll dig into our archives. All the way back to May 2009 (with some fairly extensive adding and editing this time). Your bonsai depend on you Bonsai do not survive on water, light, and love alone. Because most … Continue reading Feed Your Bonsai!

Forever Young? How Not to Fertilize

You can bet that this Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) was fertilized with a master’s touch. Speaking of masters, this photo is from our Masters’ Series Pine Book. An American bonsai pro on fertilizing. Whenever Michael Hagedorn writes, I read, and though I am a little reluctant to tell others what to do, you might want to consider it too. Here’s a part of Michael’s latest post on his famous Crataegus Bonsai blog: “For fertilizing bonsai, we can make this one basic distinction: Begin fertilizing a young, unrefined tree when it begins growing early in the spring Wait a bit … Continue reading Forever Young? How Not to Fertilize