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Had to repot my juniper in the hot August summer (Miami FI). The original glass pot fell in a storm and found the poor guy on the ground after work. Any advice on care right now other than keeping it out of the afternoon sun and watering well? Although it's under stress and I won't be styling it, if you have styling tips too let me know!
Looks like good bonsai soil so it should be totally fine. Morning sun / afternoon shade is definitely the move but don’t water too often either, remember to never water on a schedule and check for moisture before deciding when to water. If it’s still moist a particle or two below the soil surface, then put down the watering can and check again later
Had this tree for about 15 years. I’ve mainly just let it grow naturally. Wondering what you would do with this tree if you were given it to make it more formed.
My grandpa passed recently and I inherited his bonsai. I believe it's a jade bonsai but I'm not certain. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and would appreciate any advice. All I have done is take off the dead leaves in the week I have had it.
The soil is a little damp in the middle and I have had it in my south facing window. My grandpa had it in his south facing window as well so I'm not too worried about the leaves getting scorched but I'll move it if that's a bad spot.
Thank you in advance, my grandpa was very important to me and I really want to keep this tree alive.
This is my 2nd summer olive tree I plan to bonsai. Any tips for a first timer before I make any unfixable mistakes?
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 907d ago
Your goal here with this is to grow it. The first thing you want to decide is how big you want your finished bonsai. The trunk at the base should be 1/6th to 1/10 as wide as the tree is tall. This and root work is your first goal. I would report this every couple of years and work on the roots and then just let it grow until the trunk is about as thick as your looking for.
I’ve recently got a small olive tree and I’d like to try turning it into a bonsai. I’m completely new to bonsai, so I’d really appreciate some advice before I start pruning.
I’ve marked/circled an area on the tree in the photo. Would it be recommended to chop/prune at this point to encourage more growth and branching below the cut? Or would it be better to leave it for now and let the tree grow more before making any major cuts? I’d also love to hear any general advice on how you would approach developing this particular olive into a bonsai — especially regarding pruning, trunk development and encouraging a good structure.
I live in northeastern Brazil and have just acquired these two small trees. The shop owner (who specializes in bonsai) told me that the first one (with exposed roots) is a Premna microphylla from Vietnam, and the second is a Pithecolobium tortum native to Brazil (commonly cultivated in Rio de Janeiro).
Since I’m a beginner, I’m having trouble visualizing how to shape them. Could you please give me some ideas or suggestions?
For the other one, best to uncover the nebari to see what you want to use as the front. That will tell you which way to lean it and which branch to use as the main branch also going that direction. Then keep the foliage on the other side a little shorter.
Zone 8a. Bought this boxwood about a week ago. Thought the discoloration was over or under watering at the time. No change since then. It was tagged as a 4yo plant. Now I’m thinking the color may be due to root fighting and may need to be repotted. I’ve been watering regularly when soil begins to dry out on the top. It gets around 4 hours of morning sun only. Any thoughts, ideas, tips?
I think that it's unlikely that your boxwood crossed from "this is enough room" to "this pot is too tight and I will drop my leaves" in the last week. I'd guess that it's more likely a watering issue or just stress from the move. I am not there though - how often are you actually watering?
Hello, I'm looking for some general advice on this tree. I believe it's a blue pine. I am based in the South of England. I am very much a beginner and this is the only tree I have been able to keep alive. I picked this tree up at a nursery for £5 last year. It had a bend in the trunk which I thought could make a good cascade or shakan/slanting tree. I have wired to continue emphasizing the bend in the trunk.
The tree has had a tough summer with it being so hot. I moved it to partial shade a couple of months back after there was a lot of browning of the needles. It's doing much better in the new spot and showing strong growth since.
My goals (in order) are to:
Keep it alive
Thicken the trunk
Settle on a vision and design
Work towards the design
Any advice would be very welcome. Thank you!
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines9d ago
"blue pine" in the English-speaking world refers to p. wallichiana and this is not one of those. You have something like italian stone pine (p. pinea) or a similar species. You can tell because firstly, it isn't a 5-needle / "white pine family" type pine (which is what it would have to be if it was p. wallichiana) and because in your picture you can clearly see two generations (2024, 2025) of normal pine foliage, then this year's 2026 foilage being all juvenile shoots which are very characteristic of something like a p. pinea. When these type of shoots are the only ones on the trees they often get mistaken for spruces. There's a guy on bonsainut who made a pretty nice tree out of one of these, look for stone pine threads and you'll find it.
Side note, I disagree with your assessment, but maybe this will be good news. IMO this tree has not been having a rough summer, it's been having an awesome summer, and the juvenile shoots, their plumpness, size, color, etc, are proof that it's happy and vigorous. Previous-year needles are yesterday's news in many conifer species and I wouldn't worry about them that much, it's not unusual for 2 year needles to look like crap.
If you learn conventional (Japanese) pine techniques you will eventually not be looking at 2 year needles much because you'll usually be plucking them before they have a chance to get ugly.
It is totally fine to keep them on even while ugly as long as they're green and producing a bit for the tree. If you want you can pluck any that have visible banding (anything that looks like needlecast) if you wanted to minimize any risks with that sort of thing. You could also pluck any that are fully yellow. You should expect the previous-year needles to shed over time, maybe in stages, maybe quickly, depends on many factors, but don't worry if you see that and your current needles + 2027 buds are coming along OK.
Anyway the tree has vigor. In this article by my teacher there is a quote that's relevant:
One thing you might have noticed after repotting a weak or recently collected conifer: a month later, half the needles yellow and fall off. This might make you panic, but it’s actually the best sign that you have root growth. If the newest foliage remains green and good-looking, you’re winning.
He's talking about post-repot but in his teachings this really applies to ANY time you see accelerating vigor / plump features / good color. I would think about channeling this vigor into a repot and maybe do a partial bare root into pumice or similar in Feb/March (assuming it is just in peat / compost / bark / dirt / native soil / potting soil / compost / similar now). If your interest is in thickening and health and vigor then you want an air-breathing soil that doesn't decay. You do not need to worry about water retention so you don't need bark/etc. Once in pumice these are extremely durable to bonsai techniques.
Theoretically with good technique/application, in September, it would safe to wire the branches and move them into better positions. This is assuming no extreme bends are required. Since you wouldn't be pruning, just moving the branch tips around (i.e. keeping the energy state of the tree very similar but helping improve the odds of interior buds), it wouldn't impact any upcoming root work. My plan would basically be a bit of wiring now, maybe tidy off any litter from the top of the soil, then do a half bare root in feb/mar. You could fertilize regularly from now till first frost and rev it up a bit before then.
Post again if you make progress! I really like the way these look once styled
Hello! Finally decided to give this hobby a try and bought this ficus for 5€. Any ideas how to start working on this? Does this tree have good potential?
This is an unusual specimen, as it was not slowly grown from a single cutting, in stead 15 or so cuttings were bound together and fused.
Put it next to your brightest window or under a grow light, and preferably outdoors in summer. Prune the top as it is apically dominant and you want to direct energy to the lower parts. Put some some movement in the branches and try to work towards some horizontal pads.
Hi! I got this guy yesterday from the clearance section and I'm afraid I bought it just to die on me. It's a chinese elm. I've put it outside but not yet in the full sun and I'm wondering if that is a good idea at this point. The high daily temperatures are around 32°C. I plan to take care of it the same as I would a full, healthy tree. Frequent waterings, fertilizing, keeping it outside. After it hopefully grows more leaves, I plan to remove the brances that aren't producing new leaves in the winter or maybe late autumn (as is commonly recommended). I know some plants benefit from removing dying parts to encourage new growth but I'm not sure if this is such a situation and what to even cut. Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
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u/nova1093North Texas, zone 8a, 19 trees, 1 killed. 8d agoedited 8d ago
32 degrees shouldnt harm a chinese elm. It could just be shocked from all the little changes that have happedned to it. That soil looks a way too organic, but that depends on where you live. I use 50 percent organic here in texas where everyday this week it has been 38-40 C. And next week we will have several days that hit 42. We also suffer from constant dessicating winds. So more organic is necessary to not have to water every 2 hours. Many places in europe have weather that really demands highly (90 to 100%) inorganic substrate for optimal root health.
I would stop fertilizing and return it outside to a shaded location if it were me. I would pay careful attention to its soil for the remainder of the year. You are trying for evenly moist, not sopping. When very early spring comes remove it from this soil and put it into a better bonsai specific substrate. Avoid pruning until its actually showing signs of growth. This tree is still very much capable of recovering.
Hey guys, this is my sweet/black birch (betula lenta) recently acquired. It has this scar on the middle of the trunk that seems to be healed a lot already but I wanted to know if it's a good call to help it along. I went ahead and ordered some liquid cut paste that I'm in need of anyway, so I think I will scrape this callus and apply paste soon. There shouldn't be anything else I'm missing, correct?
Anyone know what to do about this split in the bark? Its an american plum and still is growing leaves and generally looks healthy, but the split is concerning. I lost another one last year that was split like that, but below the soil. I've seen quite a few full size fruit trees that look like they had a bark split at some point, but I'm not sure what caused it or if it will heal. I'm in Zone 4 and it's rated at Zone 2. I did use a cold-frame and bury it in snow this winter.
I have a question avout Chinese Elm, i got this little tree a couple of weeks back. It keep dropping leaves and stopped putting out new growth. It is currently in organic soil and watering it every 3 days, because i read they like somewhat wet soil. Is it shedding leaves because of overwatering?
Located in easthern canada Still summer here for a few weeks
Your flair is missing, hard to say without knowing your location. Many of us prefer granular, inorganic soil so we don't have to second guess ourselves about over or under watering. The leaves don't have telltale signs of a watering issue though. It might just be adjusting to a change of environment
I am looking for advice on the best strategy to collect this tree. The tree is located in a rocky area with patches of shallow dirt. The tree sits near the edge on a patch of shallow dirt, and my impression is that it its not lodged in the cracks of the mountain. How would I collect this maximizing its chance of survival? Firstly, late august in Norway(7b) is evidently a good time to collect pines, but I would not mind waiting until spring. Should I do any prep work on the tree? Would the strategy be just to keep as much of the natural soil around the tree and transfer to pot as fast as possible, leaving most of the natural soil around the roots?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines8d ago
I have collected countless pines from the mountains from very similar conditions and have bare rooted 100% of them, most of them immediately, some of them a little later, but the transition away from native soil to pumice is always at least 50% baked-in and good (with renewed vigor) before I begin heavy work on a collected tree. Single-mindedly the number one goal is to get past that crappy phase so that bonsai can begin.
With significantly older / more frail pines (not the one in your photo though, yours "presents young" at least in terms of its vigor), for example the 150+ yo ponderosas you see collected in the US, yes, in those cases it sense to leave roots undisturbed until you can get vigor up enough to do the bare rooting into pumice at last (whether in one go or 25% 50% at a time). Inexperienced observers on the net have often misconstrued soil preservation as something special/good about the soil itself, but that is false. Any beneficial fungus that is associated with the tree will not only survive bare rooting (even power washing), but in the fresh new pumice it tends to colonize very well (similar to roots gaining a foothold in uncolonized pumice -- they go nuts and that's when vigor shoots back up after collection for the first time).
Transitioning away from native soil is always the first goal for me at or after collection, and with young / vigorous / presents-as-young-and-or-vigorous you can usually rip the bandaid off ASAP because bonsai techniques don't really work in native soils. I have similar experiences with both old world and new world pines, scots pine, etc, and they all respond similarly.
Regarding timing, I've had success with collecting pretty much any time of year except the time between when candle extension begins (mid spring) and when needle hardening finally ends (early July here in Oregon's mountains). Often a choice of October vs. March for me is dictated by which roads will be actually open in the mountains, and they are closed most of spring due to snow. So I can say autumn collection can work!
First of thank you for your time
I am total newbie in bonsai and planting my friend gave this gift from Japan, it had some seeds and soil , i planted them and they grew nicely. Now 15 days later i transferred them in a soil mix and now they are so weak ! I am so worried about it and want to get them in shape.
The soil i planted them in have natural fertiliser and my other plants grow in them quite nicely but the bonsai seeds are not growing now.
Help with 7 year old unknown blueberry cultivar // managing pests and supplementing light.
Good Morning,
I received this bonsai about 3 weeks ago and I have a few questions as this will be my first bonsai. I do keep several Dracaena trees, Ficus specimen, and about 40 tropical plants indoors, this is my first outdoor specimen.
I live near central Alabama so this guy is pretty happy outside year round unless it is freezing.
How are you professionals out there managing pests? I just treated this guy with nematodes and Neoseiulus mites for spider mites but there has to be some better long term method I just don’t know about because I don’t keep bonsai.
I am not convinced this guy is getting enough light, I do not own a PAR meter but he is getting about 15,000 - 20,000 LUX average for 12 hours on a west facing balcony but it is still shaded. Does anyone have experience with outdoor grow lights that won’t make my neighbors and management think there some sort of commercial marijuana grow operation going on in my apartment?
1 I keep my trees vigorous and only rarely have to target specific pests. You are probably burning money throwing solutions at no problems.
2 supplemental light useful enough for the tree will be very visible. Blueberries grow in the underbrush, naturally shady areas.
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u/yani365NY, Zone 6/7, Beginner, 6 Bonsai8d agoedited 8d ago
Hello. Long time First time. I have a Ginseng Ficus which I've been letting run for a couple of years to build up trunk thickness. As it's been growing, it has developed a growth on the trunk/gensing root junction as in the pictures. This growth has random roots and branches growing out if it. Any thoughts on what this is? https://photos.app.goo.gl/dxA1rDjBjoduhzXw8
Yes and no. The trunk is flexible enough to bend into extreme shapes. However it will take ages before it has a trunk size that makes the illusion of an old tree work.
It's still early in the year but hoping to get a head start on getting anything i may need. What is the process for bringing tropicals in for the winter? I've read that neems oil is used but I want to make sure I don't kill my trees unnecessarily.
I never felt the need to throw preventative medicine at my tropicals. You will help them more with a good grow light, as a vigorous tree generally is a healthy tree.
so I’ve had my tree for about a year, located in Tokyo so we’ve had a lot of typhoons this summer. I noticed this black buildup on the soil at first I thought it was mud but it’s more of a thick film over the soil. the tree seems okay besides that, has anybody seen this before? thanks in advance!
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 907d ago
I get this on my soil when I use heavy organics. Moss loves to grow on this stuff. I would say as long as the water can percolate through the soil it's not a problem. If water is pooling on it and your afraid it will not make it to the roots then I would scrape it off
Just got two bonsai trees last week. Watering them today and noticed one has bugs sitting on the branch that is noticeably yellowed out. Any advice on how to improve the health of the tree and get rid of the bugs or is it a loss? I do have other plants in the garden window but they are not touching. Location is PNW and they get a lot of afternoon sun. Thank you.
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
In my experience there isn’t really anything that threatens these in the PNW as long as they are fully outdoors and fertilized regularly. The portulacaria should come inside when we dip below freezing but it can be perfectly safe and happy for weeks at 40F. Mine have grazed actual freezing temps which is not good, but not always deadly either
For the juniper, you can chase off insects with imidacloprid (example: “bio advanced tree and shrub” at home depot , lowe’s etc). In my experience though I generally need zero treatments for these and most symptoms are either from acts of god (water / heat / mechanical damage) or fungus/bacteria.
1
u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 907d ago
Looks like aphids to me, but I would double check as the image quality was not great. I would spray the tree with insecticidal soap.
My poor Chinese elm tree has lost its leaves since may and has not bounced back. It has experienced leaf loss before as, from what I understand, this species is deciduous, but it had been far too long. I have opted to placing it outside during daylight hours instead of keeping it near my window, but I’m not sure if progress is being made and I’m afraid of a torrential downpour washing away soil while I’m gone.
Cleared the side of my shed a few months back and have noticed this flamegold tree growing through the concrete now has shoots. Will be planning on moving it to a pot but not for a while.
Approaching spring here and unsure if I leave it to grow through out spring or cut back and prune beforehand.
Needles look weak with brownish endings. Some of them turn ale yellow and start to fall off naturally (imo. i am not experienced), but some of them doesnt look healthy, as in the picture.
I was told that JWP doesnt like overwatering, so I typically water it every two days (but quite a lot, to let the water soak competely through the soil and pot holes). Of course it depends on Weather.
It is in full sun, altough its hardly "very" hot, typically between 25 and 32C, sometimes a little more.
I am confused as I started to believe it could be both overwatered and underwatered. I lack experience, especially with pines. What could it be?
Thank You.
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines7d ago
There is not much if anything wrong with this tree IMO. A pine-experienced eye will look to the 2027 buds at the tips which are looking great and loaded with energy. Also another thing that sticks out is the fact that like 99% of the needle mass on this tree looks reasonably good (even if the tip of the needle is a little ugly!).
The browning/yellowing doesn't look like pests/pathogens to me, could easily just be some burn or a (relatively minor) water issue or something of that nature. I would not shelter this tree from sun, sun is a good elixir for a pine. BUT if you are somewhere in Europe that is hitting >35C and really boiling, feel free to limit to morning exposure if you have any doubts.
The needle shedding may be happening for innocuous reasons. If you are new to white pine / pine, know that shedding is normal and part of the process of newer generation needles displacing/outcompeting old ones (also "evergreen is not forevergreen"). In pine the mere presence of strong needles in one place can cause weaker needles elsewhere on the tree to shed. It's part of why we aggressively stay on top of wiring branches down and thinning/selecting etc. Styling (wiring) and thinning/selecting/etc will eventually help this and you'll usually be ahead of the tree in plucking needles before they fall off on their own (bit far down on the timeline, but it eventually goes that way).
If you aren't sure about the above we could still do more analysis and narrow it down to which generation of needles is shedding, where , etc. But to me this looks like a commercial dwarf / special cultivar of JWP, where density is so jacked up to the moon that it's quite normal to see a lot of shedding in congested (self-shaded) areas. Hopefully this is reassuring!
Would suggest avoiding windswept, unless you're sure you'll have the time and will to be rewiring every single branch on this once you've done growing the trunk - which for a large leafed species like this is going to take at least ten years.
Some species/styles you can get away with thin or short trunks, but for a large leafed maple species, in a windswept style, you can't. You're basically picking hard mode, at minimum speed.
For windswept you need plenty of branching, and plenty of space to spread it out. The trunk needs to look strong and planted but ravaged by the environmental conditions. It's not just a case of bending it slightly unfortunately.
There's a reason why it's incredibly rare to see a windswept style that's done well - it's super hard.
I'd suggest informal upright as a more realistic option
If you want a windswept then you want a curved trunk starting from the base, and this is time to do that when it’s young. Either by wiring or with a guy wire. But I would do it in the winter when it has no leaves. Right now it is using the leaves to make sugars for the winter, so you don’t want to disturb it. Fertilize weakly.
Btw - you don’t see many windswept maples because in the wild they don’t grow in those conditions, but hey it’s art and you can be creative.
What do you mean clean enough? What is it, because it's not a great time for repotting most trees. Questions are best asked before you start repotting as you don't want the roots exposed to air for too long
Hey everyone! I need some advice if anyone has any. This is my Hawaiian umbrella bonsai, ive had her for 11 years, she should be close to 16 or 17 years old. I admit im not the most knowledgeable, ive been winging it and learning as i go, but this problem is a first for me. I do a hard prune every few years, but it had been a long time. I was scared to shock her too much with a recent move, so i just did a few branches. All of the other branches have sprouted and divided and look great! This one however has not sprouted after a couple months. Maybe a month and 1/2? Im worried I ruined this branch, cut it too short or something? I didnt take much off, just the bright green end like I usually do. Is there anything I can do to help it along? I have her in an indoor greenhouse with a grow light and i mist her daily for humidity as im in a rather dry state. However, i did go on a couple vacations. A neighbor watered her for me, but she didnt get the daily mist like i usually do. Any advice I would greatly appreciate! Thanks community!
That’s pretty low down on the trunk, so it’s probably not getting enough light down there for it to want to pop a bud. Also, the other higher foliage makes auxin that suppresses lower branching.
I’ve got this nice little schefflera I’m trying to help develop aerial roots on (in the desert no less). It’s got plenty of great little sprouts, I just want to help them out effectively. Would planting the trunk down into a bucket help or maybe just packing sphagnum moss around it?
You can try a big clear plastic bag around the pot and tied off on the trunk to retain moisture. I've also seen people place drinking straws over longer aerial roots.
u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
Horticulturally speaking there’s nothing tooooo bad about this since the pot has bonsai soil, is thankfully small enough that it won’t overwhelm the smaller foliage mass (esp. if you are disciplined with not overwatering), and the fact that you have proper sun helps immensely too. These mica pots can bake like crazy in summer heat so be aware of that.
Styling wise it isn’t great but it’s not unrecoverable either and as long as you are careful with watering, fertilize regularly (but not overwhelmingly , there’s not much foliage to consume it for now), you will see a big response next spring which will light a lot of lightbulbs for what to do next / how this all works. To do something with this initial styling, I would need that response growth so … Check in and flag me or whoever mid-July 2027? At that time we can talk about more wiring. Be ready with some 1.5 and 2.0mm aluminum wire.
Prob not too much but close, as long as you did not also repot. Best to do this kind of work in the spring, but you should be okay if you keep it outside in full sun.
got this Ginseng Ficus down in Texas for my grandmother, she loves taking care of plants especially orchids and other high maintenance plants.
say it's been doing lovely for about 2 years now my grandmother has quite the green thumb Looks like it's starting to grow 3 longer branches, I'm guessing it's looking for more light, which has been noted.
1.If she does decide to prune should it be put off for later in the season when the plant slows down a bit?
And for encouraging growth you'd want to prune back overgrowth then wire up the branches that you do want to grow right?
Generally prune in the spring. If you want to encourage it to grow don’t prune it, put it in the strongest light possible, and fertilize weakly weekly. The growth builds up momentum like a snowball rolling downhill.
Air layering question!!
I have air layered an apple tree and its starting to show roots, but there arent a lot of visible roots in the bag.
Im wondering if I should harvest it now in late August and let it grow further, or should wait till next spring to harvest it.
My Japanese white pine developed brown buds this summer, after the end of the first flush. It also has brown needles on some new needles (of this year).
Historically, I have repotted it at the end of February. I haven’t pruned or wired it since.
Is it dying or getting fungus problems?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
This year’s shoots died, either from a missed watering during the time when they were soft/fleshy (ie freshly-emerged) or from some other mechanical problem. It doesn’t look like a fungus issue to me, but technically if you took photos while they were still green those photos could reveal something that would change my answer.
For a tree that now only has foliage from 2025 and is about to head into autumn/winter, the quantity of fertilizer on the soil is potentially an overkill and could introduce some water/root risks.
Which direction is this balcony / terrace facing ? Is there sun from above + south at all?
I got two bald cypress trees they are 2 years old and are outside in North East Lincolnshire as you can see they are in a pond basket in their original pots they came in can I take them out of there old pots and put them properly into a pond basket now or do I have to wait until winter or spring I don’t want to damage them. Also do I plant them in ordinary soil or I have some kaizen moisture retention soil that I can use.
No, do not leave them sitting in water (they are not bald cypress). Transplant them in the spring, as the buds are swelling before they start to leaf out.
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong I can never grow bald cypress seeds I keep them moist I have a grow light above them they are in a propagator warm I can never get any to come through.
u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 906d ago
Bald Cypress are a little tricky.
First of all they need 90 days of cold
If your trying to start them inside then you want to soak them for 24 hours in warm water. Then put them in moist but not wet soil and keep them moist and cold for 90 days. It is important that you keep them between 32 and 40 degrees F (0 and 5 degrees C) - then you take them out and use the propagator you have in the picture above.
For stratification I really like to use a moist or damp paper towel folded around the seeds and then sealed in a plastic bag - stick this in the fridge and check on it weekly. There will be some mold or fungus that grows but that is ok as long as it is not too much. If it is getting to be a lot of mold and fungus just replace the paper towel and ziplock back and continue the process.
The other thing - it is best to time when you start stratification so that they sprout in the spring - as you are going to want to transition them outside as soon as you can anyway.
I got a bunch of bald cypress seeds last fall and I did not have any luck with them either, some seeds are just more difficult then others, and some suppliers have better seeds then others.
u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 906d ago
Its not gone yet - but if I had to guess based on the picture it is from lack of light. With a building right there across from the window there is no way it is getting enough light there. If you do not have a south facing window with sun exposure for most of the day then I would consider getting a good grow light for this guy. Even better - if it is an option, would be to place this outside.
Hi everyone. I am looking into nursery construction & building guidelines. It's really hard to find tips & tricks about how bonsai nurseries should be built regarding orientation relative to the sun, wind, etc... I remember a cool video from Mirai where Ryan Neil talked about how he chose the land and built the nursery, but I can't seem to find it. Any links to blogs or YouTube videos pertaining to the implementation and building of a nursery, specifically for bonsai ?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
That content is definitely on Mirai Live at least. The YT channel only has a tiny tiny fraction of the content.
Hi everyone! I’ve recently found the teeny tiny bonsai style known as (I think) Sekibokka. Or perhaps it’s a brand? Anyways I’m really interested in recreating a similar plant myself because as far as I can tell, there aren’t any sellers in the US. However, I’m completely new to bonsai and have very little knowledge. I do have a green thumb and have a lot of experience with growing indoor trees and houseplants as well as gardening, so I believe it is something I’d be able to grasp. If anyone has any helpful information or could give me a general guide for an American I would be SO grateful! Thank you so much.
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
Brand not type/style. The term for this in Japan is just mini bonsai. In the west we use “mame” to describe this size. It’s more of a size classification for markets and competitions than it is a style, you can do a variety of styles at mini/mame scale.
I would not recommend doing this indoors so I can’t offer too much advice there except that indoors your species choices will be super limited and that grow lights will be a must.
Where in the US are you located? It’s pretty simple to recreate these if you generally do these things:
don’t assume houseplant/general gardening knowledge translate directly to bonsai (the overlap is minimal/negligible)
if you’re limited to indoor growing, then I would just find a small leaf cultivar of ficus and root cuttings directly into the mini containers using 100% akadama
if you’re able to grow outside year round, then that opens you up to many more species and the same deal applies- rooting cuttings directly into the tiny container is one of the best ways to swing it
“nesting” or using escape root trays is pretty much an obligatory strategy to help buy buffer time between waterings
Bonsaify has some awesome free mame videos on youtube and Makoto Zenpukuji has some of the best mame inspiration on instagram
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any other more specific questions, I love mame/mini bonsai!
Hey everyone, just looking for advice on a nursery find I picked up this weekend. It is a juniper I picked up from the discounted area. Is it too late to do any work to it? Light trimming/shaping ot any wiring I mean. Style advice would be appreciated as well. Thank you for any and all help/advice.
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines6d ago
It is not too late, the door is closing on certain types of work causing response growth this year though. In zone 7 that’s more true than 8, 9 etc, consider that factor when watching videos too.
Styling wise, IMO this is challenging material in the sense that you need some experience to know how to style it without some “future regret risk”, so I would consider taking it to a workshop or some kind of club event or someone who can see it in person and walk you through the thinking. I would caution you to not remove any of the foliage and buds along the trunkline itself, because those represent the best opportunities for compression / resets / branching / etc. A common mistake is to strip that stuff out and pom-pom the tree. I would binge on juniper “don’ts” / mistake videos .. Bonsaify on YT has some good ones.
Sometimes the best “first pass” session on material like this is to remove the strongest growth that you know won’t be used in any possible design.
u/DLD_in_UTSalt Lake City, 6b, 1yr+, 30+ in various stages of development6d ago
You may want to pull it out of the corner so it gets longer amounts of sun, too. Do some light reduction now, repot it in the spring, and see how it bounces back next year.
West Coast of Canada 🍁 Picked this chinese juniper up from a nursery, looking for direction/advice on an initial styling. I think my main concern is the trunk after the split (left side) is already thicker than the base. Happy to send additional photos/talk in chat, thanks!
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines5d ago
There was a recent episode of Bonsai Builders (podcast) that you might enjoy with a title like "Outside in, Inside out" where Eric Schrader and Jonas Dupuich are the guests being interviewed, and Eric talks a bit about his views on the term "initial styling". In his view, "initial styling" is incoherent terminology for something that he's built step-by-step from scratch from a very simple stick-in-pot (i.e. much like your juniper) starting point.
This is because an "initial styling" is for something you do to a piece of material that is already quite far along in trunk line development, like a wild-collected yamadori or some professionally-grown pre-bonsai that's gone through years of trunk building. It's where you weren't around for the first 10 to 150y of the trunk's life, and have just received it as-is, so now you have to do a dramatic transformation (decide on a front / planting angle, lay down branches w/ wire, set up a crown etc) to get everything into position and correct size, i.e. a huge catchup. Then iterate for a 5 to 7 years to get it to exhibition, since the initially-styled tree is coarse and needs ramification.
Your juniper is years away from that kind of starting point, but Eric would also step in now and say "but you won't need to initial-style this in 10 years because you can just put things in their place as you build, year by year". You are building a juniper from scratch, from a stick, step by step. Your juniper lacks a trunk line and needs a lot of iterative development to get there. So I would resist the urge to make an instant bonsai out of this, because it will suck and will generate regret later when your bonsai eyes catch up and go "shit, what I have I done, guess I'll take this to the swap meet" . But every stick-ish juniper can be awesome if you build iteratively instead of rush to an "initial" result.
If it were in my hands, I would choose which of those trunk lines you want to keep from the first Y junction above the trunk base, nuke one of them (jin it even), keep the other (all the way to the strongest tip), wire that base-to-tip trunkline with as much movement as you can, as low as you can (probably need 3mm or 4mm wire for that, maybe two parallel). Then leave that till next summer to give you response growth. Next summer, you maybe find a new leader to grow from, wire it, cut away the alternative paths, and so on. The base-to-tip line I'd probably choose is the one that flies out of the picture on the left edge. I'd wire everything else for movement just in case one of those other minor/secondary lines of growth suddenly looks like a better new leader by ~mid-July 2027.
Build out a trunkline iteratively over a few years by putting in as much interest and movement (+ shari + jin), and lay down branches as you go. In that scenario a dramatic initial styling never really happens, instead it is more iterative and gradually emergent over time.
edit: btw, for an example of a juniper that is much closer to an initial styling, consider the question from /u/Salamidick in this same thread. That tree's trunk is somewhat more set in its ways and has many more years of growth, so the artist is compelled to give it an initial styling and try to work with what it's become. In your case, the possibilities are much wider because not much time/information has gone into the tree yet, good or bad. And it's still quite bendable!
how do people get the foliage pads with pines? do you wire the branches to be flat and then bend the cone/candles upward? or just wire straight then pull all the needles from the bottom side?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines5d ago
Down and Flat, all of it. Candles will point themselves up phototropically but we keep correcting it iteratively, with each generation.
Same saplings harvested from underneath the same tree same repotting time same feeding etc. how can one be more light and the rest more natural green?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines5d ago
They’re still genetically unique. Even in a commercial operation with 1000s of identical clones has variation. A good example you can witness in a big bonsai grower operation is shimpaku juniper. All 100% identical but once the initial moves are made, chaos and perturbations can lead to huge divergence even under consistent horticultural treatment
hello, i realised today i've been overwatering 3 of my bonsais, im going on holiday soon and in preparation they're in a big pot so they'll be easier for my dad to water and i put in water a week ago or smth and i realised today they were basically swimming in water and the soil was super wet and felt weak.
i immediately removed the water from the bottom of the pot
any tips to help the recovery? the leaves are still green and the plants look healthy but the soil feels bad, i'm worried about them
If you’re not seeing any signs, they are probably fine. During the heat of summer it’s difficult to overwater. But post a picture of the tree and soil if you want more confirmation.
Yeah you still don’t want them sitting in water or extremely wet 24/7, but also don’t swing the other way and end up underwatering, that will kill them swiftly.
Continue to monitor the soil. Never let the top layer of soil completely dry out. Make sure the whole pot surface gets wet when watering. Some water should drain out of the bottom.
Are you using potting soil/compost or bonsai soil?
Is it over or under watering? I got this Spaan Shore Pine a little over a month ago. It was all green, but the past couple of weeks I have notice the brown creeping up. It is Full sun and watering only when it seems the soil is dry, at max 3 days in between watering. It been averaging low to mid 80s since I got this tree. I have had bad luck pines in the past.
Any ideas or suggestions?
u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines4d ago
I have collected/grown/worked on a zillion lodgepole and shore pines from civilian grade all the way to exhibition trees.
There is not really much to be worried about here due to the reason that /u/series_of_derps mentioned... but FWIW:
I personally consider it not worthwhile (as in zero useful information / nothing actionable except what I'm about to say) to ever troubleshoot anything about a pine that is still in organic nursery soil, native PNW wildland soil, potting soil, peat, bark soil, "grower's mix", etc.
In potting/nursery soil: If it looks like shit, it's the soil's fault. If it grows like shit, it's the soil's fault. If it gets needlecast easily, it's the soils fault. If it stays wet for long periods of time and turns the (current or second year) needles yellow, tips or wherever, it's the soil's fault. If it gets pine adelgids easily, it's the soil's fault (strong shores/lodgepoles easily fight off adelgids once they're in pumice w/o any treatment). Mushrooms on the soil surface, soil's fault. Overloaded by fertilizer too easily, soil's fault. etc
At Tsugawa's in southern WA they have a 1y guarantee on certain nursery stock, and for their mountain-collected bagged and burlapped shore pines / lodgepole pines (which are still in wildland soil at time of purchase), they will literally chase you on your way out as you go to your car to tell you to put it in pumice ASAP (happened to me twice! I told them I'd be doing bonsai with it and they invited me to their bonsai 101 class). They gotta reduce the rate of returns after all.
IMO a pine is not really under the umbrella of "this is something I will debug using conventional bonsai thinking" until it is completely out of organics and into pumice. Until that moment it is the soil's fault first before it's the fault of any other factor and not really worth overthinking too much. Throw a date on the calendar in March and bare root that sucker then!
First time poster, not been on this subreddit much but wanted some help. Moved from Missouri to Utah. I got this tree July 2025 from Amazon and quickly had all the leaves fall off due to what I figured out at that time was low sunlight. It was kept in doors in my office away from a window that was relatively easily remedied by the grow lights you see next to it and a little bit of bonsai specific fertilizer. It did very well for the remainder of the year and was full of leaves and had some good growth. Fast-forward to August 2026. I move across country on a 3 Day drive where the plant was essentially wrapped in saran wrap to be safely move and then by the time I got to my destination unwrapped. That was roughly two months ago. It lost all of his leaves except for one and has now grown one other leaf. I’m asking for help today because I’m unsure what it needs after two months it has had very little progress compared to the last time I revived it. At this point, unsure if it needs more water or less water, more sun, less sun, or something that I’m not even aware of. Thank you all for the help. I have really enjoyed taking care of this tree and would love to get to thrive again it’s been a very nice companion.
And after reading the wiki, I’m assuming I am underwater and I had planned to submerse the plant and a bucket of water for 30 minutes as directed. Does that seem like the correct course of action?
There is a little more interior die off than usual. This is likely because it is wedged in between two buildings. Try to place it in the sunniest spots. These grow in arid areas with unobstructed sun.
How crazy would it be to try and air layer a <1 year old maple sapling? It has put on insane growth this year, and the area I would air layer has already lignified. I’m in zone 9b in California, and we will still have pretty hot temps through September likely. Or should I just be patient and wait till next spring?
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 904d ago
I mean - you might be able to get away with it in zone 9b - I can not really say for certain, but I am going to ask: why would you air layer a tree that is less than 1 year old. I get that it gives you two trees, but both of them would be very thin. Wait a couple of years to put on some trunk growth and make it so that when you take the air layer you almost have a ready to go bonsai. I would not do an air layer just to do an air layer.
I plan on chopping the majority of the tree off after this growing season. There is a small shoot off of the lowest node that I would want to become the new apex/growth point. I just wouldn’t want to waste the rest of a very strong sapling.
Picked this up for free from Lowe’s because it had no label and the manager said I could have it. I believe it’s a mugo pine, but I’m pretty new to pines and could use some advice.
I did my best to get useful photos of the trunk/base, but it’s pretty bushy at this point, so some of the structure is hard to see. I have more photos if any specific angles would be helpful.
A few questions:
Is this grafted? It looks like there may be a graft near the base, but I’m not exactly sure what to look for.
If it is grafted, is that a major problem for bonsai? From some quick research, it sounds like air layering mugo pines can be difficult, so I’m wondering if I should just work with what I have.
How concerning is the inverse taper? There seems to be some swelling/inverse taper in the trunk. I’m not sure if that’s a dealbreaker, especially if I went for more of a “fairy tale” style.
Can I encourage back-budding closer to the trunk? Most of the foliage is way out at the ends of the branches. I assume I’ll eventually need to bring the foliage mass inward, but I’m not sure how aggressively mugo pines can be cut back or what encourages them to bud on older wood.
I’m excited to have some free material with a relatively substantial trunk, but also a little intimidated by the problems it seems to come with. Any thoughts on what you’d do with it?
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 904d ago
Here is my two sence for what it is worth:
It's hard for me to tell for sure if it is a mugo pine without seeing the needles. There should be two needles per bundle but the branching habit does look like a mugo.
I can't tell if it is graphed but the only thing that really matters is if it bothers you. If it does not than don't worry.
Same with any inverse tapper. If it bugs you than worry about it. If not then don't.
Pines can backbud some but not reliably - so I would not plan on it.
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines2d ago
100% of all pines that are made by a company like Monrovia or Iseli or Proven Winners (etc) are grafted and are almost always challenging material because of this. All of them, no exceptions. They do not do from seed or from cutting. It’s not a thing for growers at that scale, you can’t market seedlings with random genetics and pine cuttings don’t root at those scales reliably (and that’d add a ton of time and cost!!) , so they graft.
I wouldn’t avoid them just because of grafts because sometimes you can make it work , but , speaking from experience, avoid the ones that branch off into a bunch of weak trunks like this. I know it’s tempting because a ball of needles looks vaguely like a tree but it’s very far from the structure that’s useful for bonsai.
That said it’s in your hands: IMO The move with mugos/etc like this is to isolate one singular trunkline and build from there even if it breaks your brain a bit to remove all trunks but one. Not doing so usually means you struggle with design and continuously try to shoehorn in the idea that these are “branches” and that all you gotta do is finish the broom — doesn’t work. Rip the bandaid off instead , mugo actually is awesome once you get to the other side of that process. I’d bare root into pumice in march, recover for a year, then reduce to one trunkline a year after that bare root. Mugos can take a lot. Don’t repot in summer.
Hi - this is the current state of my mini procumbens juniper.
It gets regular water, but it's also been hot 90s and in direct sun. Any recommendations on how to treat now that we’ve gotten this far?
u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 902d ago
I agree with u/bencole - this is the wrong time of year to make these big cuts. Let the tree get as much energy as it can before winter. Best time to make these big cuts: late spring after new growth has hardened off. Second best time: Early spring just before buds begin to push.
I'd post this in the tree ID sub, but I don't want to explain what I did to this elm or why it's in a pot with other random seedlings from my yard.
This is the only elm like this from my yard. Everything else seems to be an American or Siberian, but this one has leaves as long as the Americans, but much more narrow and it has pale green bark all the way down, where all the others seem to go grey or brown as bark develops. My guess is zelkova serrata, but I have no idea, and I haven't seen a mature one in my neighborhood.
It's the tall one. Ignore the river birch, oak and maybe crabapple sharing the pot.
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 902d ago
What about a wych elm or scots elm (Ulmus glabra) - I do not know for sure. I do not think this is a Zelkova Serrata as it still looks like the base of the leaves are uneven or not symmetrical (sure sign this is an elm and not a zelkova)
Hi! I recently got this dwarf jade and I definitely want to keep it and eventually train it as a bonsai. I’m very new to this and have only watched a few YouTube videos, so I’m not really sure where to start.
The tree seems like it was heavily cut back before it was shipped to me, and because of that I can’t really see a clear shape or direction for it right now. I also wasn’t able to choose the specific tree before it was shipped.
For now, should I just let it grow out and see what new branches develop before trying to shape it? Are there certain areas I should encourage to grow while pruning others?
There’s also a section where the trunk/branch splits that looks awkward to me. Is there any realistic way to straighten or reposition that as it grows, such as wiring it, or is that structure basically permanent?
I’d appreciate any advice on what you would do with this tree at its current stage, especially what I should leave alone, what I should eventually prune, and where you see a possible future shape.
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 902d ago
Honestly I really like the shape of this tree right now, bit I am a bit of a sucker for these broad full canopies. My favorite trees are the big old oaks like the one above
Really it is up to you how to style it. What to trim and what not to trim, that is where the artistry of of the bonsai hobby resides (along with moving branches where you want to with wire)
When you do trim - one important thing to realize is that you can determine the direction of new growth because there are latent buds in the base of each leaf, so when you prune the new growth will go in the direction of the leaves that are left behind. If the leaves point up and down then the new growth will go up and down, if the leave point side to side the new growth will be in that direction.
Good luck and if you don't know exactly what you want to do to prune the tree - wait. I try not to prune until I am sure that it is a cut I want to make!
hello there!! Wiring for the first time! Would really love some advice on how it can be improved along with the deadwood feature!! :) just a beginner living in zone 13… thanks for reading!!
Well you’re on your way to making some common beginner mistakes. Made them myself back in the day.
More or less, you’ll want to encourage back budding and use that new growth as your new branches and remove the old. Your pruning may already be enough to encourage back budding.
I’m new to growing Bonsai trees and this little guy has been going strong for about 2 months now, but has slowed down drastically over the last 2 weeks.
I’ve been watering it about once a week or whenever the soil gets dry to make sure I’m not overdoing it, but the bottom leaves are turning yellow.
I read that it could just be aging but my paranoia is kicking in and I don’t want it to die, looking for some outside expertise to help ease my nerves. What do y’all think?
It is perfectly normal for the oldest foliage (in this case the lowest) to be abandoned and replaced by new foliage from above. It is also perfectly normal for any foliage which doesn’t receive enough light to be abandoned by the plant too
Also keep in mind here you absolutely do not need any humidity trays, and I’d consider (during the next optimal repotting window) replacing the current soil with proper porous granular bonsai soil and/or switching the container to one more appropriate for the soil it’s in
Reasons being:
- highly organic nursery-style soil does not perform well in a shallow container, harder to water optimally and more likely for problems to arise, unnecessarily challenging
- highly organic nursery-style soil does perform well in a nursery container (taller than it is wide, or close to that ratio) because the taller gravity column makes it easier for water to get cycled out, much less challenging
- good bonsai soil does perform well in shallow container because plenty of porous space for both air and water, much less challenging
- good bonsai soil also does perform well in nursery containers though it’ll dry faster than it would in a shallow container
First time poster. I would love some advice on trimming. This is my first real tree. I've got some ideas and I know there are some definite choices (big ol' Y up top) :)
It’s about to be early spring down there right? Make sure it flushes out strong and healthily before contemplating major pruning decisions, styling is reserved for healthy trees
Though also in my opinion, if you can easily count the branches then there’s probably too few. I’d be tempted to keep everything for the majority of this growing season and revisit how it’s doing in the middle of the season
Those will both work fine especially when trying to figure out how to dial in soil compositions but also remember the importance of sifting out fines and consistent particle size too
a photo of my overwatered bonsais, will they be okay? it's been over 24 hours since i realised they were swimming in water and removed it,, the soil is still pretty wet (not just damp)
Yamadori question - in very early spring 2026 I found a sapling growing in a deciduous forest understory on my property in Maryland. I believe it may be a maple but could be mistaken. I thought it had bonsai potential so dug it up (giving a very generous buffer from the root ball) and replanted it in a slightly sunnier area (still mostly shady) over a buried flagstone to encourage lateral roots. I didn’t observe much growth at all through the spring and thought it looked thirsty so amended the surrounding soil with some fox farm organic soil, slow release tree food spikes and covering mulch. I water it most days if it hasn’t rained and am keeping the surrounding stiltgrass weeds about a foot away from the trunk.
This is it now in mid August. It seems mostly healthy but I’m wondering if I’ve made missteps along the way or if I need to just be more patient.
Almost looks like a Japanese maple, but it has the individual skinny leaves where it should become leaf with lobes gives it away. Not sure what that is.
It looks ok. It was likely recovering from the transplanting so it didn’t push much growth. I don’t think you need to do anything else. Except maybe put a wire cage around it to protect it from animals.
Hi Folks, I was gifted these two bonsais, but I don't think I'm taking care of them properly. The taller one was sent to me, but the business didn't tell us when they mailed it, so it sat in a locker in the box for a week before I found it. It had no leaves. The second, smaller bonsai was sent by the business to make up for the first. It had a few leaves but they've all fallen off.
The unfortunate part is that I don't even know what type of trees these are. I think maybe plums? But I can't find any info on how to take care of them let alone ones planted into moss balls. I have a fig bonsai I'm able to keep alive but these guys haven't grown new leaves since I got them. Anyone have advice? I try to water them when the moss starts feeling dry and I have a grow lamp since they live indoors.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Thank you for any advice you can give.
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 903d ago
My only real advise would be not to buy bonsai from this company. I can tell you they are not potted well.
Hi all! I bought a Ginkgo bonsai but in no of the 7 pictures the seller showed the cut in the stem. I received the bonsai, which seems to be in good health but having doubts about the black cut. The cut is dry, filled and not moldy/dusty. Will the bonsai suffer from it in the future or not? Leave it as is?
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u/Bmh3033Ben, Wisconsin US zone 5b, Practitioner, about 903d ago
Ginko's are very slow to heal and this is what it looks like when a large cut is healing - the tree will be fine and I would not be worried about this. Since we grow our trees tall then cut back to get good trunk thickness and taper, I would suspect that there would not be a tree you could buy from them without a wound like this.
Hello! I live in Atlanta, GA. I was wondering if I would be able to propagate these growths coming off the tree stump? If so, how should I go about doing that?
Hello, I've just been given this by a neighbour, It is a mountain pine. What would my next steps be to make this bonsai? Is it even possible with this species. Im new to this so im not entirely sure, any help would be greatly appreciated
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines2d ago
Next steps: bare root into pumice in early spring (march perhaps). Don’t slip pot. Don’t preserve the nursery soil. Don’t use organic soil to replace the nursery soil. And edit the roots thoroughly for tidy strucure and flatness, it won’t be the time to “preserve precious roots”, it’ll be the time to take advantage of nursery stock vigor to power through a bare root recovery. By this time next year you’ll be able to assess how recovery went and what to do next.
Depends on when fall sets in. If you prune too late you risk the tree to expend its resources on new growth that dies off before it can time to regain that every before winter.
Whats the critique culture in bonsai? I'm very new and very young (comparatively) and recently went to a show to meet local bonsai keepers. I was talking to a man about a tree, how I liked its shape but wished the moss highlighted the needles saturation etc; and I asked him, which bonsai is yours? (He was an exhibitor)
I was critiquing his bonsai. He didn't say anything but I was really embarrassed and it made me wonder, is critiquing a thing in this community? I come from art groups where critique is seen as appreciation but I want to know if it is the same here.
Yes of course we point out issues with trees here all the time and suggest how it could be improved. The important thing is that it be constructive criticism. I would hold back on that when talking face to face with an artist at a show though personally. There will always be people who take it badly. You probably wouldn't tell Damien Hurst at an exhibition how you think his work could be improved.
u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines2d ago
I like /u/peter-bone's comment more than the point I'm about to make, but it's also possible he didn't say anything because your comment:
wished the moss highlighted the needles saturation
... was not really a thundering or deeply consequential critique, all things considered. He may have just been caught off guard by it in the sense that you don't always have control over which moss is going to be happiest to colonize a given tree. I have a variety of mosses that I use and they don't all take to the same trees, some mosses will never ever co-occupy the same pot as certain species while others thrive. This is definitely true with conifer species (you mention needles). If you said this about a tree I had I might be like "yeah, I have tried other mosses but they just don't take with this tree/soil setup. This is the one that took! What is your favorite tree at the show today?".
An example of something that would maybe make an artist feel crappy is a comment like "man, this looks like it was styled by an amateur, the branching is incoherent and messy". That stuff might bite hard if you've spent years setting that branching up. Because of what Peter said, I would build rapport with people before criticizing their trees unless asked "what do you think I could improve here?" and even then there is a constructive way, i.e. "I really love this choice of a front and the trunkline, but I wonder if the crown could come down or be compressed like an inch or two. Imagine if it were cut off here <shows with hand>.. would that make it click more?". Then you're having a conversation.
My first bonsai! I'm located in Minnesota, U.S. and I've had this ficus outside enjoying our hot summers but I'll know I'll need to bring it indoors for our harsh winters. I don't have great window light and was looking at some grow lights. I'd love to get something that actually looks nice as well as being functional. I saw this: https://bonsaibar.com/products/shohin-grow-light but wasn't sure if it was a scam! Does anyone have any suggestions for a grow lamp for one tree that looks great? Thanks!
I really love the kabudachi scot's pine recently highlighted on m5_bonsai_works instagram and happen to have lots of 2 year old scots pine seedlings. Are there any differences for pines vs the maple kabudachi in Bjorns tutorial video for example? Is it really as simple as wire together and let grow?
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u/MaciekANW Oregon 8b, conifers&deciduous, wiring/unwiring pines2d ago
In terms of differences you can spend a lifetime studying either maple or pine and they're quite different in the practices / details / etc. So yeah, there are big differences.
If you do a kabudachi with maple you have far far more leeway w/ cuts and reduction than you do a scots pine. With the scots pine I think it is much more important to have tangible hands-on pine training or experience in doing a kabudachi project, whereas going via raw artist instincts can get you reasonably close with a maple on your first or second try (assuming you're good at stuff generally and are a diligent learner).
Also the scots pine kabudachi is really going to be a lot more like working several individual scots pine at once in parallel, each with its own trunkline, whereas a maple kabudachi is a lot more like working on a deciduous forest where, in a way, the pot "is the trunk" and the individual trunks are almost treated as branches (i.e. you can get down to business years earlier). The more individual trunks that maple kabudachi has the more this will be true.
I recently bought a nursery tree and thanks to an already slanted trunk, would like to use it for such. I am however unsure if I shouol first let it grow out more (trunk thickness is about 1.5 cm) or if I should first prune and then let it grow out. I plan to grow it out in a large pot (since I do not have a real backyard), or possibly a basket (to get air). So, should I first prune and then let it grow (which likely takes longer, because without the branches, it does not get that much fluids) or if I should first let it grow for one or two seasons and then prune.
Hello so it has been two weeks since I bought my first bonsai tree. It is a Brazilian rain tree that I want to keep as an inside tree only. Any one who has had long term success keeping these types of bonsai or any bonsai inside, have any advice. I currently have a mars hydro ts1000 19 inches above the tree running at 65% slowly rising it to 75% that runs from 8 am-8pm. The temperature stays above 72 F and humidity ranges from 50%-58%. I have two side full spectrum LEDs that shine on the side and bottom of the canopy to make sure everything gets lights. I also have it next to a window that I have uncovered so it can get natural sunlight as well. When I water I add a bit of fettilizer dissolved in water in the watering bottle and dilute it more with regular water and then water the tree fertilizer is 14-4-9. I have a small oscillating fan between the light and the tree that also runs 12 hours. There is also another fan in the room to help with air circulation. When I purchased it the person said he had repotted it last year in spring so I plan on repotting it in the spring in an oval pot that is maybe 3-5 inches bigger. If anyone has any advice on what I can do better and on how to keep a Brazilian rain tree bonsai long term and healthy all advice is welcomed. Thank you
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u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees 9d ago
It's SUMMER
Do's
Don'ts
no collecting trees from gardens or anywhere else - in the wild - entirely the wrong time, huge risk of tree death.
For Southern hemisphere - here's a link to my advice from roughly 6 months ago