Longtime blog readers may know that two of my hobbies are birding and tree watching. Out on a hike I’m open to both, and depending on the day, one goes better than the other. On a recent vacation to the coast the tree watching had the better of it. I took one hike that snaked […]

It would seem the perfect solution. Water softeners are often used in homes to prevent white scale buildup from hard water. Why not use it to prevent the hard water that can weaken our bonsai? Trouble is, water softeners introduce sodium to our water. It’s only a small amount, and plants do use very small […]

For many, the large domes of foliage on bonsai that are popular around the world are ridiculous. The “helmet head” label is accurate enough—they look not unlike the impressive headgear of Lord Dark Helmet in the movie Spaceballs. Rather intimidating. And, top heavy. To give the critique credit, such large domes are often out of […]

This bunjin featured in a recent post. Like many bonsai, it has several design options. Shore Pine after a couple years of free growth. Though it has been styled once, each reset is an opportunity to disagree with the earlier one. What other design might work? With some branch bends, we could go in any […]

Due to warping in firing, or poor planning, some bonsai pot drainage holes don’t do their jobs. A pot that doesn’t drain well may make bottom roots sit in water, which isn’t ideal for species like pines. A willow or wisteria wouldn’t mind. You might also wish to address antique pots, which often have tiny […]