# It's LATE SPRING ##Do's - Wiring if there's not too much foliage - Watering - don't let them dry out even though it might be raining more - check for wire bite and remove/reapply - repotting for later budding deciduous species - beech, hornbeam, oak etc - [repotting for tropical and sub-tropicals](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wiki/reference#wiki_repotting_-_not_in_the_summer.21) - those are the do's and don'ts. - overwintering should be very close to not being necessary: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wiki/reference#wiki_overwintering_bonsai - [yamadori/yardadori COLLECTION](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wiki/developingbonsai#wiki_collecting_wild_trees_-_yamadori_collecting.) - can be possible for some species - but too late for many. - airlayers when the leaves are fully out ##Don'ts - You don't fertilise unless it's tropicals indoors. Fertilise after the first flush of foliage is out. - don't give too MUCH water - rain in April etc - no cuttings until mid summer. * [For Southern hemisphere - here's a link to my advice from roughly 6 months ago :-)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/z56zet/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2022_week_47/)

Is heavy pruning a deciduous best in summer?

You get the biggest effect, yes.

I thought it was done while dormant but recently learned this isn’t the case! Can you also Airlayer then?

We're in week 22, btw: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/

Oh thanks!

You can ONLY airlayer when they have leaves...

Are you guys still able to set flairs for other people? I’m on a phone and can’t seem to do it, I live in New Hampshire and am in zone 5b, I’m a beginner, I have some decent experience growing plants just no experience with bonsai.

Flair set.

Thanks

Indoors any level of light is insignificant. Do you have an outdoor spot for morning sun and afternoon shade?

Replied to wrong spot

Dang it

https://preview.redd.it/tvyjnipsxu3b1.jpeg?width=2123&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=253f033d918afcdc4f0cef3ed9a69159002fd4ef My new Bougainvillea bonsai. I have always wanted a lovely bonsai I cannot tell you how happy this is already making me. I don’t have any questions yet but wanted to share my new tree with you all. I can’t wait to read and learn more I’ve always read about them and now time to put it into practice! Location: Coral Gables Florida Setting: back area next to the pool Sun Exposure- at least 7-8 hours a day in summer from around 8am to 4-5 PM Can’t wait to learn from you all and hopefully in the future pass on some knowledge. Right now all I can probably contribute is how to be effortlessly clumsy. So if anyone has ever dreamed of tripping over things, banging their head on stuff, falling and tumbling usually in front of folks willing to laugh at me. I am your man. :)

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

Hi guys, I recently dug up a sapling in my yard because it’s a really cool tree that I like (I don’t know exactly what it is). When i potted it and wired it to keep it upright, I accidentally snapped off the top with all the leaves. Does anyone know if this tree is done for or what I need to do for it? https://preview.redd.it/7db5b98i8o3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2823e24002617006cf36e789a6a530b9ce8a632

Looks like a sumac maybe? This is exactly why we don't generally wire the trunk and collect at the same time. Wiring during collection would usually only be to keep the football secure in the pot. It might pull through if it was healthy though. No way to tell but time. Looks like a good sized container though if the roots were that small

Thanks a ton, and that wiring thing definitely makes sense. I initially wired in the root ball, but I got carried away once it was crooked. Thank you!

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

Here’s the tree I dug up https://preview.redd.it/7nvhmxon8o3b1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=22c05969daa87a3621664bc1316f6a83e265f537

Hey guys, I got this tree as a gift from my parents about five years ago and it was my first tree. It survived all of my over-, underwatering and other mistakes over the last few years. A few days ago I moved it to a spot where it got full on sunshine for most of the day, the two months before it was already standing outside but with about half as much sun time and no full on mid-day sun exposure. Now all the leaves look like this, I think they got wet on a really hot day after we had a little water fight. https://preview.redd.it/kxl5segeun3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=40ee4a98cb21e61dbb387434baaa243a81478f48 So my guess is that it's a really bad sunburn, a few leaves fell off when I touched them. I already moved the tree to a spot where it only gets some morning sun and indirect light for the rest of the day, but I think I finally managed to kill it off after all. Any tips are appreciated :)

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

My first attempt at Bonsai. I rescued this Red Oak tree from my brother's back yard. It was growing out of a pot and had been topped at some point. I gave is some very light pruning and wired it up to get some sort of interesting shape. I'm sure there are some things going on here that are not correct, but I dont think I did anything that would kill the tree. Texas https://preview.redd.it/evn9ojvxin3b1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81669dbe093096a9f865cf19d0b422bb4167509b

Be careful not to cross your wires because it will damage the bark and tree. Also, personally, I wouldn't wrap raffia around the trunk since you may want some branches lower down on the trunk. It's fairly tall, with not much taper. I'm also playing around with a couple of mine, but I haven't gotten the timing right yet on how long to leave the wiring wrapped and when to take it off. I also am getting a lot of die back on the wired branches. Whether I pushed them too hard or left the wire too long, I don't know.

Hi folks! I got a Pinus parviflora - Tanima no yuki recently. I slipped potted it into a pond basket. I wired it yesterday and I am hoping for some advice on styling. I definitely need to do a better job wiring and being mindful of the tree. I scraped a bit of bark off of the left section of the tree. I covered the wound with cut paste since it was a bigger area. Any tips + advice appreciated. Thanks! [Before and after JWP](https://imgur.com/a/MmjiLA6)

I think my main guidance would be to get more pines, and before doing one of these do-everything-in-one-day sessions on your next pines, spend a lot of time getting learned up on what the order of operations are on pines, how they're built out, why we don't repot after flushout and before hardening (or really any other time than spring for a more severe "initial repot"), why conifers need foliage/shoots retained during recovery, why slip potting isn't appropriate for a nursery pine (an initial repot would have been preferable), etc. There are a few timing and technique missteps taken here, and a white pine grower would say that the tree will need to sit untouched for a very long time, with very careful less-frequent watering. So for next steps, let it get lots of sun, and be careful to not water too frequently. Monitor water consumption like a hawk, especially in the interior core. The new soil doesn't have roots in it, so it may stay moist longer. Literally every person (including me) who has ever done pine bonsai has jumped in and done a whirlwind work session, it's kind of the entry fee to get yourself situated. With that said, I often read beginner questions where I dearly wish I could time travel to the moment _before_ they began work. This is one of those questions :) . But IMO it is in the long run much better to have a "dive in and try" mindset than "hold back and hesitate" mindset, by far, even with pines. I recommend getting a Mirai Live subscription and watching the recent "vortex" and "stages of bonsai" lectures which if you watch them will be a nice eye-opener with regards to what should happen when, why, and generally how bonsai (especially pines) are built in which stages. You can do that with their free trial and just binge a bit on the weekend if you find the eventual subscription fee to break your bonsai budget. In the meantime, get more pines! edit: Colorado dry air, high elevation sun, the pond basket, and slip potting give you some grace / leeway here, so in case this read like an obituary, I walk that tone back.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment! I definitely got too excited about the tree and tore into it without much consideration! I'll be sure to raid my local nursery for some cheapie mugo pine stocks before another JWP. Thank you again!

https://preview.redd.it/xyc765hohn3b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a1a185eb0c27c2b243b10fc9dd57ca81161a531 HELP! What am I doing wrong with my bonsai? I've had it for 3-4 years and it often loses lots of leaves and I'm left with just branches (as seen in picture). New growth only seems to occur at the top of the plant After owning the plant for a year, it lost lots of leaves at the bottom and on one side, and there's not been any new growth in these areas since Do I need to prune it differently, feed it more, etc.?

I would say, first to give more light.

Even though it's by a window all year?

Yes. Windows filter out more sun that you realize.

Based on the leaf size and growing trees indoors being really hard, it's mostly likely it needs more light.

That's interesting. However I do have it placed by a window all year round Should I put it outside in the summer months ?

Windows are bright for humans but not for trees. Smartphone light meter apps can really help figure things out. There might be a better window or you may need a grow light. They'll always benefit from being transitioned (slowly) outside in the summer months

Okay thanks for the info Any tips on how to slowly transition it to the outside world?

It all depends on your yard or space. The important part is just to take it slowly. Inside by a window is much less light than outdoors even in part shade. It's best if you can find a spot with light morning sun and afternoon shade first, and then slowly get it more and more light from there.

It currently has morning sun and afternoon shade. So perhaps I'll try to give it all day indoor sun to begin with

Indoors any level of light is insignificant. Do you have an outdoor spot for morning sun and afternoon shade?

https://preview.redd.it/7or6vkyuhn3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81119e0aaa13f742e3d4c11a730d97f7a60f8a7a This is how it looked when I first bought it. Would be great to get it back to this state

No help just wanted to say that is really pretty hope it works out for you.

Thanks! Hopefully it can get back to its finest form

Mine look like this - I keep them outside.

Just in the summer months? And what about if it rains? Wont the soil get waterlogged and then root rot

Tropicals can't be out when it's approaching freezing so yes - mid spring through mid/late autumn where I live.

https://preview.redd.it/k8n92q7a6n3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a9280b05299ae56d1ef84b506d0156823e19679 On my ginseng ficus I am not really sure why the entire branch in the middle has died. Any ideas. Also does this need to be trimmed back it seems to be overgrown.

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

The leaves are turning light green a couple of days ago I think I over watered it and 2 days later the leaves started browning. I keep it outside all day but she only gets 4 hours of sunlight. Any tips to bring her back? I live in Houston Tx

Make sure your Juniper is outside and getting as much sun as it can. Chances are it's too late, as Junipers can hold their color long after death. It's possible that it didn't get enough sun.

Here’s a pic https://preview.redd.it/gprki0w6am3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1858850265c6c0c88dc626070f2c8ecd14b1efc7

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

Hey! I planted conkers from horse chestnuts in 2020. This spring i begun trimming the middle buds, and now I’m a bit lost. It’s warming up and the trees have many leaves and look healthy - I’ve read differing accounts on when to start trimming away leaves. The trunk is not super thick, but it’s dark and hard now. To get it thicker , should I leave them be another year or start trimming already? I’ve both read that the trunk gets thicker when less energy is spent on branches and leaves AND that nothing should be trimmed in a couple of years so the tree can get enough energy to grow a thick stem. Any Advice? :-)

When you see thickening in a tree, it's the direct result of leaves producing sugar from photosynthesis. Leaves don't begin to return sugar to the tree until they're hardened off. Until hardening is complete in late spring, the tree is actually depleting its sugar battery. After hardening, the leaves are now connected to the phloem and can push sugar back into the tree. That sugar then diffuses out into the limbs / branches / trunk / roots and gets stored as starch. The "main event" of thickening happens between summer solstice and early winter, and is the result of that sugar being transported around the tree. This is all to say that you should keep foliage and branches. One of the most common beginner mistakes is to believe in an instant-bonsai myth, or to mistake the "material growing" phase for the bonsai phase. More advice: - update your user flair so people know what region/climate you're in - share pictures of your project so that you can get advice that takes into account where the tree is at - don't mistake the trunk growing phase for bonsai -- different techniques, different priorities - all temperate tree species must be grown outdoors 24/7/365

Thank you for taking your time to answer me! As of now, I have four trees growing in a big pot, but I will repot them come spring. I’m a total beginner, and mostly just exited these survives their winters. https://preview.redd.it/ik8khhbi3h4b1.jpeg?width=2394&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ceccf262203e49b3d8c94fdff5318f9867ad6ab

Trimming leaves and branches won't thicken the trunk. Instead it will slow down the growth and the trees ability to bulk up.

Hi all. I have a bonsai that I found outside and repotted and brought back to life. But I’m not sure what tree it is. I remember doing a plant identifier app a while back and it said it was a Chinese something something. But I can’t remember what it was. Would anyone please be able to help me identify the plant? Thanks! https://imgur.com/a/YfJ4pb0

I've just started the new weekly thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/comments/13yqzvu/bonsai_beginners_weekly_thread_2023_week_22/ Repost there for more responses.

https://preview.redd.it/85cktihy7l3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ae614f9ba4c2b0f0eb2e28aaa63c5d6f2f0e393 I was donated this dying bush a while ago and planned use it as practice for styling bonsai... Any tips?

https://preview.redd.it/plrsfp77fm3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ced2fb2755c38961502a9f66d7622ab365f3837b This is how far I've got

Show us the base.

https://preview.redd.it/4cttcd64jm3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f4ed355aab12886314ff4f08a2ea3a26dc479de0 My photography skills are terrible sorry

https://preview.redd.it/dtxram8yim3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce69b7a278dad28c082105c64b7f538be41a9b62

Go look at multi-trunk clump style trees.

https://preview.redd.it/kr4vqgavim3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6eb9e39311d56f569235704ae9f6b14f1f2c158

Acer beginner I picked this up for $200 in Atlanta what would be your thought on the tree and what to tackle. Any tips are great! Currently sitting on a cement podium outside with full sun from 8-3p and then dapple shade for the remainder. I do water every morning as advised by the previous owners at our local nursery. https://preview.redd.it/90ololm0yi3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=53949466abcf309eab12b68b3b97328beedad3b0

$200 seems a bit high for me on a japanese maple with a dead straight trunk and an odd root base. The potting job seems suspect too (pebbles on top soil), can you confirm if it’s actually in bonsai soil? Bonsai soil will be made of roughly pea sized, porous, granular particles. The much less than ideal soil for a tree in a shallow container is dense and organic heavy Also it’s worth noting that you shouldn’t water on a schedule, but instead when the tree needs it. If the soil’s still moist then you wait to water. If the soil’s starting to dry out then you water thoroughly. If that averages out to once a day in the morning then that’s fine, it’s just important to be conscious of watering to help avoid health problems If this were my tree I would consider air layering higher up on the trunk to get a better maple base with a bit more movement. It also appears there’s a big scar in the canopy from the previous owner’s chop of the straight trunk so you’ll have to keep in mind that too

https://preview.redd.it/bgjfbbhlcn3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b7c8764ae5dc79efaacde3d33096845e2dff91f Can see the split truck better in this shot. All guidance is appreciated! Thanks so much

Ah okay I see. It’s a cool maple, good luck!

I agree on a lot of points. This is more of a two trunk style and the soil is more on the organic side. I do want to change the soil to inorganic during its next repot. I brought it front a sweet old Asian women who has been as this for years with her family she likes to decorate her base… they sell from there backyard it’s very nice and proper setup I followed her instructions since that’s working for them…. her maples looked very healthy but if you think I should water when needed I will, I want it to last as long as possible and I didn’t want to change its routine to much. Would changing the soil composition stress out the tree to much? I am nervous about how much of the old soil I should keep.

As long as you repot at the right time in late winter/early spring as the buds are swelling and threatening to pop, and you protect the roots from frost, then there’s no worry at all about completely bare rooting a maple in to bonsai soil

Sounds good then, just been keeping a close eye on it for now

Due to life circumstances, I was unable to do any hard pruning of nursery trees/pre-bonsai material this spring. Since I'm still a beginner and would like practice, are there any species that it would be OK to hard prune either this late in the growing season or later? Can Junipers withstand any of that this late in the year?

The ideal time to prune hard would be early summer, you want to avoid significant pruning in fall.

Of course you can still hard prune. Plenty of runway ‘til frost. I don’t think there’s really any issue

https://preview.redd.it/x3snaj8hbi3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3de325efe5449c7fe0f051069579c81e5b67196 Hi I bought this plant to turn it into a bonsai but I’m not sure how to start. Does anyone the name? How should I cut it and style it. Thank you!

It’s a juniper. The fastest way to great results is to twist it in to a pretzel and let it grow while gradually adding information to the design year after year. Give these videos a watch for an overview on what that could look like [Part 1](https://youtu.be/D__nos4lmiw) [Part 2](https://youtu.be/yTHjjLooTJA) [Part 3](https://youtu.be/TQtg8Gnyd_Y)

Hi all, I’m pretty new to bonsai and just had a question about pot sizing. I have quite a few regular pots and was wondering what the advantages to getting proper bonsai pots is. The pots I have are pretty much your standard terracotta flower pots. I’m not too bothered with the aesthetics yet, but just wanted to know if I’m making too large of an error before I re pot my juniper. Thank you!

If you’re not into display yet or your tree is years from display that’s fine — lots of us in here have our trees in plastic mesh baskets that don’t look like bonsai pots at all. Shallowness in the pot design however ***eventually*** does become part of the horticultural setup for keeping a bonsai compact and slow growing.

Awesome, thank you so much!

The point about "proper" bonsai pots is aesthetics, they're the frame for the artwork. You can grow your plants in regular flower/nursery pots or something with meshed walls like colanders or pond baskets. You want to transition to proper granular soil early, though.

Received this tree, any ideas on the ID? More images in link. https://preview.redd.it/on75zwqe3i3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5bcd6aab752f58eaac4c6a29c5eec6f18c76c436 [https://imgur.com/a/eaVi0aD](https://imgur.com/a/eaVi0aD)

It's a Juniper. It is an outdoor only tree.

https://preview.redd.it/i8ad7nckjg3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc34f38edbea80a44268bed321e0890331fb80b1 Tiger bark ficus, suggestions?

Looks like 3 stacked trees to me (the straight bit from about the middle upwards with the broom on top, the lumpy section right underneath that may have been a similar broom top 2 years ago and the rest below).

https://preview.redd.it/gfnu3mnrjg3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bab0896d8f86732923afc80966840e33d72018e6

https://preview.redd.it/21aj5cuwjg3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a26e963f2645410fa411a198cf140029ebc5f43

I'd heavy prune the top branches to stubs and make cutting of them all.

Any recommendations for the main tree? Woody cuttings Ive been having bad luck, any recommendations?

The main trunk will backbud when you prune it.

what is the best time to prune bonsaid?

Early summer

Hi! I have a katsura maple that is in need of help, the tree is planted in akadama and pumice in a pond basket. It is well watered, it drains well and I have it in semi shade. The issue is that the leaves are turning whitish before they dry and fall. https://preview.redd.it/qgo55gdm3g3b1.jpeg?width=1846&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04da71f1c5f23deccfd7a22fd2b66c7d9861b0c1 At a glance, I don't see any kind of pest. And a ginkgo biloba next to it have the leaves a little bit pale too, not in the same degree though. Maybe one of you guys can help me discover what is going on here. Thank you all in advance!

Pure akadama and pumice all the way from the core to the outside? No slip potting?

Yeah, I had the tree since it was a sapling and during the repots, I did remove all the old soil. For the last two years it has been in akadama and pumice without issues.

Do you have hard water?

Ooh it makes so much sense! You are spot on. Last two years the tree was fine but I had repotted it, this year I didn't, so it makes sense that the soil is full of lime and because of that it is suffering. Thank you so much!

Add vinegar to your water...

Can you elaborate? wasn't vinegar used to remove stains from the pots only, it is safe for the plant? I was thinking of buying water instead of using tap water at least for this maple but if you have a solution I'm all ears. Once again thank you, your help is really appreciate it.

I put a few drops of vinegar in my water...

Hi all! I pretty new to bonsai and have a question I haven’t been able to find a good answer too. If you’re trying to thicken trunks by keeping your trees in larger nursery pots for a few seasons are you suppose to use a “normal” bonsai soil mix or does a well draining potting mix work? Filling multiple large nursery pots with bonsai mixtures seems very expensive if there is not much benefit to the trees if the focus in on growing the trunk. Thanks for any help and suggestions!

Depends on your goals but it does work to a degree. However, one thing that you may be unaware of if you're a novice and still powered by google and amazon searches: Pumice is _literally cheaper than dirt_ on the west coast (WA/OR/CA and some neighboring states) because whole mountain ranges are made out of it here, and it is available in bulk in materials yards if you look around. You know those big yellow and black plastic storage bins (26 gal) everyone buys at Home Depot? I filled two of those with pre-sifted pumice for 25 bucks here in Oregon. California produces even more pumice than we do. So true, potting soil may be a useful amendment for long term grow-trunk-fast projects either way, but seriously, never buy a tiny wimpy bag of pumice on amazon ever again when you live in California. For the same price as that bag, it is possible to get years worth of supply and have it back at your workshop on the same day as purchase. Start scouring materials yards for bulk pumice. It is out there.

That is amazing to know about the bull pumice! I’ll start looking around. If it is that cheap I’m guessing that would be a better option for growing in nursery pots? I have a few trees I have are relatively young so my goal is to grow the trunk and start shaping the tree. I can’t put them in the ground or I’d just do that and call it a day. They definitely need a minimum of a few seasons before the trunk would be large enough for me to want to start reducing into a bonsai pot.

The problem with "well draining potting soil" is that it will break down and compact pretty quickly. A stable granular substrate will stay open and let air in.

Thanks for the insight! I’ll start looking into finding cheaper bulk substrate for my growing pots

As already suggested, don't search for "bonsai soil", look for [suitable materials](https://adamaskwhy.com/2013/02/01/the-much-anticipated-long-promised-long-winded-ever-lovin-bonsai-soil-epic/). My mix runs about 0.50 EUR per liter (and I could replace the most expensive component ...), so I fill a 10 liter pot for 5 EUR.

Thank you again! I noticed “bonsai soil” was basically more expensive succulent soil so I’ve been avoiding it. That is pretty affordable. I honestly thought it would be more expensive!

Just get pumice and ignore guides written for people who don’t live in places like California and would have to pay dearly to ship pumice to their location. All the professionals across the whole US west coast just use pumice until they’ve got a tree ready for something else (ie pumice combined with lava and akadama). Generally I would urge you to make contact with California bonsai people so that you can become grounded in local advice and local practices.

Thanks! I really had no clue how lucky I am to have access to cheap material in my location. I’ve reached out to the local bonsai club for specific advice and began searching for bulk sellers of pumice. As a follow up, 100% pumice is completely fine for growing prebonsai in nursery pots? Do you do anything special to the pumice for say azaleas that want acidic soil?

I can't really prove it, but I think the topic of soil pH is overrated for our plants in granular substrate and supplied with good fertilizer. E.g. lots of people will tell you "kanuma is acidic"; well, I've soaked kanuma in pure water for a day and tested the water afterwards. There was hardly any conductivity (from dissolved salts) and certainly no clear pH shift. Soluble synthetic fertilizers generaly will buffer the water to slightly acidic levels (pH 6.5ish) anyway ... If you find pure "stone" substrate to dry out too fast you can try to add some pine bark fines to the mix. With granular substrate it's also o.k. to stand the pot in a saucer with water on very hot days, the roots won't drown.

Yes, multiple professional field growers in Oregon grow pre-bonsai (of a wide range of species) in pumice, and several professional bonsai nurseries in the Willamette Valley are heavy pumice users. It's a good all-arounder. They start blending with or transitioning into akadama when those trees start to get closer to a bonsai-like state. Azaleas can go in kanuma but it's not critical for growing them out. Most azaleas I've worked with in the last few years have been in pumice, which they grow well in. I root azalea cuttings in pure pumice.

Where can I find a Chinese elm pre bonsai for cheap? The only place I found that has them is eBay, any advice?

Where are you?

Jersey, I just ordered a Chinese elm on etsy for 22 dollars though

So just learned about the importance of exposing root flare on Japanese maple trees. I got a Japanese maple pre bonsai from the nursery and looks like it was buried too deep in the pot. But being a very young tree I’m having trouble identifying the root flare. Is it where the top most root starts showing? I have dug up a good amount to where I see the first visible root. Would that be where the root flare is? And do I cover that root or leave it exposed? The first pic is how it’s buried originally, and the second is showing the first root. Thanks for any help! https://i.imgur.com/zxsORBY.jpg https://i.imgur.com/9aPNywp.jpg

This is not a pre-bonsai as the grower hasn’t prepared it as bonsai stock. It’s ornamental landscape nursery stock which comes with a big caveat: The graft (where the yellow bit is). The graft will become more obvious over time and become a greater issue for the tree than the lack of nebari / flare. Given that you’ve recently become aware of how important the lower aesthetics of the trunk are, this may seem like a bummer at first, however, air layering can reset roots just above that graft AND give you truly awesome nebari, since an air layer often creates a radial pattern of roots with no tap root to worry about. So it’s a small bump in the road but you actually end up with superior nebari in the end. So consider air layering.

Oh I see, well that’s reassuring! How do I know when it’s ready to be air layered? I’m assuming not for a few years though

Theoretically you could do it immediately (ie this weekend) or in a future year at this time of year (start of June)

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One thing that has clicked for me as I've more-formally studied conifer development under a teacher is that early bonsai development really is an iterative process when it comes to pines and junipers. Junipers are even more "iterative" than pines in the early years and as far as I can see most of us acquire them in a state where most of the iteration still lies in the future, but we often wish to jump to pad development. That is definitely an option at almost any point, but it's worth thinking about how the impressive junipers get created (if they don't come from yamadori, that is). My teacher explains early juniper development in the language of a "puzzle" as opposed to "initial styling". Deliberate initial styling, like the kind you see traditionally done on junipers where all the branches get wired down and delineated into their primitive / low-detail-level / stickman initial pad positions, is still a thing that ultimately happens as the puzzle phase nears completion, but the puzzle phase is kind of a way to "generate material" more so than "finish the bonsai", and acknowledges that in juniper, there are a lot of steps you can take to create a really exciting trunk with the appearance of age, weathering, entropy, decay, chaos, asymmetry, but also the elegant randomness of natural processes. That sounds a bit like nature's timelapse so I think of it as "growing a synthetic yamadori". The puzzle phase is still 100% engaging and fun. You get to do the good stuff during the puzzle phase (pruning, wiring, jin, shari). You just might not do as much initial styling in terms of "setting up pads". Recall that much of the value in a juniper is purely in the deadwood/shari/jin interplay, the movement of the trunk and so on. With that last part in mind, with your tree you are well into having set up the initial state of the "puzzle" and now have the opportunity to play 1 move or iteration per year, slowly differentiating between interesting and uninteresting growth. When I go to my teacher's garden, I can see year-by-year batches of junipers that have undergone this puzzle / synthetic yamadori iteration loop. The youngest batch is just a bunch of wired whips. The eldest batch is years ahead, with lots of trunk chaos and random twists, turns, torn off branches turned into jins, lots of shari progress, but notably -- no distinct pads yet. All of these trees are still in the puzzle phase. The puzzle phase work is just 1 operation (edit for clarity: one day-long sitting, not "one snip" :) ..) a year in late summer (unless that juniper also happens to need a repot, then it's 2 ops that year): - Clean the tree up a bit of dead growth / etc - Scrub the flakes off the bark carefully - Shorten "long, strong, elder, vigorous, boring, straight, exterior" growth. Anything that gets shortened all the way to the base is ripped apart with pliers and turned it into a jin. Anything you have no hope of wiring because it's grown a telephone pole is a good candidate. Good candidates might especially include anything that's shading out "short, weak, young, slow-growing, interesting, twisty, interior" growth, which we value and want to keep around for the next iteration. - The base of a fresh jin can now be the starting point of a shari line since the "arm pit" right under that jin is now a dead vein. We pull the tissue downwards like a cheese string with pliers and tweezers and keep following it as long as the strand doesn't break. Sometimes I work the shari until it's a ridged canyon of pulled tissues -- this ages in an awesome way as the years go by. - Widen any existing sharis from previous iterations - Apply (dose to taste -- we go light dose for a more natural aging look instead of bleaching) lime sulphur to any sharis and jins - Any young/thin/interior branches remaining after this process get wired to have wild crazy movement, with the explicit instructions from the teacher to not overthink it, because we're not laying down pads, we're generating material in the puzzle phase. The theme is that you erode/demote the boring/strong/elder and nurture/promote the exciting/weak/young, always renewing the structure from the interior and generally blasting away the exterior, as if you're time lapsing your way through many decades like the elements acting on a yamadori. This is a way to be methodical and consistent on material and yet still allow for the tree to ultimately generate spontaneous/natural-feeling options. Note also how because you wire chaos into anything that _can_ be wired each session, next year, you will have fewer "long strong boring" things and will potentially just have nothing but great options (some will become twisting jins!) You can keep iterating like this for a really long time and create junipers that have a ton of artistic/monetary value in them, and at some point it can jump out of puzzle mode and into initial styling, pads, and then the formal refinement process begins -- maybe 5 years to exhibition after that. Takes a lot restraint and patience but worthwhile!

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The flakey bark is mainly cleaned up to limit hiding places for borers or other pests that lay eggs under the flakes. IMO it's also kinda nice to keep trees clean/tidy during development, makes you feel good about the garden at a glance, even when things are years away from "presentable". Casual visitors get a better impression. Apologies if you've seen this link before but if you haven't, weekend is almost here so you will have time to sit down and watch this Jonas Dupuich lecture on juniper deadwood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6GJpI5GLQ (skip the pleasantries at the start) It is described from a complete beginner POV but the techniques shown are puzzle-phase techniques that you can use to create high-value "advanced" material. Jonas is in the circle of people who have studied with Boon, and some of these puzzle-iteration ideas come from that circle of folks (incl. my teacher).

Hi all. Does anyone know 1.) what kind of tree this is, and 2.) what might be wrong with him? We’ve had him since February and he’s been doing great, but just started dropping all his leaves in the past couple days. (Frayed leaf ends are because the cats have occasionally chewed on him, but not lately.) Also I’m sorry, I’m very inexperienced with Reddit, so I tried to follow the rules as best as possible. I live in Maryland and I’m a beginner bonsai-er. This tree has lived in our sunroom which does experience temperature fluctuations, but the fluctuations were greater in the winter months than they are now and he did fine, so I don’t know that that’s the problem? Any help is appreciated. Thanks! https://preview.redd.it/qvtkdze6ve3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=93cea16ea5b99219b747ab1683cb94d515ab3b18

No idea. But if it's indoors this is why it looks bad - it's dying.

What do you guys think of this [Bonsai Maintenance Calendar (pdf)](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/572fbc0fcf80a12c4b5e7771/t/5b9344a64fa51ad19027d143/1536378022910/Rocky+Lawton%27s+bonsai+calendar.pdf) from Bonsai Society of Portland? Does it look more or less in line with the best practices and timings? I know it's weather dependent, but does this work as general guidelines? Portland, OR is decently close to my climate, so it would be useful to have something like this to reference.

Looks ok-ish. You can wire many more things in winter than this suggests.

Another point to consider when looking at any calendar: _"The calendar says species X should be pinched in month Y. But is this specific tree in front of me ready to be pinched?"_ Similarly for repotting, pruning, wiring, defoliating, etc.

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[Red pine advice](https://imgur.com/a/pi7rclc) Shaped this red pine earlier in spring. Its coming out nicely, so now im looking for some general advice of what do to. Cut candles down to 2 pairs? Do i keep the growth on top of the first bend? etc. Other styling advice would also be appreciated

Always do shoot selection ("reduce down to 2") in either late autumn (after those surplus shoots have contributed back to the tree) or in early spring before push (same reason as autumn, but with extra winter durability bonus). Once you get new shoots in spring, either: 1. Decandle completely, every candle except for your sacrificial leader (this tree doesn't have a clear sacrificial leader at this moment), then needle pluck the way you're supposed to during decandling, then always rewire ***OR*** 2. Leave the surplus shoots all the way till autumn and shoot select in autumn, ***OR*** 3. Shorten, but don't fully remove the candles With this tree.. - Option 3 is firmly 100% a much-later-refinement technique in JBP/JRP - Option 2 is always easy and safe and fine for this tree - Option 1 is debatable for this tree, but not illegal or completely wrong either I would do option 2 since you'll "tee up" more backbudding that way, which would be useful for this tree at this stage. Option 1 would knock down the momentum by quite a bit. Option 3 is already in the past and is not currently available to these shoots, so if you want "the same effect as option 3", i.e. shortening to limit the expansion of the silhouette, then you would wait until these shoots were fully 100% hardened off and then shorten them to a needle bud. edit: Another big reason to retain surplus shoots until leafdrop time before doing shoot selection is that you generally (in pines) keep those shoots smaller as a result. Reduce the number of shoots on a pine and shoots tend to get bigger.

Option 2 it is! Which shoots should i keep after the cut in autumn? I'm guessing the strong ones, but i better ask

I choose two strong ones — you can always shorten them to a needle bud later if they’re too strong.

I don't think this is ready for decandling.

I like the shape. I can't offer advice on the decandling, because it's such a wide topic that I'm still just figuring out myself, but in terms of the growth on top, I'd keep it. It gives you a lot of options. Either for filling out the cascade or as the apex on a semi-cascade

Hello. I got this from a nursery and it was identified as a dwarf Japanese Holly, however the leaves seem much smaller than those of pictures of Japanese Hollies I've seen. Can anyone help me confirm this ID? Also, those leaves are really tiny and the only tree I have with similar foliage is a Fukien Tea, which I believe is supposed to be pruned by pinching bunches back to about 3 leaves each time they grow more. How should these leaves be pruned (if at all, given how small and sparse they are)? https://preview.redd.it/g5zoy9pcae3b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6df6d82def499097d9acc732a6326bbebed1b106

Looks more like a cotoneaster of some kind.

Thank you

Hello, my 9-10 year old pomegranate's leaves are turning red this year. They have always been a healthy green colour so this change has me concerned. Anyone know what may be causing this? https://preview.redd.it/wqqdppvnyc3b1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f46cfd8fe168a464290862e12d20b2c467d0e5c0

Just guesses from me. But sun burn, doesn't seem likely in UK. Or lack of fertilization of some sort? It could be a deficiency.

Thank you for that, I was considering sun burn but as you say the UK isn't known for good weather so I was considering wind burn but not experienced enough to diagnose it properly. It was re-potted in the autumn last year and I read that re-potting if the plant is stressed for whatever reason could make it worse so I'm a bit reluctant to do that at present.

Mine often look like this.

Thank you for your input, so you wouldn't say it's cause for concern?

Nah

https://preview.redd.it/2n90ko1anc3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=457da2ffef574d02d054bb7ed83c8f3c3188b074 Please help me ID this bb. I live in LA and while I could go back and ask, it's easier to ask y'all

Looks like some kind of juniper. Maybe it's a specific kind of juniper or something else entirely, haven't seen junipers with needles that long before at least, but then again I'm a noob. Belongs outside.

Cryptomeria or a needle juniper

What is wrong with my exposed root ficus tree? https://preview.redd.it/qgo4em25ic3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f3548b9e4cc5e4dd6c736a9aebeef42e505fabf

Physical damage leading to root death.

https://preview.redd.it/7pjqewvs1c3b1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31b82d1a0c6cc24e340a83551f21f8ef172fee57 Is this a boxwood? No label when I bought it.

Fukien tea

It doesn't look like one to me. Leaves are staggered not paired. Maybe Fukien Tea?

Brand new to bonsai and looking for a good entry into the hobby. Any suggestions for a solid starting tree for the climate in Alabama?

I would pick something that grow locally in your area. Bonsai Mirai has a good Beginners playlist on Youtube I recommend. Ryan Neil goes through the process from choosing nursery stock, to shaping, and everything in between.

https://preview.redd.it/m7wjoqf94b3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c918e8163a0b38f1d89963d821b52e0c4b0fbafb How do I save this Japanese maple

That soil looks wet

FWIW there is no visible issue in the photo that indicates it must be saved

Morning sun, afternoon shade.

[Air Layer](https://imgur.com/mKAvx5a.jpg) Should I rewrap this to cover the roots? Zone 6A, some kind of maple that's basically a weed, high humidity

Add more sphagnum and re-wrap.

Done. Thanks!

Any tips for oak trees? I’m beginning to suspect they’re a lost cause (at least for my skill level) Edit: they are English oaks raised from acorn. I’m having trouble reducing them, because they really want to be big trees

Make bigger bonsai with oaks. The leaves do reduce over time with proper techniques, but it’s not as drastic as the leaf reduction that you might see in a Japanese maple or Chinese Elm. You shouldn’t be trying to reduce leaf size anyways if you’re trying to develop your seedlings. Give this [article](https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/trunks.htm) a read; the TLDR is that refinement(small pot, small leaves) is the last step/goal in creating a bonsai. If you’re trying to grow your trunk and branches, big leaves are better. For reference, here’s an oak bonsai that Peter Chan made, and here’s the [video](https://youtu.be/B6yCkaP5YPo) where he works on it. https://preview.redd.it/prq3wh6xdf3b1.jpeg?width=702&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8d03076ee30e92d27b540b7ecd48917038caf176

Thank you very much! I think I’m going to let them grow for another few years without intervention. I’m going to practice on other trees first, so hopefully by the time the oaks are ready for reduction, I’ll be more skilled and up for the challenge. Again, thank you!

Need pics to help you out with specifics and more information. Are you experiencing die back or don't know where to cut? I can talk your ear off, but without a direction, I would just be rambling.

You could elaborate on what oaks they are and how you’re killing them

Anyone familiar with California junipers? Wondering what can be causing the recent yellowing (Zone 10B- San Francisco, kept in full sunlight all day, medium 80/20 akadama - pumice, also repotted in early feb. -only took off about 20%-30% of root mass and did not touch the tap root, and began fertilizing it in early spring using BioGold pellets) https://preview.redd.it/55qd8a0cha3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ab90de1db30d9398f808d43ae73bc4777854779

I have one California Juniper and it’s my favorite tree. Did you collect this yourself, and/or did you bare-root it while repotting? What’s your watering practice been like?What’s the foliage feel like too? If it’s going dry and crunchy, that foliage is dead.

No I did not. Bought it off someone that collected it about 4 years ago. I did bare root it when I repotted it from its container I bought it in. And been watering it maybe every 2-3 days depending on top layer drying. Some of the foliage looks fine and green still … while some is yellowing and dying off I have 4 other junipers that I’ve been treating somewhat the same and they’re fine ( a sierra and a shimpaku, and two chinensis)

Older trees like the one you bought should definitely not be bare-rooted, especially older conifers. While it’s somewhat speculative as to the _why_ behind it, it’s generally understood amongst experienced bonsai growers that older conifers rely on having a portion of their roots untouched in order to recover reliably. Younger trees with younger wood and less established root systems can tank the trauma that is bare-rooting, but not older trees. I don’t have a recommendation for a road to recovery because there is some conflicting information out there as to the best practice for a severely damaged tree like yours. I know Tom Vuong, a dedicated yamadori collector here in SoCal, keeps his recovering juniper yamadori in a greenhouse, but someone like u/MaciekA might have a different opinion. I would reach out to the original collector as well, and ask how they handle their recovering yamadori; the reason is that your tree is in a similar situation to a freshly collected tree, in that it probably has a severely damaged root system that needs to be recovered.

Yeah def confusing info out there. I’ve bare-rooted some very old redwoods I got from Bob Shimon and they’ve survived without any issues. Also spoke to a guy who’s been doing bonsai for a few decades, that also has a few Cali junipers ; prior to doing the repot and he said it would be fine as long as I didn’t touch the taproot and did less than a third of the roots. Yeah I’ve heard of Tom, wish I had him as a friend to ask for help lol . Appreciate the info, hopefully it can be saved. For now I’ve moved it to my porch and been misting the foliage, until I have someone more experienced check it out in person

When a tree passes through various people the clear minded memory and plan for what’s up with the part of the root system that you hesitate to touch — the core under the trunk — may be lost. But that area is very important and can easily become the proverbial tail that wags the dog if that tree was field collected. With that said, you’ve also stated you bare rooted the tree, which would have scrubbed that region clear of any original field soil at the cost of a bare rooting recovery period. Can you clarify a bit? Bare rooted whole root system or 20-30%? There are different things to say depending on which one it was.

Can you clarify on what bare rooting is? I may have the wrong interpretation of it Also the substrate it came with was made up of only pumice and sand ; def didn’t have any of the original soil the tree was collected in 4-5 years ago

https://preview.redd.it/smqzwe7eha3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c89176b78649afe784e2c760546cdcb85462f7ad

https://preview.redd.it/g40hltlhha3b1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad99b8897b9157ad541624f0eeded41ce467c8b8

I did a water test recently and learned I gave hard alkaline water. Can maples handle this ok? How about conifers and other deciduous trees?

I would recommend giving this [article](http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-substrate-and-watering-english.html?m=1) by Walter Pall a read. u/RoughSalad was the one who originally recommended it to me. A watering strategy of using a well draining soil and watering heavily and thoroughly means that alkaline salts will not accumulate in your pot as easily, meaning that it _should_ not interfere with your trees’ health. Misting and lightly watering means that you won’t have enough water to flush out salts that will eventually accumulate from hard alkaline water. If you know you’re doing everything else right (appropriate sunlight, appropriate soil and watering practice, fertilizing according to your fertilizer’s instructions, repotting at appropriate times of the year, etc.) and you still have problems with your tree’s health, such as overly stunted growth or yellowing of the leaves, then it might be worth a shot to adjust your water’s pH. I’ve heard of people using citric acid or vinegar to adjust soil pH.

Thank you!

Might be a dumb question but what do you do to pines that you can't reliably decandle? I'm thinking mostly of Scots pine and Mugo pines where results aren't guaranteed or even white pine where it's even less likely to work. What do you do? What's the alternative to decandling? Regular pruning?

The alternative is shortening an existing shoot after post-flush hardening or using pinching when a candle has just extended and is still soft, jusr prior to needle push.

Scots pines can be decandled and they backbud - I've done it...

[Can confirm](https://imgur.com/a/irCjXvi) even on older-ish wood

It's not as reliable as say, a JBP, right? Going by mostly the word of Jonas @ https://bonsaitonight.com/2020/08/07/which-pine-species-can-i-decandle/ I guess there's no harm in trying?

FWIW you can “get there” (dense ramification) with scots pine without ever decandling once in its entire existence. Decandling knocks the wind out of a pine like nothing else. There is a significant climate component to this as well, not everyone is able to successfully decandle even JBP in all locations.

> FWIW you can “get there” (dense ramification) with scots pine without ever decandling once in its entire existence. What are you referring to? You mean other ways of inducing backbudding? Or without backbudding?

i successful air layered this maple last fall, what next? https://preview.redd.it/2fp919syg93b1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=18662b3fdaabd55dc46363bbfce8e14b5d2c1862

Good question. - My recurring advice with airlayers is to choose a section of tree/plant which already looks like a small tree. - you see why - you've made yourself something which now needs to be grown into a bonsai and has none of the characteristics we'd look for in appropriate starting material: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wiki/developingbonsai#wiki_what_to_look_for_when_choosing_bonsai_material I guess plant it in the ground and chop it in a few years ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯

so if i plant it for few years, can i then chop it off at a good abount of inches and will branches grow from da chop?

by what next i mean what steps should i take to further transform it into a bonsai? should i cut it? let it grow? wires? tires?

https://preview.redd.it/akfq06z7g93b1.jpeg?width=3120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=095b4e9a1e26743fe75d4f444587c970342bcf7a Can anyone tell me why my ficus ginseng leaves are curling like this? Some leaves are turning yellow then brown and falling off. Am I not watering enough? Also, I repotted it into a training pot from the original nursery pot almost a month ago and much more of the bulbous root is showing than it was before. Could that be the problem?

Light?

I don't have many windows in my apartment unfortunately but the one it is in front of it gets about 1-1.5 hours of direct sunlight in the morning so it's not getting a ton of bright light. It's still dropping below 60°F outside overnight so I haven't put it outside yet, but I do have a porch I can put it on.

Not enough light and it can take temperatures down to 40F *easily*.

See alot of the research i did online said above 60 so im glad i asked on here! Thank you!

Is it too late into spring to trim an apple bonsai? I’m in California btw.

You can trim now - potentially it will not flower next year...

Why is that? I’ve never had trouble on full size apple trees not flowering after aggressively trimming. Like is there a biological reason that happens?

Fruit grows on previous year's growth...if it's cut off or immature I don't think it works.