Mar 29 2020

Improving the success rate of your Yamadori Videos

Because I have had such a huge response to a blog post from 4 years ago, I have produced two videos based on the blog post . Original blog post is here

Apr 30 2017

Bonsai for future generations

It’s so important that we make locally grown material for bonsai as we know that it will thrive in our climate and that we make provision for future generations of bonsai enthusiasts.

I have been taking cuttings for over ten years, some take but many do not. I have a parent Itoigawa plant that I have used and have taken over 100 cuttings from this. Once the cutting have reached three growing seasons I introduce movement into the small trunks with copper wire, I also pot on into larger pots, usually shohin pots.

After another three growing seasons they are ready to move on to larger pots and so continue. Some of the cutting are used to graft onto older junipers that are having their foliage changed.

Another aspect of providing for future generations is (if suitable) I replace yamadori collected with a young tree of the same species into the place where I have dug. Here you can see some Yew saplings ready for that purpose.

Jul 15 2016

Yew Bonsai Foliage mass development 3 Videos

Yew are one of the best species for creating bonsai, they have beautiful hard deadwood, lush evergreen foliage and beautiful red live veins. In these three videos I explains how he builds branch structure and creates dense foliage clouds.

Here are some of the images from the videos, Click on the video links below to watch the movies.

Jul 4 2016

What looks older, an Uro or a Jin?

My passion are deciduous trees and in particular Hawthorns, regular readers of this blog will be familiar with many of the hawthorns in my collection, this post is about the Raft and the Uro (holes) I have created over many years. I am not an advocate of jins on deciduous trees, mostly because the wood is soft and will rot in a very short time making the work pointless. This is different for hardwood trees such as Oak, Yew, Juniper where carving can enhance the appearance.

When I create an Uro I cut deep into the tree to make a ‘dark’ interior, I want to create shadows and character. I also seal the cut with paste because I want callusing to occur, I want the callus to ‘roll over’ the hole. In some instances, the Uro has been completely seals by the callus.