Recent content by rps

masakuni developed (designed, invented) the first bonsai specific tools (ashinga shears and concave cutters), so it can fairly be said that they have been at it longer than anyone else. i own one pair of their concave cutters (a generous gift) and acknowledge they bring a certain "mojo" to the...

Thanks, all, for taking the time to respond. The above is helpful.

A friend is considering investing in a set of tools from the American Bonsai Tool & Supply Co. He asked me what I knew about their product (and reputation) which forced me to admit I had never heard of them. If anyone on this forum has direct experience with these tools, your comments/review...

I <3 Bushuan!

i asked ryan bell about the "fuji" stamp a couple of years back (noticing it on both koyo-s and ino-s) and was told: Good question. Yes, you'll see this mark on both Inos and Koyos. Westerners in the pot game call it the fuji stamp. It's actually the stamp of a nursery in Omiya who first...

well played. you may want to address the corner indents on the pot front and centre, by either building up to fill (with some marine putty) or drilling a small drainage hole through each one. that, or take exaggerated care when watering to fend off pooling in those built in reservoirs.

tofukuji employed a number of chop stamps, applied as pot size and style (and his mood that day) suggested. the story (apocryphal or not) behind this one goes that he was deep in his cups --- by which i mean, it were the liquor stamping. that said, potters do and did collaborate --- usually...

valid point

ditto hans, along with pavel slovak. http://www.bonsaivigi.cz/ despite my profound respect for most of the professionals cited in this post, hans and pavel work wonders with larch --- which represents about half my collection.

i'm in a much smaller urban centre than montreal and at least two of the family nurseries bring in tropical bonsai shipments a few times a year --- and i forever stumble across retusa in the big box stores. are you a member of the montreal club? if not, you might want to contact them for...

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i own as many bonsai books as any enthusiast and, after the initial read, most of them are left to collect dust on the bookshelf or tossed on the back of the toilet for the occasional perfunctory glance. the only ones I have read and re-read (cover to cover) are naka, koreshoff and lenz. of...

it isn't so much the heat that does them in, as the lack of dormancy enabling cold. summers often top 30C hereabouts and, with misting and regular watering, mine grow like gangbusters. BUT that is tempered with a long winter's rest through months dwelling between -20C and -30C. tonight's...

Nice story, nice pot. This just reinforces my conviction that Todd (at Sanctuary) is a decent, stand-up guy who's in it for the love of the trees and other people who love trees. Well done.

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