My year around bonsai work in the Inland Empire, CA

[my nellie]

You are absolutely correct, dear Thụ Thoại.
I'm not complaining, I just get nostalgic every now and then and I sigh for the past...

 

[bonhe]

You are absolutely correct, dear Thụ Thoại.
I'm not complaining, I just get nostalgic every now and then and I sigh for the past...

I used to be in same situation as yours but in different aspect , so I fully understand yours.
Thụ Thoại

 

[River's Edge]

One of my young Chojubai cheered me up today, a memory of a teacher that gave me a cutting and something to look forward to as the other buds open. This one will be a single trunk style some day. This one can go to an apartment when i need to move from the acreage.

 

[bonhe]

One of my young Chojubai cheered me up today, a memory of a teacher that gave me a cutting and something to look forward to as the other buds open. This one will be a single trunk style some day. This one can go to an apartment when i need to move from the acreage.View attachment 212742

Thanks for sharing. It is always very nice to have some thing from the teacher to memorize!
This JBP had been trained by my teacher for almost 26 years

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

I partially cleaned up my garden this morning and moved some trees to different places.
This contort ume survives.
It was in serious illness when I had it on 3/24/18. Although all of its branches died, but there was still some hope with few new leaf buds.


I transplanted it into the new soil and pot. Its rootage were mostly decayed to which I had to cut them off.


I has been keeping it under filtered direct sunlight since then with optimal humidity.
This morning . I am very happy that it is alive. Long way to go, but let see.

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

This is a grafted ume. I transplanted it on 3/18/18. This morning.


It is having few root surface suckers.


In the last transplant, it also had a few surface root suckers, so I separated them out and put into one gallon pot. Those suckers now,


Are these suckers ume? No, they are American apricot.
Why am I growing them? To have rootstocks for ume grafting later on.
Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

I am making mini bonsai with heavenly bamboo. I like heavenly bamboo because it can be placed inside for months without any health issue! The reason I know is that I gifted our secretary a heavenly bamboo bonsai about 5 months ago. She has been placed it on her desk since then. It is still thriving and looks beautifully every time I passed by her desk.

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

I brought this small Japanese boxwood out this morning to trim its branches.


It has one root coming down from the lower branch.


Its bark is quite interesting.

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

I am very surprised that this problem occurs on few of my pines at this time of the year.


The climate change?!!?
Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

Day length is shorter and shorter. Today’s day length is 11 hr 10’ and 50”. The crepe myrtle starts changing her skirt color.

 

[bonhe]

This time of the year is spent for juniper work in my area.
This San Jose juniper was brouyto my attention 6 days ago.


After being pruned back, it is this morning. It is still needing more work to do. It may take me another week to finish it up!

Thụ Thoại

 

[my nellie]

This trunk of your Lagerstroemia is majestic!

 

[bonhe]

This trunk of your Lagerstroemia is majestic!

Thanks my nellie. I performed a heavy carving on it few years ago. Its wood is really hard even with power carving tools with 1/4” shanks.
Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

The tree in # 731was in this morning

The right lower part was heavy


Let jin it


After Jin


After thinning and wiring the right lower part


It was not finished yet!!
Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

I finished working on this tree few days ago.

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

This small California juniper is brought out yesterday to have work done .


It has been growing fast here. The wire
applied last year already bites to wood!


All wires were removed.
Deep cut!!! Do I care? Probably not ! ?


It’s trunk base


The tree has many dead wood!


It’s final image should be liked this!

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

The tree in #736 was made 2 top jin at lateral trunks.
Some wood fibers during jin


I either used wire pliers or fingers to pull these wood fibers down.


Result


Finished for now. I put chemical and organic fertilizers and humic acid granules as well.

Thụ Thoại

 

[bonhe]

This time of the year is the best to work on California juniper for pruning, wiring, and cleaning the bark. I think it would be as same as other junipers.
Why do we need to clean the bark? To remove the comfortable zone from the insects that can hide beneath the bark. When I talk about bark removal here, it means the outer bark.
The California juniper, before working. It had a lot of long shoots


I used this excellent handy tool to remove the outer bark. You may ask your dentist to see if he/ she could give you this tool! I have many tools from my dentist ?. They are really good for detailed bonsai work!


It has 2 ends.
One end with its AP and lateral views accordingly


Other end with AP and lateral views accordingly


Because there 2 ends are rather sharp and thin, I can easily separate the outer bark from beneath and pull it either upward or downward. It is so easy and save me a lot of time !

After pruning the shots and cleaning the bark


Shari


Thụ Thoại

 

[petegreg]

These hand tools are really irreplacable, good call. I use this set from Kaizenbonsai. Cheap and the blades can be easily sharpened.

 

[bonhe]

These hand tools are really irreplacable, good call. I use this set from Kaizenbonsai. Cheap and the blades can be easily sharpened.
View attachment 216296

Thanks for sharing. They are absolutely necessary tools for bomsai.
Thụ Thoại