Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

When I am working on any of my bonsai but especially my pines at this time of the year I ask myself a few simple questions for every branch that I work on. The integrity of the design I either have built or the design I am working towards rely on me making the correct decisions about removal or reduction. And that applies for all species and every time they are in front of you. The flow and movement of the bonsai is very important and so too is the design and flow of each branch.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Styling your pines (or any of your bonsai) requires a dedicated focus. So before working through your bonsai and wondering where it's going to end up I have a few areas for you to focus on. Building pad height and volume, avoiding flattened structure, length reduction as well as talking about the ski jump effect and an approach to wiring while avoiding the trunk. There's always so much to chat about at this time of the year and while this episode specifically relates to pine bonsai it can also be applied to all of your trees.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

We are rounding the corner toward Winter and the last stretch of Autumn is a really important time. Understanding your bonsai and their needs right now will have a massive impact on their future development. There are jobs to be done around the yard too, debris removal, weeding, fertilising and we are starting the most important time of the year for our pines. Now bonsai is all about the detail but overcomplicating issues really should be avoided. When something doesn't look correct or there are problems with your trees, I have a really simple approach to identifying the issue. Do not jump to a worst case scenario, it may be much easier than that.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

The idea of the perfect bonsai for each of us is a target we set for our trees, but is perfection the ideal target? Will it just lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction with our bonsai? No. Not if we breakdown the path to perfection into bite size achievable pieces then perfection is the best target. Also practising poor techniques over and over will not lead to improvement. Slowing down, building your skills and techniques is the only way for improvement. Then practice that, correct techniques. It will be almost impossible to have perfect bonsai without having a perfect set of skills.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Autumn is a very important time for deciduous bonsai and our maintenance program will set them up for a successful Spring and beyond. Tasks like leaf removal, light pruning, gentle wiring and wound management are all on the menu. Positioning takes a high priority right now too, chasing the sun and avoiding the frost. Takes some time to sit back and review your bonsai before they head to winter dormancy and take action.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Well we're mid way through the Autumn period and you need to be very careful with watering at this time. Different trees in your collection will be at different stages as we head towards a dormancy period so their water usage will start to vary as well. Overwatering can be a significant problem around now. There are techniques you can use and things to keep an eye out for that will let you know before a problem develops. I have been travelling around this beautiful country of ours recently and had the opportunity to work on amazing material and see loads of bonsai lovers. And there is always something to learn!

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

The approach of Good Structure is Good Bonsai is a great fall back position when you ever get doubt about the next step to take. When you sit there scratching your head and are ready to just leave it until next time, don't leave the issue, don't ignore it, take action. Bend the rules where possible of course and avoid rigidity in your design but always come back to horticultural principles as a priority for the longevity of the design of your bonsai. What looks good initially may be impossible to maintain in the long term.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Good structure does not mean rigidity in design. Breaking or bending the rules can be one of the most enjoyable components when designing your bonsai. In this episode I want to offer some good structural advice or guidelines (not rules!). Things like good branch placement, visual weight, negative and positive space, bend distance consistency and branch origin angle are all on the agenda as well as others. Again, they're not rules, just considerations.

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