Bonsai Stuff

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu When you can't see the bonsai for the tree you need to have a process. Something simple and easy that puts you on the right path to making good decisions. One simple task, then another and another and suddenly the bonsai starts to appear. Having a focus and not rushing will greatly assist you in making beautiful bonsai. It also helps when managing developed bon...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Our Australian natives can make excellent bonsai and here are so many varieties to navigate. Depending on the species, a task like repotting can be simple or quite complex. I chat about the timing for repotting, the various sensitivities different species may have as well as my repotting process and most importantly the aftercare.  Support the show Become a podcast...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu When you have bonsai you have a contractual obligation. You will play many roles including Custodian, Guardian, Caretaker as well as Supporter. And to be a better bonsai practitioner I believe that observation of your trees is crucial to your understanding of what to do and when to do it. Right now Australian Natives will tell you one thing while your Cedars will te...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Exposing your bonsai (and yourself) at a bonsai show can be terrifying! But it can also be the best experience of your bonsai life. I strongly support working towards showing your bonsai and I'll run through the process I go through when getting ready for a display. From pot preparation to stand choice as well as making your bonsai beautiful.  Support the show...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu As a follow on from the Spring Pinching podcast episode, now is a great time to undertake seam early spring pruning before your bonsai starts to allocate resources to growth that is unnecessary for your design. As with most things bonsai the timing is important and now is the right time. Your tree's ability to heal after pruning plays a bit part in the timing....

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spring is upon us and one of the techniques we can use to build the ramification on our deciduous bonsai is pinching. It is a really simply and efficient technique and to understand what the process achieves and how will better equip you to make the correct choice to use it or not. As always just because we can do something to our bonsai doesn't mean we should....

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spring fills me with excitement about the development opportunities for my bonsai and it is so important at this time of year as the work starts to increase that you focus on the 'long game'. Actions you take now have a ripple effect for many years to come. Having a vision of any kind for the future of your bonsai will help provide focus and guide your act...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Well Spring is almost here again and it's time to get prepared. Knowing what and how you are going to manage the Spring growth will go a long way to achieving your development objectives. Plan review, fertilising, watering, pinching, candle breaking they're all on the table for this podcast! Harnessing the strength of this initial Spring period is vital fo...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What is the most appropriate time for repotting your bonsai and why? I was always told when to repot but never why that was the right time. And honestly I think it was something that was just passed down the line without many understanding why. So let's break it down and give you the information you will need to determine the best time for you and your bonsai t...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Going to miss repotting that bonsai this year? You sure?? There is going to be an impact on your bonsai if it is overdue for a repot and you decide not to. Now I of all people can understand why you would like to leave it for just one more year but right now there is still an opportunity to change your decision so I want to chat about the negative side effects a bon...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I had a brave moment, finally. Only took approximately 10 years but I finally got there. Here's the story of a Chinese Quince that has been on quite the journey with me and recently it was given the full once over. Repot, angle change, rotation, major branch removal...Basically one with the lot! It is an interesting and important story that I'm sure will c...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It is such a small task in the overall scheme of bonsai management and care but it is so important. We repot every few years or maybe longer and the simple job of securing your bonsai at the time of repotting can make a massive difference to the health and ability to achieve your targets for development. There are different methods of securing your bonsai that I&apo...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's certainly not sexy but it's very important. What is root rot? How do you identify it and what are the common causes? And most significantly, how do we prevent it?? All such good questions when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your beloved bonsai.  Support the show Become a podcast supporter and show the Bonsai Love (it's really appreciated...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Changing your soil mix can be terrifying! But it's something we all must go through at one point or another in our bonsai lifetime. There seems to be two steps in the process, a mid way change and then a complete change. I'll tell you my story when I needed to change my mix and how I have never looked back. Fortune favours the Brave!! Being brave and takin...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Repotting is one of the most important tasks that we will ever do with our bonsai and planning (of course) is key to being successful. Before removing the tree and working the root system you need to know what you are going to do and why. Working then thinking is wrong. Think, plan, then work. And after you've repotted what is your process? Where will the bonsa...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu We are meticulous with our bonsai and their design, we spend so long getting even the smallest detail perfect and we should also do this with everything associated with good bonsai. As we commence the repotting season, well I do, it's time to be mindful of the quality and cleanliness of both the work area as well as the tools used in the process. We need to be...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu We have all had the experience of looking at a particular branch or section of a bonsai and thought, I don't like that and I should cut it off but you hesitate or just slide the bonsai back on the bench thinking 'I'll do it next time'. Me included! I have just had this very thing happen on an old Scots Pine but this time I took action. Pine seaso...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu You might start your bonsai journey loving the artistic side of the hobby but you must grow to love the maintenance side. This is where you will end up spending nearly 99% of your bonsai time. I also have a little tip for you too regarding the direction you work on your bonsai. Think of a chicken...don't worry it will all make sense in the podcast I promise.  L...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu In order to make or develop beautiful bonsai, you must be able to work at both a macro or big picture level as well as at the micro level which deals with the branch that you're looking at right now. It is easy to become distracted by the future and miss the opportunity to work in the now for your tree. I also think bonsai confidence and bonsai overconfidence n...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The concept (or mistake) of one of all species of bonsai in your collection can really make life difficult for you. Sometimes we need to curb our enthusiasm and make sound decisions. Easier said than done right?? I know it's a very difficult thing to walk out of a bonsai nursery without any new acquisitions but hear me out. Not everything has potential and are...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Winter is a great time to see your deciduous bonsai in their naked glory. It is also a time where their structural issues are more apparent than ever. So what should you do? Remove it? Hide it? Live with it? Yes, yes and yes. I will talk through the various options you have and some considerations for you to answer this question. I like to work on my bonsai in a &ap...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Late Autumn around your bonsai collection will show you signs of potential issues that may be significant in Winter. So if you know what to look for you can make changes or take appropriate action to avoid these issue. This time of the year is a necessary time for pine work, on all variety of pines. But there's no need to put yourself under the pump, we have ti...

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 f...

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 trun...

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 b...