Bonsai Stuff

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's one thing to set goals for yourself and your bonsai but it is very important to honestly look back and review the outcomes. My goals were made in episode 1 this season and it's now time to see how I went (and my bonsai too). As 2025 wraps to a close I want to send a massive thank you to everyone who has listened to and enjoyed the Bonsai Stuff podcast...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With the holiday season upon us I’ve got some jobs for you! It’s a great time to get out there and knock off some jobs that will make a massive difference to your bonsai. And it’s not a bad time to stop and admire these beautiful trees. When we work on our bonsai it’s a calculated risk and the health of your bonsai will determine whether is a little risk if any or i...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I am a reflection/continuous improvement sort of person. I like to consider how could I do that better? Or what do I need to focus on? What do I need to change or stop? Always taking steps forward along with my bonsai. So as decandling season starts to wrap up for me I like to look back at my list of grievances I have with myself and the different areas I look to im...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Summer is a time for a well earned rest but for your bonsai it can be a very stressful time. Whatever the system is you plan on using for while you are having a break, make sure you test it early. Friends, family, neighbours, watering system, no matter what your plan is, start the testing and 'training' now. If you have Japanese Black Pines this time of ye...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Sometimes you can just get caught by surprise. You style a bonsai and it looks great, then a year or two goes by and all of a sudden you look at a part of a pad and it's weaker than it should be. Almost always it is a result of shading either from another part of the tree or the environment the bonsai is kept in. This needs to be rectified asap. Some of the tas...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Doing something which may not be perfect is far better than doing nothing. But more important than that is the health of your bonsai. So sometimes it is best to do nothing, but at times you have to do something. Taking your bonsai to the next level in the ramification stage takes serious focus on branch selection. I'll discuss my approach on how to move from fl...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spruce and Cedar both make excellent bonsai and about now is a vital time to do some maintenance to improve their future structure. There are a few techniques I use that will help you understand and develop them into beautiful bonsai. Spring is a turbulent time for our bonsai as well, with weather extremes still impacting them. From excessive heat on fresh spring gr...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With all this talk about pruning and managing the Spring growth, is there ever a time where you should just let them grow? Yes there definitely is. And if you do let them run when should you prune them? To improve the strength of your bonsai we can use selective pruning (or not) and help build resilience and improve vigour. Sacrifice branches are a tool we use when...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The candle cutting process is a technique we can use to successfully develop certain pine species. It is not decandling, rather candle cutting into the new spring candle to help build structure and ramification. I chat about the process, timing, what to expect, what to do next as well as the finer details to ensure you have a complete understanding of the process. T...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What a month of bonsai! Travelling around different areas of Australia, meeting loads of bonsai lovers and getting to create new bonsai. What could be better? When I do a demonstration I need to find the bonsai within the 'bush' and I have a process that I will share with you. From finding the trunk line, forcing taper and integrating flow and movement. I...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu There's lots to do now around the yard, including deciduous pruning, defoliation, repotting Australian natives and Ficus as well as working on cedars. You need to be careful (very careful) with watering both over and under watering and we need to prepare for Summer. The last round of fertilising needs to happen and there's almost too much to talk about in...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Trees have a fantastic approach to damage and the greater good of the tree. They can lock away 'issues' and move on. It's not a bad approach we could use too when things go wrong. Deadwood on bonsai is beautiful and I discuss my approach to working on it and when. As we hit the midway point in Spring there are lots of jobs to be undertaken with our bo...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Early Spring is a magnificent time especially for bonsai however things don't always go to plan and about now you might find there are issues or concerns with the new fresh foliage on your bonsai. What should you do? What's causing the problem? I run through some practical steps I use to help work through these issues. What do you do if you are seeing prob...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This episode of the podcast is the final in the 4 part series for Deciduous Bonsai Development and it will focus on styling and shaping strategies. When to wire, when not to, clip and grow methods, branch angles and so much more. Plus an approach to have you avoid losing time with structural improvement.  Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact....

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Your repotting strategy for Deciduous Bonsai development is extremely important and this will vary based on your objectives and the stage of development the tree is in. I discuss field or ground growing, grow pots, transition pots and also bonsai pots. Each correlates to a different objective and the frequency of the repotting that is undertaken.  Laugh Love Law Rea...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Successfully developing your deciduous bonsai requires strategy and an understanding of exactly where in the stages of development your bonsai is. Fertilising is a key tool we can use (or hold back) to allow your bonsai to achieve a higher level. I chat about my approach for various stages and my thoughts as to why, how much and when I fertilise. Wound management is...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Deciduous bonsai are just beautiful and it requires a mindset and certain process to develop them accordingly. It is easy to apply techniques we all hear about but is it the right thing to do? I consider the health and stage of development then build a plan before applying any process to the bonsai. When should you pinch? When is it Grow/Cut? What about sacrifices?...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Welcome to Spring and with that comes the close of the repotting season for me (well nearly the close) so I like to look back and reflect on what I've learnt and discovered of the repotting season. From tested tie ins due to late winter storms to hand cleaner. Doing it right now for future benefit is the name of the game. Plus now Spring has arrived we need to...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Sometimes when tragedy occurs it is an opportunity for improvement and that was the case with my large European Beech. A few years ago the bonsai was hit by a falling branch in the garden. Part of the apex was ripped off and the upper section of the trunk was bruised. Have a listen to the tale of heartbreak that lead to the chance to build a better bonsai the was tw...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Will changing your soil mix fix the problems and issues your bonsai is experiencing? No, it won't. Soil is a massive piece of the bonsai puzzle but it is only one part of the equation. There are other factors to consider. And I have been flat out lately repotting so there are some tales to tell, including a cascade Pine that was stuck in the pot! Laugh Love Law...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Are expensive tools the best? Will they last forever? Tool fatigue is a real thing and something to expect when you work on your bonsai. But you can avoid unnecessary early tool retirement by using them correctly and maintaining them. The right tool for the right purpose. Around this time of the year during the repotting process avoiding making decisions or making t...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Repotting is a job we do not get to complete very frequently, only every 2-5 years, so you want to make sure it's done right. And I find that when you mound up your tree it can create some issue. So let's explore whether we should mound or not. When does a bonsai become yours? Or is it always linked to the previous owner? What has to happen for it to becom...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu If you know me you will know I do not like rules especially when it comes to bonsai. However in this case I will make an exception! I've come up with six golden rules to consider before acquiring a bonsai and this relates to all bonsai lovers at all stages of their personal bonsai journey. Successfully owning and developing beautiful trees in pots takes not onl...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The downside to not dealing with root issues last repot is that you have to deal with them now and it will be much harder to sort out. Bonsai that haven't been repotted frequently enough or were not repotted correctly last time means you may be dealing with a brick this time. Let's chat about how to resolve that issue. Root rot is real and I'll discus...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Welcome to Repotting Season! It's officially started and we need to talk about it. Firstly, not all soil mixes are created equally and I have proof. I'll tell you a story about a recent repotting adventure that proves my point. Repotting is all about technique and being absolutely perfect. You need to practice and ensure your bonsai gets stronger as a resu...