Bonsai Stuff

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This episode of the podcast is about my love for Australian Bonsai and Australia and why I honestly believe we have the capability to be the best in the world. And we are well on our way. We have the most incredible native species we can use that are unique and that develop so quickly. Link that with an annual bonsai show called the Bonsai Open that has some serious...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Welcome to 2024! This is going to be an amazing year for bonsai and it's great to start the year with a review. In the podcast I chat about a collection review as well as a bit of self reflection. Personal skill and technical improvements will make a massive difference to your bonsai. And look at your collection, the good, the bad and the ugly. I discuss why th...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Well that's 2023 done! What a great year and so much has been covered in the podcast and I go over a few of the important ones as well as throw in another surfing-bonsai connection. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement throughout the year and bring on 2024!! Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law an...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Well Merry Christmas!!! To help you celebrate Christmas this year I have put together a Decision Making Checklist for working on your bonsai. There are 6 questions I ask myself every time I work on my trees and in this podcast I run through and explain them all.  Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on:...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu So you've decandled your Japanese Black Pine, what do I do now? Or more importantly what don't you do. We remove the fertiliser at the time of decandling but when and when does it get reapplied. And while I'm talking about fertilising, some Australian natives have specific requirements and not getting it right can be quite disastrous. A really common...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu There is a sad but all too common tale that crops up time and time again. Watering System Failure...I chat about a recent occurrence as well as a success story and a few pieces of advice to help avoid some tears. Decandling season is upon us (well for me anyway) and I have a few technique reminders that should help anyone that is planning on decandling. Remember the...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Let me tell you why I love Australian Natives as bonsai in conjunction with non native species! They are perfect in so many ways and need to be celebrated. And in Australia we are creating history with our bonsai. We are the foundation for something pretty special and should be very proud too. We all have our own bonsai journey or path we follow and there needs to b...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With Japanese Black Pine decandling season just around the corner, now is the time to decide IF you are decandling or not. And if you are not, what should you do? Also following on from a recent Intensive weekend, I run through a deadwood creation checklist I use for junipers and I also chat about what my process is if an air layer hasn't produced the results I...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Every year I pride myself on fine tuning my watering system and I've done it again this year. Although this mod has nothing to do with the watering. A common issue at this time of the year is the yellowing of foliage, in this podcast I may put your mind at ease. And as we edge closer to Summer it's defoliation time for your deciduous that you choose to und...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Bonsai Care Guides are like a cheat sheet! But use them with extreme caution, there are always other considerations that you need to make and I run through them in this podcast. I also chat about the design concept of framing  and how it is so strong to draw in the viewer's attention to our trees. And what I believe to be the single most important skill we can...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu We all love to source new stock for our bonsai collections! I chat about a few key elements that need to be first and foremost when you are acquiring new stock that will make your choice a little easier. Also, how do you know what to prune when you have a cluster of growth? Where do you start? I run through a process of elimination I use that makes the task much eas...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's often difficult to know when is the right time to do that work on your bonsai, is it strong enough? Will I kill it by doing this work now? This is a really common worry and I discuss strategies and what to look for. I also delve into a few histories on some bonsai I've worked with very recently. And I love that this podcast encourages everyone to be p...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu When planning for this podcast and working on bonsai, a common thought kept running through my head. Balance. It's how we reach perfection with our trees. This podcast is pretty much dedicated to that thought and process. I also chat about my new Intensive program and what the idea behind them is and also what to expect. Going to be very exciting! Laugh Love La...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Leaf or foliage density management is a vital task in Spring for the health and well-being of your bonsai, it's not defoliation though. I also chat about my (boring) daily routine with my bonsai. While it's nothing exciting it is essential. And I give an example of my documenting your bonsai development is so important. I created a systematic approach for...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Are there hard and fast rules for bonsai? Why not? Whether it's styling, timing, the soil we use or how we water, why cannot we just set some standards and stick to them? Easy, because we all have a completely unique environment. And I've got an idea for future bonsai shows, a sort of continuity and link to the past. As we progress in Spring, if you'v...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What's wrong with my bonsai? It's the most common question I get asked and in this podcast I discuss my plan I recommend and also that it's probably best not to just to the worst case scenario initially. I also talk about being in the moment and enjoying where you are. Tree lovers of the world unite and take over!! And I finish up talking about bonsai...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spring is a busy time for bonsai and due to the nature of the beast, you can damage your bonsai very easily so it's best not to be distracted. Here's a few tips and tricks I use to avoid any issues. And we've officially had El Niño declared, so what does that mean for us? What should we do? And more importantly what shouldn't we do...You need to...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Fertilising and Bonsai needs to be measured and monitored. Understanding what stage your bonsai is at, as well as developing a 'plan' will help guide you when it comes to fertilising. I discuss my approach and reasonings for bonsai in development as well as refinement. I also have a read of The Hidden Life of Trees written by Peter Wohlleben. It's a g...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With all bonsai there are stages of development and I believe that internodes and how (what) we can use them with our bonsai to achieve the highest level is really important. I chat about what internodes are, why they're important and how we can manage them in Spring. I also talk about genetics and what considerations we should make when choosing our future bon...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spring has sprung! And with it comes plenty of work and decision making. I discuss my approach to Spring Candle breaking on pines and where it's used as well as why. I understand it can be very difficult to know where to start with pruning your bonsai, especially now with all that new growth so I let you in on a simple method to help make pruning decisions. I c...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu At the end of a long repotting season it's time to reflect on what I have learnt and to say goodbye to Winter. Which means a big hello to Spring!!! With Spring comes a fresh burst of growth and you need to be ready for how to manage this growth. Do you cut or do you not? And I tell a story about my watering system and how the weakest link can be your undoing. L...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Three golden rules I live and die by with my bonsai. Consistency, Reliability and Predicability. Also I dig into how I look after my trees once they have been repotted and why. One of the task when repotting is to consider an angle change and this brings with it a range of other tasks for down the track. We have a look at what they are and when you need to undertake...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu To me Bonsai is a form of art and as such it's very personal, but does it need to change? I discuss the traditional and modern approaches as well as limiting factors that need to be considered. And I ask where is the art? As well, with Spring just around the corner there are some important considerations you should prepare for. Laugh Love Law Real conversations...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Forest Bonsai are amazing! And one of the most difficult to design. In this podcast I chat about a range of considerations you should take into account when initially designing a forest bonsai setting. Also how do you take a range of trees that are the same age and make some look older than others? It's all in this podcast. Also as we head towards Spring and wa...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This is the return episode after a short mid year break for repotting and there's tales to be told. Good techniques matters - especially with your repotting, it must stand the test of time. And I've got a story on Dave Grohl and how I think he relates to our bonsai. I also ask the question of how serious is bonsai and how serious does it need to be.  Laugh...