Bonsai Stuff

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's Japanese Black Pine decandling time for me so I wanted to talk about why we can use this technique and when you shouldn't more importantly. I also chat about Colour and Space and how I use them in designing bonsai. Then I continue with my journey and evolution in the world of bonsai with my first trip to Japan. There's lots to cover and so much t...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Movement and Balance in bonsai design are considered by me to be some of the most important design elements and I discuss them in this podcast. I also continue with my journey to Japan where it all began. I still believe it to me an amazing adventure and learning experience that I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to.  Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real p...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This is an interesting podcast, I start with a bit of history on myself and my bonsai journey, discuss what I call the Good with the Bad and bonsai and also start discussing the Fundamentals of Design and how I see they apply to bonsai. So this podcast is the first of a short series that will expand and grow over the next few podcasts. Laugh Love Law Real conversati...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu In this podcast, I discuss what I would tell my younger bonsai-self to make my journey far more enjoyable and successful. We all know you cannot put an old head on a young body but it would be nice to provide a shortcut through the bonsai mistakes I made when I was younger. From tools, to stock purchasing, fine tuning my bonsai skill set, bonsai pots, tie down your...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu For me to be successful with my bonsai, it is very important that my actions are easy, repeatable, measurable, accurate and predictable. This podcast discusses why this is so crucial. Also, does this piece of material have potential? In short, yes. This is an interesting podcast and I chat about my processes and thoughts after repotting has been completed. And it&ap...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Have you thought about your fertilising strategy for every one of your bonsai? This podcast discusses the thinking behind developing this strategy and why it is so important. I also want to acknowledge the owners of highly refined Japanese Maples and all the dedication and time involved in their care, especially at the start of Spring! And have you ever heard about...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The joy of moving a developing bonsai from a plastic container to a bonsai pot cannot be underestimated! Does it make you actually treat your bonsai differently too? I discuss the 1%ers and how your attachment to a bonsai will make you give it move love. It's nearly the start of Spring in Melbourne, Australia so I cover off on some of the necessary tasks we sho...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu When considering your bonsai and you are leaning back, reviewing the design, ask yourself, does it add to the design or distract from it? I chat about pots, branch placement, negative space and other design considerations you need to consider. I also cover the importance of good education and the you don't know what you're not shown. I have  found some rea...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What a change for Bonsai Matsu! Scott is now a 100% Bonsai Professional and ready to explore the world of bonsai. In this episode I talk about root growth versus water retention and why your ficus needs to change as well as the results you can expect. I also talk about building an apex on your bonsai, repotting season and my continual learnings, pot choice and plent...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Autumn is a busy time, with work commencing on Japanese Black Pines and a clean up on deciduous species as well as maintenance work around the yard. It's very easy to get too busy and lose sight of what you enjoy about bonsai. This podcast reminds you to find beauty in the detail and it's the small things that make the biggest difference.  Laugh Love Law R...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Summer has come and gone and Autumn has just started. This is the first podcast for 2022 and I discuss priorities in bonsai. Priority is health, not the design process. When we get busy, focus on the bonsai! Also as Summer comes to conclusion I conduct a review of my practices and whether I have done the right thing. Where have I passed but more importantly where ha...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu In this episode I let you in a what I think are the two most important learning points are that I've had in developing great bonsai. Also a yearly wrap up review on my thoughts on bonsai in 2021. This year has taught me to think about what matters to me, and bonsai is more important than ever.  Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podc...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Coming towards the end of Spring here in Melbourne, Australia and how best to harness the initial burst of new growth prompted me to focus on the goals I had set for every single one of my bonsai and to not just automatically start tearing into them and pruning wildly. In this podcast I discuss my focus and how I use this to set a bonsai plan for development. I also...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spring is definitely in the air and our bonsai are loving it! In this podcast I discuss the fear or hesitation of exactly what to do and what the impact of procrastination is on your bonsai. Remember, doing something is far better than doing nothing! I also discuss fertilising approaches to bonsai at different stages and most importantly the correct application of g...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I've been thinking a lot lately about bonsai development as I come to the end of my main repotting season. Primarily about how the development of bonsai happens best when they are the strongest and that their strength comes from their roots. So my focus for the last two months has been on ensuring I do the very best I can to ensure my bonsai reach the next stag...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu In this podcast I chat about refinement work as opposed to the initial development work on a new bonsai. Is Refinement work boring? Sure it's essential but is it satisfying? Also, how do you prevent yourself from changing the development path for your bonsai so they can eventually reach their full potential. So much to discuss... There's an interesting per...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This episode is a bonsai chat between three Australian Bonsai professionals. Sam Thompson who's based in Canberra, Jarryd Bailey (from the last podcast) near Hobart, Tasmania and me in Melbourne, Victoria. We all have different climates and environments we care for our bonsai in so we manage them differently and the timing for key work must happen at different...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu In this podcast I interview Jarryd Bailey from Montane Bonsai  based in Tasmania, Australia. We discuss Jarryd's bonsai path as well as the development of his nursery. Yamadori and the use of Australian Native species as bonsai are hot topics. This is a really enjoyable podcast with one of the truly knowledgable and nice blokes of Australian Bonsai. Support the...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The beauty of any artwork is from the perspective of the viewer. In this podcast I discuss the  perspective of not just you but other bonsai artists and enthusiasts and how we can use this to not only improve our bonsai but view them differently too, in a positive way. Sometime familiarity with design techniques can lead to simply brushing off an artists work as rep...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Welcome to 2021 and welcome back to the third season of the Bonsai Stuff Podcast. In this podcast I discuss my processes and thoughts while performing the yearly maintenance on a Shimpaku Juniper. This is a very common species for bonsai and I break down exactly what I do and why.   This is like a 'Show and Tell' podcast and you can see the Shimpaku here -...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu So 2020, what more do we say? It's been a year of learning for me and I break it down for you. I also discuss the issue we all come across eventually, the 1 to 2 Conundrum. Every year the basic guide is 1 branch turns into 2 branches. So the amount of work effectively doubles year on year on year...and do you have the time needed to maintain that many branches?...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu This episode is raw and exposing. Sometimes the best lessons in life are the ones that are learnt the hardest. So as a snapshot for this podcast, I'd been to Japan in 2012 and returned home to practice the skills I'd been taught. Racing in head strong and focusing on the process and not the impact, I paid the price, well the Japanese Black Pine did unfortu...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What's on the bench this episode is the Scots Pine and how brilliant they are as bonsai. I also chat about the turbulent times in bonsai, jumping from one season to the next and the commitment and maintenance needed. As repotting comes to an end, I always like to reflect on the season that was and look at what was done right and what needs improvement. Bonsai h...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu When the fundamentals are incorrect, you're not giving yourself a chance. In this podcast I run through the fundamentals of repotting, resource allocation, watering, feeding, positioning which comes well before styling and design. I walk you through Repotting Aftercare to ensure you maximise your bonsai's strength and there is also some chat that not all b...

Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I walk you through the repotting of a Trident Maple live and explain each of the steps involved. Pot preparation, soil mix, tree removal, working the rootball, cleaning the trunk, securing your bonsai, repotting frequency and so much more. Repotting correctly is crucial to successfully developing your bonsai. Repotting live makes a riveting podcast... Support the sh...