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Good morning

I just reread the fertilizing section in Michael Hagedorn's Bonsai Heresy. Generally, we tend to feed too much too soon in the spring. If you overfeed in the spring you can loose some of things that distinguish quality bonsai from so so bonsai. Namely short internodes and small leaves 

The idea is for your bonsai to come out of dormancy at a measured pace. Later around mid-summer you can increase fertilization some without risking turning you bonsai into big gangly bushes

These tips are of course generalizations. Much depends on a whole host factors, like what kind of tree, your climate, how impatient you are and more..., if you really what to dig in, I suggest Michael's book
Continued below...
Here's a photo from today's Bonsai Bark post
It's a Japanese white pine that was styled by Juan Andrade
Just a reminder, Japanese white pines (aka Japanese five needle pines - Pinus parviflora) are single flush trees, so you pinch candles rather than decandle to control grown
Pinching candles on a single flush pine
photo is from Michael Hagedorn's Crataegus Bonsai blog
Continued from above...
A little more on fertilizing...
Though you might experiment with liquid fertilizer, and there may be advantages in certain situations in supplementing with liquids, if you had to chose one fertilizer, well balanced slow release pellets are recommended. Especially given that most soils these days are nearly devoid of organic matter, so if you were to use only liquids, which quickly wash right through the soil, it would be feast or famine for your bonsai 
Speaking of Japanese white pines
here's a rather magnificent example
from the 2018 Kokufu Exhibition
the photo is from Kazamatsu Bonsai
The same tree, cropped and enlarged
for a closer look at the needles
these tight small needles are a great example
of what is possible
with expert pinching and controlled fertilizing
Another Japanese white pine from Kokufu
photo also from Kazamatsu Bonsai
Again, a closer look at the needles
also it's hard to miss the spaghetti like clump
of old roots at the base of the trunk 

A cautionary tale about those roots...
Sometime in the earlier days of this tree,
someone decided to keep those tangled roots
though It would have been easy to loop them off
in order to make the tree look like what 
a bonsai should look like... rather than appreciating
a feature that might add interest
and help tell a story of the life of the tree
While we're on the subject of pines...
have your seen our
Masters Series Pine Book?
Speaking of roots etc...
Here's a few words of bonsai wisdom excerpted from
Terry Davis' latest Mullet Wrapper
 
In Terry's own words...
"Don’t make the mistake I did one time in a demo: I cut off the bottom ½ of the soil ball and the whole root ball dropped off: There were no roots in the upper half. Yeah, I know that’s weird. But it’s more embarrassing than weird...

"Those circling roots at the nebari: LEAVE THEM ALONE for the first repotting. You have no idea where they are going or what they are supporting. You can work them (remove or redirect) once you have the whole thing in bonsai soil so you can get a good look at them and work them free.
Even then you need to be careful and make sure they have replacements...

"I use a steel chopstick (easier to keep sterile), and I follow the tool into the soil with my index finger. It tells you how much you have left to do, and it speeds up the process. And don’t stab it over and over unless you have a taste for firewood: work it back and forth, away from the trunk. You aren’t trying to murderize the roots. Don’t forget to work the outer part of the soil, too. You have done enough when the tree is firm in the pot"
Just in case you missed it
the next few items are from our last newsletter
Part of a Redwood bridge saikei planting
that belongs to Dave De Groot
from our last Bonsai Bark post
Here's another of Dave De Groot's trees
 though it's most def not a Redwood, it is impressive
from a post we did in December of 2017

Here's Dave's caption... "In honor of the approaching holidays I posed a cotoneaster that is decorated with its own red berries before a celebratory gold screen. The bonsai was originally developed by the late Ann Spencer of Portland, OR. The pot is by Sarah Rayner." 
Dave's Korean Hornbeam in full fall brilliance
Dave's Book
A Bonsai Best Seller
 and you guessed it!
Principles of Bonsai Design
is available at Stone lantern
Principles of Bonsai Design
Here's a spread from Dave's chapter on branch structure
From the still beating the same drum desk...
It's here! Michael Hagedorn's long awaited
Bonsai Heresy 
Michael Hagedorn's Other Book
Post-Dated
The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk
by Michael Hagedorn
Still in print and still a great read
ONLY 14.95
 Some More Books
We Think You'll Like
and just in case you think you've seen them all 
we change them up regularly
Masters Series Pines
Growing & Styling Pine Bonsai
The definitive how-to & care book on Black
and White Pine Bonsai has detailed instructions
by some of the world's greatest Bonsai Masters
A Bargain at 34.95
One of the only Western bonsai books dedicated to the major principles of Japanese aesthetics as applied to bonsai. Practical and simple, yet full of ideas which will inspire and challenge your bonsai skills and understanding
Bonsai Deadwood
by Francois Jeker
learn how to create authentic looking beautiful deadwood
from genuine deadwood carving and aging master 
Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai
by Saburo Kato the Grand Master of the Art of Bonsai
Absolutely one of the best bonsai books ever
Everything about it speaks of beauty
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176 pages, 17 Pages of color photos of Mr. Kato's Bonsai
9 1/2" x 6 3/4". Hardcover
List price 34.95
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The Chinese Art of Bonsai & Potted Landscapes
John Naka wrote in the following to this remarkable classic  "This unique book should be on the reading list
of all bonsai connoisseurs..." 
List price 65.00
NOW ONLY19.50
Masters Series Juniper Bonsai Book
Growing & Styling Juniper Bonsai
The only book you'll ever need for growing Juniper bonsai. This enormously popular book features some
of the world's great masters of bonsai in writing
and in numerous how-to photos and illustrations
List price 34.95
NOW ONLY 24.95
Timeless Trees
The U.S. National Bonsai Collection
Every aspect of this handsome book
expresses a love for bonsai and an equal love for quality. The bonsai are from the U.S. National Bonsai Museum
in Washington DC
one of the best bonsai collections outside of Japan.
List price 39.95
NOW ONLY 29.95
Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees,
The Life and Works of Dan Robinson,
Bonsai Pioneer
Bonsai pioneer is a good choice of words to describe who Dan is. The Picasso of bonsai might be equally good. I don't know if you'll ever see another bonsai book with trees as thoroughly unique as Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees
A Bargain at 49.95
Principles of Bonsai Design
by David De Groot,
former curator at the Pacific Bonsai Museum

Principles of Bonsai design is the most complete
how-to bonsai design book we've seen in over 25 years
Masters Series Bonsai Books - Set of Three
Now you can save on these three definitive
how-to design techniques & care bonsai books
Each with striking full page bonsai photos as well

These thorough and complete books will provide
a big boost to your quest to design, style
and maintain beautiful bonsai
List Price for the Set 98.85
NOW ONLY 79.95
MOST OF OUR BONSAI TOOLS
ARE NOW MARKED DOWN

THEY'RE BACK!
We just received a long overdue shipment of tools
most of which have been out of stock
for weeks and even months
Koyo Quality Japanese Bonsai Tools
Including Most of Our Koyo Masters Grade Tools
Are Now Marked Down
NOW BACK!
after several months

Including our famous, amazingly sharpe
Bonsai & All Purpose Scissors
I use mine for light bonsai trimming, in my office,
in my kitchen and I even use it to trim my beard
List price 12.95
SPECIAL ONLY 9.95
PROFESSIONAL SOIL MIX
Our Famous Professional Bonsai Soil Mix
The soil choice of many of the pros
1/3rd Akadam - 1/3rd Lava - 1/3rd Pumice
We may run out of
Akadama Bonsai Soil
We're waiting for another shipment from Japan
but because of the unpredictably of shipping 
we don't know when it will arrive
Bonsai Socks
Keep your feet warm and comfortable in style
80% combed cotton for comfort
17% Polyamide for strength
3% Elastane for stretch
One size fits all 

ONLY 12.50 FOR ONE PAIR
29.95 (9.70 each) FOR 3 PAIRS
Japanese white pine
Before, During & After, by Juan Andrade
It's time to fertilize
and the safest way is with
slow release organic pellets
Green Balance
& Green Growth Slow Release Pellets
Our Famous Roshi Tools 
A Few Are Now Out of Stock
And Some Will Be Out Soon

 

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