Korean Maple bonsai are tiny works of art that bring the beauty of autumn into your home in a form that is easy to care for. Growing these little trees is more than just a hobby; it’s an art form that pays off. We’ll show you the steps, tools, and care you need to take…
Introduction Have you ever seen a twisted, gnarly tree growing on a rocky hillside and wondered what it was? Chances are, you were looking at a Rocky Mountain Juniper. This tough little tree is one of nature’s true survivors, growing in places where most other trees would simply give up. The Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus…
A Ponderosa Pine Bonsai is a small tree grown from the large Ponderosa Pine. It is known for its strong trunk and long needles. Many people enjoy growing it because it looks old and beautiful even when it is small. This guide will help you understand what a Ponderosa Pine Bonsai is and how to…
A Beginner’s Guide Imagine you’re watering your garden with a hose. If you just spray water everywhere, most of it lands on the sidewalk, evaporates in the sun, or runs off down the driveway. But if you carefully water just around each plant’s roots, you use way less water and your plants actually grow better….
The Week I Almost Lost My Entire Collection It was late spring 2019, and I thought everything was going great. My bonsai were pushing strong growth, the weather was warming up, and I was feeling confident. Then I noticed something odd on my favorite Chinese Elm. A few leaves had small brown spots. “Probably nothing,”…
Growing a bonsai tree is like creating living art, and it all starts beneath the surface—with the roots. If you’re just starting your bonsai journey, understanding bonsai roots is essential for keeping your miniature tree healthy and beautiful. What Makes Bonsai Roots Special? Bonsai roots are quite different from regular tree roots. In nature, trees…
The Field That Changed Everything In 2018, I inherited my grandfather’s 40-acre farm in Iowa. The soil was tired—really tired. After decades of conventional corn and soybean rotation with heavy tillage and synthetic inputs, the topsoil was thin, compacted, and lifeless. I could barely find an earthworm if I dug for an hour. My first…
The Tree That Humbled Me In 2016, I thought I was getting pretty good at bonsai. I had successfully kept several junipers alive for a few years, my maples were thriving, and I was feeling confident. So when I saw a beautiful Needle Juniper (Juniperus rigida) at a bonsai show, I bought it without hesitation….
The Tree That Survived My Freezing Winter In the winter of 2017, we had a cold snap in my area that dropped temperatures to negative 20°F for three nights straight. I was worried sick about my bonsai trees. I had wrapped most of them in burlap and buried the pots in mulch, but I ran…
