Bonsai Stuff

One of the most common questions I receive is what watering system do I use. In this podcast that's what I chat about as well as my plan for redundancy with the lines I run. I also talk about how I can travel and still have high quality bonsai (a great watering system and cameras!). It's also time for me to wrap up working on my pines and start getting ready to repot so it's a reminder of the need for good technique especially when you repot.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Well it's now one year since turning a full time Bonsai Professional and I want to reflect on what has happened and what's planned. It has been a great year!! I also reflect on a Japanese Black Pine I recently worked on and discuss height reduction and pad height reduction, thinning and length reduction. As well as chatting about current work around the yard.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

When I studied abroad the time when I absorbed the most information was during the final adjustments that were made to a bonsai I had worked on by a Bonsai Professional. What started as major learnings evolved over time to very fine detail and it was a great experience. I also chat about watching a Japanese Bonsai Professional work on a unique, very large Japanese White Pine. And as repotting season is nearly upon us in Melbourne, Australia, I discuss the horticultural requirements you need to consider at this time of the year.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

This episode of the Bonsai Stuff podcast chats about making a bonsai connection and also delves into a comment made at a recent convention from a Japanese Master. I also talk about what our focus needs to be when working on our bonsai at this time of the year. There is also a very handy technique to help with maintaining your tweezers when working with needle variety bonsai. And finally a reflection of kindness and encouragement and how we can all play our part.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

After returning from a big convention in Perth WA I want to go through my process of finding the bonsai for the purpose of one of my demonstration. Planning is key and I'll explain my process. Bonsai love is alive and well around the world and particularly in Australia. The feeling of support and local networks is really pushing bonsai to another level. Finally I discuss 'digging for gold' and it's not related to yamadori! We all do it, or should do it.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Bonsai Workshops are brilliant! Especially if you prepare for them. I discuss how you can get the best out of your bonsai, out of you and the workshop host as well as setting your expectations. There is also a tale about an old Japanese Black Pine that was brought back to life and then given a great future by waiting. It's a lesson for all of us about strength and health being the number one priority.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

In this episode of the podcast I discuss my strategy to avoid leaf burn on my maples, starting with a strong bonsai engine. Also as we heard towards Winter it's time to start preparing. When it comes to branch structure and design, there's a simple approach I use and I discuss the different phases to help keep the deign of your bonsai heading in the right direction.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Having a future plan is vital for your bonsai development but it's also really important to be satisfied with it right now. I have also recently returned from a trip to South Australia with the SA Bonsai Society and it was fantastic! I have a chat about my experiences there and people that I've met as well as a plan for a potential Olive dig. It's also a busy time as we start to wrap up Autumn so let's runt through some of the essentials for us all.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Be careful! Simple advice for anyone looking to purchase online, especially bonsai. I chat about a simple technique to try and avoid being scammed, as well as current Autumn work around the yard and on other bonsai. There is also a reflection on  one of my final trips to Japan and a particular moment from that trip which will be interesting to hear.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

This episode of the Bonsai Stuff podcast discusses a really simple technique for developing pads on a juniper as well as those pesky spider mites we all have to live with and manage. I also reminisce on repotting in Japan and what it taught me with the need for speed and accuracy.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Happy Easter! Or Happy Bonsai!!! This episode chats about a trip to Japan in 2015 for some fine tuning of techniques and getting to the pointy end. I also chat about a bonsai setback caused by a theft incident and finally focus on a Scots Pine that was posted recently that has created a few structural questions and rightly so. Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.TradeMyHome.comBuy Before Your SellSupport the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

A.I. is growing at a rapid rate and you supposedly can even learn bonsai from it. But is bonsai just about a tree in a pot? I don't think so and I chat about why. I also focus on what I am planning and working on at this really important bonsai time.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

We all have an artistic talent when it comes to bonsai, it might not always be obvious but it's definitely there. You should use it! I look at artistic talent and how it was demonstrated at a recent bonsai event, Bonsai Horizons. This podcast also dives into the technique of height reduction and branch shortening. This is an important skill that all bonsai practitioners will using repeatedly. Also, what is your purpose for practicing bonsai? What elements make you happy and keep coming back?  Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

I believe there are two appraoches to developing a bonsai or finding the bonsai within. You can go with the grain or you can fight it. Work with what you have or start again. I discuss my approach and why. I also cover off on theoretical versus practical applications in bonsai (which I missed on the last podcast) as well as the standards you set are the stadards you live with. Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

As we tick over to Autumn in Australia the change of season can be felt almost immediately where I live and with this very important season comes bonsai tasks that are essential to the health and well being of your bonsai. I also chat about a consistent lesson that was repeated every time I studied abroad and has my perspective on bonsai changed over time? You bet it has!Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

We have all been guilty at one time or another of under watering, whether we admit to it or not. I discuss how to identify and treat your bonsai after the event. Ants are also a nuisance that indicates a few other issues which need to be dealt with. Finally, this podcast wraps up with a brilliant trip I had to a customer's house in Japan where I was tasked with doing work on one of there Japanese Black Pines. This was a real turning point for me and is great to look back on.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Summer brings a fear of under watering, which is realistic, but can lead to over watering which can be just as detrimental to your bonsai. I chat about identifying the problem and a few tricks how to treat it. Fungal issues are also starting to become more frequent so we need to manage that as well. And this podcast also starts to look at another Bonsai adventure trip to Japan to Aichi-en. Such good memories and so much to learning...Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

The final step of any bonsai trip I make is to summarise my learnings, this podcast details the key point from my trip to Osaka and includes movement and positioning, growing cycles, inner buds, watering, wire contact and so much more. It was the start of my bonsai muscle memory that is used to this day and you should find it very interesting. I also discuss the technique Angle Change when repotting your bonsai. We can avoid straight, either vertical or horizontal, with this method and there are a few key tips that can help make it successful. Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

I studied in Osaka at a bonsai nursery called Kouka-en under Mr Fujikawa and Bjorn Bjorholm in 2013 and I learnt a great deal there. This episode of the Bonsai Stuff Podcast chats about some of that as well as discussing a concept that has been playing a lot in my mind lately as I work through quite a few junipers on the work bench which should be interesting and relevant to all bonsai enthusiasts.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web

Happy, healthy bonsai are the result of you fulfilling their core needs. There are five basics that I discuss in this podcast, fertilising and the supply of nutrients is one of them. This podcast focuses on my approach to feeding, why, when and how. I also look at Soil Air and why it is essential plus I let you in on a really simple approach to fertilising. As always, it must be easy and repeatable.Support the showWhere to find Bonsai Matsu:InstagramFacebookYouTube Web