Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Thin trunk bonsai can be extremely elegant! And there is often a push on how to thicken trunks where bigger is seen as better. I thoroughly believe thin trunk bonsai can be magnificent when they are designed and managed correctly. There needs to be balance between the trunk, the apex, the foliage and the pot or container. They do not always need to be a literati style either, the trunk line and flow and movement of the tree is as always very important.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

How old is that bonsai? Ever been asked that question and wondered why it has been asked? Does it really matter how old it is? We work so hard on the perception of age through the application of styling techniques that I just wonder if the age of a bonsai should change from 'Actual' age to a 'Feels Like' age. I feel there are areas within bonsai design that can help with the appearance of age for the viewer, like branch angle, formation of the apex, nebari and the ramification.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

I am a planner, I like to be prepared and I always want to achieve as much as I possibly can with my bonsai. So with Autumn just days away I am breaking this season into segments and looking at the species and work that will be needed at each particular time. Always planning...And I think about my early days with this bonsai addiction and I see so many people with that same glint in their eyes that I had, that fire in their belly, and I want to offer some friendly advice on what I would do differently and where I would spend my time and effort.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

It's late Summer and your pines are starting to look a little shaggy after decandling or candle cutting so what should you do?? Absolutely nothing! There are some great reasons for leaving them in peace for now and all of your hard work (and the bonsai) may be undone by rushing. One of the most, if not the most, important skills we need to obtain for the art of bonsai is waiting. Knowing when it's best to leave your tree alone and let it do what it does best.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Beautiful bonsai for me have well balanced and positioned foliage pads. While it is easy initially to create larger pads, longer term this can be to the detriment of the structure of your bonsai. There is a process I use to create and separate pads. Another thought that runs continuously through my head when working on bonsai is Compaction. How do I make this tree smaller and push it back? Not by using twisted long branches but by developing good structure. It comes back to the inner buds and the ..... bud conveyor! And Autumn is just around the corner so start to monitor your watering habits.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

We are now two thirds of the way through Summer and it has been brutal! Weather extremes, floods to bushfires, prolonged heat, strong winds. Welcome to Australia! For me now if the best time to start doing a review of your bonsai environment and start making a list for immediate improvements and also one for longer term improvements which includes what you will do differently in future. We still have a way to go too so this is important. And I offer some advice on where to start when you seem to be stuck.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Junipers make excellent bonsai! Always have and always will. Like all species they have a specific care regime and you need to understand where their strength comes from. They are simple to care for when you know how. This podcast has an overview on junipers and their care as well as some how to's which will make your love for them even greater.

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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu

Welcome to 2026 and what a year in bonsai it is going to be! I always like to start the year with some goal setting and what my focus will be and bonsai is all about repeating good practices and procedures over and over and over again. Doing what makes me and others in bonsai happy will be a big part of this coming year. Also mid Summer is upon us and it's a good time to look at the impact so far to see if there are any changes needed for the remaining season.

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