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emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
emerald lake bonsai
@emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
14 followers 3 following 38 posts
puget sound bonsai journeyman
will@emeraldlakebonsai.com

https://linktr.ee/emeraldlakebonsai

read alt text on my posts for tutorials; dm me if i’m slacking on these!
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emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
A comparison of a few cuts from this summer. The first photos cuts were not sealed and have healed very little. The other cuts that were sealed with Top Jin M and Top Jin M + paste respectively show substantially more healing.
September 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
i went out to Bruning Pottery in Snohomish yesterday and picked up some nice pots and a beautiful vase. Very nice to see local suppliers getting into the bonsai market!
a brown textured clay bonsai pot, from the side a brown textured clay bonsai pot, from the bottom. a chop says Bruning Pottery, Snohomish, WA an unusual textured vase with two mouths. the smaller mouth is offset and elevated with a splash of blue glaze a set of three bonsai pots sitting on a shelf outdoor
August 21, 2025 at 3:02 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
we’re gonna need a bigger table…
August 5, 2025 at 5:48 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
some photos of a a hawthorn bonsai in development that I just unwired. the growth habit of this tree tends to be very angular, so I’m leaning into that with my wiring and pruning.

I haven’t picked a front yet, as it’s still being grown out, but some of the branches are starting to come along.
a hawthorn bonsai tree sits on a table in front of an exterior wall. night time lighting. the structure of the tree is being set, and there are several pieces of guy wire pulling down branches a branch of the hawthorn bonsai showing the angular shapes of the branches. some of this is wire, some of it is the natural growth habit. for this tree, I plan to pursue a penjing inspired style a close up of a branch with wire on it. the wire has been set fairly angularly
July 20, 2025 at 12:31 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
I suspect that this tree was created from an air layer. I found chunks of sphagnum moss in the roots and large stubs from branches. Because this was an out of season repot, I did not disturb the roots except to remove the sphagnum and cut back some dead wood.

proper tie down is shown; see alt text
a view of the bottom the roots of the azalea bonsai the same bonsai sitting in a pot, showing a large stub that has been cut back. a photo demonstrating proper tie down technique for a bonsai. Azaleas in particular should not have tie downs on the soft roots, so here a bamboo stake was used a photo demonstrating proper tie down technique for a bonsai. Azaleas in particular should not have tie downs on the soft roots. on this side, I was able to tie down to an old piece of wood just below the soil level
July 7, 2025 at 9:02 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
I repotted this azalea bonsai yesterday. I recently acquired it from an auction, where it was in an inappropriate pot, both in size and design. I had planned to repot in spring, but a tumble off the bench resulted in the tree becoming quite loose in the pot, prompting an out of season repot.
a satsuki azalea bonsai in a white pot sitting on a table against the wall of a green house. azalea bonsai prefer deeper pots than you might see in other bonsai species
July 7, 2025 at 9:02 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
some backyard wildlife photography while watering in my garden

#snail #gardening
a close photo of a snail in the grass a close photo of a snail's back in the grass a close photo of a snail in the grass. the snail is looking to the right a close photo of a snail in the grass. the snail is looking to the left
July 5, 2025 at 6:36 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
this incredibly dynamic yew bonsai is a rather famous tree. It has been awarded the lifetime title of Kichou, or an important bonsai masterpiece.

the style here shows the unmistakable work of Kimura Masahiko. note the contrast between the leftward moving trunk and the foliage which goes right
a photo of a Japanese yew bonsai on display at the 74th Kokufu-ten bonsai exhibition. this bonsai shows off one of Kimura Masahiko’s signature looks, that of the highly dynamic tree. when we refer to a tree that is dynamic as opposed to one that is harmonious, we are looking for contrast in the general movement of the tree. Ryan Neil, a student of Kimura’s, teaches that a dynamic tree is one where the trunk movement, crown (or apex) and key branch are not all going in the same direction. in this tree, the trunk moves left, the key branch moves right, and the apex is ambiguous, though it mostly moves left.
June 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
after tonights work of trimming and checking wire. notice that I have left the lowest trunk almost untouched, as that part isn’t finished yet. overall, the image is a little bit cleaner, but still messy—a bit like getting your hair cut without combing it
a mountain hemlock bonsai on a turntable. the tree has 3 prominent sub-trunks, two of which cross near the center under a dead branch the same as the tree in the previous post, but with the upper two trunks trimmed
June 25, 2025 at 7:50 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
when you reduce the foliage on any apically dominant tree, it’s best to start from the top and work down. the natural weakness of low branches puts them at risk of being over grown by the stronger top. if (when) your work is interrupted, going top down will prevent dieback of the twice turned bottom
a mountain hemlock bonsai on a turntable. the tree has 3 prominent sub-trunks, two of which cross near the center under a dead branch
June 25, 2025 at 5:33 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
I have a soft spot for multi-trunked trees and this turtleback clump from Ezo spruce is one that I am often going back to. The tree astounding, but the whole composition with the pot and the stand makes it stand out.

Ezo spruce is a species that was thought unuseful to bonsai before the Kato family
a photo of an Ezo spruce bonsai in a turtleback clump form on display at the 74th Kokufu-ten bonsai exhibition. This tree has around 9 trunks which form a single impressive canopy. The pot is a nice semi-formal low round, on a classical round legged stand. Tomechii Kato, the father of famed artist Saburo Kato is credited with introducing ezo spruce as a common species for bonsai. this is remarkable, as it is now an ubiquitous species, and was thought unuseful for bonsai. A good lesson in assumptions about your own native trees.
June 24, 2025 at 10:01 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
The next page has another eye catching tree, but for different reasons—this is a California juniper which was presented by President Clinton. While a modest tree compared to the others, it is a good representation of how far we have to go in the states.
a photo of a California juniper bonsai on display at the 74th Kokufu-ten bonsai exhibit. text at the top of the page reads The Bonsai Presented by President Bill Clinton of the USA
June 24, 2025 at 5:22 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
Kokufu Bonsai exhibition book study! This is a key part of the way my teachers instruct on design and critique. Check the alt text for more.

This astounding Japanese red pine bonsai is the first one in the catalog of the 74th Kokufu (2000). The broad, multi part crown counterbalances the trunk
a photo ofJapanese red pine bonsai displayed in the 74th Kokufu-ten bonsai exhibition in Ueno, Tokyo, 2000. this red pine is a semi-cascade with a striking trunk that moves dramatically to the left before twisting. the crown of the tree is composed of several smaller clouds. an unusual characteristic of this tree is it’s depiction of a spreading growth habit. often, pine bonsai are styled with their clouds getting smaller as they go up the trunk, but this has a broad chalice silhouette rather than the classical inverted triangle.
June 24, 2025 at 4:30 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
a few photos of bonsai looking their best at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. these first two are ones that have grown on me, especially the shore pine after being wired this spring, giving a great coastal feel

#pbm
a shore pine bonsai at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, originally by Masa Furukawa. the tree is planted on a wooden slab and leans out over it, as if over a coast line a vine maple bonsai at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. on loan from the collection of Michael Hagedorn. the tree appears to have a toppled trunk as it’s base a satsuki azalea bonsai on display at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. the tree is covered in pink and white flowers, with a long descending branch reaching below its base. the pot is typical of a cascade azalea, being deep and hexagonal
June 13, 2025 at 3:32 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
as can be seen in the finished photo in the greenhouse compared to the final angle mockup in the garage, I wasn’t able to get the angle there in one repot. thats okay—the tree is also overpotted to allow us to restyle it into a bunjin, and the angle will gradually reach the future design
a photo of the tree, freshly repotted in the greenhouse. a mound of roots and soil is visible on the right, with finer akadama sandwiched with sphagnum on that side to preserve moisture of the elevated roots sorry for the poor photo, it’s the only one i took prior to returning it to my mentor’s garden. it stayed in my greenhouse for just under a month the tree in its old pot, propped up within the new one. the background is the inside of a garage door
June 4, 2025 at 6:11 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
with pruning completed, the tree is tied into the pot. I used three tie down points, one over some thick outer roots and the other two on bamboo stakes driven into the roots. changing angle requires especially stable roots.

the principle of repotting on greatest limitation is in the alt text
the base of the tree from the front, tied into the pot but not yet fully repotted. a tie down wire is bound very tightly to a bamboo stake, which has been driven into the roots. the principle of greatest limitation: when repotting, one must judge how much of the roots they can reduce to preserve the health of the tree and achieve design goals. in this case, I noticed a large “hole” of roots on the left—shown here filled with soil—and much stronger roots on the right side, which would be raised higher by the angle change. I would have liked to remove more roots from the right and perhaps change the angle more, but I decided to leave that for the next repot, perhaps even after this tree is styled, which will allow us to fully consider the angle. the base of the tree from the back left, tied into the pot but not yet fully repotted. a tie down wire is bound snuggly under large outer roots, the principle of greatest limitation: when repotting, one must judge how much of the roots they can reduce to preserve the health of the tree and achieve design goals. in this case, I noticed a large “hole” of roots on the left—shown here filled with soil—and much stronger roots on the right side, which would be raised higher by the angle change. the base of the tree from the back, tied into the pot but not yet fully repotted. a tie down wire is bound very tightly to a bamboo stake, which has been driven into the roots, here at a much more perpendicular and preferable angle note that the edge of the roots on this side is above the soil level.
June 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
the tree and its root system were very healthy, though doubtless grateful for the extra room and trim. I also spotted a small patch of root aphids.

because we had planned on an angle change, I tried to focus on removing root mass first from the top of right side and the bottom of the left side
the bottom of the root ball of the pine bonsai. healthy, growing rots are seen, particularly around the corners of the pot. white mycorrhizal fungus is visible on much of the roots. a closeup of a section of the roots with a small amount of root aphids. these white speckled things can be distinguished from mycorrhizae in several ways [1]. because the infestation was small and localized, I did not provide any additional treatment, besides removing the soil and roots in that area [1] https://crataegus.com/2023/02/10/whats-a-root-aphid-and-whats-mychorrizae/ the bottom of the root ball after root pruning. it has been flat to the hand across the bottom, with the new angle made the top of the root ball after pruning. note that the left side of the roots (the trees right side) have had their surface lowered about an inch or two more than the opposite side. this is because this side of the roots will be raised due to the angle change.
June 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
earlier this season, I got a chance to repot a very nice old red pine that is in the collection of my mentor. uncharacteristically, I took nice photos of the process

this tree has not been styled or repotted in some time—at least five years since a repot, and its outgrown its design
a japanese red pine bonsai on a stool. the oval pot of the tree is propped up at an angle inside a round pot. this shot is to mock-up the repot angle alongside the new pot. a japanese red pine bonsai on a stool. the oval pot of the tree is propped up at an angle inside a round pot. this shot is to mock-up the repot angle alongside the new pot. a japanese red pine bonsai on a stool. the oval pot of the tree is propped up at an angle inside a round pot. this shot is to mock-up the repot angle alongside the new pot.
June 4, 2025 at 5:30 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
yesterday, i cleaned the soil surface (soji) of a Japanese maple pre bonsai that had lost soil percolation.

because this tree had lost a good bit of leaves, I also cut it back to healthy buds, and because it’s a learning tree for me i added these root grafts.
a small potted Japanese maple pre bonsai, showing the roots, which have had their soil and crust removed to allow water penetration. a hand is holding a separate plant, a Japanese maple seedling, into a slot on the lower portion of the tree. this is a root graft, as the seedling will fuse with the parent a closeup of a small potted Japanese maple pre bonsai, showing the roots, which have had their soil and crust removed to allow water penetration. a hand is holding a separate plant, a Japanese maple seedling, on the edge of the framez
June 4, 2025 at 5:18 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
today i set three air layers on my Japanese maple mother plant to propagate for bonsai. in the fall or maybe next spring, i’ll be able to cut these pots off the tree and have three new plants for bonsai!

check out the alt text for more details
a large Japanese maple in a nursery pot, with three air layers in smaller pots attached to some branches a branch of a japanese maple with a line marked. this line is where I want to create new roots. the angle is set intentionally to add low movement to the future trunk line, which will most likely make use of the left branch the same branch of a Japanese maple with a ring of bark cut away. this ring was then treated with rooting hormone along the top edge to promote callus formation and new roots an interior branch of a Japanese maple with a ball of sphagnum moss tied to the branch with twine. this ball of sphagnum moss is placed over the treated ring bark. over this sphagnum moss, I placed a cut pot which was filled with bonsai soil
May 22, 2025 at 2:00 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
this red alder pre bonsai was collected locally by a friend. right now, it mostly looks like a busy, but bot the long extensions on the left side, which are being left to thicken the upper trunk
a red alder tree in a wooden box against a green background. the long branch extending outside of the silhouette is a sacrifice branch to encourage thickening
May 20, 2025 at 8:47 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
a young mountain hemlock bonsai. this tree was collected from the mountains, with all the sinuous curves in the trunk courtesy of mother nature
May 20, 2025 at 7:05 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
this boxwood bonsai was top dressed with some minor root work prior to the start of summer. it’s important to encourage fine roots near the surface, especially on boxwood which have a habit of pushing out of their pots

this tree has not been handled this way, which is a reason for these large roots
a small boxwood bonsai in a cream pot. fresh shredded sphagnum is placed across the surface of the soil a closeup of a root that was cut back another root that was cut back. note the fine feeder roots hanging in the air
May 20, 2025 at 7:01 AM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
checking up on a layer on a satsuki azalea. this layer is showing signs of starting to root, so I placed a pot of kanuma and pumice around the original ball of sphagnum
an air layer on a satsuki azalea bonsai sphagnum moss supporting an air layer on a satsuki azalea limb. this layer was made in the spring, and was resecured with azalea substrate a top down image of a pot used for affixing an air layer. the simple nursery pot has been cut with wires affixed to attach the layer to a fixed point
May 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
emeraldlakebonsai.bsky.social
another layer, this on a ground layer on an old Sandrobe beech hand selected by Rakuyo Bonsai as nursery stock

the graft is low and passable, but if i want to take this tree towards exhibition level, we need much better
beech tree in a pot with another pot stacked on top the root base of the plant, showing the root graft and a few heavy roots the same view of the roots with a ring of bark cut away. this cut was then treated with rooting hormone prior to affixing the substrate a tree in a pot with a ground layer pot stacked on top. New Zealand sphagnum moss is built up around the ring barked section of the roots to encourage new growth
May 19, 2025 at 8:11 PM