Bonsai winter storage and styling a Yamadori pine

Winter storage

This winter has been very unchallenging when thinking about bonsai survival. Little freezing and only in very short periods when it finally decided to drop by. So far so good. Despite that, trees are stored in a cold part of the house with good natural light. Why store them protected from almost nothing then, knowing that a little freezing will not kill any native trees?

The answer is divided in two parts. First and foremost rain is an enemy in the cold period spanning from midd autumn to midd spring. Wet soil that doesn’t evaporates stays wet. In the dormant period trees do not use much water, and therefore rain and cold weather is a bad combination. Rooting roots might be the case and weakened trees the result.

Second part of the answer is cold roots. Despite what you might think, roots are less frost resistant than needles and branches. Roots in a bonsai pot are exposed for the cold from all sides living as a bonsai. Roots on free living trees and plants in nature will be in a warmer climate. Protected by the depth they are growing in where frots doesn’t reach, and with leaves laying on the ground adding a layer of insolation.

After moving to our house two years ago, it is now time to build a new studio for winter storage and bonsai workshops. It will also be the studio for filming new videos when the weather isn’t good for my well being. Talking about filming 🙂

42:55 minutes bonsai styling of a Yamadori Scots pine styled by Morten Albek. New video uploadet and free to view. View the full work of changing a raw material to the first stage as a bonsai. Including styling thought processes and techniques explained.

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