As spring all of a sudden jumps on us, we have to act fast. The temperatures this season (again) show how rapid growth can appear after a mild winter. With the risk of cold periods coming back. In these early days, it’s important to have an eye on the bonsai that begins to react and repot before the new buds on the deciduous open too much.

Trees respond to higher temperatures in different ways. Some trees are addicted to light mostly and wait for setting leaves despite the higher temperatures. Other trees react most on temperatures and others are a combination of light and temperature changes.

In these first spring days, I concentrate on Japanese maples which ideally are best off when repotted two to three weeks ahead of leaves opening. Give and take. Also, roses are pruned and repotted at this time.

Rose repotting and pruning video Thursday

Roses need to be cut twice a season and this is the time for their spring trim and repot when needed. In the video released Thursday for members, we take a Japanese Rose that needs a repotting. We also look into the spring pruning and how to adjust growth for the season ahead and still keep it flowering in summer.

Wild rose varieties and simple flowering roses are the best for bonsai. The Japanese Eijitsu rose multiflora has many qualities for bonsai and it is an exquisite dwarf variety of Rose.

Qualities are a thick woody trunk, and it develops tight internodes (distance between leaves). The small flowers fit well for Shohin bonsai where they form beautiful, tiny orange to reddish-coloured rose hips.

Rosa Eijitsu shows simple beautiful flowers in summer, and it is a non-recurring flower even if dead-headed where withered flowers are removed. The limited time of flowering is so much more making it a concentrated period to enjoy when it happens.

Summer also is the time when this type of bonsai peaks and the rest of the season is about caring and preparing for the next season. As with all other bonsai maturity and age is a quality which is highly praised.

The rose shown here still needs years to develop a mature bark. Only time and patience will make it happen.

The last Zoom Q&A was interrupted by a bad bandwidth outside the house here. It isn’t possible to say where it failed but I apologize on behalf of the technique elfs or whatever caused some members from specific areas to have trouble taking part. We hope for a better line next time without interruptions.