Winter isn’t winter

The very unusual winter may be less unusual in the future. Maybe. Winter isn’t winter anymore around here.

For the first time ever it looks like most of my bonsai will stay out through the full season and into the next. If we don’t get sudden drops of temperatures now, it seems likely.

Into another season – staying outside

My trees have been stored outside protected from the rainy season (previous known as winter) and thrives. Only for a few nights the temperatures have dropped to cero or just below. This doesn’t harm any of the specimens I grow for bonsai. It just kills a few bugs hopefully. The outdoor environment helps the aging of the bark when the moist, wind and sun do their work.

Left: Hawhorn wired in autumn shows the signs of new growth much earlier than normal. Right: Also the Field maple forest is beginng its growing season.

It is difficult to time the repotting, because temperatures might change from this unusual warm temperatures to the more normal cold conditions. Then the trees will need some protection after repotting, which I soon will take action at. Buds are beginning to swell and shows the signs of a new growing season starting very early. The timing of repotting depends on individual species and the knowledge of how they grow. Learned through the years of caring for the trees, adding experience and knowledge of each tree. And this again shifts from season to season. I just have to wait and see. And maybe enjoy a longer growing season this year.

Prunus avium, Wild cherry, with sarrow pointed new buds showing the new leaves will develop there. The round buds are the flower buds.

 

2 Comments

  • Paolo Macchi

    Hi, rainy season indeed, like in the tropics! But I’m afraid that as last year we get some “beast from the east” to make things more complicated… About three weeks ago my Chaenomeles started leafing before I noticed whiout repoting, would you repot this ‘late’?
    Good article, thank you.

    • albek

      Hi Paolo. Repotting a bonsai relies on experience and knowledge of the particular tree. If your Chaenomeles is healthy growing and you do not do a lot of root pruning it might be safe to repot. In the end your own experience and judgement of the tree matters.
      If temperatures change, you have to protect the tree.
      Thank you 🙂
      Best regards
      Morten Albek

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