Bonsai Stuff

Bonsai Stuff

A bonsai based podcast from Melbourne, Australia by Scott Martin from Bonsai Matsu. A diverse, informative and thorough podcast for everyone that loves bonsai! If you enjoy the podcast then become a podcast supporter, it's greatly appreciated. https://www.buzzsprout.com/263290/support

Episodes

June 22, 2025 33 mins

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Deciduous bonsai look their best in their winter silhouette, there is no where to hide! Use this opportunity to identify areas for improvement before the foliage returns in the near future. And if you have over worked a bonsai, what should you do? How do you adjust your care to help the tree heal and move on from the shock of what you have done. Yamadori is always a hot topic and I have a little delve...

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We all have scars from our past, it makes us human and our bonsai history is scattered with ‘things I wouldn’t do again’. You can learn from these scars but don’t let them hold you back from achieving something pretty fantastic. Winter is upon us and the thoughts about winter protection for your sensitive species need to become a priority before something happens to your bonsai. I chat about classifyi...

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We are all busy! But your bonsai need you. How and where do you allocate your time for them? You need to look at what is most important right now and prioritise that task, whether it's weeding or pruning, repotting or fertilising. By using your limited time wisely you and your bonsai will feel great. Japanese White Pines are a little misunderstood and I find they are unique in our care approach, ...

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Seeing the end target for your bonsai in the developmental stage can be challenging. Breaking the development of your bonsai into bite size chunks can be so helpful in keeping everything on track. Perspective in any form of design is so important. When reviewing your bonsai, your perspective will allow you to see completely different designs and ultimately make the best decision for the future path yo...

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After recently visiting a bonsai show and seeing some amazing bonsai that were collected trees or yamadori, I think it is important to chat about expectations when comparing these nature impacted trees with nursery or 'man grown' stock. Can we compete with Mother Nature?? Terminal issues like wilt can and do occur and the end result can be heartbreaking. While we may not be able to treat the...

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Right now is a very important time for your bonsai, they are heading towards dormancy and how you manage their needs is critical to their future development. It is also a time to be neck deep in needles while styling your conifers. I have a styling consideration checklist for you to consider that I find a valuable tool. And moss on your bonsai. Love or hate it there are a few things to be mindful of a...

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What an experience! I was fortunate enough to spend some one on one time with the Italian bonsai master Salvatore Liporace in Milan in the north of Italy at his property. Salvatore, who originally studied under Mr Kimura in Japan, has travelled the world extensively demonstrating and presenting and is renowned for his work on conifers. While the visit focussed on advanced grafting techniques it offere...

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Is too much of a good thing bad for you? Maybe if it’s chocolate, but does that apply if it’s bonsai?? I don’t think so…and there’s a good reason for that too. Every tree provides you with the opportunity to learn and develop both personally and for your approach to future bonsai. We always have so much to learn from trees. It’s also late autumn/fall and that means it is time for pine work! Finally!!!...

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How do you overcome the fear of working on your bonsai? One backward step can shatter your confidence but you must get back on the horse and keep moving forward. Bonsai confidence comes with experience and seeing the results of your hard work over long periods of time. Only you can change you! You remember the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is? Well that certainly applies...

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Your bonsai are only as good as the tools you use and the maintenance you undertake. Over time your tools will deteriorate and you can feel it as it happens. I run through the maintenance of my tool kit and how to ‘test’ your tools for wear and tear. It might be time for an upgrade! Bonsai for me is everything and I reflect where I think I would be without bonsai in my life. We are all bonsai tragics ...

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It’s time for a mid Autumn or Fall check in. There are lots of jobs that need to be done at this time of the year and plenty to keep an eye on too. I like to run through a final checklist before it’s too late to make a difference. Cedars as bonsai are just brilliant, with so many variations on styling and colour of the foliage, they truly are one of my favourites. To get the most out of their appearan...

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Understanding when to commence the Autumn/Winter work on your pines as well as the work to undertake is extremely important if you are going to manage their needs correctly. There are also considerations to make if you plan on showing your pine at a later point in time. Different species of pine need different techniques and you must know what they are and master the techniques to continue their devel...

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There is nothing I enjoy more than letting my creative bonsai juices flow! It is never at the expense of the tree in front of me but it’s nice to think outside of the square every now and then. What is the story behind your bonsai? Does it have one? Is it important? What if there is no story? Every great story has a start and you can be part of history.

Ruthless Truth

Is an opinion platform hosted b...

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Branch cutters are an essential tool when it comes to bonsai but they are commonly abused and misused. I love them and have them in a range of different sizes and shapes. I want to run through how I use them to get the best results. And the old saying of ‘Practice makes Perfect’ isn’t necessarily correct. It should be ‘Perfect Practise makes Perfect’. The apex on your bonsai can make or break your des...

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Bonsai wire and bonsai go together like Vegemite and hot buttered toast! We use wire for design and horticultural requirements for our bonsai and quite honestly I believe we would be lost without it. In this podcast I chat about all things wire, wire removal, reusing, copper versus aluminium, bending, time frames, storage and the dreaded 1mm wire roll. Our bonsai community is beautiful in every way, j...

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Autumn is a brilliant time for your trees. They may be starting to show some colour or they may not but they are already working very hard to become a better version of themselves and they need your care and assistance. Understanding the process they go through will help you become a better practitioner. Feeding, pest management, and most importantly pruning are important tasks you need to undertake. ...

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Autumn or Fall is an extremely important time for your bonsai and you have a key responsibility to ensure you do your bit. Fertilising is really important and now is the time to get started. The why, how and my strategy for fertilising is really simply and easily replicated. When I design or work on bonsai, one of the final steps I take is a top down view of the tree. A very common mistake is flatteni...

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As we head towards the end of the southern hemisphere Summer period, it is a great time to pat yourself on the back for helping your bonsai make it through another tough period. Have a look at what has done well and accept the satisfaction as to why. Where trees have not faired quite so well it is time to review why and take steps to correct it for next Summer. Formal upright bonsai are very difficult...

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Carving and bonsai seem to go hand in hand. I think everyone I have ever spoken to about bonsai over the years has mentioned carving at one time or another. And carving, good carving, takes skill and technique. Texture, the need to appear 'natural' and staying safe are all very important! How you work with an electric carving tool is crucial to your success and I'll let you know how I w...

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So what got you into bonsai initially? I bet it's not what keeps you in bonsai now. I find it is important to reflect back on the start of your journey as you can sometimes lose sight of what make you happy. Do the maintenance! And do it first!! Big decisions can wait and the maintenance work will clear the path for your decision making process. Remove the unnecessary, then into the structural de...

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