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I know oaks in general can be difficult to convince to ramify. But my recent attempts with southern live oak seem particularly frustrating. Those of you with Q virginiana ( @rockm ), do you use the typical techniques - let growth extend and harden off, then cut back to two or three leaves. Or...

There seems to be a new trend, at least in the western US, requiring attendees of shows to register/pay admission to access the vendor areas and shop. When I started out in this hobby access to vendors was always free. I've never run a show or exhibit and can't comment on what it takes to...

I started this one last spring. Looking pretty decent so far. I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I have a root not exactly where I want, or too far from the rock, I sometimes use cut paste to stick it back where I want. Seems to do the trick.

I don't seem to have a "before" shot of this one. I bought it at a club auction in Santa Cruz. It's main problem was the roots were on stilts. Good top, bad nebari. So last year I ground layered it and got decent roots. Grown .out this season, with this nice color as a reward. Went with a...

Great show again. Much bigger venue and easier to get to. They certainly took care of getting people in more efficiently. Seems like the organizers took critiques of the first expo to heart and successfully addressed them. Very impressive show and a great shopping opportunity. Here are a...

New location, indoors. I'll try to post pics of major pieces available for sale.

This one is pretty new to me, just over a year in my hands. Quite a chunky trunk that throws new growth out everywhere in the spring......and again now after the oppressive heat has abated. Not going to be a traditional look, no matter what I do with it. Open to any suggestions. Before work:

Got this boxwood as collected from a hedge in 2021. No green but decent fine roots near the trunk. First pic is the end of 2022. Here it is now, before and after clean up. I'm letting the right side grow to try to catch up.

I wrapped six ficus cuttings together with zip ties in 2017. They fused after one year. 2018 2019 Ignored for some time......now still can see some of the individual trunks After clean up

I realize I never started a progression thread on this one. So, here's catching up, As I received it in 2020, weak but hanging in there. Decided on a fall repot - roots. Finished repot Tried a new pot 2022 - didn't like it. Finally, the right pot. 2024

Looks like we have 7 of the next 10 days in triple digits. Ah summer in the central valley.

Progression thread for this Quercus lobata, valley oak. Bought as nursery stock in Feb 2023. Good low branching, nice bark.

Traveling for work for 6 days when we hit our first 90 F days. I checked out my irrigation system thoroughly, made sure everything was right. Tested function. Came back from my trip to this joint failure and cooked plants Hopefully most will perk back up, but just goes to show...

Before After

OK, @MaciekA asked for it in the "drives me crazy" thread, so here it is. What do you love about bonsai people? I'll start. I love the optimism of a 70+ year old sprouting acorns.

Anybody successfully done a thread graft on crape myrtle?

Does anyone know if you can propagate Ficus burt-davyi from root cuttings?

The Fresno Bonsai Society has a spring show and sale at the Fresno Home and Garden Show, March 1, 2, 3 at the Fresno Fairgrounds. Open 10 am to 5 pm each day. Building 9, south end of the fairgrounds. The bonsai exhibit is free, but there is an entrance fee for the fairgrounds those days ($10...

So I found this burl on the side of the road. From the other side - burned out. Looks like a planting opportunity to me. Maybe not a permanent one, but the fire will stabilize it for some time.

Started with four species, valley oak, Englemann oak, interior live oak and canyon live oak. I think. Identifying many of California oaks is guesswork as far as I'm concerned. The cage is to discourage the tree rats.

https://www.dwbowen.com/plant-machete

I volunteer at a permanent collection that tends to inherit big trees as people get too old to manage them. I'm one of the few volunteers without back problems or hip problems etc who can still lift 100 lbs at one end of a huge pot. So me and one other guy tend to do the heavy lifting. I...

I picked up this juniper at the Fresno club sale today for it's minimum bid price of $300. I thought that was a steal! Initial styling by Todd Schlafer. Best part is that as a volunteer at the Clark collection I can bring this back in every so often to get lots of expert advice on its...

The Fresno Bonsai Society will have their Fall Sale and Auction on Saturday, November 18 from 8 am to 2 pm. It will be held at the Clovis Botanical Garden, 945 Clovis Ave. I have bought some great material at this sale in the past, and I know that the GSBF Clark Bonsai Collection will be...

This one is coming along really well. Year three on the rock. Looking for pot suggestions.