The Bonsai Blog of Bjorn Bjorholm

March is our busiest month without question.  We have been repotting bonsai non-stop for what feels like an eternity, but it’s been an interesting/rewarding experience nonetheless.  We started with the deciduous trees whose buds had already started to swell and we’re now slowly working our way into the needle evergreens.  With hundreds of trees needing to be repotted this year, the work would have been too daunting for only Mr. Fujikawa and myself to handle so the entire Fujikawa family pitched in to relieve some pressure.  Mr. Fujikawa’s elderly parents do most of the root pruning while my Oyakata handles the more aesthetic part of the job – the actual repotting itself.  Of course I do whatever I’m told to which usually means lifting things twice my bodyweight and running chores for everyone.  Much of my education here has been visual rather than hammered in verbally so while I’m running around in the current chaos of the nursery, I am continually observing and thereby learning.  Physical and mental exhaustion are a regular part of each day here, but I have no complaints.  

This tree was already at the nursery when I first arrived last year.  I had hoped from the beginning that eventually  I’d be allowed to wire it, but I figured it’d be out of the question, at least before my first full year had passed.   Luckily I didn’t have to wait that long.  The tree took a few short days to finish, and I think it turned out pretty nice.  Comments/critiques are welcome. Also, more before/after pics can be found on my website bjorvalabonsai.com.