Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country & Doncaster East, Vic
Cool temperate
Japanese with bonsai collection
Learn to wire properly.
Prune to an outside bud
Decide which is the ‘front’ and sculpt the plant(s) to be viewed from here.
In a ‘forest style’ with multiple trees, put the smallest at the back to give it a sense of perspective/depth.
Pick the right style for the tree- this is hard but comes with practice.
Small leaves, flowers, and thick trunk
Something with an interesting base, not dead-straight
Water twice a day in hot weather - Bruce has a sprinkler system.
Use very free-draining mix with virtually no soil at all. “I use bark and scoria not soil because it clogs up the drainage holes and plants get root rot.”
Always tie tree into pot from underneath (so it doesn’t show) - “if a pot gets knocked over by possums or birds it will kill tree, so tie them in.”
Condition with seasol regularly.
Prune regularly so you don’t get long ‘runs’ forming
COMMON IVY
Hedera helix *
PORTUGUESE LAUREL
Prunus lusitanica *
HIMALAYAN JUNIPER
Juniperus squamata
BLUE CEDAR
Cedrus atlantica
ELEPHANT BUSH
Portulacaria afra
ORNAMENTAL PEAR
Pyrus ‘Manchurian’
Bruce Argaet
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country & Doncaster East, Vic