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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
199 Episodes
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Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Thin trunk bonsai can be extremely elegant! And there is often a push on how to thicken trunks where bigger is seen as better. I thoroughly believe thin trunk bonsai can be magnificent when they are designed and managed correctly. There needs to be balance between the trunk, the apex, the foliage and the pot or container. They do not always need to be a literati style either, the trunk line and flow and movement of the tree is as always very important. Plant Sl...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu How old is that bonsai? Ever been asked that question and wondered why it has been asked? Does it really matter how old it is? We work so hard on the perception of age through the application of styling techniques that I just wonder if the age of a bonsai should change from 'Actual' age to a 'Feels Like' age. I feel there are areas within bonsai design that can help with the appearance of age for the viewer, like branch angle, formation of the apex, nebari and ...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I am a planner, I like to be prepared and I always want to achieve as much as I possibly can with my bonsai. So with Autumn just days away I am breaking this season into segments and looking at the species and work that will be needed at each particular time. Always planning...And I think about my early days with this bonsai addiction and I see so many people with that same glint in their eyes that I had, that fire in their belly, and I want to offer some frien...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's late Summer and your pines are starting to look a little shaggy after decandling or candle cutting so what should you do?? Absolutely nothing! There are some great reasons for leaving them in peace for now and all of your hard work (and the bonsai) may be undone by rushing. One of the most, if not the most, important skills we need to obtain for the art of bonsai is waiting. Knowing when it's best to leave your tree alone and let it do what it does best.&n...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Beautiful bonsai for me have well balanced and positioned foliage pads. While it is easy initially to create larger pads, longer term this can be to the detriment of the structure of your bonsai. There is a process I use to create and separate pads. Another thought that runs continuously through my head when working on bonsai is Compaction. How do I make this tree smaller and push it back? Not by using twisted long branches but by developing good structure. It ...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu We are now two thirds of the way through Summer and it has been brutal! Weather extremes, floods to bushfires, prolonged heat, strong winds. Welcome to Australia! For me now if the best time to start doing a review of your bonsai environment and start making a list for immediate improvements and also one for longer term improvements which includes what you will do differently in future. We still have a way to go too so this is important. And I offer some advice...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Junipers make excellent bonsai! Always have and always will. Like all species they have a specific care regime and you need to understand where their strength comes from. They are simple to care for when you know how. This podcast has an overview on junipers and their care as well as some how to's which will make your love for them even greater. Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-dive into the wild, sexy, and often subversive world of botanyListen on: Apple Podcasts &nbs...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Welcome to 2026 and what a year in bonsai it is going to be! I always like to start the year with some goal setting and what my focus will be and bonsai is all about repeating good practices and procedures over and over and over again. Doing what makes me and others in bonsai happy will be a big part of this coming year. Also mid Summer is upon us and it's a good time to look at the impact so far to see if there are any changes needed for the remaining season.&...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu It's one thing to set goals for yourself and your bonsai but it is very important to honestly look back and review the outcomes. My goals were made in episode 1 this season and it's now time to see how I went (and my bonsai too). As 2025 wraps to a close I want to send a massive thank you to everyone who has listened to and enjoyed the Bonsai Stuff podcast. I hope that 2025 was a brilliant bonsai year and that 2026 will be even better! Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With the holiday season upon us I’ve got some jobs for you! It’s a great time to get out there and knock off some jobs that will make a massive difference to your bonsai. And it’s not a bad time to stop and admire these beautiful trees. When we work on our bonsai it’s a calculated risk and the health of your bonsai will determine whether is a little risk if any or if it will be life threatening. Your actions may be the tipping point now or sometime in the futur...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu I am a reflection/continuous improvement sort of person. I like to consider how could I do that better? Or what do I need to focus on? What do I need to change or stop? Always taking steps forward along with my bonsai. So as decandling season starts to wrap up for me I like to look back at my list of grievances I have with myself and the different areas I look to improve as I work on any bonsai. And while it relates to Japanese Black Pine these focal points app...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Summer is a time for a well earned rest but for your bonsai it can be a very stressful time. Whatever the system is you plan on using for while you are having a break, make sure you test it early. Friends, family, neighbours, watering system, no matter what your plan is, start the testing and 'training' now. If you have Japanese Black Pines this time of year is one of the most important and exciting periods. It's officially Decandling Season in southern Austral...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Sometimes you can just get caught by surprise. You style a bonsai and it looks great, then a year or two goes by and all of a sudden you look at a part of a pad and it's weaker than it should be. Almost always it is a result of shading either from another part of the tree or the environment the bonsai is kept in. This needs to be rectified asap. Some of the tasks for our bonsai are extremely time sensitive however the exact timing will depend on your local micr...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Doing something which may not be perfect is far better than doing nothing. But more important than that is the health of your bonsai. So sometimes it is best to do nothing, but at times you have to do something. Taking your bonsai to the next level in the ramification stage takes serious focus on branch selection. I'll discuss my approach on how to move from flat structure to a full volume pad through your pruning practices. Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-dive into t...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Spruce and Cedar both make excellent bonsai and about now is a vital time to do some maintenance to improve their future structure. There are a few techniques I use that will help you understand and develop them into beautiful bonsai. Spring is a turbulent time for our bonsai as well, with weather extremes still impacting them. From excessive heat on fresh spring growth to overnight frost, hail and days of rain. What should you do? Not working to a calendar and...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu With all this talk about pruning and managing the Spring growth, is there ever a time where you should just let them grow? Yes there definitely is. And if you do let them run when should you prune them? To improve the strength of your bonsai we can use selective pruning (or not) and help build resilience and improve vigour. Sacrifice branches are a tool we use when we talk about trunk development or primary branch development but there is another use for them. ...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu The candle cutting process is a technique we can use to successfully develop certain pine species. It is not decandling, rather candle cutting into the new spring candle to help build structure and ramification. I chat about the process, timing, what to expect, what to do next as well as the finer details to ensure you have a complete understanding of the process. This is an episode for every pine lover! Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-dive into the wild, sexy, and of...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu What a month of bonsai! Travelling around different areas of Australia, meeting loads of bonsai lovers and getting to create new bonsai. What could be better? When I do a demonstration I need to find the bonsai within the 'bush' and I have a process that I will share with you. From finding the trunk line, forcing taper and integrating flow and movement. I get to meet a lot of people and I love hearing their bonsai stories and I was asked a really interesting qu...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu There's lots to do now around the yard, including deciduous pruning, defoliation, repotting Australian natives and Ficus as well as working on cedars. You need to be careful (very careful) with watering both over and under watering and we need to prepare for Summer. The last round of fertilising needs to happen and there's almost too much to talk about in one podcast! Let's chat about your Mid Spring Bonsai Jobs Checklist. Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-dive into the...
Contact Scott from Bonsai Matsu Trees have a fantastic approach to damage and the greater good of the tree. They can lock away 'issues' and move on. It's not a bad approach we could use too when things go wrong. Deadwood on bonsai is beautiful and I discuss my approach to working on it and when. As we hit the midway point in Spring there are lots of jobs to be undertaken with our bonsai and I run through my current checklist. Plant SlutsA cheeky deep-dive into the wild, sexy, and often subver...
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great story Scott! thanks for sharing and brave enough to commit to your faults.
will listen to this more than once - much to think about