Goals for 2026

Focus & Space

  • Before as ny more trees or collecting trips, I should cull my projects. Pull out and give or sell material with potential but for someone else.

  • If material to learn from, then practice and move on.

  • If too many or a given species, pick the best and move the rest.

  • Clean up storage, soil bags, extra lumber, create space.

  • Too many cuttings or growing projects—collect the best and give the rest away.

  • All the nursery pot projects on the ground need to cull and move the best to benches.

  • If collected redwoods have one more season before working on or selling, find a place for them. Sell older stock now.

  • The older redwood with ugly roots, repot to fix roots, return to the box or more shallow box, carve the top, then move out of the yard to grow out.

  • Remove the doghouse and push back current benches. Consider moving some trees to the front.

  • Move Sierra Junipers out of the green house and into the yard or side prior to collecting this late spring.

  • Combine all the coast live oak starts and pick top and give/sell the rest. Cork oaks keep some but organize and find a quiet corner to grow out.

  • Once the soil is sifted and washed and rebadged or bucketed, move a few select trees to ground grow in the raised bed.

  • Clear the picnic table of all growing or projects as well as storage below.

  • There is shaded space out front/side to move some trees if not messy. Can prune yard canopy for light, but must be vigilant on watering. May be forgotten. Is there a rain barrel system to ensure watering, back up to irrigation system.

  • Must complete yard/collection and set up irrigation before summer.

Collection

  • Avoid adding any new trees until I have culled my collection. Problem trees move on. Reduce replicates.

What I plan to learn this new year

  • Collected Sierra Juniper root development, transition from the greenhouse

  • More clip & grow, and chop

  • Growing in ground (after developed in pond baskets)

  • Developing primary branches on Shohin JBP and Styrax, Potato Vine and Elm

  • Maximizing trunk growth of Trident(s) in colander(s)

  • Develop Cork bark Elms and Oaks, move to colanders, add movement and try to bulk up in ground

  • Move Trident & others to ground grow thick, and chop next year or two

  • Grafting (now that I have a grafting blade!)

  • Thread grafting (California Redbud)

  • Juniper wiring

  • Grow out redwoods and build a plan

  • More Shari work on junipers & pines

  • Collect medium or Shohin tree material

  • Refine roots of plums, or chop trunks if already in colanders (don’t over-work)

  • Redwood repotting into akadama, cleaning up encircling roots without killing part of the tree

  • Overall, let trees grow out, improve watering to let dry out between, increase organic fertilizing

Building

  • Create learning content for the SBBK June show (QR code)

  • Pottery article in the Snippet, Kusamono article in the Snippet

  • Attempt to make bonsai pots—develop press-pot plaster molds

What I learned last year

  • Developing Shohin junipers & Japanese Black Pines—adding twists & movement early, grow in colanders for fast growth.

  • Buying/selecting better material for tapered bases and early movement.

  • Collecting & after-care of Sierra junipers.

  • Collecting & developing Shohin & Mame Redwoods.

  • Collectable bonsai pottery.

  • Cut & grow development of Shohin material.

  • More growing from seed & acorn.

Michael Weijournal, 2025Comment