Heart of Dixie Bonsai

Growing Bonsai in South Alabama

Welcome to The Heart of Dixie Bonsai

A website dedicated to the growing of bonsai in the deep South.  I hope to use the pages to share with you the joy and heartaches of this rewarding hobby.  Also, maybe share some of the fun we have here in South Alabama.

Would You Like To Learn More About Bonsai?

Azalea City Bonsai Society

I hope to fill these pages with bonsai, tips, and techniques; but there really is no substitute for the "hands on" type of experience that you get from working with people in your area.  I recommend that you seek out a local bonsai club.  I live in Mobile, Alabama and our club is the Azalea City Bonsai Society.  We meet the first Tuesday of the month, except for July, at 6:30 PM in the Garden Center.  The address is 4690 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, Alabama 36608.  I would like to personally invite you to join us.  

SEE YOU THERE!

Site Updates

Created the Satsuki Azalea Tusuki no Shimo - 10.6.2018
Updated the Magnolia Stellata Page - 1-10-2019
Updated the Bald Cypress II Page - 1-10-2019
Created the Kyohime Japanese Maple Page  - 1-10-2019
Updated the Japanese Maple "Arakawa" Progression Page - 1.20.2019

Latest News, Articles, and Additions

ANOTHER BALD CYPRESS REPOT

I haven’t had time to update the website lately so I am trying to catch up on a few posts. The repotting work was actually done on March 11 of this year. I know it is a little late for repotting season now, but maybe there might be some nuggets...


Category: Blog Post

IT'S ALL ABOUT BALANCE, ANOTHER BALD CYPRESS ARTICLE

I am still catching up on my posts on the work that I did earlier this year, this tree was actually trimmed in May, a couple of months ago. This is a short post on managing apex growth on bald cypress. Bald cypress (BC) are very apical dominant, no...


Category: Blog Post

THE BEE'S KNEES

This repot was do done about a month ago, but i thought i would share it.  Thee tree is much more than I have seen anywhere on the 'net and deserves a some recognition, IMHO.  So here it is: My Dad ask me if I would help him repot one of his bald...


Category: Blog Post

SHOHIN SIZE CHINESE ELM REPOT

Well, up until tonight (1-30-2019), it has been a pretty balmy winter in the Heart of Dixie and a few of my trees have been waking up kinda early.  This small elm was one of them.  To be fair, it had a position on the bench where it caught a lot of...


Category: Blog Post

IKEA FINDS

Since bonsai is my main hobby and passion, I seem to always have my eyes peeled for everyday items that would lend themselves to bonsai.  Recently, Favorite Minion and I went on a little excursion to Jacksonville, Florida and while there visited...


Category: Tips and Tricks

USING A BOARD TO IMPROVE NEBARI AND ROOTS

This isn’t anything new and not my idea or innovation, but it is, however a great way to improve the nebari and roots on your bonsai.  What is “nebari”, you ask.  Well for those who aren’t familiar with the term, it is a Japanese term, and simply...


Category: Tips and Tricks

WHAT ABOUT NAPA FLOOR DRY?

If you read the post on Optisorb (if not, read it here), you know that I have been shopping around for a replacement for pumice in my soil mix.  I have read in various places on the net that a lot of people are using Napa Floor Dry so I found some...


Category: Tips and Tricks

A LOOK A OPTISORB

Since I am having a difficult time sourcing pumice in the Heart of Dixie, I have been looking at alternatives.  I read about Optisorb on my favorite bonsai forum, www.bonsainut.com, and found out that it was available a Oriley's for $16.99 for a 25...


Category: Tips and Tricks

RED FISH CATCH AND COOK

Bonsai is one of my passions, but I also love to fish.  Like most in the South, I grew up fishing.  My grandparents had a house on Fowl River, another at Orange Beach, and another had a camp in Mississippi.  My parents also took us on vacations at...


Category: Everything Else

GOODBYE BETSY, HELLO FANNY

I haven't mentioned it here, at the Heart of Dixie Bonsai, but in September of this year, I was involved in an automobile accident that resulted in me having a broken knee cap and also the totaling-out my beloved 2000 Jeep Cherokee.


Category: Everything Else

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

For supper a few nights ago, my wife prepared a surprise side dish for us--pear salad.  Pear salad my sound kinda mundane to you, but this just wasn't any pear salad, it was pear salad, Heart of Dixie style.  If you are a child of the late sixties...


Category: Everything Else

THE SECRET LIVES OF APHIDS, PART II

If you liked this article, The Secret Lives of Aphids, You might find this one interesting as a follow-up.  There is something about bugs...I don't know, maybe it is just the kid in me--poor mom, I was always bringing something home in a jar to...


Category: Everything Else
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