Practical material for growing bonsai in New Zealand conditions. Most bonsai writing online assumes a northern hemisphere calendar and a northern hemisphere climate, which makes it quietly wrong for us on timing, species and watering. This is where that gets corrected.
Substrate guides
Mix with akadama
A reference mix built around akadama, for growers who can source it and are willing to pay for it. Covers proportions, particle size and how the mix behaves through a New Zealand season.
Mix without akadama
A mix using components available locally, for anyone who cannot get akadama or would rather not import it. Aims for similar drainage and water retention from cheaper materials.
Tools
The substrate calculator works out a mix for your location, watering habits and species. Open the calculator.
Reading and listening
A small but growing amount of bonsai writing and talking is being made here, by people growing trees in our conditions. Worth following ahead of the overseas material.
Podcast
Crouching Deadwood, Hidden Nebari
Adrian Bird and Scott Jania
An Aotearoa New Zealand bonsai podcast covering design, horticulture and the science behind it, both here and internationally. Episodes run around 45 minutes and range across seasonal work, native species, deadwood and display. Produced by Adrian Bird.
Blog
Two Islands Bonsai
Robert Allaway, Auckland
A bonsai practice geared to creation, exploration and education. The blog is the interesting part: essays on self critique, working with your own environment, and native species such as pōhutukawa and mountain beech, rather than step-by-step how-tos.
Several New Zealand sellers also publish care advice worth reading, including Hamilton Bonsai and Simply Bonsai. Know of a New Zealand bonsai blog, podcast or channel that should be here? Send it through.
More to come
Species notes, repotting timings for our seasons, and pest and disease guidance are the next additions. If you have written something worth sharing, or you have spotted an error in what is here, please get in touch.