General Purpose Scissors
General purpose scissors, GP shears or Ashinaga Basami, are used for all sorts of pruning activities (as the name would suggest). Its an essential tool…
Root Pruning Scissors
The root pruning scissors, root pruning shears or Hasami, are used to cut thicker or heavier roots. The broad, sharp blades lets you easily cut through…
Concave Cutter
The concave cutter, or Mataeda Hasami, is used to cut of whole branches of a bonsai tree. The slightly curved cutting area leaves a clean…
Chokkan
Chokkan (Formal Upright) This traditional bonsai style is very common in bonsai. The tree grows in a straight upward line with the crown of the…
Lava rock
As the name would suggest, this type of rock originates from volcanic lava. Lava rock is commonly used for the same reasons as Akadama and…
Nebari
Nebari is the japanese word for the surface roots of a bonsai tree. This is a very important part of growing a bonsai tree. A…
Pumice
Pumice is a solidified volcanic lava foam. It is used to retain water, give off nutrients and provides a fantastic base for root growth. A…
Akadama
Akadama is a natural volcanic Japanese clay. It’s a (commercially produced) hard-baked clay that is widely used for bonsai purposes. Akadama is used to improve…
Soil
Soil is one of the main ingredients used in the art of bonsai. To state the obvious: your bonsai needs soil. It needs soil to…
Substrate
Substrate refers to physical layers, but it’s more commonly known as soil. So, for more information, check out the Daily Bonsai Soil Wiki page.