Bonsai: Back to basics - tree 1
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2024
- The privileged few bonsai enthusiasts of today are lucky enough to work on spectacular material trees in order to create their masterful works of art, whereas the majority of bonsai lovers are happy to work on all sorts of material (whatever is available). When I started my bonsai journey 50+ years ago the material I had to work with was absolute rubbish by todays standards - but I enjoyed SO MUCH fun working in this environment in my years of ignorant bliss - so I’m returning back to basics to see whether I can make a potential bonsai from very questionable material - in other words… rubbish!
It's very good to see another video from you.
Hello Dan, I was just reading an old article about you, thick black hair and moustache, born in Hong Kong and a double bonsai book author! I've also seen many of your trees in the magazines!
I really enjoyed this video!!
Thank you.
Dan it’s good to see you so perky and alert. Keep it up and “Dar from USA “ will keep watching you friend!
Much appreciated!
Hi Dan looking forward to watch more videos so please do, thank you
Love watching your calm Detailed approach . Please give more dan. Thankyou
Thanks - hope to make a few more soonish
A privilege to see you work with any material , clay or tree does not matter for me! Thank you very much for the video
Thank you....you're very welcome
Such a great inspiration to us all. Thanks again for all your great knowledge and tips. You're magnificent 🥰
Thank you so much!
Dan it was a pleasure watching you . I am enjoying your videos. Carry on sailor carry on!
Thank you kind sir!
greetings bonsai lovers from Indonesia
Gracias por compartir 👍
Dear Dan, thank you for this video. To make something out of nothing is sometime more fun than working on "good" material. What counts in Bonsai is not any result, it is the joy of the process 😊
thanks for your kind comment
Your videos are always enjoyable and informative. Ive learned a lot, and you inspired me to start hand making pots, which is very satisfying. Thank you sir
Thank you for your kind comments and good luck with the pots.
Wonderful demo fully enjoyed watching a master at work thanks again Dan 🌲
you're very welcome - more to come soon. WTS!
Sir, you were one of the first in the UK to recommend the use of pumice, I'd be very interested to know what soil mixes you now use and where you purchase it. After all these years I still use your bonsai book as a reference to pinching pine candles
Thank you for your interesting videos on both bonsai and pottery
CG
Thanks for your kind comments - I no longer use pumice. My current mix is: 3 parts Akadama _ 2 pars agricultural grit - 1 part fine forest bark - I also add a minute amount of Trace element Frit.
Absolute pleasure to watch a full demonstration from a master at work.
That's very kind of you - thanks
Amazing video watching the talented Dan at work. And what a stunning end result.
Learnt so much from watching this.
Hope we'll see a few more in future.
Thank you Luigi for your very kind comments - yes, there will be more videos fairly soon.
Merci de tous vos conseils
👍👌🙂
It’s so amazing to see you work, Dan! When you are new, like me, it’s incredibleto see how you know what brances to cut, what to save , etc
. Thank you for some grear advice, and practical tips.
Will this tree bleed? I have not had great success with the Finnish pines, they don’t like me handling them.
Greetings from 14 degrees celsius in Finland.
Thanks for your kind comments and the pines don't usually bleed.
This is probably one of the best hours I have invested in CZcams bonsai in a long time AND that definitely includes the amateur stuff i upload. How refreshing to see this material dealt with so well. It is co-incidental that I am just wondering what to do with some 'challenging' pine stock I am looking at right now. Thannk you so much for this video. All the best.
Thank you so much for your kind comments - very much appreciated and glad the video is of some use for you.
Excelent master class. Congratulations
thank you
I love seeing what you can do with "rubbish"!
Nice job dankeep up the good work mate thanks
Thank you Phillip
Great thankyou 🌟🌟
You’re welcome 😊
You are a great teacher, sir. Love watching your videos. Great energy
Thank you for your kind comment
I started with rubbish and still have rubbish 😎Dennis
Don't give up - keep at it and I'm sure you'll produce some lovely bonsai.
Ông khỏe quá chúc ông nhiều sức khỏe
So glad I stumbled on your channel... As someone attempting to get into bonsai it is so wonderful to see a master at work. I have spent (too) many hours watching CZcams video on this topic recently and without hesitation I can honestly say that this was the most educational of all (even though I watched some pretty good ones over the last few weeks). Subscribed !!
So nice of you - thanks
Ok molto interessante
Thank you
Bonsoir de France
Yet another great video Dan, they just keep getting better.
Can I ask what you've used for the photo backdrop in this video please? As a photographer I struggle with the Selens type plastic backdrops as they are rolled so tightly for shipping they just want to stay curled up.
Thank you for your kind comments. I use a 1mm thick plastic sheet available from plastic sheet suppliers.
Hello Dan, Thank you for your detailed demonstration creating this literati styled bonsai. Quite amazing! On a side note I noticed you have what looks like a highly functional bonsai wire caddy. I was wondering if you purchased it or made it yourself. I’d like to purchase one if they are commercially available?? Any insight is appreciated. Best, Mark
Hi Mark, thank for your kind comment - I purchased the wire holder over 30 years ago from someone up north and can't remember who it was. He may not even be alive now for all I know, but some traders do have them for sale at bonsai events. Try Corrin Tomlinson from Nottingham
@@danbartonslifewithbonsai745 Hi Dan, Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my query. I will try Corrine Tomlinson. I actually just started watching your videos and was so impressed with your creation from nothing to a literati with awesome potential. I’m looking forward to viewing more of your videos. Best, Mark
Your apron shirt is awesome! Where'd you get it?
HAHAHA! You can order online from the "Smock Shop" which is based in Cornwall, UK
Just found this video and learnt loads from it. Many thanks! Is the underside needle-plucking something one can do all year round? Can one employ this technique on larches? Cheers
Thanks for your kind comments - yes, you can remove downward pointing needles on pines and larches at any time, but fot black pines, february is a good time.
Many thanks!
It was fun, what’s up next…..?….
Keep checking the You Tube or my website - there are many more videos posted.
Hello Dan great to see yours videos on youtube. Only known you through a book of yours that I have had for years. Talking of grafting are there any of your video on grafting pines or will you be doing one? Cheers Andy.
Thanks for your kind comments. My only grafting experiences is with deciduous species like crab apples and hawthorns etc. Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.
Still the master both of bonsai trees and pots for so many years teaching people the arts of both disciplines, I know you were born in HongKong as was my wife, in fact she was born in a Japanese prison of war camp as her farther was caught sending information back to the U.K. I wonder if you were born around the same time. Most people wouldn’t dream of taking so many branches off but you have shown the right thing to do. My only problem with your video is the sound is very poor for me being hard of hearing so missing a lot of your commentary. I do have a couple of your special to me pots with trees in.😊
Firstly Joe, thanks for your kind comments and yes, the sound is a bit squiffy on this video. I was a prisoner in Stanley Internment Camp in HK for three and a half years with the rest of our family. I am the last of 13 children - I have 6 brothers and 6 sisters but there are only 3 of us still alive (I'm currently 84years old).
@@danbartonslifewithbonsai745 I don’t know why I had an idea you were in Japanese Stanley camp which is why I mentioned it, my wife’s family were sent to a camp run by THE KEMPEITAI secret police who were worst than the SS for ruthlessness, her father William C Low who worked in the court system, he was dealt with very badly including water boarding etc to the point of near death, her mother gave birth to Catherine J Low who it was expected to not survive, fortunately the Japanese cook gave her the scraps left over from the Japanese meals including egg shells which her mother crushed up to feed her calcium along with her 3 year old sister, she did survive of course and when her father retired back to the U.K. ( having served and set up the courts system in Kowloon for which he was given an MBE) in the 60s I was lucky enough to find her and we got married in 1964, had two fine boys and a very happy 52 years together before she died of cancer in 2017. To me her farther was the nicest, wisest man I had ever had the good fortune to know having gone through all the worst times in Hong Kong history he was killed in a car crash in the 70s due to a dangerous driver. Thank you for getting back to me. BTW I am 81 so a bit to catch up with you.
@@joegarland4885 My father was also awarded an MBE for putting the HK Treasury back up and running after the war - he was the chief cashier. It's all history now and I find it hard to believe I was actually interned in a Japanese camp during WW2. I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of your wife. Take care and stay safe.
Dan I lost all my Bonsai after moving them from my parents garden to my balcony which has the flat above mine, their balcony is a roof over mine at my flat. I had most from from young trees from 1989 to 1990, I was gutted and left Bonsai fro the last 4 years I'm getting back into it but would like your advice on who I should consider purchasing from as some are selling1 -2 year old saplings at crazy prices, I don't want to buy ready made Bonsai but as you put "POTENSAI" any info would be ratefully recieved.
Sorry to hear of your loss of trees. I very rarely ever bought bonsai/potensai - I mostly created my bonsai from self propagations. Air-layering is probably the best way to get good material, but you can also try cuttings and grafting and believe it or not, even at the age of 85, I am still growing from seed. Bonsai are expensive wherever you buy them but look out for club auctions - you can often get very good bargains from these. Finally, many of my bonsai were yamadori collected from hedges and gardens.
@@danbartonslifewithbonsai745 Many thanks for your reply, the only saving grace is I left a Juniper to grow freely in a large pot which I didn;t take to mine and have 3 Trident Maples, a Quince and a Japanese Red Maple (Forgot what Varity) growing freely in the Border of my Parents Garden. They have really put some Girth on the lower Trunks and should be ready to dig up in a few weeks, would like to obtain another Japanese White Pine and a few Junipers but can't find anything that has been allowed free growth and without any work done to them at a reasonable price so I at least have something to to get restarted again. Maybe in the not too distant future I may find the Material that I can't find now. At least I have your knowledge from your Videos to help refresh my memory and new Ideas and ways to get the most out of the material I already have for which many many thanks. Tony
Just watched it again and learnt so much. I grew my pines in my garden beds and they are very similiar thickness trunks with straight sections. I was going to use rafia to protect the wood but in this instance you haven't. Is this because it is less valuable material or because you are happy the wire will come off before it scars? I am also keen to use the trunk splitting technique for the first time. I notice you only did the splitting where the actual was going to take place. If I had a lengthy straight trunk could I get away with splitting the whjole length to induce some interesting movement? Sorry for asking so much but this was so interesting and I never realsied the jinn bending technique was yours. How do you not burn your fingers by the way :)
The use of the plasterer's tape was a 1st for me - never seen anyone use it this way before and it seemed appropriate at the time of working. I have split trunks quite a long way on occasion but it's always a risk - don't blame me if it goes wrong for you. LOL!
PS - my mother's maiden name was also Xavier
@@danbartonslifewithbonsai745 Me touching any bonsai is a risk!! I shall instruct my lawyers before I start :)
@@danbartonslifewithbonsai745 A strong Saintly name :)