From a pot of cuttings, I begin to create some new bonsai trees. I start an African style Serissa foetida and a couple of "too little leaf" Ficus trees.
Nigel, thanks for the video, where you shape the bonsai from the beginning. This is very useful for beginners. And thank you for your wishes in each video to save our planet!
Just want to give you a shout. You're one of the first youtubers that I watched for bonsai a couple of years back. You and several others inspired me to start my journey. Now I have more than 10 trees and a whole lot of starts I'm hoping take root.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone ...I was just watching Part 3 of the Juniper repotting - The Blade Runner. Getting so much helpful info!! :) Thank you!
I really adore watching your video's Nigel! The sound of your voice is just so fascinating, because it gives me the feeling that I'm sitting right there at your table 😊
Great videos Nigel, thank you. you are a natural, very well represented. I watched the whole show with great interest as I am now retired and you have me now planning out my new hobby. From a a new subscriber in S.W. Florida
I got two Ficus benjamina a few days ago (someone threw them away) that had a lot of these bulbous roots, but all in all more radial. The trees were grown in normal pots for some time and the roots looked like huge intertwined donuts before I cut them (which was surprisingly easy - I guess they are storage roots and not really woody like normal ones). I also did a trunk chop despite the season, since they were infested with mites and scale insects. Now they are kept apart from my other trees and I hope they'll resprout soon (or at all...).
Usha Rajendran The soil is 1/2 turface and 1/2 perlite. The ingredients are sifted to remove the fine particles. I do put 10 to 20 percent sifted organic matter in the soil for trees that aren't in the greenhouse. This stops the soil from drying out too quickly. I use composted pine bark or just compost.
Maybe just a little to much watering? I find,. the more careless I am with the above mentioned,. the better they grown,. except maybe for the Bonsai,. :)
Hello Nigel, thanks for the three lesson's in one vid. Also, off topic a bit but at one point in the video I see you're wearing a shirt with the state of Michigan on it, yaa Go Michigan. Thank you, I love my state .
I have no idea about bonsai trees but I know I like them. Also, as I have no idea, when I see someone cutting thinks like the roots at 6:15 it seems to me like "Ow, let´s cut this... and this... and this one as well... Oops, I cut them all, let´s begin again he, he..." ;D
The fine tips of the roots do all the work feeding the tree, the more root tips you have, the stronger the growth will be for the tree. Root pruning keeps the roots in balance around the base of the tree, avoiding one root to get stronger than the rest. When the roots are cut back, tree growth will almost stop until the new root hairs continue to grow, this doesn't take very long with most trees. Some just a couple of days.
Thank you Somen, I would start with some native species that you can get for free or at a low price, to start off with. That way if the tree dies, you learn, and it doesn't cost you much, just your pride!
Hi Nigel, I'm inspired to try and learn Bonsai because of your excellent videos! All the other channels I've watched show people really wrenching on the poor little trees as if they're tearing off an old roof. They kind of remind me of the husky guys that want to own a "big bad Rottweiler" just to hurry up and "look cool", lol. (I used to be a dog trainer so that is the analogy that comes to mind). Thank you so much for making it appear "possible" for the average person, and especially with a thoughtful, gentle, and careful approach. I sprouted a lemon tree from a seed and since I'm in Michigan, I can't very well grow it outside so thought of trying Bonsai with it under lights indoors. That's how I found your channel :) Have you ever done a white, "paper" birch tree? They're my favorite and now I want to take along a shovel next time I hike in the woods to find one or two I can try. Can you recommend fast growing "starter" tree species I could harvest? I am almost 50 so don't have many years left to take on something like an oak. Also, how do you remember which trees you've done what to and when? Do you keep a log? I'm sure I would forget. Excited to see more of your videos! Thanks again!
Hello Polly, don't think about age too much, I'm 55 and I enjoy growing new seedlings as much as taking care of some of my larger older trees. You just have to enjoy the process of seeing your trees improve slowly over time, much like us! I had a paper birch tree long ago, but I think I gave it away. They are difficult trees to shape as branches will die off without really careful care. Any of the native trees are great for bonsai, I would just look for any small seedlings that are easy to dig up. Collecting older trees is really difficult and I would recommend starting small. I used to keep track of my trees in a photo album, I'd take pictures of re potting and pruning to keep a record of the trees. Unfortunately, the album has gotten lost over the years. I use my CZcams videos as a reference now, each tree that has more than one video, has it's own playlist, so I can easily search back to previous work. I find it really helpful, reviewing my thoughts and comments. The apple tree was one of my favorites, it unfortunately has gotten apple rust and much of the tree has died back. I haven't given up on it as the right side of the tree is growing well. I will be doing an update this spring. Happy growing, Nigel
Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply :) After I asked about the Birch, I remembered how soft the wood is and a disease or parasite that devastated some old ones we had in the yard when I was a kid (can't remember which it was), but think I might still like try one sometime. Anxious to get started! Great tips about keeping a photo journal. :) I hope your Apple tree recovers nicely. All the best.
i love the final look of serissa, the pot and the rocks. i too prefer adding rocks instead of wire. besides, it looks more natural with rocks. glad to see you do it :-) This approach is rare. i love the clay pots with concave design. i was wondering why no one has built one (or i havent come across one). the hole at the center is way too big though. a tiny one would have sufficed bcos of the concave floor. if i understand correctly the large hole is a japanese influence. the ancient chinese pot designs used smaller holes.
Thanks Vinny, the tree is growing really well and will need pruning soon! The concave pot makes it a little harder when re potting, the roots may have to be cut around the edges to get the tree out. This design is out there, but it not so common.
I just realized, how many comments you replied to, it looks like a fulltime job already in this videos comment section. This is probably my favorite video you uploaded, those tiny trees really are awesome, aswell as those pots. You did a perfect job on the roots. I think 3 main roots each 120° would make a perfect Nebari possible. So cutting them back heavily increases the possible growth of the roots around the trunk, there are less possibilities for new roots to grow directly on the roots surface the shorter they are. It's simple Mathematics. What happened to that "ficus testiclulensis" ? So funny you did even put round stones on top of those "rootballs".
I would normally trim the upper tree before tending the roots. Often times it can stand on its own leaving me both hands to style the branches and in my dry climate I reduce the transpiration from leaves.
Do you have any advice on getting cuttings to root? I can't get anything to work. I haven't even had luck with "easy to root" plants like willow or ficus. I'm going to try rooting hormone next, but any tips would be appreciated.
I actually have gotten a willow to root, but when I move it to soil the roots are too fragile and it dies. I'm going to try getting one to root in moist soil in the spring.
I usually save multiple cuttings, because some of them will rot or dry out. Experiment. Thick, thin, long, short cuttings. Cut close or far from nodes. Diagonal cuts, straight cuts, and exposed underbark to root from. My first willows I put in a vase of water until some finally made roots, changing the water every few days. Put in any moist soil when it is ready. I have had better success with summer green cuttings, and rooting them in wet pumice and sand in a tub. Willow leaches a natural chemical that helps things to root, so don't poke holes in the rooting tub. Drain out excess water if it ever pools or puddles. Ideally most of the water is held within the soil medium off of the bottom of the pot, to prevent rot and lack of oxygen.
It may be easier just to start out with a bonsai that has some work already done to it to make the process much easier for yourself. I got mine at www.asamuraigarden.com/
im going to climb up a tree that i see every day and the get a cutting its quite an old droopy cool tree i often swing from its vine like droopy branches
Hello Nigel. I was wondering if you could recommend any trees to start my own bonsai garden? I was thinking I could start with 2-3 small ones and learn as I go along with help from your videos. Great video as always!
It is always a risk, but keeping the tree humid and with good warmth and light usually works. It's almost like planting a cutting, but with a head start!
Nigel Saunders could you take off less mass to better guarantee the health of the tree? Especially without access to a greenhouse. I realize it may take longer to accomplish a more radial root structure this way. As always, great stuff!!
Hello Nigel! (As you asked last time i´ll write in spanish) Muy buen trabajo, el primer bonsai me gustó mucho! When you said the mix of the soil you are using, it is perlite and ... (sorry i couldnt understand) Thx !
Hola. Que quieres decir? Nigel entiende español??? Es que my english is very bad. I'm german but I'm living in Spain. So for me it's easier to write in Spanish.
I'm not Nigel, but he said Turface - might be hard to come by outside of the Americas, though. It's a fired clay type material and absorbs a lot of water. (In Europe something similar would be Seramis.)
Creo que no habla español ajaja, pero me dijo que le escriba en mi idioma y que el se las ingeniaría con el google traductor, asique le hice caso (en una parte nomas).
nice, I do a lot of serissa, they go nuts in the roots just as much as the shoots they throw out. gotta stay on them. did about 40 or so in the past week and seems like my job is never done!!!!!!! never give up and have a grow day my friend!
This is great work Nigel. I read a lot of comments below about growing a cutting. Do you have a video on growing a cutting? I tried various methods but failed all the time whenever I tried to grow a cutting. Plants I tried- ficus, orange tree, lemon tree, tamarind etc. But never got a success. I think I am missing a trick here. Any help/guidance from you would be greatly appreciated.
I wish ficuses would have better looking roots. I think the main problem is that the roots grow so fast. But in general what I like about ficuses is that they grow fast - that would probably be impossible without the fast growing roots.
Nigel Saunders you really inspire me in making bonsai. im from the Philippines, tropical country but i love watching your videos and i am learning a lot. Thanks to you
thanks, Nigel! would you explain the process of cutting branches shorter to get subdividing? Also, are you looking for a flat root structure in a bonsai because pot is shallow or are there other reasons as well? thanks
Hello Ann, the roots are pruned flat on the bottom so the surface roots provide all the energy and growth for the tree. This causes the surface roots to grow and give that nice root flare at the base of the tree. When you see a full size tree that has tipped over, you can see the flat root base that has developed, very few trees have roots that grow down into the soil like they show in books. All the good nutrients are in the top soil. Having that nice flat radial root base helps make a little tree look like like a giant! Branches will generally just keep growing straight, unless they get pruned. Every time you prune a branch back you get a change of direction and it adds taper to the branch also. This also miniaturizes your tree. Here are some good references.... www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip czcams.com/video/zvNo-igPgO0/video.html
OK, right in the middle of this video I went and worked on my trees, then returned to the video. Inspirational. Thanks
I watch many other peoples bonsai video's and they always inspire me too. Thanks Floyd!
Nigel, thanks for the video, where you shape the bonsai from the beginning. This is very useful for beginners.
And thank you for your wishes in each video to save our planet!
Just want to give you a shout. You're one of the first youtubers that I watched for bonsai a couple of years back. You and several others inspired me to start my journey. Now I have more than 10 trees and a whole lot of starts I'm hoping take root.
Thank you Bruce, exciting to hear you are growing bonsai and have a green future!
I recognize these trees! Really neat to see the work you did on them when first potted. Very nice little pots and I enjoyed the root work.
They have grown well since this video!
I really love watching your channel. So peaceful.
Thank you so much!
I’m always amazed at how much of the plant can be ‘butchered’ and it will still thrive and be healthy. ....LOL.... Nature is awesome! :)
Thanks, they can take a lot, but there are limits! I've found this out the hard way!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone ...I was just watching Part 3 of the Juniper repotting - The Blade Runner. Getting so much helpful info!! :) Thank you!
I really adore watching your video's Nigel! The sound of your voice is just so fascinating, because it gives me the feeling that I'm sitting right there at your table 😊
Thanks Michael!
Great job as always. cheers!
Thank you Michael.
Gotta love this... inspiration and facts as always. Thank you Mr Saunders..
Thank you, great to see a new bonsai channel on CZcams! All the best in your bonsai adventures!
Thank you Mr. Saunders.. Lets learn together and grow together!
I started my first bonsai yesterday after watching your videos. I hope it survives 😄
With good care it should do fine!
DID IT SURVIVE!?
How did it go?
Did it survive?
All your videos are super helpful thanks so much
Thank you very much!
This dude has gold pruning shears with a leather handle like some GTA character unlock 😂
Huangism he means Grand Theft Auto
Great videos Nigel, thank you. you are a natural, very well represented. I watched the whole show with great interest as I am now retired and you have me now planning out my new hobby. From a a new subscriber in S.W. Florida
Great to hear and best of luck!
I don't understand why your videos have any dislikes. You're my favorite bonsai CZcamsr.
2nd favorite is PoorMan'sBonsai.
It's just part of CZcams, the more views you get the more dislikes you will get. I'm lucky I get as few as I do! Thanks for the kind words.
Nice plants in the back. 😍
Very nice work, Nigel, I really like those trees, especially the two smaller ones.
Thanks Radek, should be fun growing them into little trees.
I absolutely love your passion.
Thank you Yah'suah, I do really love the beauty of nature!
This video is very helpful. Thanks.
Mr. Sanders These videos with cuttings are awesome. I mostly have small cuttings, so this is great!
Keep growing :)
Thank you, small pots and small trees can be a lot of fun!
Here is a a video on some of my smaller bonsai....
czcams.com/video/gTDMAO4r9ZQ/video.html
I wish I had your patience. To plant a plant to work on in 1-3 years just isn’t in my DNA. Kudos.
Thanks JD, I have always though long term!
Really eyes opening! :) from a rookie.. thanks Nigel~
Thank you 100 volts!
Both are really nice looking plants
very helpful for me as a beginner and not really knowing where to start :) thanks!
Thanks and good luck on your bonsai journey!
I got two Ficus benjamina a few days ago (someone threw them away) that had a lot of these bulbous roots, but all in all more radial. The trees were grown in normal pots for some time and the roots looked like huge intertwined donuts before I cut them (which was surprisingly easy - I guess they are storage roots and not really woody like normal ones). I also did a trunk chop despite the season, since they were infested with mites and scale insects. Now they are kept apart from my other trees and I hope they'll resprout soon (or at all...).
Best of luck with them, hopefully they will recover!
Thanks a lot!
That's a ton of views! Excellent Nigel!
Thanks you, It's nice to see the occasional video become popular!
incredible channel, impressive bonsais, beautiful author!
Thank you!
Very nice
Another excellent 3 in 1 root jobs.
Thanks Iqbal, the trees are all doing well and putting out new leaves.
Thanks for the update, Nigel.
what kind of soil is that
Usha Rajendran The soil is 1/2 turface and 1/2 perlite. The ingredients are sifted to remove the fine particles. I do put 10 to 20 percent sifted organic matter in the soil for trees that aren't in the greenhouse. This stops the soil from drying out too quickly. I use composted pine bark or just compost.
Beautiful
Thank you Nigel! I would like to work on a serissa but they really need a lot of humidity. maybe someday. that pot looks great too!
Thanks Patti.
Very nice pots. The color goes well with bark of the sarissa. Hope you keep it shohin sized too!
I'll keep it small, and thank you.
I have started with the Bonsai on Neem tree. The demonstration is very good and useful.
Best of luck with your Neem tree Jaishree!
awesome vid nigel.....as always
Really great video very informative
Thank you Pamela!
looking good with your new hair
I like your bonsai plant very much your are genius
Thank you Somen, lots more fun stuff to come!
Beautiful Inspiring
Beautiful and informative
Thanks Mary!
I too am not so keen on wiring roots to the pot so I have taken your lead in using rocks to anchor my trees.
I have found the rocks work really well and the trees root and become secure in their pots in just about a month.
great video as always, I will join you with some now bonsai as well, not sure what 3 trees tho, many thanks tony
I'm amazed !!!!!!! I just walk near plants and they die .
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Maybe just a little to much watering? I find,. the more careless I am with the above mentioned,. the better they grown,. except maybe for the Bonsai,. :)
I dont have enough hours in the week to watch all your videos. But I want to learn everything you have to say. So here we go.
Thanks Jerry!
Nice trees Nigel! You have inspired me to start bonsaiying
Thank you and I wish you success. I would start off with a Ficus or a dwarf Schefflera and then slowly expand into different types of trees.
Another great video Nigel!
Thank you very much, looking forward to pruning them some day.
ZAPKENNY io
So beautiful
Thank you Caroline!
Welcome
Welcome ..i make bonsai's but artificial😘😘😘😘😘😘😘
caroline gallano That too takes good design skills!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone yeah its fun
I don’t bonsai but I watched the whole video
Thank you, I hope I put a "seed" in your mind!
MINI BONSAI, I LIKE, THANKS SIR.
Thank you!
Hello Nigel, thanks for the three lesson's in one vid. Also, off topic a bit but at one point in the video I see you're wearing a shirt with the state of Michigan on it, yaa Go Michigan. Thank you, I love my state .
We visit Michigan a couple of times a year, lots of fun!
excellent vídeo !!
Thank you.
im excited for these projects
Should be fun....I sure hope they make it!
i do too. by the way, you should to a fall tour of your trees that are changing color...
FuckUrTribute It's pouring rain all day here, I'm not sure if many of the leaves are still on the trees anymore, I'll have to check tomorrow!
haha timing. next year perhaps.
Nigel, I love your Michigan shirt.
We visit Michigan a couple of times a year, a beautiful state!
Glad you guys are smitten with the mitten. ;-)
Love it thankyou
Thank you for your reply
Great info Thanks
Thank you Debbie!
I have no idea about bonsai trees but I know I like them. Also, as I have no idea, when I see someone cutting thinks like the roots at 6:15 it seems to me like "Ow, let´s cut this... and this... and this one as well... Oops, I cut them all, let´s begin again he, he..." ;D
made my day!
Thanks for the video
Thanks Jayson.
your videos are always inspiring!* I'm getting a ficus nitida ginseng soon and I'll send some fotos of how it looks!*😂👌🌸
Thank you Bernice, I love looking at trees!
From instagram one of your followers said to you "enjoying your posts today, nice to connect and follow you"
very nice
All the trees have made it and will need their first pruning soon.
"I can smell them. They smell horrible." Jajajajaja.
That's why I love the citrus trees, they small so nice when you are pruning!
How does your tree get any nutrients with that inert soil, I assume you must feed chemically?
awesome video
Thank you Anita!
I thought he was trolling bc he basically cut it down to a stem.
The trees are all doing well and more videos on them will be coming!
Nigel Saunders is my hero for so many reasons. Love the videos! Have learned so much. Thank you, Nigel Sama!
Thanks for your great video! Question, does the "root pruning" help slow the tree growth while allowing it to thrive and mature?
The fine tips of the roots do all the work feeding the tree, the more root tips you have, the stronger the growth will be for the tree. Root pruning keeps the roots in balance around the base of the tree, avoiding one root to get stronger than the rest. When the roots are cut back, tree growth will almost stop until the new root hairs continue to grow, this doesn't take very long with most trees. Some just a couple of days.
Thank you I am become a big fan of you I am from Indias small town
malda and I also try to make some
bonsai in my home
Thank you Somen, I would start with some native species that you can get for free or at a low price, to start off with. That way if the tree dies, you learn, and it doesn't cost you much, just your pride!
very good
Thanks Saini.
Hi Nigel, I'm inspired to try and learn Bonsai because of your excellent videos! All the other channels I've watched show people really wrenching on the poor little trees as if they're tearing off an old roof. They kind of remind me of the husky guys that want to own a "big bad Rottweiler" just to hurry up and "look cool", lol. (I used to be a dog trainer so that is the analogy that comes to mind). Thank you so much for making it appear "possible" for the average person, and especially with a thoughtful, gentle, and careful approach.
I sprouted a lemon tree from a seed and since I'm in Michigan, I can't very well grow it outside so thought of trying Bonsai with it under lights indoors. That's how I found your channel :) Have you ever done a white, "paper" birch tree? They're my favorite and now I want to take along a shovel next time I hike in the woods to find one or two I can try. Can you recommend fast growing "starter" tree species I could harvest? I am almost 50 so don't have many years left to take on something like an oak. Also, how do you remember which trees you've done what to and when? Do you keep a log? I'm sure I would forget. Excited to see more of your videos! Thanks again!
PS: My favorite tree that you have is your beautiful Apple tree
Hello Polly, don't think about age too much, I'm 55 and I enjoy growing new seedlings as much as taking care of some of my larger older trees. You just have to enjoy the process of seeing your trees improve slowly over time, much like us! I had a paper birch tree long ago, but I think I gave it away. They are difficult trees to shape as branches will die off without really careful care. Any of the native trees are great for bonsai, I would just look for any small seedlings that are easy to dig up. Collecting older trees is really difficult and I would recommend starting small. I used to keep track of my trees in a photo album, I'd take pictures of re potting and pruning to keep a record of the trees. Unfortunately, the album has gotten lost over the years. I use my CZcams videos as a reference now, each tree that has more than one video, has it's own playlist, so I can easily search back to previous work. I find it really helpful, reviewing my thoughts and comments. The apple tree was one of my favorites, it unfortunately has gotten apple rust and much of the tree has died back. I haven't given up on it as the right side of the tree is growing well. I will be doing an update this spring.
Happy growing, Nigel
Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply :) After I asked about the Birch, I remembered how soft the wood is and a disease or parasite that devastated some old ones we had in the yard when I was a kid (can't remember which it was), but think I might still like try one sometime. Anxious to get started! Great tips about keeping a photo journal. :) I hope your Apple tree recovers nicely. All the best.
i like the ducks
We had seven baby ducks in fall, they were so cute!
1:04
That's what he said.
Yuk, Yuk!
🤦♂️
Next week's video. Brown dead Serissa in little olive crackle pot. "So there I go" Nigel always slays me how much he cuts away.
i love the final look of serissa, the pot and the rocks. i too prefer adding rocks instead of wire. besides, it looks more natural with rocks. glad to see you do it :-) This approach is rare. i love the clay pots with concave design. i was wondering why no one has built one (or i havent come across one). the hole at the center is way too big though. a tiny one would have sufficed bcos of the concave floor. if i understand correctly the large hole is a japanese influence. the ancient chinese pot designs used smaller holes.
Thanks Vinny, the tree is growing really well and will need pruning soon! The concave pot makes it a little harder when re potting, the roots may have to be cut around the edges to get the tree out. This design is out there, but it not so common.
I just realized, how many comments you replied to, it looks like a fulltime job already in this videos comment section.
This is probably my favorite video you uploaded, those tiny trees really are awesome, aswell as those pots. You did a perfect job on the roots.
I think 3 main roots each 120° would make a perfect Nebari possible. So cutting them back heavily increases the possible growth of the roots
around the trunk, there are less possibilities for new roots to grow directly on the roots surface the shorter they are.
It's simple Mathematics.
What happened to that "ficus testiclulensis" ? So funny you did even put round stones on top of those "rootballs".
😊😊👍
nice !!!!
Thank you sir!
I would normally trim the upper tree before tending the roots. Often times it can stand on its own leaving me both hands to style the branches and in my dry climate I reduce the transpiration from leaves.
Thank you Thomas!
Do you have any advice on getting cuttings to root? I can't get anything to work. I haven't even had luck with "easy to root" plants like willow or ficus. I'm going to try rooting hormone next, but any tips would be appreciated.
I actually have gotten a willow to root, but when I move it to soil the roots are too fragile and it dies. I'm going to try getting one to root in moist soil in the spring.
Thanks Prasannah, a good reply!
I usually save multiple cuttings, because some of them will rot or dry out. Experiment. Thick, thin, long, short cuttings. Cut close or far from nodes. Diagonal cuts, straight cuts, and exposed underbark to root from. My first willows I put in a vase of water until some finally made roots, changing the water every few days. Put in any moist soil when it is ready. I have had better success with summer green cuttings, and rooting them in wet pumice and sand in a tub. Willow leaches a natural chemical that helps things to root, so don't poke holes in the rooting tub. Drain out excess water if it ever pools or puddles. Ideally most of the water is held within the soil medium off of the bottom of the pot, to prevent rot and lack of oxygen.
Thanks for the help everybody! Sounds like I'm going to do a lot of experimenting in the spring.
It may be easier just to start out with a bonsai that has some work already done to it to make the process much easier for yourself. I got mine at www.asamuraigarden.com/
The Roots look like my fishing line after I cast every time that's a bad Tangled mess
Serissa roots always seem to grow in a tangled mess! It takes a lot of root work to tame them and get a nice root base on the tree.
What kind of soil do you use for the Bouzainzai tree or the type of white and black stones?
does anyone else want a bonsai that just looks like a tiny tree instead of looking like a small bush
Me!
wow you replied you are the bonsai god i respect your love for nature
im going to climb up a tree that i see every day and the get a cutting its quite an old droopy cool tree i often swing from its vine like droopy branches
Sounds good, be careful!
Channel should be called bonsai barber | OPEN |
yaeh i like des post
ah bonsai
Thank you Proylan!
16:48 R.I.P.
The tree is doing well, I'll have to make an update soon.
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Hello Nigel. I was wondering if you could recommend any trees to start my own bonsai garden? I was thinking I could start with 2-3 small ones and learn as I go along with help from your videos. Great video as always!
Formidáble
indubitably
I think I found a new hobby! What soil should i used? Thanks
I would start with a soil mix that you can find in your area. I do have a soil video here....
czcams.com/video/p522AYawgOI/video.html
That seems to be a lot of roots to remove. Are you ever concerned that too much root mass is removed??
It is always a risk, but keeping the tree humid and with good warmth and light usually works. It's almost like planting a cutting, but with a head start!
Nigel Saunders could you take off less mass to better guarantee the health of the tree? Especially without access to a greenhouse. I realize it may take longer to accomplish a more radial root structure this way. As always, great stuff!!
Im making mame bonsai inspired by your work
looks like new pruners
Yes, I'm going to do a sharpening video with my older ones and bring them back like new.
good deal
Thanks a lot
You are welcome!
Hello Nigel! (As you asked last time i´ll write in spanish) Muy buen trabajo, el primer bonsai me gustó mucho! When you said the mix of the soil you are using, it is perlite and ... (sorry i couldnt understand) Thx !
Hola. Que quieres decir? Nigel entiende español??? Es que my english is very bad. I'm german but I'm living in Spain. So for me it's easier to write in Spanish.
I'm not Nigel, but he said Turface - might be hard to come by outside of the Americas, though. It's a fired clay type material and absorbs a lot of water. (In Europe something similar would be Seramis.)
Thanks for a good reply!
Thx for the info Alex! :)
Creo que no habla español ajaja, pero me dijo que le escriba en mi idioma y que el se las ingeniaría con el google traductor, asique le hice caso (en una parte nomas).
Thank !
nice, I do a lot of serissa, they go nuts in the roots just as much as the shoots they throw out. gotta stay on them. did about 40 or so in the past week and seems like my job is never done!!!!!!! never give up and have a grow day my friend!
Thanks Rick, good to hear your busy!
rickstreeart I love that tree . will you sell one??
I have many, which one?
This is great work Nigel. I read a lot of comments below about growing a cutting. Do you have a video on growing a cutting? I tried various methods but failed all the time whenever I tried to grow a cutting. Plants I tried- ficus, orange tree, lemon tree, tamarind etc. But never got a success. I think I am missing a trick here. Any help/guidance from you would be greatly appreciated.
Check out Vinny's channel, good stuff for starting cuttings.....
czcams.com/video/DJq6EIjfUqU/video.html
Nigel Saunders - appreciate your response here. Thanks.
I wish ficuses would have better looking roots. I think the main problem is that the roots grow so fast. But in general what I like about ficuses is that they grow fast - that would probably be impossible without the fast growing roots.
True, ficus roots take a lot of work to make them look good, rarely do they grow nice roots on their own.
Nigel Saunders you really inspire me in making bonsai. im from the Philippines, tropical country but i love watching your videos and i am learning a lot. Thanks to you
What is your bonsai soil? Very white, that much white is typically distracting for bonsai.
I agree, it is not the best looking soil, the white is perlite. It all gets covered with moss eventually.
Nigel Saunders After I asked I seen you explain your mix on you apple video. I use Akadama, Lava, and Pumice.
thanks, Nigel! would you explain the process of cutting branches shorter to get subdividing? Also, are you looking for a flat root structure in a bonsai because pot is shallow or are there other reasons as well? thanks
Hello Ann, the roots are pruned flat on the bottom so the surface roots provide all the energy and growth for the tree. This causes the surface roots to grow and give that nice root flare at the base of the tree. When you see a full size tree that has tipped over, you can see the flat root base that has developed, very few trees have roots that grow down into the soil like they show in books. All the good nutrients are in the top soil. Having that nice flat radial root base helps make a little tree look like like a giant!
Branches will generally just keep growing straight, unless they get pruned. Every time you prune a branch back you get a change of direction and it adds taper to the branch also. This also miniaturizes your tree. Here are some good references....
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip
czcams.com/video/zvNo-igPgO0/video.html
thank you for prompt reply and dedicated interest in furthering the Art of Bonsai.
What is that soil made of? Like a small pebbles?
bagus banget
Terima kasih, saya akan mengerjakan video baru besok!
Does it survive with so much root disturbance?
Yes all these trees survived. The Serissa is part of my African landscape now.
czcams.com/video/shvDFSCgxd4/video.html
Great sir.
Can you tell what did you add in plant pot which looked like marble chips?
Perlite