Where I stay in Scotland is covered in old pine forests.They are beautiful and peaceful places just to walk and spend time in nature.Reminds you just how short lived we are !
Always a great lesson of affection and love for plants and that is engaging my friend, may this light never fade, big hug, health and peace for you and family.
Which isn't saying much. His trees DO NOT look like bonsai at all. If you want to view real bonsai go to Heron Bonsai to see how a real bonsai master named Peter Chan does it.
Hey Nigel - the Austrian pine just keeps getting better! The base of that tree is really powerful. It's hard to appreciate how big the tree is until you are in the frame next to it. Interesting work all the way around - thanks a lot!
Thank you Mark, it still has a long way to go, but I've really enjoyed working on the tree over the years. When I look back at pictures of it from just a few years ago, I can see how much it has changed. The pine trees seem to really take off once the needle density gets to a certain level. They just seem to keep gaining more vigor and strength each year. I can see the trunk getting very thick in the next decade.
I like the idea of a peaceful tree as against one which has battled the elements all it's life. It's serenity and calm demeanor is very soothing and relaxing.👍
Thanks Nigel great episodes. Interesting to get into the mind of someone who loves this amazing hobby. Especially nice to hear from someone in the same part of the country with so much experience. Thanks for the videos!!!
I don't even keep bonsai because I don't have time or space (though I'd love to) but I love these videos. Really calm and relaxing, like watching Bob Ross. Happy little trees :)
I admire your work. Got me a couple of bonsai tree myself. Its gonna be a new hobby of mine. I have a ficus , japanese woodbox and a juniper tree. Im gonna continue getting more different species of trees in the months a head.
Hello Nigel, New studio has enhanced the videos, also great to see you pushing the boundaries, look forward to seeing how the cactus tree responds. Best wishes Iqbal London
inspired by your art I planted a few jackfruit seeds last year and let'em grow free. Its been well over a year and now I dunno where to go from here on. Mr Saunders I'd really appreciate your help with pruning. Ive learnt a ton from your videos. Keep up the great work!
I would let your seedlings grow tall until they become an impractical size. Then I would cut them back short to about 10 cm high. I would prune the thickest taller and the smaller trees shorter. This will make a nice variety in trunk thickness and size, in case you want to make a forest from them some day.
i really love your videos nigel, you have made me develop an interest in bonsai and watch many videos daily your channel has motivated me to start my own bonsai thanks for all the quality videos keep up the good work
Very cool channel, you've already given me some great ideas for my own trees even though I mostly grow boswellia, commiphora, and bursera trees and other strange fauna from the island of Socotra. Thanks and happy growing! Todd.
Nigel Saunders Yes, thats been rattling around in my noggin also since I've acquired a Dendrosicyos socotrana (cucumber tree) and several of the Soctran boswellia and commiphora...
I liked the parts where you stand behind the camera and showing with your hands .... great job Nigel ... hope you will do a quick update before the show :)
Still no Bird's Nest Spruce for the show? Even Peter Chan was enthralled by it...I must be missing something...I'll just keep watching the playlist over and over...Thanks for all you do Nigel...
Hey Nigel, about those seeds, the paloverde won't need much water and the mesquite. Overwatering on the mesquite and paloverde can kill them quickly. Hope they will all do well for you!
Hi Mr. Saunder, Could you do a video on watering and feeding? Talk about factor like climate, type of tree, individual trees, moss, your schedule, misting, what nutrients for what tree in what weather,... This would be very helpful because I can't seem to find any good videos and I believe every bonsai teacher should talk about this. Or talk about it in each individual tree playlist video. Thank you so much for considering! Thanks for the videos
Great video as always! I love the updates and find myself pausing to go check the previous video. I was wondering if you would be able to add a clip of the tree at the end of the previous video for that update, like a side by side comparison. Im not sure if other viewers do this but it may be a good way to show progress as well.
ibowlhammer something I do a print screen of tree in previous video to do a side by side with the new video, it helped me at first to compare the grow with my tree... Sure it will be great if Nigel to it for us 😁
I have a collection of thousands of tree photos from straight trunks to the most bizarre trunks you will ever see. The point I am making is you don't need to make a straight trunk into a twisty trunk, just as you wouldn't make a twisty trunk into a straight trunk. Most of the trees that I am growing are in a style that people would have seen around them in their life. Not trees that are growing up on some high mountain top.People relate to street trees and trees you would see in a forest. Mountain trees are very nice, but most bonsai I see, look like a collected tree with a mushroom style "street tree" canopy. Not like a miniature tree you would see on a mountain. Many of these trees have no scale value to them, You can't imagine a person standing beside the tree, because they have no sense of scale to them. they just look like a groomed collected tree.
Hey Nigel love the "Bonsai Zone" thing. and the new hair cut, I see you have gone for the pronounced apex strength and sacrificed the lower growth vigour Ha Ha .......................keep it up
Always a joy to watch. I noticed your tools a lot more this time. Have you done a video about starter and basic tools? Thanks again for your peaceful and informative videos. 🙏🏻
Thank you for sharing! I always look forward to new videos :) I wanted to point out something; your Christmas cactus is looking a little etoliated - the leaves are pale and long. I suggest getting it in direct sunlight so the color and shape improves. I'm curious to see what comes of it! I've never seen one with a trunk like that, and I'm positive it's going to turn out magnificent. I really hope it flowers in time for the show, too!
I had it in the greenhouse and it was under the shade of my Ficus bonsai, that has exploded in growth. I just noticed that it was being shaded and I moved it out on the bench after making this video. I'm hoping I get some branching off of the woody part of the trunk after the severe cutting back.
Nigel Saunders To cut is to grow brother :) We must look beyond the cuts to see the future growth. Do what u do nigel. Experimentation and exploration forges a new path. In this case bonsai
Great video as always. Nice to see the jade plant. Thanks for your work..! If I may suggest, please post an update of your lovely portulacaria afra forrest.
it is growing really wild, my plan is to grow it as much as I can over the summer and then prune it back when fall comes. This is an effort to increase the trunk thickness. I'll show it in an update!
When you start bonsai always put the health of the tree first, you can do all the crazy stuff when you have a feel of how the tree will respond, or get a bunch of tree's ;)
Definitely get bunch of trees, they'll die a lot in the beggining :D :D I'm growing for almost 10 years, and I, unfortunately, killed many trees during that time :(
Thanks guys and I hope your first tree does well. Be sure to study how to take care of your tree species and be dedicated to keeping it alive and well, and you and your tree, should do fine
I have always enjoy looking at bonsais, I like gardening, no garden. First the tools, I probably need quite a few of those fancy cutters, snippers, scissors, clippers etc. Hmmm in the meantime, I have bought two dying acer tree (30p each) they have recovered, one is leafing well, while the other is very quiet. I also might do a ficus, and a jade tree, and finally an olive one, if it survive. I broke it off, thinking it had died to discover it’s still alive. My question, to the general viewer, what’s the white stuff you guys called soil, is it perlita? I guess I will have to google and find out everything I need to know, for this year I am just going to grow and continue to watch the videos. Very relaxing. Oh ya, those special dishes.Hmmmm Bonsai for the poor and broke ….
It is still alive, but most of the branches have died off. I'm hoping it slowly gains strength and survives the rust disease. It's very sad, it was one of my best trees.
It did, but it recovered quickly and has grown really wild looking again. I'm waiting to see if it flowers this December, if not, it will get another pruning!.
I just got a jade with 3 stems. I have devided them and think I wool will try bonsai with atleast one, maybe two incase I mess up. I would be my first try at bonsai.
Actually, the tip 5cm or so of the twigs account for 80% of the food of the tree. as long as the leaves you remove are shading others, you can prune with no effect to the plants health or vigor.
Mister Saunders, the bonsai trees from Jeff in Sarnia Ontario are extraordinary beautifull, don't you think so too ? Have you thought about it, to ask him to become a member of KW-Bonsai?
Nigel - I thought you might include your spinning rock "cliff" for one of the specimens for the upcoming show. I thought it was very clever and creative.. Certainly shows another part of the spectrum. Also, how is your Norfolk Pine forest coming along? The last I saw, you were grooming the seedlings. Are they still alive? Best, JD, SO CAL.
Nigel, I really enjoy your videos and perspective on Bonsai. I live in Indonesia and i am getting into Japanese Black Pines for the first time. Any advice you can give for Tropical Zone care would be most appreciated. We have 2 seasons here....Hot/Hot & Wet. I am located on a small island (Batam) just south of Singapore.
Nigel, would it be possible for you to make a video where you tell how you grow a moss for bonsai? I mean basics e.g. the type of moss, watering, etc.?
I am new to your channel and also new to bonsai. I'd like to see more of your apple tree and also I'd like to know how I can get a young apple tree to grow a thick trunk like yours is.
This tree was collected from the side of my sister's house. It has been grown and cut back many times over the years because no one wanted it growing right beside the house. That is the secret, clip and grow for many many years.
At 7:43 while you are pulling moss from base of tree I saw some small black bugs crawling around. Were they by chance tiny black ants, or what looks like ants. I have some on my trees and I am trying to find out what they are and if they are harmful. Thanks
Its a fair question, nature and in this case bonsai does need 'fixing' but a better term might be maintenance, there are invasive insects that can kill your tree, and this entire video is Nigel 'fixing' plants. I'm just a beginner but I would suspect ants don't pose any threat to the tree and can be left alone.
AustinF12 except when you have ants in your tree, you might have, not sure what they're called in English, greenfly in your plants and ants protect them, because they produce sweet stuff that ants like...
Nigel, I have a few bonsai cedars in my collection but I don't know exactly what they are? I mean I don't know if they are white cedars or red cedars. Is there anyway that you can explain to me how to tell the difference so I know what I have. Thanks
Hi Nigel. I really love the look of moss but I live in Sunny San Diego. It's fairly warm right now and not sure growing moss on my Bonsai are an option. What are your thoughts on this. What about purchasing a humidifier...! Thank you again for your videos.
Hello Elana, I would try some Sedum as a ground cover, it's a little coarser than moss, but it will survive well in your climate. www.youngs-garden.com/succulents/sedum-stonecrop/stoloniferum-sedum/
Awesome work! They're looking great now, I'm sure they're going to be looking amazing for the show. I'm just left wondering about your bouganvillia and how it is doing ? I'm liking the intro now
They were in the corner of the plant room and I had so (too) many trees, I couldn't easily get to them. I found they had a lot of scale insects under the leaves when I went to take them out in spring. I spent many hours cleaning the scale insects off and spraying the tees with soap and water. They took a while to adjust to the outdoors, but are now starting to grow well again. I will have to cut down on the number of trees that I keep in the room for the winter so I can easily get to all the trees for inspection. I can't wait to re pot them again and see what the roots are up to!
Nigel, I know, that you made a video about bonsai soil, but I want to ask, how big are your soil particles? Are they more arou 1mm or so? Or more like 3-8mm? :) I made my soil from 3-8mm particles, and I think they are just too big for such small plant as bonsai are...so I tried to mix smaller particles around 3mm big, but they still seems too big to me...I think trees will grow, and they actualy do even with those bigger particles, but my moss is not doing well...:) That's why am I asking this ...
I use 3 to 4 mm, you may have to put a finer top dressing to the soil, either finer particles or sand. It will be a little harder to water, but once you get the top layer wet, it will water fine. The moss should grow well in this top layer.
Mr Saunders, how do you get so much success while propagating the trees by cuttings? do you use any synthetic rooting enhancers and what medium do you use while rooting cuttings?
Love your videos XD I have been inspired to try my hand at bonsai. Quick question: where is the best place to get turface? I am in the USA and there has to be better place to look then Amazon. I tried all my local nurseries and greenhouses but none of them have it.
I get mine at a farm supply store (TSC), but you can get it at some of the automotive supply stores also. They use it for cleaning up oil spills in garages.
Hello Nigel, Love watching your videos tons of good info and well presented. I do have a question I recently purchased an Austrian pine from a local nursery and would like to start styling it. Could that be done now or should I hold off till next gro0 season. What would you recommend. Thanks for any input you can provide.
It should be OK to begin styling it now, if the tree is healthy. I would either repot it this spring and do very little work to the top of the tree, or style the top of the tree, and re pot the following spring. Doing both styling and re potting might stress the tree out and it may die.
Thanks for your prompt responses to my questions. Your help is greatly appreciated as I am but a novice at this hobby. I hope that I am not perceived as a burden as I am sure there will be many situations in the future where I will be looking for guidance. Anian thanks for your assistance.
Hi Nigel, i have a cristmas cactus with 3 months. What shold i do to get a woddy tronc? It Just grow leafs and leafs. Should i trim it radacli? Sorry My english. Greatis from Portugal!
Great work as always. I asked u before but lost the comment.do u sell 3d printed Bonsia pots? thanks and do u sell juniper sapling or seeds thanks again
I enjoy all the bonsai books, you will see a variety of different views and techniques in each book. Some are climate related and some are the preference of the person growing the trees. I think you can learn something from all the books, videos and online blogs available. I would read as much as you can and see what makes sense for you.
I really like them and can't stop looking at them when I go to Florida! Maybe some day as I'm really growing short of space for my tropical trees in the winter. I must show restraint!
Nigel (and others), my lemon tree sprout is at least 3 months into growth (maybe 4) and there has been yellow edges on the leaves. Watering is fine and I'm using loam for soil, is this okay? It is getting it's daily need of sunlight, I'm just anxious because this is my third attempt and it's going good..
If your soil is draining well and you are watering the tree when the soil is just starting to dry out, your tree should be fine.The Lemon trees like to have lots of sun and warm temperatures. I hope all goes well.
I'm starting my first bonsai because of this channel , really inspirational
Excellent to hear!
Where I stay in Scotland is covered in old pine forests.They are beautiful and peaceful places just to walk and spend time in nature.Reminds you just how short lived we are !
I like the way you analyze the bonsai trees. The thought process before making a cut and all is really entertaining and educational
All except for the poor Holiday cactus!
Nice one!
Classy as always!
Always a great lesson of affection and love for plants and that is engaging my friend, may this light never fade, big hug, health and peace for you and family.
Thank you, I think as your trees grow older, so does your passion for the hobby!
You are LITERARY the Bob Ross of Bonsai!
Which isn't saying much. His trees DO NOT look like bonsai at all. If you want to view real bonsai go to Heron Bonsai to see how a real bonsai master named Peter Chan does it.
All I was needing, a great and peaceful Nigel's video to balance the mood, while battling a wicked mosquito at 3:30 am !!!
I hate sleeping with one buzzing around in the room! Hope my video helped out!
Hey Nigel - the Austrian pine just keeps getting better! The base of that tree is really powerful. It's hard to appreciate how big the tree is until you are in the frame next to it. Interesting work all the way around - thanks a lot!
Thank you Mark, it still has a long way to go, but I've really enjoyed working on the tree over the years. When I look back at pictures of it from just a few years ago, I can see how much it has changed. The pine trees seem to really take off once the needle density gets to a certain level. They just seem to keep gaining more vigor and strength each year. I can see the trunk getting very thick in the next decade.
I like the idea of a peaceful tree as against one which has battled the elements all it's life. It's serenity and calm demeanor is very soothing and relaxing.👍
Thank you Rajesh!
Thanks Nigel great episodes. Interesting to get into the mind of someone who loves this amazing hobby. Especially nice to hear from someone in the same part of the country with so much experience. Thanks for the videos!!!
You are very welcome Jeff!
Nigel,
Well done! I appreciate all your comments while working on the trees. Very informative and useful.
Thank you Patricia, just me talking to myself again!
It is always a great pleasure to watch and listen to you working on your nice collection.
Thank you very much!
Your videos have inspired me! I really want to try bonsai myself. Thanks for the great content, Nigel. Beautiful work!
Thank you William, it's a very enjoyable hobby!
I don't even keep bonsai because I don't have time or space (though I'd love to) but I love these videos. Really calm and relaxing, like watching Bob Ross. Happy little trees :)
I like to watch Bob Ross, even though I don't paint! Thanks Garrett!
Nigel, I'm loving this new 'Bonsai Zone' show. You're the man, keep it up!
Thank you Connor!
I would never think a Christmas cactus could get a woody trunk! I love these odd species!
Thank you, it's nice to see some of these common house plants get old!
The people who don't appreciate his intro have obviously never seen the twilight zone.... love your play on the name!
Thanks, have you seen my intro theme?
czcams.com/video/Z5ajw6ja1Mk/video.html
Saunders goes absolutley savage on the christmas cactus :D let us know how it responds!
I'll post an update to see what the haircut did to the cactus!
I like the way you narrate while forming the bonsai. Thanks for the informative videos
Part one was so good! I never thought I'd be so into watching tree prooning 😂
I admire your work. Got me a couple of bonsai tree myself. Its gonna be a new hobby of mine. I have a ficus , japanese woodbox and a juniper tree. Im gonna continue getting more different species of trees in the months a head.
Nice to hear Javier, happy growing!
Hello Nigel, New studio has enhanced the videos, also great to see you pushing the boundaries, look forward to seeing how the cactus tree responds.
Best wishes
Iqbal
London
Thank you Iqbal, the trees are growing really well this summer and there will be a lot of pruning videos coming soon!
Nigel, the Bob Ross of bonsai.
Thank you Edmund!
inspired by your art I planted a few jackfruit seeds last year and let'em grow free. Its been well over a year and now I dunno where to go from here on.
Mr Saunders I'd really appreciate your help with pruning. Ive learnt a ton from your videos. Keep up the great work!
I would let your seedlings grow tall until they become an impractical size. Then I would cut them back short to about 10 cm high. I would prune the thickest taller and the smaller trees shorter. This will make a nice variety in trunk thickness and size, in case you want to make a forest from them some day.
Your white cedar clump may be one of my favorites so far.
Thank you Ryan, I see a lot of potential in it for the future!
Hi Nigel, love the videos! You're like the Bob Ross of bonsai.
Thank you Tyler!
i really love your videos nigel, you have made me develop an interest in bonsai and watch many videos daily your channel has motivated me to start my own bonsai thanks for all the quality videos keep up the good work
Thank you very much Kaylib, more videos coming!
Very cool channel, you've already given me some great ideas for my own trees even though I mostly grow boswellia, commiphora, and bursera trees and other strange fauna from the island of Socotra.
Thanks and happy growing!
Todd.
The trees and landscapes of Socotra island are some of my favorites! I plan to make a nice dry landscape to look like the island in future.
Nigel Saunders Yes, thats been rattling around in my noggin also since I've acquired a Dendrosicyos socotrana (cucumber tree) and several of the Soctran boswellia and commiphora...
Your Austrian pine is a beautiful peaceful tree ❤️
Thank you Mark, when I look back just a few years, I am amazed at how much the tree has changed!
Never thoughts Christmas cactus or any cactus to be prune and trained to be a bonsai. Can't wait to see how it look.
I try almost anything!
I love the natural style in which it works. So I have tried to do mine. As natural as possible. Follow with the videos success
Thank you Norma, I wish you success!
I liked the parts where you stand behind the camera and showing with your hands .... great job Nigel ... hope you will do a quick update before the show :)
Your hands can be a great tool for visualizing the shape of your tree, especially when you are pruning it down in height.
I really missed the lemon tree! Really enjoyed the ending. I grow lemons from the seed, hope they will be that pretty like yours.
Thank you Mateusz, the tree is looking nice and green now!
Wow that cedar is breeeaaathe taking nigel. Way to go. I wish i had that species where i live
Thank you, I look forward to the upcoming years and to see how it develops!
Love the lemon tree!
Thank you Kathy, I'm hoping it grows strongly this summer!
Wonderful video..as always..enjoyable..nd off course inspired
Thank you very much Hir Goghari!
Still no Bird's Nest Spruce for the show? Even Peter Chan was enthralled by it...I must be missing something...I'll just keep watching the playlist over and over...Thanks for all you do Nigel...
It did go in the Toronto show, I think last spring!
Hey Nigel, about those seeds, the paloverde won't need much water and the mesquite. Overwatering on the mesquite and paloverde can kill them quickly. Hope they will all do well for you!
Thank you Isaak, I will take care to keep them on the dry side. I'm way behind on my planting and hope to get at it very soon!
Another great Bonsai Zone episode! Thanks master
Thank you Ryan for watching!
Hi Mr. Saunder,
Could you do a video on watering and feeding? Talk about factor like climate, type of tree, individual trees, moss, your schedule, misting, what nutrients for what tree in what weather,...
This would be very helpful because I can't seem to find any good videos and I believe every bonsai teacher should talk about this.
Or talk about it in each individual tree playlist video. Thank you so much for considering!
Thanks for the videos
He did already upload a video about watering and feeding.
Here is the link....
czcams.com/video/gXIIpxUqxdY/video.html
Great video as always! I love the updates and find myself pausing to go check the previous video. I was wondering if you would be able to add a clip of the tree at the end of the previous video for that update, like a side by side comparison. Im not sure if other viewers do this but it may be a good way to show progress as well.
ibowlhammer something I do a print screen of tree in previous video to do a side by side with the new video, it helped me at first to compare the grow with my tree... Sure it will be great if Nigel to it for us 😁
I'll try and do more of this in future!
I like your thought processes :-)
Thank you Joy!
Great stuff as always Nigel
Thank you Jim!
twisty trunk trees are found in nature. all the classic styles of bonsai are based off of real styles found in nature given different circumstances.
Exactly!
And NOT based on trees found on the street!
I have a collection of thousands of tree photos from straight trunks to the most bizarre trunks you will ever see. The point I am making is you don't need to make a straight trunk into a twisty trunk, just as you wouldn't make a twisty trunk into a straight trunk. Most of the trees that I am growing are in a style that people would have seen around them in their life. Not trees that are growing up on some high mountain top.People relate to street trees and trees you would see in a forest. Mountain trees are very nice, but most bonsai I see, look like a collected tree with a mushroom style "street tree" canopy. Not like a miniature tree you would see on a mountain. Many of these trees have no scale value to them, You can't imagine a person standing beside the tree, because they have no sense of scale to them. they just look like a groomed collected tree.
Nigel Saunders That's true, a tree will be what it is, your insinuation in your video is still bothersome.
Nigel Saunders But, trees growing up in a mountain top is what bonsai was originally supposed to imitate!
hey man can you do an update on the lemon??? 2018?
thanks very much Sir, I will do as you say
Hope all goes well!
Hey Nigel love the "Bonsai Zone" thing. and the new hair cut, I see you have gone for the pronounced apex strength and sacrificed the lower growth vigour Ha Ha .......................keep it up
I wish conifers grew faster. I enjoy watching them getting pruned.
Always a joy to watch. I noticed your tools a lot more this time. Have you done a video about starter and basic tools? Thanks again for your peaceful and informative videos. 🙏🏻
I haven't done a basic tool video, but I'll try and fit one in over the winter.
I like your work it inspired me. So I think I will try bonsai
He pruned the cactus in such a brutal way
I did, but I also learned something about the budding patterns on this species! An update will be coming.
Thank you for sharing! I always look forward to new videos :)
I wanted to point out something; your Christmas cactus is looking a little etoliated - the leaves are pale and long. I suggest getting it in direct sunlight so the color and shape improves.
I'm curious to see what comes of it! I've never seen one with a trunk like that, and I'm positive it's going to turn out magnificent. I really hope it flowers in time for the show, too!
I had it in the greenhouse and it was under the shade of my Ficus bonsai, that has exploded in growth. I just noticed that it was being shaded and I moved it out on the bench after making this video. I'm hoping I get some branching off of the woody part of the trunk after the severe cutting back.
Can't wait for the cactus update. Might be interesting :)
I'm sure it will look better next time you see it, can't look much worse!
Nigel Saunders
To cut is to grow brother :)
We must look beyond the cuts to see the future growth. Do what u do nigel. Experimentation and exploration forges a new path. In this case bonsai
Beautiful video footage.
Thank you, I'm still working on improving the outdoor studio to make it even better!
Thank you nigel
You are most welcome!
Great video as always. Nice to see the jade plant. Thanks for your work..! If I may suggest, please post an update of your lovely portulacaria afra forrest.
it is growing really wild, my plan is to grow it as much as I can over the summer and then prune it back when fall comes. This is an effort to increase the trunk thickness. I'll show it in an update!
Good idea to let it grow freely! Looking forward to the update.
Jade leaves root easily and can produce as many as 6 plants from one leaf.
That sounds like a good way to create a forest!
I will be starting my first bonsai soon
When you start bonsai always put the health of the tree first, you can do all the crazy stuff when you have a feel of how the tree will respond, or get a bunch of tree's ;)
Definitely get bunch of trees, they'll die a lot in the beggining :D :D I'm growing for almost 10 years, and I, unfortunately, killed many trees during that time :(
Madran7 good advice. Thanks
Thanks guys and I hope your first tree does well. Be sure to study how to take care of your tree species and be dedicated to keeping it alive and well, and you and your tree, should do fine
I have always enjoy looking at bonsais, I like gardening, no garden. First the tools, I probably need quite a few of those fancy cutters, snippers, scissors, clippers etc. Hmmm in the meantime, I have bought two dying acer tree (30p each) they have recovered, one is leafing well, while the other is very quiet. I also might do a ficus, and a jade tree, and finally an olive one, if it survive. I broke it off, thinking it had died to discover it’s still alive.
My question, to the general viewer, what’s the white stuff you guys called soil, is it perlita? I guess I will have to google and find out everything I need to know, for this year I am just going to grow and continue to watch the videos. Very relaxing.
Oh ya, those special dishes.Hmmmm Bonsai for the poor and broke ….
I love your work, but I don't think hedge type pruning was a good idea on the Christmas cactus with the way they grow.
Just an experiment to see what happens, it had to be shortened anyway. I think the new growth will come back in soon.
I am missing your apple tree. That is my favorite
It is still alive, but most of the branches have died off. I'm hoping it slowly gains strength and survives the rust disease. It's very sad, it was one of my best trees.
Sorry to hear it! What are some treatments for rust disease?
that christmas cactus got savaged
It did, but it recovered quickly and has grown really wild looking again. I'm waiting to see if it flowers this December, if not, it will get another pruning!.
I just got a jade with 3 stems. I have devided them and think I wool will try bonsai with atleast one, maybe two incase I mess up. I would be my first try at bonsai.
Sounds good, keep the soil dry until they root and start to grow. You may have to support the cuttings also, so they don't tip over in the soil.
Do you also prune your hair Mr. Nigel?
Clip and grow hairstyle in the Lingnan style! Heavy on the grow side.
its so nice of you Mr. Nigel! stay cool
That kind of hair... does what it wants... anyway mine does!!!
Actually, the tip 5cm or so of the twigs account for 80% of the food of the tree. as long as the leaves you remove are shading others, you can prune with no effect to the plants health or vigor.
Thank you Paul!
What a nice trees! They are beautiful... I'm a big fan of the way you grow your trees, not such a big fan of the in-/outro though 😉
Thank you, it's only a few seconds of pain!
Mister Saunders, the bonsai trees from Jeff in Sarnia Ontario are extraordinary beautifull, don't you think so too ? Have you thought about it, to ask him to become a member of KW-Bonsai?
Unfortunately Sarnia is too far a drive to Waterloo. It's over two hours each way.
Nice work
Thank you Gloria!
how about consider a bald Cypress for AVATAR project? 😊
I have never seen one up here in Canada, I might have to start one from seed. It would be an excellent tree for this project! Thanks.
Nigel - I thought you might include your spinning rock "cliff" for one of the specimens for the upcoming show. I thought it was very clever and creative.. Certainly shows another part of the spectrum. Also, how is your Norfolk Pine forest coming along? The last I saw, you were grooming the seedlings. Are they still alive? Best, JD, SO CAL.
I have jade in the same little bonsai pot :)
We must think alike!
nigel dada, can i add your channel as featured channel of mine?
Yes indeed!
Nigel, I really enjoy your videos and perspective on Bonsai. I live in Indonesia and i am getting into Japanese Black Pines for the first time. Any advice you can give for Tropical Zone care would be most appreciated. We have 2 seasons here....Hot/Hot & Wet. I am located on a small island (Batam) just south of Singapore.
Nigel, would it be possible for you to make a video where you tell how you grow a moss for bonsai? I mean basics e.g. the type of moss, watering, etc.?
I'll try, I'm not a moss expert, but I could read up on moss and make a video!
Thank you! : )
I am new to your channel and also new to bonsai. I'd like to see more of your apple tree and also I'd like to know how I can get a young apple tree to grow a thick trunk like yours is.
This tree was collected from the side of my sister's house. It has been grown and cut back many times over the years because no one wanted it growing right beside the house. That is the secret, clip and grow for many many years.
At 7:43 while you are pulling moss from base of tree I saw some small black bugs crawling around. Were they by chance tiny black ants, or what looks like ants. I have some on my trees and I am trying to find out what they are and if they are harmful. Thanks
Maybe it's only springtail, but they really seem to move like ants!
Quick question, I've noticed little ants or bugs in your soil from time to time. Is this something to worry about, or attempt to fix?
Fix nature ? Glyphosate ? Neonicotinoids ? Eradicate all Life ? Wtf ?
Its a fair question, nature and in this case bonsai does need 'fixing' but a better term might be maintenance, there are invasive insects that can kill your tree, and this entire video is Nigel 'fixing' plants.
I'm just a beginner but I would suspect ants don't pose any threat to the tree and can be left alone.
AustinF12 except when you have ants in your tree, you might have, not sure what they're called in English, greenfly in your plants and ants protect them, because they produce sweet stuff that ants like...
But he asked about animals in the soil, not about aphids or something that you can treat with Neem oil.
That is indeed true... Well, a little extra info never hurt anyone I guess
Nigel, I have a few bonsai cedars in my collection but I don't know exactly what they are? I mean I don't know if they are white cedars or red cedars. Is there anyway that you can explain to me how to tell the difference so I know what I have. Thanks
Hi Nigel. I really love the look of moss but I live in Sunny San Diego. It's fairly warm right now and not sure growing moss on my Bonsai are an option. What are your thoughts on this. What about purchasing a humidifier...! Thank you again for your videos.
Hello Elana, I would try some Sedum as a ground cover, it's a little coarser than moss, but it will survive well in your climate.
www.youngs-garden.com/succulents/sedum-stonecrop/stoloniferum-sedum/
Do you ever use wire to train your trees? Recently subbed! I've been binge watching all week, finally got my own bonsai! :)
Yes, I wire the branches mainly to refine the position. I do try to do as much as possible without wire.
Awesome work! They're looking great now, I'm sure they're going to be looking amazing for the show. I'm just left wondering about your bouganvillia and how it is doing ? I'm liking the intro now
The Bougainvillea is looking more tree like every year! I'm hoping to get it to flower for the show.
Hi Mr. Saunders - could you please add this video to the Christmas Cactus playlist?
just made a start on mine
Excellent!
Great video, really nice tree Nigel. Just wondering how you're kapok trees are doing
They were in the corner of the plant room and I had so (too) many trees, I couldn't easily get to them. I found they had a lot of scale insects under the leaves when I went to take them out in spring. I spent many hours cleaning the scale insects off and spraying the tees with soap and water. They took a while to adjust to the outdoors, but are now starting to grow well again. I will have to cut down on the number of trees that I keep in the room for the winter so I can easily get to all the trees for inspection. I can't wait to re pot them again and see what the roots are up to!
Nigel, I know, that you made a video about bonsai soil, but I want to ask, how big are your soil particles? Are they more arou 1mm or so? Or more like 3-8mm? :) I made my soil from 3-8mm particles, and I think they are just too big for such small plant as bonsai are...so I tried to mix smaller particles around 3mm big, but they still seems too big to me...I think trees will grow, and they actualy do even with those bigger particles, but my moss is not doing well...:) That's why am I asking this ...
I use 3 to 4 mm, you may have to put a finer top dressing to the soil, either finer particles or sand. It will be a little harder to water, but once you get the top layer wet, it will water fine. The moss should grow well in this top layer.
Do you need to dry the lemon leaves for your tea or you put them straight fresh off the branches into hot water?
You can put them straight into hot water. It tastes really good!
Mr Saunders, how do you get so much success while propagating the trees by cuttings? do you use any synthetic rooting enhancers and what medium do you use while rooting cuttings?
I haven't use rooting hormone, I just try a lot of cuttings and usually the ones that are started in the summer root fine.
do you use bonsai soil to root them? by the way the new format of the videos is really nice
Love your videos XD I have been inspired to try my hand at bonsai.
Quick question: where is the best place to get turface? I am in the USA and there has to be better place to look then Amazon. I tried all my local nurseries and greenhouses but none of them have it.
I get mine at a farm supply store (TSC), but you can get it at some of the automotive supply stores also. They use it for cleaning up oil spills in garages.
Hello Nigel,
Love watching your videos tons of good info and well presented.
I do have a question I recently purchased an Austrian pine from a local nursery and would like to start styling it. Could that be done now or should I hold off till next gro0 season. What would you recommend.
Thanks for any input you can provide.
It should be OK to begin styling it now, if the tree is healthy. I would either repot it this spring and do very little work to the top of the tree, or style the top of the tree, and re pot the following spring. Doing both styling and re potting might stress the tree out and it may die.
Thanks for your prompt responses to my questions. Your help is greatly appreciated as I am but a novice at this hobby. I hope that I am not perceived as a burden as I am sure there will be many situations in the future where I will be looking for guidance. Anian thanks for your assistance.
Hi Nigel,
Nice work. I wandering how you grow moss so easily. Any special tips.
Moss needs the right conditions, not too hot, lots of water and fertilizer and good sunshine! I mist my moss several times a day in hot weather.
Hi Nigel, i have a cristmas cactus with 3 months. What shold i do to get a woddy tronc? It Just grow leafs and leafs. Should i trim it radacli? Sorry My english.
Greatis from Portugal!
Yes, just keep growing and trimming it, and over the years the trunk will turn woody.
Hello, good morning, greetings from Colombia, I would like to know how the substrate of your bonsai, of which it is composed, thanks
It is 50 percent perlite and 50 percent turface. I add 10 to 20 percent composted pine bark, if I have it on hand also.
Would like you to start repoting your bonsai trees
Yes, I'll be re potting many soon, working on the ones that need it the most first!
if you have time to watch this video, you have time to bonsai!
I'm trying to catch up on the comments, I love answering them after a long day!
Great work as always. I asked u before but lost the comment.do u sell 3d printed Bonsia pots? thanks and do u sell juniper sapling or seeds thanks again
What books would you recommend on growing bonsai? Or other learning materials?
I enjoy all the bonsai books, you will see a variety of different views and techniques in each book. Some are climate related and some are the preference of the person growing the trees. I think you can learn something from all the books, videos and online blogs available. I would read as much as you can and see what makes sense for you.
What do you do with the moss trimmings? Do you recycle them in other bonsais?
Sometimes I do, just sprinkle it on the surface and it should grow under the right conditions.
Hi Nigel,
what kind of Moss is it, you are using ? Is it a local species ?
Thanks again for this upload, I watched it with great pleasure.
Any chance on getting a scientific name ?
You might find it in here....
worldofmosses.com/ggom/index.html
🍋treeisnice
Thank you Mr Stinson!
Have you ever thought about crape myrtles?
I really like them and can't stop looking at them when I go to Florida! Maybe some day as I'm really growing short of space for my tropical trees in the winter. I must show restraint!
Just fyi your Christmas cactus is actually an Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri)
Thanks, I knew it was some other kind, I've been calling it a Christmas cactus for so long. I would be better to use the scientific name!
Nigel (and others), my lemon tree sprout is at least 3 months into growth (maybe 4) and there has been yellow edges on the leaves. Watering is fine and I'm using loam for soil, is this okay? It is getting it's daily need of sunlight, I'm just anxious because this is my third attempt and it's going good..
If your soil is draining well and you are watering the tree when the soil is just starting to dry out, your tree should be fine.The Lemon trees like to have lots of sun and warm temperatures. I hope all goes well.
Thank you for the info, I found out that the drainage isn't that great, I'll fix that immediately.