Thank you so much for your videos.Very informative,I learn a lot from you because I'm a beginner and I also experiment with a ficus ginseng an a few other bonsai.I like the style you chose for this ficus,keep up the good work!!
Nigel it´s different there is cool. I wouldn´t have changed anything on that Ficus. I have a big Ficus there looks a little bit wierd and most would probably not like it´s rootbase, but i like a lot and it dosn´t look like all the other Ficus in the world. But of course it´s a matter of taste. Like your videos.
Nice work, love this Tree! it's really come aways since your first video on it when you repotted it from that terracotta pot. I've definitely seen some old trees in nature that have lost there tops that look like this tree.....really nice ! I also keep all my spiders as they don't hurt anything and they eat all the small flies & bugs that I don't want. Lately I have a daddy long legs that has taken over the under canopy of my hibiscus and does a great job. Great video!
I just wanted to say thank you...about 2 year ago i found a ficus with two parallel roots that look like legs and a root in the middle that looks exactly like a mans attributes!. With your expert tutelage over the last year months i have developed these roots into Mans shape, its hilarious. I had 0 interest in Bonsai until i found this plant, i knew 0 about Bonsai, thanks for sharing you passion. Its helped me alot!
how you keep leaves green.. leaves keep falling off it barely got leaves at the end of the stem but they fall quick.. what fertilizer and soils should I use !!?
Any tips on junipers/ other conifers? I keep trying every year or two, but I'm just not having much luck with those. I try to do little to no pruning, so death by over pruning is out.
I was wondering Mr. Saunders, about the problem of losing trees to frost in winters. Here in New Delhi occasional frost occurs, but almost rarely. What you can do is install a steamer (one used at the time of nose- blocks). It costed me around 300 Indian rupees, or 6 Canadian dollars there. It will increase the humidity levels and even the temperatures a little bit. And hopefully the incident with the rubber tree won't occur again.
The rubber tree was actually inside the house in the plant room. The room is heated by an electric heater. The night that the tree got frost was -34 C outside and the temperature inside by the windows must have got below freezing. I have insulated the room better and installed a fan to keep the warm air circulating around the room to avoid cold spots by the windows. Your solution sounds good, I have heard people will place a sheet over the trees at night and have a string of lights under the sheet to keep the plants warm also. Today we have a winter storm, high winds and snow and a temperature of -13 C outside. (A typical Canadian day!)
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a beginner and I'm learning a lot from them. I've always been interested in bonsai and find the process very intimidating but I'm going to start doing it. Your Baobab style bonsai forest is one truly beautiful creation. I'm going to binge watch all your videos. Better than Netflix!
Thanks, that was extremely helpful. I’ve inherited a neglected ficus with the room I’m renting. Looks as if it’s in need of a repotting and some pruning. Which should I do first? I don’t want to shock it too much if I did both at the same time.
The tree should grow new branches, it will take about six weeks for buds to show on the trunk. Keep the tree watered properly and in a nice sunny spot and hopefully it will look good again!
Lovely ficus.. do you have any advice for me, I would love to own a ficus, but everything I can find in the netherlands are mass produced ugly S-shapes or the "ginseng" graft on a pile of roots..
You can take cuttings from some of these mass produced trees and get good results. It doesn't take too long to get a nice size tree from a cutting. Another option is to air layer sections of the stock material to get some nice trees. Some of the mass produced trees can be made to look very natural if you prune away the curvy sections and re grow the tree's structure to a more pleasing line. Good luck!
Hoi Bart! Cool idea to try and air layer a ginseng. Another option would be a Ficus Benjamina, which they sell at Hornbach and most other garden centers like Intratuin. They are usually sold as two young plants close together. I bought one of those and they are thickening up pretty fast!
Hoi Dennis thanks for your response, that's not a bad idea, although I usually find them too tall, but I'll have another look in the garden center.. They also sell them in small group plantings like a bush, I thought about fusing them maybe, so I'll end up with a smaller thicker ficus
That is also an interesting technique..fusion, I might try that one myself some day! And I agree on the small ficuses, they are kinda tall and thin. So I plan on cutting them much shorter next Spring.
I inherited an old beautiful bonsai tree , but the pot has no drainage and glue little gravel on top of the soil. Do you think I should remove the gravel to see better the condition of the soil? and also should I open 2 holes at the bottom of the ceramic pot?
Yes it is important to have drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and you can replace the glued on stones with loose pebbles. Always let the soil begin to dry out before watering thoroughly again.
Great channel and videos. Subscribed. Thanks Nigel. I'm finding Bonsai and all the soil and equipment expensive to get into. Please could you suggest materials and methods to do things for cheap, in order to get started? Perhaps a poor mans bonsai video? Would really appreciate it.
Hello Eric, I find it best to buy trees that aren't sold as bonsai trees. Anything with a bonsai label on it is very expensive and usually over priced! When starting out it is best to grow the trees in ordinary clay garden pots. My soil mix is just a 50/50 mix of perlite and turface. I get my perlite at garden center and the turface at the farm supply store. Turface is sold as SafetySorb or Oil Dry. It is used for cleaning up oil spills in garages. Much of the pruning work can be done with regular gardening pruners. Hear is my video on watering and fertilizing this soil.... th-cam.com/video/gXIIpxUqxdY/w-d-xo.html
It looks very good......I'm new to this sort of stuff and find you videos invaluable......I set my ficus out on the deck here in NB Canada from may till the end of September and it and it looks better than it ever did , I ordered a plant light for it as it seems to be dropping a lot of leaves since I brought it back it indoors.....I water it at least once a week as you said they do not like to dry out ?...Any suggestions would help?
It is very normal for a Ficus to loose leaves when you change the environment they are growing in. Just keep watering normally and hopefully they will adapt and recover!
Hi Nigel Would it have been a shame to choose to cut off the mirrored branch on the right instead? And can you say something about risks and things to consider before pruning a tree in winter-time? As I understand it, a lot of people do in spring while re-potting
The mirrored branch could be removed and as the tree develops, it still might get removed. I think I'll rotate the tree slightly in the pot, that will move that large branch out front, more to the side. Lots more work to do! The trees in the plant room begin to grow strongly when the days start to get longer in late winter, pruning at this time has been no problem for me.
They will in time, I'm still working on the trunk and upright branches. Once this phase if completed, I'll work on branch ramification and this is when you will see the leaves begin to reduce in size. I am also fertilizing the tree a lot right now, this keeps the leaves large.
Hey Nigel, I have a Ficus Retusa (Ginseng ficus) and i left it out last summer to get some full sun, but unfortunately, a squirrel chewed up the back trunk area, i let it dry to let it heal on its own, but it still looks unsightly, how do i fix it? or will it eventually fade?
I would try and grow some aerial roots down in front of the wound, they will fuse with the living tissue in time. The roots can be encouraged with plastic and wet sphagnum moss. You could also grow a rooted cutting up in front of the wound. It will also fuse with the trunk in time. Another option is to graft roots over the wound. If left untouched, the wound will heal over time, but you may get a large feature with some rotting of the original wood in the area. It might become attractive, but it also may not.
Thank you for replying! sorry i got busy because of school. how long do you think the wound would heal over if i left it untouched? Is there any way I can send you a picture so you have a better look? Also are there any good brands for sphagnum moss? im still contemplating what to do. It's really scary haha I also saw your christmas cactus video and saw you have the same type of issue with the mice.
I found you video very informative. I have a question... I have a Ficus Bonsai that has grown very long branches. All the growth is at the top of these branches giving it a very tall shape, and I'm a little scared to prune it back for fear of killing it. I have re-potted it and wondered if I should let it settle in it's new pot before attempting to cut it back?
Yes the best time to prune the tree back hard is when the weather is ideal for growth (warm and humid) and after the tree has had a good burst of new growth and before it starts to grow again. The tree will have lots of energy stored up and when you cut it back, it will explode in new growth from everywhere. Keep the tree misted until it begins to grow again.
Nigel, thanks for your videos and simple explanation of what you will do to these trees. Your videos has given me the confidence to pursue this hobby. I was interested in bonsai years ago, but due to time constraints i was not able to do this hobby at the time. Now i am disabled/retired and bored sitting at home all the time. I stumbled upon your video's and enjoyed them so much that I started Bonsai because of your videos. Thanks again VERY MUCH!! i am anxious to start in the wonderful world of bonsai. -Jerry Oh BTW, I'm 57 yrs old. Do you have any videos on how to handle seeds and from seed growth of seedlings, when to transplant seedlings?
Hi Jerry, thanks, really nice to here! I don't have a video that is just about growing seedlings, just the odd one here and there. Graham potter has a great one... th-cam.com/video/kU2gtm7vGlQ/w-d-xo.html I'm not far behind you in age, and I really like starting new seedlings!
What is your thought behind pruning in December vs waiting until spring since ficus don't usually grow that much during the winter? I could understand if you just did a defoliation and had lots of new short branches, I just don't see a benefit from doing it now. Great video as always!
Right now the days are the shortest of the year and the weather is usually cloudy. The trees in the plant room don't get a lot of sunlight.... but after Dec 21, the days start to get longer! The weather gets colder and we get more sunny days in January and February. The trees start to grow with vigor during these months. Pruning my ficus in December is almost like a spring pruning, as they will take off in growth in the next few weeks.
Great update video Nigel, thank you! I like your works on ficus, their are so resilient and nice we can try a lot with those :) Always informative and great quality on your channel. Best
I guess Im asking the wrong place but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an Instagram account? I was dumb lost my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me!
@Mario Princeton I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process now. Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
It may be, it is used in making light weight concrete and plaster in industry, here is an article on the subject...... www.perlite.org/industry/construction-perlite.html
The tree is about 12 years old and it was cut off as a cutting 3 years ago. The leaves will reduce with more ramification and leaf pruning. They can be quite tiny.
Nigel awesome videos! I’m new at bonsai. I have a question if the fiscus bonsai I have is getting taller then I would like can you cut it down with out killing the tree? Also if you cut a woody branch back some will it grow back? Thank you
Yes, most Ficus trees will grow many new branches around the cut point on woody growth. Some species like the Ficus benjamina can die back, but usually the tree lives and sprouts new growth somewhere on the tree!
Keep the tree warm humid and in good light. Misting the tree a couple of times a day will help. Be sure your water is draining through the pot easily, if not, you may have to re pot the tree. Keep the tree outside in the sun if you can, or near a bright sunny window if indoors. Under good conditions the leaves will grow back quickly.
I planted 20 different maple trees around 3 months ago and they have such luxuriant growth. They're at least 24 inches long right now and i'm pretty sure they're ready for their first pruning for bonsai. These will also be my first bonsai trees so i'm a little skeptical about trying something. So i have some questions on bonsai that i'm hoping you as an experience bonsai creator can answer. So like a said a majority of my maple trees are at least 24 inches long so if i wanted to create a bonsai that was at least 12 inches tall will i have to hard prune the tree by cutting almost half of it of? And if that is the case will there be more growth on the cut area? Then finally is there a way that i can keep my maple trees small as they're growing from seedlings? Thank you for your time and god bless.
You will have to keep letting the Maples grow each year and then in fall prune them back to the first set of leaf scars on the trunk. Each year, you will need to keep root pruning and keep reducing the height. I have a series on growing bonsai from seed and also a video on bonsai roots.... th-cam.com/play/PLQouTWwmTQow-nd5uHUYQPGbo3bd4WPJl.html th-cam.com/video/AcSu8SUQ0kE/w-d-xo.html
Nigel, I would love to create a bonsai out of a natal plumb. Can I air prune this type of shrub? How best can I approach this species? Would love some feed back?
It is developing into a nice little tree ! Will the leaves reduce in size any further ? Nigel, how would a professional buyer judge the age of your tree - 15 yrs or 15 + 24 yrs ? Just curious. Hypothetically, if I air layer a thick branch from a 100 year old tree and my specimen has the age/bark scaliness of the parent tree then what age can be attributed to it ? Can I say at least 50 yrs, even if it was with me only for 6 months ? I am imagining a possible selling situation where i do no want to reveal how easy it was for me to prepare the material and hence, avoid selling cheap. I would expect a just price. My technique or my skill at finding the specimen needs to be compensated too. Appreciate your thoughts on this, Nigel.
If left to grow in the right conditions, a trunk of this size can be grown in 3 to 4 years, but it wouldn't have any taper to it and it would be plain, with few features. (no movement, taper, scars or a nice root structure) To grow a nice quality tree takes many years of clip and grow. This tree is slowly getting better, but it will take many years before it gets a nice root base and a good branch structure. This tree is maybe half way to becoming a good bonsai!
You can root some large cutting from a ficus, but it is best to start with a smaller one. The cutting should be from a woody part of the tree for the best success.
@@TheBonsaiZone fair enough. I have seen people drill a hole and thread a branch through while still attached to the mother tree. I will try it soon. I'm moving back to Florida and I will get back into tropical bonsai soon.
I use a 50/50 mix of perlite and turface. I sift the ingredients to get a particle size of 3 to 4 mm or 1/8 inch. If I have composted pine bark chunks, I'll add 10 to 20 percent to the mix, but I usually have run out of them.
The best time to prune is after the tree has been growing really well and you have good growing conditions for recovery. The tree will have lots of energy stored within the trunk and the roots and should recover quickly from pruning. I find that mid summer is a really good time or late winter when the trees are indoors. I get the sun shining directly in my plant room in February and the trees start to grow like crazy. This is a good time to prune for my set up.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone Hi Nigel, I’m reaching out to you in hopes you can help me with a juniper tree which my parents gave me because they no longer want it anymore. It was in great health and very green when I planted it at my house.After about a week I started noticing the tips are starting to get brown. Is this normal because of the transition from my parents to my home? I removed the tree from direct sunlight and placed it in shaded area in hopes it will bounce back. I would greatly appreciate your advise on this because this tree means the world to me it was given to me from Grandpa almost 20 years ago I would be devastated if it’s dying. Sorry if I’m posting in the wrong place on this subject
I have got a ficus microcarpa bonsai from when i was 12 years old (now I am 14). and it begin in this weeks to have some strange white spots on some leaf, is that normal? I think that is limestone but I'm not sure and than I ask you this questions. sorry if the english is not perfect, hello from Italy! :)
It is normal for ficus leaves to have small white spots on the leaf. If it is a crusty looking deposit, it is probably lime from using tap water. If you use rain water, the lime deposits will go away. If you think it is insects or a fungus, I would look it up on the internet, there is a lot of information on the possible causes. Good luck! My wife is a Bisutti, first generation Canadian!
I have a ficus also with the top of the soil covered with moss.. Have noticed tiny flies hanging out at the base which are annoyed when adding water to my tree.. Normal habitat for them?
I have little gnats that fly around the trees, I don't think they cause any harm. They feed off fungus in the soil. I think it is just a healthy eco system.
I prefer to use the clip and grow technique and wire only if I have to. This is called Lingnan style of bonsai. Here is a link to a description. I really like trees in a natural form created using clip and grow. www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip
Good as always, however the closed captioning, interferes with the area you are working on. Made me miss good stuff. Love your videos always. Keep up the good work
That is a problem that I had never thought of! You might have to re wind and turn the captioning off to see the missing details. Not much fun doing that though.
I usually plant my cuttings in bonsai soil and keep them watered well. In the summer they root well. I find it very hard to root cuttings inside in the winter. Water does work well for some types of trees. I would try both methods and see what works best.
Impressive little cutting! Is a ficus resilient enough where you could take off that entire forward facing branch and it would be alright? I'm experimenting with some younger ficus trees currently.
Hi, I am from Bangladesh and interested in bonsai. I am following your videos. Watched about more than half videos in past few months. You said this is a cutting from a cutting. So planting all others cutting from this one would make a new tree each, right?
Yes, cuttings are a good way to get more trees. You can buy one tree and start many more trees by planting your cuttings. It is a great way to start a forest!
It can always be improved. With a small tree, it is important to get all the little details right in the tree. Hopefully someday it will look like a giant tree.
Omg a Weed plant!!! I haven't seen videos about it on your channel. Are you making a bonsai from it? Is it male or female? I would reeeally love to see it! I heard cannabis trees are absolutely stunning! Rare too ;-)
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone No need to be sorry, I learnt something new :-) have you done any videos over it? It really does look like cannabis. Would you ever consider growing a hemp bonsai? Perfectly legal if it's a male plant.
I try second hand stores, you can find low quality small ones sometimes. You can try E bay or sometimes club members sell used pots cheap. Some of the mail order bonsai companies sell plastic or mica pots at a good price.
Wish i had a better ficus... My only ficus currently is a variegated microcarpa, and it's just a little thing with a trunk the thickness of a pencil. >.>
The tree that this little one was taken as a cutting, started off as a seedling. Don't worry they will grow larger! When trees start off small, you can keep the roots in check and end up with a really good tree in the future.
I always feel like the things are happening in front of me when I see your videos n the way you described all in details. Thanks allot Mr Sounder.
Thank you Kamalesh!
Hey Nigel...another wonderful technical and artistic video! I always learn so much from your work and patient explanation.
Very nice to see this tree in the early stages. I love blue pot and feet. 😊😊
I love what I think is a pot plant behind you...🌴🌴🌴
Very nice look to the tree at the end of the video can't wait to see what it looks like in the future!
Thanks Seth, I'm hoping to keep it a small tree.
Thank you so much for your videos.Very informative,I learn a lot from you because I'm a beginner and I also experiment with a ficus ginseng an a few other bonsai.I like the style you chose for this ficus,keep up the good work!!
I always love a small bonsai like this, a shohin bonsai 😊😊
Nigel it´s different there is cool. I wouldn´t have changed anything on that Ficus. I have a big Ficus there looks a little bit wierd and most would probably not like it´s rootbase, but i like a lot and it dosn´t look like all the other Ficus in the world. But of course it´s a matter of taste. Like your videos.
Nice work, love this Tree! it's really come aways since your first video on it when you repotted it from that terracotta pot. I've definitely seen some old trees in nature that have lost there tops that look like this tree.....really nice ! I also keep all my spiders as they don't hurt anything and they eat all the small flies & bugs that I don't want. Lately I have a daddy long legs that has taken over the under canopy of my hibiscus and does a great job. Great video!
You are great. Explains a lot. Easy to learn!! I am a beginner in to this, started my first project with panda ficus
The Ficus are great trees to begin with!
I just wanted to say thank you...about 2 year ago i found a ficus with two parallel roots that look like legs and a root in the middle that looks exactly like a mans attributes!. With your expert tutelage over the last year months i have developed these roots into Mans shape, its hilarious. I had 0 interest in Bonsai until i found this plant, i knew 0 about Bonsai, thanks for sharing you passion. Its helped me alot!
Thanks Jim, you can get some bizarre shapes with the ficus roots. Some people think they look like the mandrake roots from the Harry Potter movies!
i believe you would find my plant exceptional in its root system. hahahaha
I really like how this looks! Very attractive tree. I love that root spread!
Thank you, I'm hoping to keep the tree small and just slowly continue to improve it.
how you keep leaves green.. leaves keep falling off it barely got leaves at the end of the stem but they fall quick.. what fertilizer and soils should I use !!?
Any tips on junipers/ other conifers? I keep trying every year or two, but I'm just not having much luck with those. I try to do little to no pruning, so death by over pruning is out.
awesome that you kept the little spider.
I was wondering Mr. Saunders, about the problem of losing trees to frost in winters. Here in New Delhi occasional frost occurs, but almost rarely. What you can do is install a steamer (one used at the time of nose- blocks). It costed me around 300 Indian rupees, or 6 Canadian dollars there. It will increase the humidity levels and even the temperatures a little bit. And hopefully the incident with the rubber tree won't occur again.
The rubber tree was actually inside the house in the plant room. The room is heated by an electric heater. The night that the tree got frost was -34 C outside and the temperature inside by the windows must have got below freezing. I have insulated the room better and installed a fan to keep the warm air circulating around the room to avoid cold spots by the windows.
Your solution sounds good, I have heard people will place a sheet over the trees at night and have a string of lights under the sheet to keep the plants warm also.
Today we have a winter storm, high winds and snow and a temperature of -13 C outside. (A typical Canadian day!)
Thank you so much for your videos. I'm a beginner and I'm learning a lot from them. I've always been interested in bonsai and find the process very intimidating but I'm going to start doing it. Your Baobab style bonsai forest is one truly beautiful creation. I'm going to binge watch all your videos. Better than Netflix!
Thank you Vicki, hope you like them!
Thanks, that was extremely helpful. I’ve inherited a neglected ficus with the room I’m renting. Looks as if it’s in need of a repotting and some pruning. Which should I do first? I don’t want to shock it too much if I did both at the same time.
Ficus....
Oooh my favorite
how can I cut this tree to look better bonsai shape? can you mark on it? Nigel sir please help me with this
Hi Nigel, learning from your all bonsai video...plz share some of the video how to cut tap root nd repoting to bonsai pot.....Thanks
Check out my video on creating and maintaining your bonsai root base......
th-cam.com/video/AcSu8SUQ0kE/w-d-xo.html
thank you..☺
My all branches were broken so what can i do will that grow again or not i have removed all the branches as that were broken
The tree should grow new branches, it will take about six weeks for buds to show on the trunk. Keep the tree watered properly and in a nice sunny spot and hopefully it will look good again!
Cute little ficus bonsai
Lovely ficus.. do you have any advice for me, I would love to own a ficus, but everything I can find in the netherlands are mass produced ugly S-shapes or the "ginseng" graft on a pile of roots..
You can take cuttings from some of these mass produced trees and get good results. It doesn't take too long to get a nice size tree from a cutting. Another option is to air layer sections of the stock material to get some nice trees. Some of the mass produced trees can be made to look very natural if you prune away the curvy sections and re grow the tree's structure to a more pleasing line. Good luck!
Nigel Saunders thanks for your response! I will probably buy a big "gingseng" style ficus, and air layer where the normal trunk starts!
Hoi Bart! Cool idea to try and air layer a ginseng. Another option would be a Ficus Benjamina, which they sell at Hornbach and most other garden centers like Intratuin. They are usually sold as two young plants close together. I bought one of those and they are thickening up pretty fast!
Hoi Dennis thanks for your response, that's not a bad idea, although I usually find them too tall, but I'll have another look in the garden center.. They also sell them in small group plantings like a bush, I thought about fusing them maybe, so I'll end up with a smaller thicker ficus
That is also an interesting technique..fusion, I might try that one myself some day!
And I agree on the small ficuses, they are kinda tall and thin. So I plan on cutting them much shorter next Spring.
Nice tree, so far..... how do you do those big cuttings, put them in water or in soil?
I usually have the most success, mid summer in bonsai soil, outside on the benches in full sun.
Thank you, next time I'll try this way. Usually I put them in water in a shady place, which works mostly with smaller cuttings.
I inherited an old beautiful bonsai tree , but the pot has no drainage and glue little gravel on top of the soil. Do you think I should remove the gravel to see better the condition of the soil? and also should I open 2 holes at the bottom of the ceramic pot?
Yes it is important to have drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and you can replace the glued on stones with loose pebbles. Always let the soil begin to dry out before watering thoroughly again.
This method of trimming applies to any branching plant, even those aquarium plants.
Great channel and videos. Subscribed. Thanks Nigel. I'm finding Bonsai and all the soil and equipment expensive to get into. Please could you suggest materials and methods to do things for cheap, in order to get started? Perhaps a poor mans bonsai video? Would really appreciate it.
Hello Eric, I find it best to buy trees that aren't sold as bonsai trees. Anything with a bonsai label on it is very expensive and usually over priced! When starting out it is best to grow the trees in ordinary clay garden pots. My soil mix is just a 50/50 mix of perlite and turface. I get my perlite at garden center and the turface at the farm supply store. Turface is sold as SafetySorb or Oil Dry. It is used for cleaning up oil spills in garages. Much of the pruning work can be done with regular gardening pruners. Hear is my video on watering and fertilizing this soil....
th-cam.com/video/gXIIpxUqxdY/w-d-xo.html
It looks very good......I'm new to this sort of stuff and find you videos invaluable......I set my ficus out on the deck here in NB Canada from may till the end of September and it and it looks better than it ever did , I ordered a plant light for it as it seems to be dropping a lot of leaves since I brought it back it indoors.....I water it at least once a week as you said they do not like to dry out ?...Any suggestions would help?
It is very normal for a Ficus to loose leaves when you change the environment they are growing in. Just keep watering normally and hopefully they will adapt and recover!
awsome! you have an artistic eye.
Thank you Hang, the tree is doing well and I hope it gets a nice full crown on it some day!
When you keep making updated videos, please mention the link of previous videos in the description as it becomes user friendly for new visitors..:-)
Thanks, I'll try and do that. If you click on the playlist tab on the channel home page, you will get a list of all the videos for each specific tree.
Yes, having links to the previous videos in the description helps.
What do you with the cutting after they are cut?
Thanks for sharing Nigel. I have another technic for merge 2 small branches to get bigger branh.
Sounds good! I'll be updating this tree very soon and planting it in one of my 3D printed pots!
Hi Nigel
Would it have been a shame to choose to cut off the mirrored branch on the right instead?
And can you say something about risks and things to consider before pruning a tree in winter-time? As I understand it, a lot of people do in spring while re-potting
The mirrored branch could be removed and as the tree develops, it still might get removed. I think I'll rotate the tree slightly in the pot, that will move that large branch out front, more to the side. Lots more work to do! The trees in the plant room begin to grow strongly when the days start to get longer in late winter, pruning at this time has been no problem for me.
Great VDO once again. Lots of learning for me. Please keep it up! Please share age of this cute tree...
Thanks. It was a cutting of a cutting from my 24 year old tree. I'm guessing it is 10 to 15 years old.
Do you have any update on this ficus tree?
Which plant is under that wooden table ? That fives leaves plant?
@ mapple tree bonsai.....
So I'm sure this sounds silly but is a tiger bark ficus also a microcarpa ficus?
Yes it is!
Its leaves don't seem to get smaller; they were that size back in 2014 and 2015.
They will in time, I'm still working on the trunk and upright branches. Once this phase if completed, I'll work on branch ramification and this is when you will see the leaves begin to reduce in size. I am also fertilizing the tree a lot right now, this keeps the leaves large.
Hey Nigel,
I have a Ficus Retusa (Ginseng ficus) and i left it out last summer to get some full sun,
but unfortunately, a squirrel chewed up the back trunk area,
i let it dry to let it heal on its own, but it still looks unsightly,
how do i fix it? or will it eventually fade?
I would try and grow some aerial roots down in front of the wound, they will fuse with the living tissue in time. The roots can be encouraged with plastic and wet sphagnum moss. You could also grow a rooted cutting up in front of the wound. It will also fuse with the trunk in time. Another option is to graft roots over the wound. If left untouched, the wound will heal over time, but you may get a large feature with some rotting of the original wood in the area. It might become attractive, but it also may not.
Thank you for replying!
sorry i got busy because of school.
how long do you think the wound would heal over if i left it untouched? Is there any way I can send you a picture so you have a better look?
Also are there any good brands for sphagnum moss?
im still contemplating what to do. It's really scary haha
I also saw your christmas cactus video and saw you have the same type of issue with the mice.
Nigel you use only pumice and lava instead of soil mix?
I found you video very informative. I have a question... I have a Ficus Bonsai that has grown very long branches. All the growth is at the top of these branches giving it a very tall shape, and I'm a little scared to prune it back for fear of killing it. I have re-potted it and wondered if I should let it settle in it's new pot before attempting to cut it back?
Yes the best time to prune the tree back hard is when the weather is ideal for growth (warm and humid) and after the tree has had a good burst of new growth and before it starts to grow again. The tree will have lots of energy stored up and when you cut it back, it will explode in new growth from everywhere. Keep the tree misted until it begins to grow again.
Thank you Nigel
Nigel, thanks for your videos and simple explanation of what you will do to these trees. Your videos has given me the confidence to pursue this hobby.
I was interested in bonsai years ago, but due to time constraints i was not able to do this hobby at the time. Now i am disabled/retired and bored sitting at home all the time. I stumbled upon your video's and enjoyed them so much that I started Bonsai because of your videos. Thanks again VERY MUCH!! i am anxious to start in the wonderful world of bonsai.
-Jerry
Oh BTW, I'm 57 yrs old. Do you have any videos on how to handle seeds and from seed growth of seedlings, when to transplant seedlings?
Hi Jerry, thanks, really nice to here! I don't have a video that is just about growing seedlings, just the odd one here and there. Graham potter has a great one...
th-cam.com/video/kU2gtm7vGlQ/w-d-xo.html
I'm not far behind you in age, and I really like starting new seedlings!
Good afternoon. I have a problem that the subtitles block the view of the main subject which at times is irritating.
I can see that is a problem, all I can do is try and place the subject matter higher in the frame when making the video.
What is your thought behind pruning in December vs waiting until spring since ficus don't usually grow that much during the winter? I could understand if you just did a defoliation and had lots of new short branches, I just don't see a benefit from doing it now. Great video as always!
Right now the days are the shortest of the year and the weather is usually cloudy. The trees in the plant room don't get a lot of sunlight.... but after Dec 21, the days start to get longer! The weather gets colder and we get more sunny days in January and February. The trees start to grow with vigor during these months. Pruning my ficus in December is almost like a spring pruning, as they will take off in growth in the next few weeks.
Great update video Nigel, thank you! I like your works on ficus, their are so resilient and nice we can try a lot with those :) Always informative and great quality on your channel. Best
Thanks again!
I guess Im asking the wrong place but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an Instagram account?
I was dumb lost my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me!
@James Terrance instablaster :)
@Mario Princeton I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process now.
Takes quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Mario Princeton it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thanks so much, you saved my account !
hi Nigel is it same that the block we use in house for wall is perlite
It may be, it is used in making light weight concrete and plaster in industry, here is an article on the subject......
www.perlite.org/industry/construction-perlite.html
Hi Nigel, this tree looks beautiful.. How old is this one? And is it possible to create smaller leaves on a tree like this?
The tree is about 12 years old and it was cut off as a cutting 3 years ago. The leaves will reduce with more ramification and leaf pruning. They can be quite tiny.
Nigel awesome videos! I’m new at bonsai. I have a question if the fiscus bonsai I have is getting taller then I would like can you cut it down with out killing the tree? Also if you cut a woody branch back some will it grow back? Thank you
Yes, most Ficus trees will grow many new branches around the cut point on woody growth. Some species like the Ficus benjamina can die back, but usually the tree lives and sprouts new growth somewhere on the tree!
I have one of these but it has lost many of its leaves and seems to not be growing much do you have any advice to help it grow more ?
Keep the tree warm humid and in good light. Misting the tree a couple of times a day will help. Be sure your water is draining through the pot easily, if not, you may have to re pot the tree. Keep the tree outside in the sun if you can, or near a bright sunny window if indoors. Under good conditions the leaves will grow back quickly.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone Thankyou, I will try it.
I planted 20 different maple trees around 3 months ago and they have such luxuriant growth. They're at least 24 inches long right now and i'm pretty sure they're ready for their first pruning for bonsai. These will also be my first bonsai trees so i'm a little skeptical about trying something. So i have some questions on bonsai that i'm hoping you as an experience bonsai creator can answer. So like a said a majority of my maple trees are at least 24 inches long so if i wanted to create a bonsai that was at least 12 inches tall will i have to hard prune the tree by cutting almost half of it of? And if that is the case will there be more growth on the cut area? Then finally is there a way that i can keep my maple trees small as they're growing from seedlings? Thank you for your time and god bless.
You will have to keep letting the Maples grow each year and then in fall prune them back to the first set of leaf scars on the trunk. Each year, you will need to keep root pruning and keep reducing the height. I have a series on growing bonsai from seed and also a video on bonsai roots....
th-cam.com/play/PLQouTWwmTQow-nd5uHUYQPGbo3bd4WPJl.html
th-cam.com/video/AcSu8SUQ0kE/w-d-xo.html
nice! I love bonsai
I like this style of Bonsai (no wires). Is this a specific style in Bonsai? What would this, no wire training, Bonsai style be called?
It is usually called the Lingnan clip and grow style or school of bonsai. Here is an article....
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip
Mr Nigel .. why are these leaves are too big? didn't you try to reduce it?
I will try try and reduce the leaves as the tree gets more developed, it's in more of a growing phase at the moment.
How old is this cutting at this point?
It is from a 27 year old parent tree, grown from a seed, but this cutting is about 7 years old I think.
Nigel, I would love to create a bonsai out of a natal plumb. Can I air prune this type of shrub? How best can I approach this species? Would love some feed back?
They will grow well from cuttings, just strip the lower leaves off the cutting and plant them deeply in some soil. They should root easily.
What type of ficus is this
It is developing into a nice little tree ! Will the leaves reduce in size any further ? Nigel, how would a professional buyer judge the age of your tree - 15 yrs or 15 + 24 yrs ? Just curious. Hypothetically, if I air layer a thick branch from a 100 year old tree and my specimen has the age/bark scaliness of the parent tree then what age can be attributed to it ? Can I say at least 50 yrs, even if it was with me only for 6 months ? I am imagining a possible selling situation where i do no want to reveal how easy it was for me to prepare the material and hence, avoid selling cheap. I would expect a just price. My technique or my skill at finding the specimen needs to be compensated too. Appreciate your thoughts on this, Nigel.
Vinny Chirayil anyone with the internet can find out about air layering.
can I use a perlite block crushed into small piece an for bonsai soil
I think that would work well. I would sift it to get an even particle size of 3 to 4 mm.
I don't understand I like the roots ....Is there a rule for this I am new to this I just like what I like ? am I wrong
How long does it take for a microcarpa to grow to that trunk diameter?
If left to grow in the right conditions, a trunk of this size can be grown in 3 to 4 years, but it wouldn't have any taper to it and it would be plain, with few features. (no movement, taper, scars or a nice root structure) To grow a nice quality tree takes many years of clip and grow. This tree is slowly getting better, but it will take many years before it gets a nice root base and a good branch structure. This tree is maybe half way to becoming a good bonsai!
how big does the cutting have to be
You can root some large cutting from a ficus, but it is best to start with a smaller one. The cutting should be from a woody part of the tree for the best success.
Why not graft one of the branches down where you need one?
I try and do all the styling with clip and grow, just a preference!
@@TheBonsaiZone fair enough. I have seen people drill a hole and thread a branch through while still attached to the mother tree. I will try it soon. I'm moving back to Florida and I will get back into tropical bonsai soon.
Nigel, I'm sure you've made a video about your soil but I can't find it... What do you use?
I use a 50/50 mix of perlite and turface. I sift the ingredients to get a particle size of 3 to 4 mm or 1/8 inch. If I have composted pine bark chunks, I'll add 10 to 20 percent to the mix, but I usually have run out of them.
Hi Nigel when is the best time of year to prune a ficus? I have one and its winter here now, is this a good time? Great video keep up the great work!!
The best time to prune is after the tree has been growing really well and you have good growing conditions for recovery. The tree will have lots of energy stored within the trunk and the roots and should recover quickly from pruning. I find that mid summer is a really good time or late winter when the trees are indoors. I get the sun shining directly in my plant room in February and the trees start to grow like crazy. This is a good time to prune for my set up.
Thank you I will prune them in late February, Can you tell me the type of soil you are using?
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone
Hi Nigel, I’m reaching out to you in hopes you can help me with a juniper tree which my parents gave me because they no longer want it anymore. It was in great health and very green when I planted it at my house.After about a week I started noticing the tips are starting to get brown. Is this normal because of the transition from my parents to my home? I removed the tree from direct sunlight and placed it in shaded area in hopes it will bounce back. I would greatly appreciate your advise on this because this tree means the world to me it was given to me from Grandpa almost 20 years ago I would be devastated if it’s dying. Sorry if I’m posting in the wrong place on this subject
How do you water this one?
I just use the watering can with rain water and a tiny amount of fertilizer mixed in. When the soil begins to dry out, it gets watered.
I have got a ficus microcarpa bonsai from when i was 12 years old (now I am 14). and it begin in this weeks to have some strange white spots on some leaf, is that normal?
I think that is limestone but I'm not sure and than I ask you this questions.
sorry if the english is not perfect,
hello from Italy! :)
It is normal for ficus leaves to have small white spots on the leaf. If it is a crusty looking deposit, it is probably lime from using tap water. If you use rain water, the lime deposits will go away. If you think it is insects or a fungus, I would look it up on the internet, there is a lot of information on the possible causes. Good luck! My wife is a Bisutti, first generation Canadian!
Thanks, from about 3 days I am using rain water and spots are going away
I have a ficus also with the top of the soil covered with moss.. Have noticed tiny flies hanging out at the base which are annoyed when adding water to my tree.. Normal habitat for them?
I have little gnats that fly around the trees, I don't think they cause any harm. They feed off fungus in the soil. I think it is just a healthy eco system.
if they feed off fungus, it may be even a good thing.
I never see much wiring in your videos. Is there a specific reason for that?
I prefer to use the clip and grow technique and wire only if I have to. This is called Lingnan style of bonsai. Here is a link to a description. I really like trees in a natural form created using clip and grow.
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip
How can I get an ID on my Bonsai, any ideas?
You can send me pictures and I can see if I can help.
thekwbonsaisociety@gmail.com
@@TheBonsaiZone Thank you so much Nigel :)
Good as always, however the closed captioning, interferes with the area you are working on. Made me miss good stuff.
Love your videos always.
Keep up the good work
That might be a TH-cam thing. The video quality is excellent
That is a problem that I had never thought of! You might have to re wind and turn the captioning off to see the missing details. Not much fun doing that though.
Hi Nigel. new subscriber. love your videos. what do you do with trimmings, do you replant them in soil or water. also what type of soil is best.
I usually plant my cuttings in bonsai soil and keep them watered well. In the summer they root well. I find it very hard to root cuttings inside in the winter. Water does work well for some types of trees. I would try both methods and see what works best.
Great stuff as always Nigel!!! Ficus are fun. Very forgiving trees :)
What is the age of your ficus bonsai
The original tree that the cutting was taken from is 25 years old from a seed. The cutting has been in training for 4 years.
i love it ! i have a 20 year old one
They just keep getting better as they get older, Ficus are one of my favorite trees!
Impressive little cutting! Is a ficus resilient enough where you could take off that entire forward facing branch and it would be alright? I'm experimenting with some younger ficus trees currently.
Yes removing that branch wouldn't hurt the tree at all. The scar would heal over in 3 to 4 years.
Thank you for that. Also the Fukien tea that you advised i repot sprung back to life
Jacob Jesionek That's good to hear!
Thank you for the detailed video.
Thank you Kamal.
I've never made bonsai before, but before you even talk about making a cut I say to myself, "He should cut there." And then you do.
Thank you Joshua, we must think alike!
I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.
Hi, I am from Bangladesh and interested in bonsai. I am following your videos. Watched about more than half videos in past few months.
You said this is a cutting from a cutting. So planting all others cutting from this one would make a new tree each, right?
Yes, cuttings are a good way to get more trees. You can buy one tree and start many more trees by planting your cuttings. It is a great way to start a forest!
can I use in bonsai
I'm not quite sure what your question is, all Ficus are great for bonsai!
I have not your first ficus catting in growing please send this video
The root base looks fine as it is....
It can always be improved. With a small tree, it is important to get all the little details right in the tree. Hopefully someday it will look like a giant tree.
Omg a Weed plant!!! I haven't seen videos about it on your channel. Are you making a bonsai from it? Is it male or female? I would reeeally love to see it! I heard cannabis trees are absolutely stunning! Rare too ;-)
That is actually a Kapok tree and Kapok cuttings. They do look similar! Sorry.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone No need to be sorry, I learnt something new :-) have you done any videos over it? It really does look like cannabis. Would you ever consider growing a hemp bonsai? Perfectly legal if it's a male plant.
Thank your education, hope can useful for me.
Thanks Sahidin!
I have had a ficus for 2 years haven't trimmed once because I'm scared lol
Try trimming one branch at a time, see how the tree reacts and then try another if all goes well.
Nigel Saunders thank you
hi nice video but you'll never see this in nature because of the first branch. In jungle the light is rare
Yes, that branch may have to come off. Right now it looks more like a tree you would see in a park.
Where can you buy cheaper bonsai pots?
I try second hand stores, you can find low quality small ones sometimes. You can try E bay or sometimes club members sell used pots cheap. Some of the mail order bonsai companies sell plastic or mica pots at a good price.
Thank you for sharing video
You are welcome, keep up the good work on your channel, I watch it a lot!
why does he not wire bonsai
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/grow-clip
cool
Thank you
Your welcome and thanks!
Mantap kang Bonsainya jos
Is that cannabis in the background
No, it is a Kapok forest.
Wish i had a better ficus... My only ficus currently is a variegated microcarpa, and it's just a little thing with a trunk the thickness of a pencil. >.>
The tree that this little one was taken as a cutting, started off as a seedling. Don't worry they will grow larger! When trees start off small, you can keep the roots in check and end up with a really good tree in the future.
That's the plan!
I DONT REMEMBER SIR NIGEL USED WIRE EVER?
I try not to use wire, but if I have to I will.
👍👍
Sir you are amazing #gardeningwaves
Thanks Partha!
Useful👍
Glad to hear that!
Keşke türkçe açıklamanızda olsaydı 😞 🇹🇷👍
Super😀
Thanks Nina!
Artist
Thanks very much!!!
9:50 SPIDER!!!!
The amazing spider man! I keep the spiders on my trees, they help catch insects.
sangat indah
Terima kasih banyak temanku!
my idol
The trees do all the work, I just guide them!