When I think I know most there is about bonsai along comes Nigel and shows me something new that I did not think of. Thank you for these great videos Nigel.
Hello Nigel! I'm a great fan of your videos, thanks for sharing your work with us! They are really soothing to watch and I admire your patience. We moved back into our old house recently, and since we completely restyled the garden, I also made a pre-bonsai garden. It is filled with a lot of different trees that I found or bought from all kinds of places. I always try to be the go-to person if somebody wants to remove a tree that's been growing through cracks in the wall or pavement or hidden under some shrubs - they make the best bonsai material. Some of the trees are only two or three years old, but since we need the space where the bonsai garden is at the moment, I'll be digging them all up in spring. One of the most helpful aspects of your videos is that they always give a good idea of when to do different kinds of work to the trees. I just bought a load of training pots and can't wait to get them in there! Keep doing what you do! Greetings from Germany (where we have roughly the same climate)!
hey brother great job! there is one thing you can do in the future when growing them in the ground for beefing them up! place a tile or something like it in the base of the hole first and it will induce a better radial root system and make collecting them a little easier but looks great and I'm sure it will be fine and have a grow day my friend!
Should have tried a ground layer up to that single root above in a training pot and kept the bottom roots to keep the tree growing health just now that's the way iv done one of mine n got a great radial nebari there also in full leaf just now aswell everything's early for us here this year at least 2 months
hello Nigel greetings from Chicago as always great videos, I just finished myself on removing a boxwood from the ground to a training pot, it had some nice growing roots that i decided to add some rocks, I should say, roots over rocks, would you know how much time should be left in the training pot in order for the roots to qrab over the rock? thanks and always great videos
With most root over rock, the roots are bound with tape or cloth and wire to hold the roots tightly to the rock until they stay in that position. Most roots, unless they are large will stay in position after the first year. The larger roots may take longer. It is usual to slowly cut away the edge of the container and slowly expose the roots over time. Sometimes this means several years. Just expose 1/4 inch at a time. This gives the roots a chance to toughen up to full sunlight and develop bark. Your tree will get larger, but your rock will always be the same size! Keep this in mind when picking a rock, you almost have to see into the future and imagine the tree in 10 and 20 years. This will not be too much of a problem with your Boxwood, as they don't thicken up as rapidly as some species such as Maples.
Hello Nigel. I have recently acquired a nice horse chestnut bonsai tree. Will you be posting more videos of how you work on your tree, or could you give me some advice? Not sure if this tree should be defoliated this summer? Thank you for your help.
All my Horse Chestnut trees got attacked by boring insects. They seem to like this species in my neighborhood. I have tried three of them now and they all get holes bored into the trunks and the tree dies very quickly. There is a nice one in the latest Toronto bonsai show video. Defoliation should only be done on a really strong tree and I would only do it if the tree is going into a bonsai show. Defoliation can weaken the tree and it may have a hard job of surviving the next winter.
You've probably come across this question a million times, but, what is a good tree for a beginner to start with in the art of bonsai? I'm in Saskatchewan if that makes any difference, climate-wise. Also, tools... What are some must-haves for a newbie?
BucketsAMF For winter hardy trees, I would stick to some of the native trees. You can use them as training trees and most can be found in garden centers or dug up from the ground. If you want an tropical tree, you can't go wrong with Ficus trees or Shefflera trees. If you want a pine tree, I would go with a Scotts pine. These are also found easily. Basic tools are just a pair of by-pass pruners and some scissors. Start simple and learn to keep your trees healthy and alive, then if you like the hobby, you can read up on suitable trees for the our Canadian winters and grow your collection. Good luck!
All my Horse Chestnut trees get attacked by boring insects, so I've given up on trying to grow this species. It just seems to attract the beetles and the trees die very quickly. It's too bad they make a very nice bonsai.
Hy Nigel, I just watching your videos because I got a bonsai for christmas. It is a chinese elm. I also have a lemon tree from cuttings and I think it's time to repot the trees, so I have some questions about your bonsai soil.: 1.: What is your bonsai soil contains? 2.: Are you always use the same kind of soil for all your plants?
Hi Veres, I use mostly sifted turface for my soil, probably 75 percent. Turface is a fired clay particle that is used for cleaning up oil spills. It is also used on baseball fields and can be used as a soil conditioner. The other 25 percent is sifted organic material, either compost or pine bark. I use pine bark on my coniferous trees and compost on my deciduous trees. If you can't water often, you should increase the amount of organic matter. These ingredients can be purchased at a farm supply store. Good luck with your trees!
Nigel Saunders Thanks a lot, i will try it! :) My english is not very well but i hope i translate it properly. I'm from Hungary and here is the first name is the second, no problem I just say :) I am looking forward to hearing about your old lemon tree becouse that is my favourite. Have a great day! Barna
We will expect to see the progression of this chestnut :) I really looked for images of chestnut bonsai and found very few of them. And a little question: do you have an walnut bonsai? I looked for images on google, but i found an information that you can't make a bonsai from a walnut, i don't know if it true.
ak50gunit If you look at Walter Pall's Chestnut bonsai, I think they are the best. I have a book on growing native bonsai, and in it they have a Walnut bonsai. They only show it when the leaves are just coming out, and are still small. I have several Walnut bonsai trees started in the front garden and they can look good in full leaf. I generally cut the leaflets back to improve the scale. I will be digging up my Walnuts soon and placing them in training pots.Video on this will be coming.
This tree just sprouted in the garden, it was planted by a squirrel. It has been pruned with the goal to create a bonsai tree. The years in the ground have just been to create the trunk. The branches will be formed in the up coming years in a training pot. Finally some day it will go in a bonsai pot!
When I think I know most there is about bonsai along comes Nigel and shows me something new that I did not think of. Thank you for these great videos Nigel.
Thank you Curtis, I'm always learning something new every day also!
Hello Nigel!
I'm a great fan of your videos, thanks for sharing your work with us! They are really soothing to watch and I admire your patience.
We moved back into our old house recently, and since we completely restyled the garden, I also made a pre-bonsai garden. It is filled with a lot of different trees that I found or bought from all kinds of places. I always try to be the go-to person if somebody wants to remove a tree that's been growing through cracks in the wall or pavement or hidden under some shrubs - they make the best bonsai material.
Some of the trees are only two or three years old, but since we need the space where the bonsai garden is at the moment, I'll be digging them all up in spring. One of the most helpful aspects of your videos is that they always give a good idea of when to do different kinds of work to the trees. I just bought a load of training pots and can't wait to get them in there!
Keep doing what you do! Greetings from Germany (where we have roughly the same climate)!
+iskra Thanks iska, more videos to come!
hey brother great job! there is one thing you can do in the future when growing them in the ground for beefing them up! place a tile or something like it in the base of the hole first and it will induce a better radial root system and make collecting them a little easier but looks great and I'm sure it will be fine and have a grow day my friend!
Nice. I think the tree will be allright.
Greetings.
Kennet
(Belgium)
Hi Kennet, I used to race cyclocross here in Canada. We used to fear anyone from Belgium! Thanks for watching.
Another fine video Nigel. Thanks
Should have tried a ground layer up to that single root above in a training pot and kept the bottom roots to keep the tree growing health just now that's the way iv done one of mine n got a great radial nebari there also in full leaf just now aswell everything's early for us here this year at least 2 months
Scottish Bonsai That would have been a great option. Thanks
what happened to that tree now?
thank you and God bless you!
hello Nigel greetings from Chicago as always great videos, I just finished myself on removing a boxwood from the ground to a training pot, it had some nice growing roots that i decided to add some rocks, I should say, roots over rocks, would you know how much time should be left in the training pot in order for the roots to qrab over the rock? thanks and always great videos
With most root over rock, the roots are bound with tape or cloth and wire to hold the roots tightly to the rock until they stay in that position. Most roots, unless they are large will stay in position after the first year. The larger roots may take longer. It is usual to slowly cut away the edge of the container and slowly expose the roots over time. Sometimes this means several years. Just expose 1/4 inch at a time. This gives the roots a chance to toughen up to full sunlight and develop bark. Your tree will get larger, but your rock will always be the same size! Keep this in mind when picking a rock, you almost have to see into the future and imagine the tree in 10 and 20 years. This will not be too much of a problem with your Boxwood, as they don't thicken up as rapidly as some species such as Maples.
i included esphagma moss along with it, covering roots and rock and tying it with a cloth rope ! we'll see how it goes thanks again!!!
Hello Nigel. I have recently acquired a nice horse chestnut bonsai tree. Will you be posting more videos of how you work on your tree, or could you give me some advice? Not sure if this tree should be defoliated this summer? Thank you for your help.
All my Horse Chestnut trees got attacked by boring insects. They seem to like this species in my neighborhood. I have tried three of them now and they all get holes bored into the trunks and the tree dies very quickly. There is a nice one in the latest Toronto bonsai show video. Defoliation should only be done on a really strong tree and I would only do it if the tree is going into a bonsai show. Defoliation can weaken the tree and it may have a hard job of surviving the next winter.
I am so sorry to hear about your trees. I will check out the Toronto show video and also not defoliate mine. Thank you so much for your reply.
You've probably come across this question a million times, but, what is a good tree for a beginner to start with in the art of bonsai? I'm in Saskatchewan if that makes any difference, climate-wise.
Also, tools... What are some must-haves for a newbie?
BucketsAMF For winter hardy trees, I would stick to some of the native trees. You can use them as training trees and most can be found in garden centers or dug up from the ground. If you want an tropical tree, you can't go wrong with Ficus trees or Shefflera trees. If you want a pine tree, I would go with a Scotts pine. These are also found easily. Basic tools are just a pair of by-pass pruners and some scissors. Start simple and learn to keep your trees healthy and alive, then if you like the hobby, you can read up on suitable trees for the our Canadian winters and grow your collection. Good luck!
I h ave a horse chestnut that I've had in a pot since it was a new stalk, it's about 3 years old now. Would this be fine to bonsai?
They can make very nice bonsai! You may need to cut it back in height to generate some branches down lower.
What happened to this plant i can't find it on the playlists page
All my Horse Chestnut trees get attacked by boring insects, so I've given up on trying to grow this species. It just seems to attract the beetles and the trees die very quickly. It's too bad they make a very nice bonsai.
What plants are those in the leafless bush behind you @7:09, Nigel? Are they any good for bonsai?
They were Privot hedges, until the neighbor ripped them out. They are excellent for bonsai.
Hy Nigel, I just watching your videos because I got a bonsai for christmas. It is a chinese elm. I also have a lemon tree from cuttings and I think it's time to repot the trees, so I have some questions about your bonsai soil.:
1.: What is your bonsai soil contains?
2.: Are you always use the same kind of soil for all your plants?
Hi Veres, I use mostly sifted turface for my soil, probably 75 percent. Turface is a fired clay particle that is used for cleaning up oil spills. It is also used on baseball fields and can be used as a soil conditioner. The other 25 percent is sifted organic material, either compost or pine bark. I use pine bark on my coniferous trees and compost on my deciduous trees. If you can't water often, you should increase the amount of organic matter. These ingredients can be purchased at a farm supply store. Good luck with your trees!
Nigel Saunders
Thanks a lot, i will try it! :)
My english is not very well but i hope i translate it properly.
I'm from Hungary and here is the first name is the second, no problem I just say :)
I am looking forward to hearing about your old lemon tree becouse that is my favourite.
Have a great day!
Barna
Veres Barna Hi Barna, the Lemon tree is doing well, it's just waiting for warm weather, so am I! I'll be updating when it's time to prune it again.
We will expect to see the progression of this chestnut :) I really looked for images of chestnut bonsai and found very few of them. And a little question: do you have an walnut bonsai? I looked for images on google, but i found an information that you can't make a bonsai from a walnut, i don't know if it true.
ak50gunit If you look at Walter Pall's Chestnut bonsai, I think they are the best. I have a book on growing native bonsai, and in it they have a Walnut bonsai. They only show it when the leaves are just coming out, and are still small. I have several Walnut bonsai trees started in the front garden and they can look good in full leaf. I generally cut the leaflets back to improve the scale. I will be digging up my Walnuts soon and placing them in training pots.Video on this will be coming.
Thank you a lot, you are doing great!
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
you are very nice
I didn't understand, this chestnut tree was a simple tree that you want to make a bonsai or it was a bonsai that was put in the garden for winter?
This tree just sprouted in the garden, it was planted by a squirrel. It has been pruned with the goal to create a bonsai tree. The years in the ground have just been to create the trunk. The branches will be formed in the up coming years in a training pot. Finally some day it will go in a bonsai pot!
Nigel Saunders Thank you for answer and nice video
How is doing this chestnut bonsai? It have leaves already?
ak50gunit I looks good so far, the leaves are just coming out now, I'll keep you posted.
Hi Nigel,
Did I hear you correctly, 10 years to get to that stage?
+PiNgPoNgLaDd10 Yes, I know it doesn't look like much! It was grown from a seed.
thanks