I've lost 2 Rosemary's over the last few years. That's the life of the Bonsai artist. I put your gift in the US mail on Thursday, February 22. Hopefully, it will be waiting for you on the second Monday of March at the meeting for the Toronto Bonsai Society. Thanks for your work with Bonsai. You let the viewers just know how far you can go. You're helped me with my RUclips channel @Bonsai by the Samurai, and our club members watched your channel. The Cypress Lakes Bonsai Club
I love Rose Of Sharon's... I think they are a very neat tree. I actually dug up several purple flowered rose of sharon plants from my yard this winter.... a few pretty large clumps and several smaller single trunk ones. Fingers crossed some make it. They are still dormant yet. I have them protected in my unheated 3 season sun room until spring arrives. I am seeing buds swell some on several of them so I am hopeful I will have a couple at least that pull through it and make it.
My Rose of Sharon which my mom started from one that popped up in her yard, is one of my favorite Bonsai. I do agree that the roots were difficult. I find them excellent subjects for clip and grow. Happy to see you working on this one. I do sometimes feel that a few of my fellow club members are resistant to new ideas, but I will be following my heart in my bonsai journey. Love your channel.
I have a rosemary that always struggles , but I keep trying with it , talking of forums and “know it alls” I saw something yesterday that said not to use safe-t-sorb .cos it turns solid after 2 years … I was going to put my oar in and say the king of bonsai uses it and I’ve never seen him have any trouble with it , but I held steady and restrained myself 😂, always love learning new ideas from you Nigel.
I have a beautiful Rose of Sharon that grows vigorously outdoors at my Nova Scotia home. Last summer I was surprised to see a multitude of saplings that had self-seeded, but I don’t know for how many years. I removed them all, and potted several to see how they would fare. I left them out this winter, so we’ll see come spring.
I’m loving all the potting videos! I’m getting excited, mine are still pretty dormant here in Minnesota. My tub of soil mix is about 3/4 full and ready to rock! 👍
I agree with you about the forums. It's not just bonsai. Many topics are that way. someone in anouther hobby of mine once said that no advice is better than bad advice. Bonsai is an artforrm. There really isn't a right or wrong way to do it. I do think that some ot the trees I've seen are what I would call ugly. For example I have never really liked raft style trees. Another popular style are those ones with the hugely exaggerated trunks as big or sometimes bigger then the height of the tree.
The tree looks great nigel. I'm not a 100% sure, but I think it may be one I gave you. I picked a bunch up that were growing in the garden. I was going to make a forest but decided not to.
Yeah bonsai forums are pretty rough. Not all of them are elitists, regurgitating the same close minded information they read in a book once. But the few that are like that keeps me away from those forums too. All their trees look the same, because they strictly follow the "rules" of bonsai, and never deviate. That's fine for them, but when they try and force their dated rules onto other people, especially new hobbyists, it really grinds my gears.
That's been my experience with several forums, as well. So many of the "experts" are so stuck on what the traditional definition of bonsai is that they get almost aggressive in telling what can and can't be done. There's very little creativity or new ideas from them. I bounce away from those groups pretty quickly. I'm not interested in never pushing boundaries or trying new things.
Bonsai Reddit is the same. I once asked what people thought about my plans for a maple that had mostly growth on the edges and was long and spindly. Basically their "advice" was "grow it and eventually it'll all magically make sense, don't prune it" which I think might be the worst bonsai advice I've ever heard. Bonsai neccessitates pruning. Meanwhile many of the bonsai trees I saw on display by these advice givers had wire marks and every tiny twig was weird into the same old S shape. Like if you like that stuff ok, but it's just not my crowd. I like nature.
Your tree in the elephant penjing looks amazing! I’m sure you’ve probably done some videos on it but I don’t recognise it. Can’t wait for the repot. What type of tree is it?
I recently root pruned a couple trees of mine and planted then into their first bonsai pots that I found in a Charity shop. One of them, a Leyland Cyprus, had a serious root prune. I kept the higher radial root plane so I could shorten the tree. But it now has a rather large wound underneath the tree. I did the same to the tree the previous year and it had managed to fill a 20L pot of roots. I think it was pot luck in my opinion! My question being, what are your opinions to give the tree with a pruning like this, the best chance of survival? The other tree that had a serious pruning was a hornbeam. Love to see your trees and your techniques! 🇬🇧
Bonsai gate keepers really keep me away from forums as a newer keeper of the trees. We grow little trees in pots. It is a creative sculptural hobby. Some people are into the whimsical wire-styled trees, some people are into natural looking trees. Both are valid. No need for nastiness from newbies or esteemed masters.
Yes! And all plantinf forums are FULL of somebody that read the other forums and and are JUST implementing their first try and full of MAJOR DOS AND DONTS and never show the follow up but giving advice on your first try is not only nuts but to tell other people what IS or is not Bonsai (which is by definition an art) is like telling a painter or a sculptor that their painting or carving or whatever isn't a "true clay ashtray" lol. This is about combing love of nature and trees with creativity and this kind of attitude and advice is the only kind worth absorbing. THank you!
@@TheBonsaiZone I’m shure they will :), they have good conditions in greenhouse. Beside Nigel, you managed to keep alive quite a few super tiny bonsai, and that’s much harder :) I’m shure they will make it.
The thrift store you have over there really has great stuff for Bonsai. Maybe someone puts these nice things there for you to find? I wish I had such a nice source for Bonsai stuff here, too! By the way, I agree that the Bonsai community can be pretty toxic online. Reddit is a great example, too. It's full of beginners who still have no clue (which is fine of course, as everyone's starting somewhere), people that are self-proclaimed experts (they really are not), and very few people who actually have some nice trees and good experience. It isn't that interesting to see when some beginners post their first Bonsai from a mall (often those Junipers that all look the same), but that's not a problem. As I believe that these forums are also there to generate interest in the hobby and educate people about it, It's a problem when all the "experts" come around with their gate-keeping. Some people love to use all the Japanese terms (although it seems many don't even know the actual meaning, but they use it anyways) although English terms would be sufficient and easier to understand for less-experienced Bonsai enthusiasts - therefore using the Japanese terms (correctly/incorrectly) is also more inefficient as well. Oh, and I love how some people just dismiss basically anything that isn't a Japanese Maple or Juniper. "It has large leaves, it'll never become a Bonsai". A species has larger leaves? So what? We don't need to restrict ourselves to something like 10 species. Let people experiment... Anyways, rant about the gate-keepers over... good progress on the Rose of Sharon!
I just killed my Pomegranate, I grew from seed, 3 yrs years ago! I over pruned the roots on its first root prune...you live and you learn. I think I killed about 5 trees now! 😂 Still love it though
I stay away from the forums also. I tried Reddit for a bit, but my goodness. One thing I didn't like was they constantly used the term "pre-bonsai" like an insult to the point where it lost all meaning. It seemed to mean any tree they didn't like, and they seemed to not like any tree that wasn't a boring S shape. I tend to avoid them. I think it's a shame cus they discourage a lot of beginners
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I've lost 2 Rosemary's over the last few years. That's the life of the Bonsai artist. I put your gift in the US mail on Thursday, February 22. Hopefully, it will be waiting for you on the second Monday of March at the meeting for the Toronto Bonsai Society. Thanks for your work with Bonsai. You let the viewers just know how far you can go. You're helped me with my RUclips channel @Bonsai by the Samurai, and our club members watched your channel. The Cypress Lakes Bonsai Club
Thanks so much and greeting to all of the Cypress Lakes Bonsai Club!!!!
I love Rose Of Sharon's... I think they are a very neat tree. I actually dug up several purple flowered rose of sharon plants from my yard this winter.... a few pretty large clumps and several smaller single trunk ones. Fingers crossed some make it. They are still dormant yet. I have them protected in my unheated 3 season sun room until spring arrives. I am seeing buds swell some on several of them so I am hopeful I will have a couple at least that pull through it and make it.
You are sure lucky finding the stand for the price.
My Rose of Sharon which my mom started from one that popped up in her yard, is one of my favorite Bonsai. I do agree that the roots were difficult. I find them excellent subjects for clip and grow. Happy to see you working on this one. I do sometimes feel that a few of my fellow club members are resistant to new ideas, but I will be following my heart in my bonsai journey. Love your channel.
Awesome Steve!!!
I never do forums or Facebook or any others. Just youtube
I left Facebook when I was a teen (when Facebook was becoming popular) cus it was just awful. I don't think it's changed much
I had Rose of Sharon that I collected a few years ago but it has since died. You’ve inspired me to seek out a new one!
Awesome!!
I have a rosemary that always struggles , but I keep trying with it , talking of forums and “know it alls” I saw something yesterday that said not to use safe-t-sorb .cos it turns solid after 2 years … I was going to put my oar in and say the king of bonsai uses it and I’ve never seen him have any trouble with it , but I held steady and restrained myself 😂, always love learning new ideas from you Nigel.
Yes, there is always someone who has had a bad experience with some aspect of bonsai, often they jump to the wrong conclusions!!!!
Like they say, patience is a virtue. Wise decision on the birthday pine.
Sad about the rosemary, it was neat. Great little repotting. This tree sounds neat too!
Very relaxing to watch you work.Thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much!
I have a beautiful Rose of Sharon that grows vigorously outdoors at my Nova Scotia home. Last summer I was surprised to see a multitude of saplings that had self-seeded, but I don’t know for how many years. I removed them all, and potted several to see how they would fare. I left them out this winter, so we’ll see come spring.
I’m loving all the potting videos! I’m getting excited, mine are still pretty dormant here in Minnesota. My tub of soil mix is about 3/4 full and ready to rock! 👍
Sadly mine is getting empty, lol!!
Back watching.
We love your channel and videos. Only wish there was more detailed zoom especially on the smaller tree rootwork.
Noted!
Tree with elephants 👌🏻❤
I agree with you about the forums. It's not just bonsai. Many topics are that way. someone in anouther hobby of mine once said that no advice is better than bad advice. Bonsai is an artforrm. There really isn't a right or wrong way to do it. I do think that some ot the trees I've seen are what I would call ugly. For example I have never really liked raft style trees. Another popular style are those ones with the hugely exaggerated trunks as big or sometimes bigger then the height of the tree.
Yes forums are good in principle, but there are always a few who ruin it!!
Yes agreed. Knitting also has it's toxic individuals too.
The tree looks great nigel. I'm not a 100% sure, but I think it may be one I gave you. I picked a bunch up that were growing in the garden. I was going to make a forest but decided not to.
Thanks Matt, I couldn't remember where it came from, but now I seem to recall getting it from you!!!! Awesome and thanks!!!!
Just got back to see the finish of the repot.
Thanks Tom!!!
The Bonsai Zone
Yeah bonsai forums are pretty rough. Not all of them are elitists, regurgitating the same close minded information they read in a book once. But the few that are like that keeps me away from those forums too. All their trees look the same, because they strictly follow the "rules" of bonsai, and never deviate. That's fine for them, but when they try and force their dated rules onto other people, especially new hobbyists, it really grinds my gears.
That's been my experience with several forums, as well. So many of the "experts" are so stuck on what the traditional definition of bonsai is that they get almost aggressive in telling what can and can't be done. There's very little creativity or new ideas from them. I bounce away from those groups pretty quickly. I'm not interested in never pushing boundaries or trying new things.
Bonsai Reddit is the same. I once asked what people thought about my plans for a maple that had mostly growth on the edges and was long and spindly. Basically their "advice" was "grow it and eventually it'll all magically make sense, don't prune it" which I think might be the worst bonsai advice I've ever heard. Bonsai neccessitates pruning. Meanwhile many of the bonsai trees I saw on display by these advice givers had wire marks and every tiny twig was weird into the same old S shape. Like if you like that stuff ok, but it's just not my crowd. I like nature.
8:06pm. 31F/-1C and it is snowing in the windy city.
Very cold here at the moment Tom -14 C last night!!! Brrr!!
I have tons of these growing in my yard.. they spread like weeds.. I have a few im prospecting for bonsai.
Your tree in the elephant penjing looks amazing! I’m sure you’ve probably done some videos on it but I don’t recognise it. Can’t wait for the repot. What type of tree is it?
It is Thuja occidentalis ;)
@@Thimbrethilthanks mate!
I recently root pruned a couple trees of mine and planted then into their first bonsai pots that I found in a Charity shop. One of them, a Leyland Cyprus, had a serious root prune. I kept the higher radial root plane so I could shorten the tree. But it now has a rather large wound underneath the tree. I did the same to the tree the previous year and it had managed to fill a 20L pot of roots. I think it was pot luck in my opinion! My question being, what are your opinions to give the tree with a pruning like this, the best chance of survival?
The other tree that had a serious pruning was a hornbeam.
Love to see your trees and your techniques! 🇬🇧
It's good is the wound on the bottom heals over and it may look a bit strange at first, but as the tree grows it should look better and better!
Bonsai gate keepers really keep me away from forums as a newer keeper of the trees.
We grow little trees in pots. It is a creative sculptural hobby. Some people are into the whimsical wire-styled trees, some people are into natural looking trees. Both are valid. No need for nastiness from newbies or esteemed masters.
I agree, valid critic is fine, but there is always a nice way of doing it!
Yes! And all plantinf forums are FULL of somebody that read the other forums and and are JUST implementing their first try and full of MAJOR DOS AND DONTS and never show the follow up but giving advice on your first try is not only nuts but to tell other people what IS or is not Bonsai (which is by definition an art) is like telling a painter or a sculptor that their painting or carving or whatever isn't a "true clay ashtray" lol. This is about combing love of nature and trees with creativity and this kind of attitude and advice is the only kind worth absorbing. THank you!
Thanks, a great comment!!!
👍👌👌
So you sell any of your tress? It would be great to get a few of them. My wife really likes the elephant Penjing
Sorry, I don't, it's just a hobby for me!
Is it just me, or does Nigel become more and more daring each year with root pruning? :)
I think I get closer to the limit every time I repot! I hope they all make it!!!
@@TheBonsaiZone I’m shure they will :), they have good conditions in greenhouse. Beside Nigel, you managed to keep alive quite a few super tiny bonsai, and that’s much harder :) I’m shure they will make it.
The thrift store you have over there really has great stuff for Bonsai. Maybe someone puts these nice things there for you to find? I wish I had such a nice source for Bonsai stuff here, too!
By the way, I agree that the Bonsai community can be pretty toxic online. Reddit is a great example, too. It's full of beginners who still have no clue (which is fine of course, as everyone's starting somewhere), people that are self-proclaimed experts (they really are not), and very few people who actually have some nice trees and good experience. It isn't that interesting to see when some beginners post their first Bonsai from a mall (often those Junipers that all look the same), but that's not a problem. As I believe that these forums are also there to generate interest in the hobby and educate people about it, It's a problem when all the "experts" come around with their gate-keeping. Some people love to use all the Japanese terms (although it seems many don't even know the actual meaning, but they use it anyways) although English terms would be sufficient and easier to understand for less-experienced Bonsai enthusiasts - therefore using the Japanese terms (correctly/incorrectly) is also more inefficient as well. Oh, and I love how some people just dismiss basically anything that isn't a Japanese Maple or Juniper. "It has large leaves, it'll never become a Bonsai". A species has larger leaves? So what? We don't need to restrict ourselves to something like 10 species. Let people experiment...
Anyways, rant about the gate-keepers over... good progress on the Rose of Sharon!
Do you use free range water?
Yes, free range, naturally filtered through fluffy clouds!!
I just killed my Pomegranate, I grew from seed, 3 yrs years ago! I over pruned the roots on its first root prune...you live and you learn. I think I killed about 5 trees now! 😂 Still love it though
It's always a steep leaning curve with bonsai and there are so many factors to having success with repotting!
If not a cutting why don’t it have a conex on the root base
I stay away from the forums also. I tried Reddit for a bit, but my goodness. One thing I didn't like was they constantly used the term "pre-bonsai" like an insult to the point where it lost all meaning. It seemed to mean any tree they didn't like, and they seemed to not like any tree that wasn't a boring S shape. I tend to avoid them. I think it's a shame cus they discourage a lot of beginners
Sometimes the comment section can be toxic as well! Hahaha
I tend to start the conversation, knowing it will be controversial!
@@TheBonsaiZone Lol Bringing out your frisky side! I like it!
Foist
Jade!!
Didn't you get Nigel some nice greenwood root shears once? 😂 might have been handy this last week.
@@danieldalton8125 I certainly did and they really would have
I've got a pair, they're great. Bought them off Corin when he came to a London show.
@@danieldalton8125 Cool - will yuo be at Crawley K2? I will see there if so!