That squirrel is something else :) So nice of you to rescue him and very interesting how he always coming back to you and people say animals are stupid :)
I have never really considered doing the bonsai thing but my neighbor several houses down from me has a maple tree and the seed pods flew all over my yard. So I threw them in a pot and bingo, maple seedlings. I'm an avid gardener so trying bonsai seemed like a natural fit. After watching a few of your videos I found myself in my yard taking cuttings from every tree I could find. I also started scoping out my neighbors trees. My next door neighbor has a Japanese Maple in her yard in a giant pot. I'm really tempted to get a cutting from it. Anyway. I found your videos inspirational and am looking forward at trying bonsai. So thanks for that. I hope one of these days I can show you some cool bonsai.
***** Sounds good, a lot of my trees started from seeds that land in the garden, or nuts that squirrels plant. Many of these trees have large leaves, but I like them anyway! Native trees are good free trees to practice your skills on.
Thank you for your feedback, I have already move the trees into the garage. It's getting in the low 20s here in Illinois already. I look forward to your videos, thank you so much
Hi Nigel, Jack Earley again thanks for the great video that was one of the most helpful ones I've seen because as you know from my earlier email I'm really concerned about winter care here in Illinois. Based upon your input and also the folks who run a major bonsai garden in our area I'm going to keep my hearty trees in our unheated garage. Question, It will never freeze in the garage, but how warm Fahrenheit would be too warm? Thanks, jack
Hi Jack, I think if the trees stay below the 60 degrees F they will remain dormant. Outside in winter it is natural to get warm spells, but the trees seem to just know when spring is here. Trees that are kept in total darkness even start to bud out in spring. I would keep your trees outside until the weather starts to get really cold and then bring them in for the coldest months of winter. Be sure to put plastic under your pots to prevent the pots freezing to your benches. This will allow you to bring your tree in at any time. Good luck.
The only tender plants i keep are a few Jade that I bring inside the house for winter. Most other trees either stay outdoors or go in the unheated greenhouse. UK winters are pretty mild compared to yours in Canada.
You guys are lucky, I live in a second floor apartment here in Michigan. I put my deciduous trees in a big cooler I have for picnics, and leave it on my balcony over the winter. It sounds goofy, but I haven't lost a tree yet....lol. Nice setup Nigel! Have you air layered anything off your big Larch in the backyard?
The cooler sounds like a good idea! I've never air layered a larch, maybe some day I'll give it a try. We will be collecting again in spring and I'll try to find some good Larches and maybe get some really small ones for the forest.
Hi, I noticed lots of your outdoor trees having moss on the soil surface. I have heard/read multiple times that moss is to be put only when exhibiting and can touch max 3 sides of the pot etc. Considering I prefer a bonsai to look always good (if possible) having moss like you do would be my goal too. Have you had any issues with constant moss existence in the pot? How about when it rains lots in autumn? Does moss make problems for pines which prefer drier soil? Sorry if questions are trivial, I AM the beginner and still learning :D I live in Finland so your experience with bonsai growing in similar climate is very valuable for me :) Thanks!
The Japanese always cover the entire soil surface with moss for shows. It is considered bad to show your soil. Having moss cover the surface of the pot can make watering more difficult, but it also prevents the soil surface drying out too fast on a warm windy day. Moss on conifers is OK as long as you keep it trimmed short and keep it away from your surface roots. The moss on the surface roots will rot away your bark, leaving just the live parts of your tree. If you keep you moss trimmed down, excess rain is not a problem. Becuse conifers are kept a little dryer, moss has a hard time growing on the soil. It usually takes all summer to get a layer of moss by fall. The actual coverage of moss on the soil is an artistic choice. Under a big shade tree, I think it looks better to not have moss directly under the trunk, The soil surface should have some kind of covering to hide the coarse bonsai soil. If there is to be no moss, you should top dress with a fine soil that is in scale with the tree.
Thanks for the tip Nigel, just wanted to check again for my plants on balcony shall i keep them in the apartment for winter? or that will be too hot for the trees? again this is me from Toronto.
The apartment would be too hot for your hardy trees. Only your tropical trees should be in for the winter. The trees on the balcony should be protected from the wind, some people put them in a styrofoam cooler for protection. Check every now and then that they are not drying out, or sitting in water.There is not much you can do for temperature, just keep your fingers crossed!
That's Dandelion the squirrel. He was raised by us from a little baby, His mother was killed on the road. He is the only squirrel that we have raised that keeps coming back to play. Most go wild very quickly once they are outdoors in late spring. He is full grown now and has a thick coat of winter fur. On nice days in winter, he still comes to be petted and played with.
Collection around these parts can be done from fall to spring. Anytime the tree is dormant without it's leaves is a good time. Once the leaves begin to come out in spring, it's generally too late. There is always a chance you can dig out a tree in the off season and have it survive, it depends on how much roots you get with it and what type of root system the tree has. A fine fibrous root system can transplant fine, a coarse system is almost impossible. The after care of the tree plays a large role in the trees survival, keep the tree in bright light, but not full sun in the afternoon. Mist the tree in hot dry weather and be sure the soil doesn't dry out. If the tree is in garden soil, be careful not to over water it also.
That squirrel is something else :) So nice of you to rescue him and very interesting how he always coming back to you and people say animals are stupid :)
I have never really considered doing the bonsai thing but my neighbor several houses down from me has a maple tree and the seed pods flew all over my yard. So I threw them in a pot and bingo, maple seedlings. I'm an avid gardener so trying bonsai seemed like a natural fit. After watching a few of your videos I found myself in my yard taking cuttings from every tree I could find. I also started scoping out my neighbors trees. My next door neighbor has a Japanese Maple in her yard in a giant pot. I'm really tempted to get a cutting from it. Anyway. I found your videos inspirational and am looking forward at trying bonsai. So thanks for that. I hope one of these days I can show you some cool bonsai.
***** Sounds good, a lot of my trees started from seeds that land in the garden, or nuts that squirrels plant. Many of these trees have large leaves, but I like them anyway! Native trees are good free trees to practice your skills on.
Thank you for your feedback, I have already move the trees into the garage. It's getting in the low 20s here in Illinois already. I look forward to your videos, thank you so much
Your diction and pace has improved greatly
Very true!
Hi Nigel, Jack Earley again thanks for the great video that was one of the most helpful ones I've seen because as you know from my earlier email I'm really concerned about winter care here in Illinois. Based upon your input and also the folks who run a major bonsai garden in our area I'm going to keep my hearty trees in our unheated garage. Question, It will never freeze in the garage, but how warm Fahrenheit would be too warm? Thanks, jack
Hi Jack, I think if the trees stay below the 60 degrees F they will remain dormant. Outside in winter it is natural to get warm spells, but the trees seem to just know when spring is here. Trees that are kept in total darkness even start to bud out in spring. I would keep your trees outside until the weather starts to get really cold and then bring them in for the coldest months of winter. Be sure to put plastic under your pots to prevent the pots freezing to your benches. This will allow you to bring your tree in at any time. Good luck.
I love that squirrel 😍😍
The only tender plants i keep are a few Jade that I bring inside the house for winter. Most other trees either stay outdoors or go in the unheated greenhouse. UK winters are pretty mild compared to yours in Canada.
Yes, indoor window space fills up very quickly with a few trees!
You guys are lucky, I live in a second floor apartment here in Michigan. I put my deciduous trees in a big cooler I have for picnics, and leave it on my balcony over the winter. It sounds goofy, but I haven't lost a tree yet....lol. Nice setup Nigel! Have you air layered anything off your big Larch in the backyard?
The cooler sounds like a good idea! I've never air layered a larch, maybe some day I'll give it a try. We will be collecting again in spring and I'll try to find some good Larches and maybe get some really small ones for the forest.
Great video Nigel. What’s the tree in background. The trunk is enormous!
That is a maple, I think a red maple.
How do you get your moss and landscape so nice under your larch forest?no weeds?? Thanks
Hi,
I noticed lots of your outdoor trees having moss on the soil surface. I have heard/read multiple times that moss is to be put only when exhibiting and can touch max 3 sides of the pot etc.
Considering I prefer a bonsai to look always good (if possible) having moss like you do would be my goal too.
Have you had any issues with constant moss existence in the pot?
How about when it rains lots in autumn?
Does moss make problems for pines which prefer drier soil?
Sorry if questions are trivial, I AM the beginner and still learning :D
I live in Finland so your experience with bonsai growing in similar climate is very valuable for me :)
Thanks!
The Japanese always cover the entire soil surface with moss for shows. It is considered bad to show your soil. Having moss cover the surface of the pot can make watering more difficult, but it also prevents the soil surface drying out too fast on a warm windy day. Moss on conifers is OK as long as you keep it trimmed short and keep it away from your surface roots. The moss on the surface roots will rot away your bark, leaving just the live parts of your tree. If you keep you moss trimmed down, excess rain is not a problem. Becuse conifers are kept a little dryer, moss has a hard time growing on the soil. It usually takes all summer to get a layer of moss by fall. The actual coverage of moss on the soil is an artistic choice. Under a big shade tree, I think it looks better to not have moss directly under the trunk, The soil surface should have some kind of covering to hide the coarse bonsai soil. If there is to be no moss, you should top dress with a fine soil that is in scale with the tree.
Nigel Saunders
Great, thanks.
Good to hear my wish to keep moss all the time is also practically feasible :)
Wonderful
Thanks for the tip Nigel, just wanted to check again for my plants on balcony shall i keep them in the apartment for winter?
or that will be too hot for the trees?
again this is me from Toronto.
The apartment would be too hot for your hardy trees. Only your tropical trees should be in for the winter. The trees on the balcony should be protected from the wind, some people put them in a styrofoam cooler for protection. Check every now and then that they are not drying out, or sitting in water.There is not much you can do for temperature, just keep your fingers crossed!
Nigel Saunders Thanks Nigel for the quick reply, was planning to wrapp the trees in burlap some how .
but will check your advise.
Thanks again
Whats the scoop with the Squirrel
That's Dandelion the squirrel. He was raised by us from a little baby, His mother was killed on the road. He is the only squirrel that we have raised that keeps coming back to play. Most go wild very quickly once they are outdoors in late spring. He is full grown now and has a thick coat of winter fur. On nice days in winter, he still comes to be petted and played with.
Hi Nigel, what would be the latest month you would collect a tree from the wild and transition to a pot?
Collection around these parts can be done from fall to spring. Anytime the tree is dormant without it's leaves is a good time. Once the leaves begin to come out in spring, it's generally too late. There is always a chance you can dig out a tree in the off season and have it survive, it depends on how much roots you get with it and what type of root system the tree has. A fine fibrous root system can transplant fine, a coarse system is almost impossible. The after care of the tree plays a large role in the trees survival, keep the tree in bright light, but not full sun in the afternoon. Mist the tree in hot dry weather and be sure the soil doesn't dry out. If the tree is in garden soil, be careful not to over water it also.
what kind of larix are you having in that cute mini forest and what kind of variety?
All the Larch trees I have are American Larches They are native to North America and make great bonsai trees!
Is that American Larch? If so, would you say it can grow in zone 6a?
I'm in a 5b zone, Larches will grow in 6a just fine! Yes the Larches are American Larches.
#1 : ,,, tha larch the larch
Monty Python's Flying Circus!!
Nah, he's just a really naughty boy
Hi nigel hows the squirrel doing?
The squirrel slowly went wild towards the end of the summer and he lives in the back yard forest now.
How old are your larches?
They have been bonsai trees for about 18 years now.
this so fuck!#/? awsome