Cheers Aron. I suppose these are the times we live in mate, I'll keep having the crack, but perhaps stay away from the Rolf Harris/Jimmy Saville jokes in future! 🤣
I appreciate your ability to stop working on a tree, that is one of the things I struggle with while working on my trees. Will tend to work and work, then i step back and realize I've done way to much, and the health of the tree is now in question.
Such a rebel Tony... i enjoy your humour mate and can tell you dont mean any harm to anybody so chin up and on with the show. Now thats a BIG CUT Nigel would be proud of. Great tree for that price and good decisions made again to set it up, im naming it Rolf.
I love working on thujas like that. I just cut everything back to the lowest bit of green then let them alone for a year and do it again. They’re great hardy trees
@@TonysBonsai at my club the adage is “shock it once” so I just give them one big shock for reduction (leaving green on every branch I want to keep) and work back from there but bonsai is a slow craft so there’s no risk in being cautious.
Cheers Sam. That's interesting about the thuja. I've never really heard of it as a timber, and when I was into wood turning I never heard of anyone using it. What are its main properties?
I like your decisions on the two main trunks. That is a nice chunky specimen. All that lower growth will explode in the spring. Thuja back bud readily. I also admire your restraint in not cutting back those straggly branches. Those definitely would have tested my patience but in the end you made the right choice. Thanks, keep growing
Cheers Matt. I wasn't certain as t o the correct course of action with this tree, but the positive comments like yours make me think I did ok. I got your recent email, and I'll be replying later. I'm just heading out now to collect some fresh acorns as the other ones are looking a bit tired.
£15 - absolute bargain Tony. I think it’ll be a fabulous bonsai in a few years. I’m always learning from your videos and the decisions you make - when to cut and when to leave - really useful for a novice beginner like me. Cheers.
I agree Chris, I think I picked up a bit of a bargain there. I'm glad you enjoy my videos, and I definitely still see myself as a novice too. We are learning together!
That was bargin!.. cant wait to see future videos of this.. love the bark on the trunk, really narly looking.. it will make for a very interesting bonsai in the future :) well done
You did absolutey the right cuts with tree Tony. I have killed 4 tuja so fare. And I know it was beacuse i took off to much foliage from the trees. The 3 ones i got know. I done like this and they lives. But again. I took them all out off the pot to find the nebari. And and flush out 50/50 with the garden hoes and put it in bonsai mix. The trees has not skip a beat
Hi Tony. Excellent starting material. Thick trunk already in place. Many possible ways to go. How about removing one of the leaders ? This action would create taper in one move. There is already the line on the bark visually separating one of the two main branches that could be used as a cut mark. I suggest this approach because creation of the taper at the root base is the most time dependent element in bonsai development process. I am in favour of beginning from taper development as it gives a tree that old age look. Piotr
Hi Piotr. You make a great point. I had this exact same decision in the spring with my biggest silver birch, and I went for it and made the chop, and I'm really glad I did becasue it now has great taper, so I think I'll see how this grows this year, and possibly make that chop in early 2024 depending on how it develops next year.
oh wow! nice project! i think you made the right choices with these trunks 👏 i see soooo many awesome options what you could do with all of these branches. there are some really nice ones you can create a beautiful composition with 👌 looking forward to the update next year!
Thanks Paul. Yeah, I definitely think I was lucky with this find. Should look pretty good in the future as you say, when I can start working on those bramches.
That’s a big boy, I think you are doing the right thing reducing the height Tony, get rid of the leggy branches at some point in the future.15 quid bargain again you know how to find them.
I believe you made the correct decision on those 2 main trunks. Before you chopped them they were both on the straight side and didn't look quite right unless you had gone for a single trunk formal upright but that is extremely difficult to achieve as you need a dead straight trunk all the way to the top of the tree. Letting the young growth grow for now but keeping the longer thin branches to keep the sap flowing also seems the right way to go. For £15 that trunk is a really good size. Well found. 👍👍
Thanks Guy. Yeah I just felt like I had to get the height off this tree to make it better in the future. Now it's fingers crossed that it grows on well and does well next year so that I can have a proper hack at it.
I recently got one just like this one, just a bit younger, for about 12€. I'm going with a similar direction, pruning it back to almost a stump progressively to make a small size tree with a nice, thick trunk. I gave it a decent pruning a few weeks ago, and I think I''ll let it grow a bit more before I give it a final pruning, maybe I'll repot it this next spring if it responds well to the pruning. I'll be glued to the screen to watch the development on yours!
hi Tony, I think it is looking good so far, tough decisions but there is enough material to compensate for a re-think next year . just found your site and like the no nonsense delivery. don't worry about comments being made . just be yourself I have a few trees, Acer, Taxus, quercus. but had a stroke, that knocked me about a bit so, with your down to earth way I'm going to get back into working on them good luck mate, love seeing progress videos . see you soon.thank you
Hi Geoffrey. It takes me a while to get around to older comments on my videos, but I really appreciate your positive feedback. Life sends us challenges, but the key how we bounce back, and from the sound of it, you're back on a good path and I'm sure you'll have those trees in shape in no time!
When I used to be a wedding photographer, I once heard a father of the bride talking about his daughters favourite tv shows when she was a kid. Rolf on art and Jim'll fix it. The room was crying with laughter!
Awesome job Tony. I would not worry about any of the cut decisions you made. If you don't like it give it a year and you will have new options with how rapid this specimen grows.
Tony when you cut the trunks down could you not leave a good sized flap of bark/outside good bit and use that to fold over the cut.Would it adhere itself back ??? Ps I'm dead new at this bonsai stuff so if my question seems stupid I apologise
Hi Richar. You make a fantastic observation there, and this is a known technique, but very rarely implemented. It does actually have a name, and the usual method is to hollow out the center of the trunk/branch, and then use the ring of bark cut into triangles to bend over and cover the exposed area. I;ve yet to try this, but I am definitely planning on experimenting with this technique next year and creating a video about it.
Please do a followup on this. I'd like to know if these bud back well as the specimens I have always seem to only have foliage on the extremities. Would love to compact the foliage back towards the interior for bonsai. Curious to see how yours turns out.
just one question why do you not scrape back the dirt and see what kind of surface roots youre working with? before chopping the top and maybe the twin trunk will end up a long single trunk before it splits
It's a good point, but I really didn't want to do any work to the roots at this time of year, so it wouldn't really make any difference to the decisions, I made. Also with it being a fairly chunky tree, it didn't look like there was much trunk below the surface to me. Watch what happens - in spring there will be 5 inches straight down before I get to any roots 🤣
Hi Tony, do you have any small saws you could use for the chops? something like the Shogun 100mm Folding Fine Cut Saw ZHC-4 would make a neat job of the cuts. I think it was a good decision to lower the outside branch and have the tallest in the middle but is the middle one a little thinner?
You know what Andrew, when I was watching this back I thought the exact same thing. I'm going to go online now and buy a proper saw to do a better job next time. Cheers. I'll check out your recommendation.
I think I've just been in the right places at the right time David, plus I do have quite a bit of time to hunt around, and I have noticed that as time goes on I'm getting better at selecting material.
Great tree! It should be a lovely tree in a few years, it's got a nice thick butt and plenty of taper. Good job leaving the other limbs so the whole tree stays healthy. It was a bargain for the price, specially when you see how solid it is.
Cheers mate. yeah I couldn't believe the price on it considering its size. I'm hoping that by leaving the branches on for the next six months that it will stay nice and healthy ready for further work next year.
@@TonysBonsai it should. I don't like the way a lot of books tell you to keep nipping all the new growth back to two leaves (on deciduous trees). If the tree can't get more energy from its new leaves than it uses to grow them, it has to get weaker and eventually stop growing. I know that's a bit different to what you've done there, but it has to be better for the tree's health to have plenty of foliage. I'm not trying to be a know-all!
Asymmetry...have you been watching Ryan Neil??? Seriously I love what you are doing with this tree. Anyway...time to get out and do some more yomping whilst the sun is out and the seals are barking.
Chops bang on Tony. Real nigel saunders stuff. If it was me, and I know far less than you, I would have cleaned all the weeds and moss out the top of the pot and then replaced the top inch or two of compost. You don't know how long that trees been in that pot. Also give you chance to have a quick look at the roots. I shouldn't worry to much about mentioning a man's name, it's history now and we should learn from it.
You make a good point there about the soil Kevin. I think i'll pull the rest of the weeds today. As for the roots, I think I'll take a peek and see what they look like possibly with an eye to a repot in the spring.
@@TonysBonsai I agree with eepot in the spring but with new plants ialways like to take them out the pots have a butchers at the roots, then knock off inch or two of compost. You can bet it's been potted in peaty crap. Replace with your own stuff and put it back in the pot. Champion.
I have massacred 2 of these in the past, one out of my own stupidity, and one the rabbits got a hold of last winter and had a great feast, i managed to get it back lookin ok but theres only about 1/4 the original foliage..
I don't blame those rabbits. Those fresh new shoots looked good enough to eat. I hope your tree grows on well next year, and turns into something good.
People don't like talking about money and trees? You worry too much about what people think, I'm a subscriber... Who cares, I'm just a wanker watching a guy torture his trees on RUclips.
You make a very good point. Before bonsai, I was very involved with the landscape photography community, and they are generally very intolerant of a lot of things, and super politically correct so perhaps I have been a little preconditioned. I'll work on it!
Great video Tony, I wouldn’t worry about the jokes people can be to sensitive. Keep being yourself mate that’s what makes you so likeable.
Cheers Aron. I suppose these are the times we live in mate, I'll keep having the crack, but perhaps stay away from the Rolf Harris/Jimmy Saville jokes in future! 🤣
I appreciate your ability to stop working on a tree, that is one of the things I struggle with while working on my trees.
Will tend to work and work, then i step back and realize I've done way to much, and the health of the tree is now in question.
I've definitely been guilty of that in the past, especially when it comes to the roots. Once I start It's so hard to stop.
Such a rebel Tony... i enjoy your humour mate and can tell you dont mean any harm to anybody so chin up and on with the show. Now thats a BIG CUT Nigel would be proud of. Great tree for that price and good decisions made again to set it up, im naming it Rolf.
🤣🤣Even though I deleted the part from the video, that other thuja will always be called Rolf. I'll call this one R Kelly. 🤣
What a beast!! Thats the way for the firsts works. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. It's got some really good potential this tree, and I'm really looking forward to working on it next year.
I love working on thujas like that. I just cut everything back to the lowest bit of green then let them alone for a year and do it again. They’re great hardy trees
I daren't be that bold with it Mark, but I suspect next year I will go pretty hard on this and get those long lanky branches into some sort of order.
@@TonysBonsai at my club the adage is “shock it once” so I just give them one big shock for reduction (leaving green on every branch I want to keep) and work back from there but bonsai is a slow craft so there’s no risk in being cautious.
I like the shock it once idea. I'll remember that!
Once again - an awkward looking bush turned into a great potential future tree by Tony. Amazing ❤
OOooOOOo! That's going to look fantastic in the future!
I hope so. Fingers crossed for the spring time!
@@TonysBonsai 🤞
Cool tree Tony!
Thanks Nigel, I 've seen you working on yours and I just had to get one.
Bonsai phill all bonsai go back to work furniture before they get to were they are nowthanks
Tony love the video mate cheers
Cheers Phil. Yes, it can seem counterintuitive sometimes, but it is what we must do to improve out trees in the early stages.
Go big or go home. 😂👍 We are talking the same language, Tony. 🤗 Enjoying your video as always. Have a great day 🙋🏼♀️
Cheers mate. I enjoy little trees, but for me, big trees are what it's really about. Have a great day yourself!
Loving the thuja videos Tony! Nice chops and restraint. 👍
Cheers Jay. I think most people enjoy being restrained on a Saturday night! 🤣
@@TonysBonsai omg, you got me with that one. 🤣😂🤣😂🤪
Good decisions I think Tony, I used to help manage a tree plantation of thuja for timber really robust species back bud really well!
Cheers Sam. That's interesting about the thuja. I've never really heard of it as a timber, and when I was into wood turning I never heard of anyone using it. What are its main properties?
Hi Tony, you found a very nice shohin in a very rough shrub.👍👍
Thank you. I think given some time I might have a really nice fairly stumpy little tree.
I like your decisions on the two main trunks. That is a nice chunky specimen. All that lower growth will explode in the spring. Thuja back bud readily. I also admire your restraint in not cutting back those straggly branches. Those definitely would have tested my patience but in the end you made the right choice. Thanks, keep growing
Cheers Matt. I wasn't certain as t o the correct course of action with this tree, but the positive comments like yours make me think I did ok. I got your recent email, and I'll be replying later. I'm just heading out now to collect some fresh acorns as the other ones are looking a bit tired.
£15 - absolute bargain Tony. I think it’ll be a fabulous bonsai in a few years. I’m always learning from your videos and the decisions you make - when to cut and when to leave - really useful for a novice beginner like me. Cheers.
I agree Chris, I think I picked up a bit of a bargain there. I'm glad you enjoy my videos, and I definitely still see myself as a novice too. We are learning together!
That was bargin!.. cant wait to see future videos of this.. love the bark on the trunk, really narly looking.. it will make for a very interesting bonsai in the future :) well done
Thanks Barry, I agree, I definitely got lucky with this find, and I'm already looking forward to styling it further next year.
You did absolutey the right cuts with tree Tony. I have killed 4 tuja so fare. And I know it was beacuse i took off to much foliage from the trees. The 3 ones i got know. I done like this and they lives. But again. I took them all out off the pot to find the nebari. And and flush out 50/50 with the garden hoes and put it in bonsai mix. The trees has not skip a beat
That's very interesting to hear. Thank you. I'm just going to leave this as it is now and take a look at the roots in the spring.
@@TonysBonsai great plan mate. For me buying nursery stock is like playing the lottery. So i need to dig down to see what prize i get ( nebari) 🤣
Got to love a gamble!
Hi Tony.
Excellent starting material. Thick trunk already in place. Many possible ways to go. How about removing one of the leaders ? This action would create taper in one move. There is already the line on the bark visually separating one of the two main branches that could be used as a cut mark. I suggest this approach because creation of the taper at the root base is the most time dependent element in bonsai development process. I am in favour of beginning from taper development as it gives a tree that old age look.
Piotr
Hi Piotr.
You make a great point. I had this exact same decision in the spring with my biggest silver birch, and I went for it and made the chop, and I'm really glad I did becasue it now has great taper, so I think I'll see how this grows this year, and possibly make that chop in early 2024 depending on how it develops next year.
oh wow! nice project! i think you made the right choices with these trunks 👏
i see soooo many awesome options what you could do with all of these branches. there are some really nice ones you can create a beautiful composition with 👌
looking forward to the update next year!
Thanks Paul. Yeah, I definitely think I was lucky with this find. Should look pretty good in the future as you say, when I can start working on those bramches.
That’s a big boy, I think you are doing the right thing reducing the height Tony, get rid of the leggy branches at some point in the future.15 quid bargain again you know how to find them.
I can sniff a bargain out at 100 paces Joe. I think I get it from my mother
I believe you made the correct decision on those 2 main trunks. Before you chopped them they were both on the straight side and didn't look quite right unless you had gone for a single trunk formal upright but that is extremely difficult to achieve as you need a dead straight trunk all the way to the top of the tree. Letting the young growth grow for now but keeping the longer thin branches to keep the sap flowing also seems the right way to go. For £15 that trunk is a really good size. Well found. 👍👍
Thanks Guy. Yeah I just felt like I had to get the height off this tree to make it better in the future. Now it's fingers crossed that it grows on well and does well next year so that I can have a proper hack at it.
I recently got one just like this one, just a bit younger, for about 12€. I'm going with a similar direction, pruning it back to almost a stump progressively to make a small size tree with a nice, thick trunk. I gave it a decent pruning a few weeks ago, and I think I''ll let it grow a bit more before I give it a final pruning, maybe I'll repot it this next spring if it responds well to the pruning. I'll be glued to the screen to watch the development on yours!
Sounds like we're on a similar journey with our respective thujas Edu. I hope mine and yours go in to become impressive bonsais!
hi Tony, I think it is looking good so far, tough decisions but there is enough material to compensate for a re-think next year . just found your site and like the no nonsense delivery. don't worry about comments being made . just be yourself I have a few trees, Acer, Taxus, quercus. but had a stroke, that knocked me about a bit so, with your down to earth way I'm going to get back into working on them good luck mate, love seeing progress videos . see you soon.thank you
Hi Geoffrey. It takes me a while to get around to older comments on my videos, but I really appreciate your positive feedback. Life sends us challenges, but the key how we bounce back, and from the sound of it, you're back on a good path and I'm sure you'll have those trees in shape in no time!
i like those kind of jokes tbh. haha it was a nice little thuga
When I used to be a wedding photographer, I once heard a father of the bride talking about his daughters favourite tv shows when she was a kid. Rolf on art and Jim'll fix it. The room was crying with laughter!
Awesome job Tony. I would not worry about any of the cut decisions you made. If you don't like it give it a year and you will have new options with how rapid this specimen grows.
Cheers mate. It's great hearing how well this species grows. I'm sure it's going to give me lots of potential options going forward.
What everybody else said. Nice one Tony!
Thans David. I think I'm getting better slowly!
Miss you buddy 😞
Where is this local favourite nursery of yours? It seems a good place to visit with all that cheap stuff.
Hi Jack. Bannister hall bursery is a cracking place. I would reccomend trying to visit more trade type places is you can. I find them to be the best
Tony when you cut the trunks down could you not leave a good sized flap of bark/outside good bit and use that to fold over the cut.Would it adhere itself back ??? Ps I'm dead new at this bonsai stuff so if my question seems stupid I apologise
Hi Richar. You make a fantastic observation there, and this is a known technique, but very rarely implemented. It does actually have a name, and the usual method is to hollow out the center of the trunk/branch, and then use the ring of bark cut into triangles to bend over and cover the exposed area. I;ve yet to try this, but I am definitely planning on experimenting with this technique next year and creating a video about it.
Please do a followup on this. I'd like to know if these bud back well as the specimens I have always seem to only have foliage on the extremities. Would love to compact the foliage back towards the interior for bonsai. Curious to see how yours turns out.
Will do Fred. I suspect i will be cutting the long branches back quite hard in late spring, and I'll definitely make a video when I do it.
just one question why do you not scrape back the dirt and see what kind of surface roots youre working with? before chopping the top and maybe the twin trunk will end up a long single trunk before it splits
It's a good point, but I really didn't want to do any work to the roots at this time of year, so it wouldn't really make any difference to the decisions, I made. Also with it being a fairly chunky tree, it didn't look like there was much trunk below the surface to me. Watch what happens - in spring there will be 5 inches straight down before I get to any roots 🤣
@@TonysBonsai LOL maybe
Hi Tony, do you have any small saws you could use for the chops? something like the Shogun 100mm Folding Fine Cut Saw ZHC-4 would make a neat job of the cuts.
I think it was a good decision to lower the outside branch and have the tallest in the middle but is the middle one a little thinner?
You know what Andrew, when I was watching this back I thought the exact same thing. I'm going to go online now and buy a proper saw to do a better job next time. Cheers. I'll check out your recommendation.
I’m a bit late on the puck on this one, but is it a follow up on this one?
15 quid for a tree as big as that bargain! then 2 quid for a juniper. I would love to know were you shop.
I think I've just been in the right places at the right time David, plus I do have quite a bit of time to hunt around, and I have noticed that as time goes on I'm getting better at selecting material.
Great tree! It should be a lovely tree in a few years, it's got a nice thick butt and plenty of taper. Good job leaving the other limbs so the whole tree stays healthy. It was a bargain for the price, specially when you see how solid it is.
Cheers mate. yeah I couldn't believe the price on it considering its size. I'm hoping that by leaving the branches on for the next six months that it will stay nice and healthy ready for further work next year.
@@TonysBonsai it should. I don't like the way a lot of books tell you to keep nipping all the new growth back to two leaves (on deciduous trees). If the tree can't get more energy from its new leaves than it uses to grow them, it has to get weaker and eventually stop growing. I know that's a bit different to what you've done there, but it has to be better for the tree's health to have plenty of foliage. I'm not trying to be a know-all!
Asymmetry...have you been watching Ryan Neil??? Seriously I love what you are doing with this tree. Anyway...time to get out and do some more yomping whilst the sun is out and the seals are barking.
Cheers buddy. Get out there and stretch those old pins, and I'll watch some more of Ryans videos and expand my vocabulary!
@@TonysBonsai Just keep practicing speaking proper like...
Bone...sigh 🤣
Chops bang on Tony. Real nigel saunders stuff. If it was me, and I know far less than you, I would have cleaned all the weeds and moss out the top of the pot and then replaced the top inch or two of compost. You don't know how long that trees been in that pot. Also give you chance to have a quick look at the roots.
I shouldn't worry to much about mentioning a man's name, it's history now and we should learn from it.
You make a good point there about the soil Kevin. I think i'll pull the rest of the weeds today. As for the roots, I think I'll take a peek and see what they look like possibly with an eye to a repot in the spring.
@@TonysBonsai I agree with eepot in the spring but with new plants ialways like to take them out the pots have a butchers at the roots, then knock off inch or two of compost. You can bet it's been potted in peaty crap. Replace with your own stuff and put it back in the pot. Champion.
Top tip mate!
I cut back my thuja hard and it sprung tons of new growth. Don't be scared to cut it back to a stump.
I have massacred 2 of these in the past, one out of my own stupidity, and one the rabbits got a hold of last winter and had a great feast, i managed to get it back lookin ok but theres only about 1/4 the original foliage..
I don't blame those rabbits. Those fresh new shoots looked good enough to eat. I hope your tree grows on well next year, and turns into something good.
And in today’s episode the Jimmy Saville Thuja 😂😂😂
I would have just left the original video…
🤣🤣I definitely bottled it mate!
@@TonysBonsai lol 😂
People don't like talking about money and trees? You worry too much about what people think, I'm a subscriber... Who cares, I'm just a wanker watching a guy torture his trees on RUclips.
You make a very good point. Before bonsai, I was very involved with the landscape photography community, and they are generally very intolerant of a lot of things, and super politically correct so perhaps I have been a little preconditioned. I'll work on it!
It's pronounced thuw-ya, like a silent "j". But still like ur vids, wish I had room for bonsai 😔
Wow, really? That does make sense, and I appreciate the information. Thank you. Also could you not make space for just one on a balcony?
No room at all, no outside space, front door on to road and no balcony, would have to be an indoor variety