Hi Nigel, the beginning of a beautiful forest bonsai. Thanks for the lesson , will be looking forward to the progress updates . Have a wonderful weekend .
Hey Nigel! Love your video's and your Bonsai!! But I really love the wooden 1020 tray holder!! Where did you get it?? I would love to have one for my first forest planting!
It's hard to believe it's been just over three years, bonsai is not always a slow process! Thanks Nikolaus, I'd forgotten what it looked like back then!
Awesome forest you have there! I have this Rosemary plant that's about five or six years old. I would ideally like to bonsai it or perhaps its better suited to topiary? I would appreciate a suggestion since it appears you have a well done forest there! Also have some miniature ivy that's going everywhere.
+Lemon Squishy Rosemary can make an excellent bonsai. Do a google image search for rosemary bonsai, you'll see lots of ideas! Ivy can also make a great bonsai, the trunks get woody after a while and can look like miniature trees.
Am going to try the Ivy bonsai! Great suggestion. I've got Rosemary going already! Am going to try some Lavender next for bonsai. I noticed the woody trunks of plants are making some good bonsai. I get lost with all the Google images. Some of them I have used for artwork (watercolours). I could spend hours just pouring over images which makes it harder actually to decide! lol.
mohannad al madanie Thank you, it should be a lot of fun developing the forest over the years and quite a challenge! Many of the trees will need lots of work to get them developed to a consistent style and appearance that will look at home with the main tree. I can't wait to get the moss on and begin styling the trees, but I'll have to wait until they begin to grow and recover. One step at a time.
I have noticed the Maple seeds in the background, in the pot. Do you have any video of what has happened with those seeds and when is the best time to place the young seedlings in separate pot or maybe in the ground?
+Tode Ristov Those are silver maple keys, they all sprouted and are now a small forest. I am going to let them grow one more year before they get their first root pruning and positioning in a bonsai pot. I will be making a short video on them soon. It is best to place them in the ground when you have all the surface roots sorted out and in order. There is no point rapidly growing a poor root system, the bad roots will just get thick and worse looking.
I am growing trees from the seeds and right now they are in little biodegradable pots and some soil and I would like to know what kind of soil mix I should use to plant them already in bigger pots? :) Thank you for making these videos :)
I use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 turface. I screen out the dust and fine particles. Here is a video on watering and fertilizing this soil.... ruclips.net/video/gXIIpxUqxdY/видео.html
Hi Nigel, Inspirational as always. But! I note that you did not wire any of the trees into the pot. Do you not feel it necessary to stabilise the tree until the new roots form? I have done a number of forest plantings, Maples, Beech, Hornbeam etc, and always find the most difficult part is tying the trees in. I'd be interested in your thoughts. Grant
I keep the trees out of the wind and place small stones on the surface of the soil around the base of the trunk until the roots grow enough to secure the trees.This usually only takes a week or two. Not wiring them in gives you the freedom to move the trees around and fine tune the position of the forest until you are happy with the arrangement. Wiring the trees in can also damage the surface roots of the trees. Wiring them in may be a good solution if you have problems with squirrels or high winds, but I find placing stones on the surface to be a better solution for me.
Hi Nigel, Thanks for the quick response. Your reply makes sense. I have planted a fed forest grouping using Hornbeam, Hawthorn and Trident Maple. The wiring was always a pain. I may well try your solution with a European Beech group I'm planning for this spring. I'll let you know how I get on. Many thanks. Grant
Growing Things The large tree took a long time to get it from raw material to a well structured tree. The tree just kept gaining vigor and the branches finally grew in the right places after many years. The tree is getting more to the point now where it almost just needs pinching to maintain fine foilage. I rarely get die back on the tree now, just the odd branch tip here and there. I haven't had any branches die back, this happens more when the tree is adjusting to it's initial root prunning. Once you develop a good established root system, the branches and growth remain stable. Most of the small trees I have collected need at least two years in a pot before they recover and begin to grow with vigor. In this time of adjustment, you will get lots of branches that will die or sections of them will die. This is just the tree adapting to it's new root system. Once over this adjustment period, they get quite stable and become good bonsai material.
+Paul Schaefer Those are Silver maple keys in a shallow pot. They have sprouted and are now in their second year of growth. Next spring they will begin their bonsai journey.
They have a very tough wire like root system and can recover very quickly from root work. I think they can be root pruned more than most trees and they will still survive with proper aftercare.
+Alan H You can do a lot, but there are limits! I have had some Cedar trees die from too severe a root pruning. I think placing the trees on the floor in the greenhouse for a month helped these trees get through the first potting. The floor of the greenhouse doesn't get too much sun and the trees are kept humid as they recovered. The forest is growing really well now. Next spring, I'm adding two more larger trees and landscaping as the side of a hill. My goal is to create a miniature version of the Avatar grove in British Columbia Canada.
It all depends on what kind of tree you use, some trees can look old and mature in as little as 5 years, but the refinement of getting all the details in place generally takes 10 to 20 years and of course the tree will continue to improve (if worked on correctly) as it gets even older. A collected tree from nature can look old and mature almost instantly after it's first styling.
It is 1/2 perlite and 1/2 turface. To this mix I then add 10 to 20 percent composted pine bark or shredded fir bark. All materials are sifted to remove the fine particles and dust, to get a particle size of 3 to 4 mm (1/8") You will need to fertilize regularly with this mostly inorganic mix.
Watch this and take a drink every time he says 'radial'...its great times. Nigel, you are awesome! Keep up the good work!
Radial
Radial
Radial
Radial
I love the way Nigel explains the way he does while working as it really teaches us a lot
Thank you!!
Hi Nigel , can't get enough of your videos....you have taught me a great deal, my sincere thanks
Thank you for your kind comment Victor!
Looks great...Love those cedars...Thanks...
Hi Nigel, the beginning of a beautiful forest bonsai.
Thanks for the lesson , will be looking forward to the progress updates . Have a wonderful weekend .
Hey Nigel! Love your video's and your Bonsai!! But I really love the wooden 1020 tray holder!! Where did you get it?? I would love to have one for my first forest planting!
Boy, that forest has sure come a long way in very little time.
It's hard to believe it's been just over three years, bonsai is not always a slow process! Thanks Nikolaus, I'd forgotten what it looked like back then!
Thanks for sharing. I lurned much from this and feel i ignited deeper interest in miniature trees. Bonzai!
You planting those cedar trees in a pine display stand is sort of like wrapping bacon around a hamburger. Great video!
Thank you Daniel!
Thanks for everything!! keep up the hard work
Thanks, more to come!
Wonderfull work! I thought those trees where cypress not cedars... I guess I will never know how to distinguish them.
Awesome forest you have there! I have this Rosemary plant that's about five or six years old. I would ideally like to bonsai it or perhaps its better suited to topiary? I would appreciate a suggestion since it appears you have a well done forest there! Also have some miniature ivy that's going everywhere.
+Lemon Squishy Rosemary can make an excellent bonsai. Do a google image search for rosemary bonsai, you'll see lots of ideas! Ivy can also make a great bonsai, the trunks get woody after a while and can look like miniature trees.
Am going to try the Ivy bonsai! Great suggestion. I've got Rosemary going already! Am going to try some Lavender next for bonsai. I noticed the woody trunks of plants are making some good bonsai. I get lost with all the Google images. Some of them I have used for artwork (watercolours). I could spend hours just pouring over images which makes it harder actually to decide! lol.
as usual amazing work
thanks a lot
mohannad al madanie Thank you, it should be a lot of fun developing the forest over the years and quite a challenge! Many of the trees will need lots of work to get them developed to a consistent style and appearance that will look at home with the main tree. I can't wait to get the moss on and begin styling the trees, but I'll have to wait until they begin to grow and recover. One step at a time.
hola gran trabajo soy de mexico me podrias indicar que sustrato usaste para el trabajo gracias
I have noticed the Maple seeds in the background, in the pot. Do you have any video of what has happened with those seeds and when is the best time to place the young seedlings in separate pot or maybe in the ground?
+Tode Ristov Those are silver maple keys, they all sprouted and are now a small forest. I am going to let them grow one more year before they get their first root pruning and positioning in a bonsai pot. I will be making a short video on them soon. It is best to place them in the ground when you have all the surface roots sorted out and in order. There is no point rapidly growing a poor root system, the bad roots will just get thick and worse looking.
what are those things in the shallow pot to the left?? they look like apple slices or potato chips or something...
seth High as a kite in this one.
I am growing trees from the seeds and right now they are in little biodegradable pots and some soil and I would like to know what kind of soil mix I should use to plant them already in bigger pots? :) Thank you for making these videos :)
I use 1/2 perlite and 1/2 turface. I screen out the dust and fine particles. Here is a video on watering and fertilizing this soil....
ruclips.net/video/gXIIpxUqxdY/видео.html
Thank you, I will keep studying all the info you give us and give it a good use :)
Hi Nigel,
Inspirational as always. But! I note that you did not wire any of the trees into the pot. Do you not feel it necessary to stabilise the tree until the new roots form? I have done a number of forest plantings, Maples, Beech, Hornbeam etc, and always find the most difficult part is tying the trees in. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Grant
I keep the trees out of the wind and place small stones on the surface of the soil around the base of the trunk until the roots grow enough to secure the trees.This usually only takes a week or two. Not wiring them in gives you the freedom to move the trees around and fine tune the position of the forest until you are happy with the arrangement. Wiring the trees in can also damage the surface roots of the trees. Wiring them in may be a good solution if you have problems with squirrels or high winds, but I find placing stones on the surface to be a better solution for me.
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for the quick response. Your reply makes sense. I have planted a fed forest grouping using Hornbeam, Hawthorn and Trident Maple. The wiring was always a pain. I may well try your solution with a European Beech group I'm planning for this spring. I'll let you know how I get on.
Many thanks.
Grant
Nigel how do you find working with wild native cedar trees , have you found them fussy and suffer die back ?
Growing Things The large tree took a long time to get it from raw material to a well structured tree. The tree just kept gaining vigor and the branches finally grew in the right places after many years. The tree is getting more to the point now where it almost just needs pinching to maintain fine foilage. I rarely get die back on the tree now, just the odd branch tip here and there. I haven't had any branches die back, this happens more when the tree is adjusting to it's initial root prunning. Once you develop a good established root system, the branches and growth remain stable. Most of the small trees I have collected need at least two years in a pot before they recover and begin to grow with vigor. In this time of adjustment, you will get lots of branches that will die or sections of them will die. This is just the tree adapting to it's new root system. Once over this adjustment period, they get quite stable and become good bonsai material.
I live in Long Island New York and I have one what’s the best season month to do a root reduction and transfer to a bonsai dish?
Definitely spring.
Just curious. on the bench to your right there is a tray with what looks like slices of apples. what is it?
+Paul Schaefer Those are Silver maple keys in a shallow pot. They have sprouted and are now in their second year of growth. Next spring they will begin their bonsai journey.
you are always good sir😎😎
Thank you Sir!
I thought cedars hated root disturbance
They have a very tough wire like root system and can recover very quickly from root work. I think they can be root pruned more than most trees and they will still survive with proper aftercare.
I enjoyed this...glad you hadn't Bosai-ed your hair in this video...!
My hair is pretty wild, it gives the kids something to laugh about! Dads are good for that.
I get the impression that I can do almost anything to these trees and they will try to survive.
+Alan H You can do a lot, but there are limits! I have had some Cedar trees die from too severe a root pruning. I think placing the trees on the floor in the greenhouse for a month helped these trees get through the first potting. The floor of the greenhouse doesn't get too much sun and the trees are kept humid as they recovered. The forest is growing really well now. Next spring, I'm adding two more larger trees and landscaping as the side of a hill. My goal is to create a miniature version of the Avatar grove in British Columbia Canada.
Do you have videos on how to make Mame bonsai?
keysBW I do have some small bonsai, I'll be doing a video on some soon.
how much time a bonsai take to look like a real tree
It all depends on what kind of tree you use, some trees can look old and mature in as little as 5 years, but the refinement of getting all the details in place generally takes 10 to 20 years and of course the tree will continue to improve (if worked on correctly) as it gets even older. A collected tree from nature can look old and mature almost instantly after it's first styling.
hi Nigel, whath is the composition of your substrate
It is 1/2 perlite and 1/2 turface. To this mix I then add 10 to 20 percent composted pine bark or shredded fir bark. All materials are sifted to remove the fine particles and dust, to get a particle size of 3 to 4 mm (1/8") You will need to fertilize regularly with this mostly inorganic mix.
thanks, day excellent.
may I ask or buy one of the cheapest bonsai available
Any tree can become a bonsai, it is best to collect seeds locally or find little saplings to develop!
may I buy your collection one
love hair sir
Very wild in this video, needs pruning and styling!
Nigel, you really need a hard pruning to you hair :)