Bonsai From Dwarf Rhododendrons 

@Olin Rose-Bardawil -Thats a lovely comment. Thank you.

@Olin Rose-Bardawil I never thought of bansai as being simple. Interesting take.

I saw my potted azalea was setting buds before the first frost and brought it inside. There aren’t azaleas blooming in Kansas right now otherwise.

@@michaelrutledge3750 Way to go! A state record. Well deserved.

Distressing sights on TV last night re- Capitol Hill. Hope you are all safe.

@@peterchan3100 Thank you Peter Chan.

@@peterchan3100 We are. Thank you.

I dont want to get into the politics of the US election but it is sad when people forget to behave like decent human beings and being so easily led astray.

Density. Vigorous plants and slow growing trees are the most finiky. If you re-potted your tomatoe every two weeks as it got bigger and bigger, as opposed to just planting it in the ground, it would end up much smaller. Tubers and fast growing trees are roughly the least. It's about how much starch storage is done by the stem and roots. Think about bulb tulips that take over everything, or potatoes. However, that is only a general rule. Climate zone and growth speed play their part. Obviously, domesticated species are going to need nuanced care, such as fruit trees and other unnatural species. I'm imagining slow growing Japanese maples. Having all of that said, if you do not harm the parts of the root that keep the divisions going, everything should be fine. Having a working knowledge of how and where that happens on any specific variety can be gained by simply growing it and observing the roots over time. If, however, you wanted to understand more deeply, read some plant biology. It gets pretty intense pretty quickly though...

@@Robert_McGarry_Poems That's good information for the less experienced gardeners browsing these comments. I'd also like to add that people should take into account whether they're transplanting determinate or indeterminate plants. Determinate plants do a lot better if they're planted directly into their permanent homes. Indeterminate ones are less fussy and can typically take 2-3 transplants without issue.

I wish you guys could but plants are virtually impossible to ship to US

:(

It's about what you like. If you want that compact moss, scrap it from wherever you can find it. Gather a good amount of it over time. Blend it up and spread it out over any surface that moss already grows on. Find some old fence boards and lay them on a tarp, spread it on that... Wait a year, or longer... Unless you want to do that every year, only harvest enough to do what you need. It will grow back every year. Place this in a space that is already prone to moss.

I love his shirts.

What is the best bonsai soil for Rhododendron?

Choose a smaller leaf variety. “Star” magnolias work well. Good luck

Avoid hard frost. If you live in a climate with mild winter you can do it even now, else wait late winter early spring.

Wait till very early Spring.

You can but its better to wait till Spring or early Summer to do this

@@peterchan3100 thank you, Peter.

Yes - succulents like the Jade tree.

I am not familiar with this variety.

Yes

I have tried this before but its very hard to work form behind as one cannot see what one is doing. Videoing the way we do at present gives the viewer exactly the view that I am seeing the tree from. If it is taken from the other side - that will not be the side that Peter is looking at the tree. Hope that makes sense.

Without seeing what you did to the tree while making the bonsai and the aftercare - very hard to diagnose why it is the way it is. Might be dead.

Thank you for your reply, Peter. It still has about 40% if it's leaves but they are brown. If there are any signs of life in the spring I shall reply again and let you know.. If not then I hope to visit Heron's to purchase more tree's!

@@doctorrickdaglessmd Personally, I wouldn't worry too much. My Azalea's also sometimes loose quit a lot of their leaves during the winter when it is quite cold and wet. In fact, a lot of them are semi-deciduous, so to speak. Good luck!

Next year