Seeing Nigel Saunders in the "important bonsai artists" made me really happy. He may not have written books, had an important nursery in Japan, or made and sold very expensive specimens, but he sure has inspired and taught a lot of people through the internet
On one of Nigel's videos a few months ago he said he was thinking of writing a book. It would be great! But I don't know how he gets the time with new vids everyday!
I'd have to say you have the best common sense understandable bonsai videos I have seen to date. I tried Mirai's paid education and the language was ridiculous, maybe I'd understand the beginner videos in 5 years. Your videos are hands down better, simple, makes sense, very helpful, thanks!
Thanks I really appreciate your vote of confidence! Maybe Mirai videos are for folks with spare time to sit down and learn the long way. Ryan is clearly a leading expert in this field, and I have learnt some theory from him in the past, but not everyone has spare time and money for those classes. And as you implied, if you go too deep into any subject you lose half the audience.
Aussie Dave here, with your talent and knowledge, can you teach us "tanuki style " Bonsai.. I'm sure with your presentation and imagination you will create some beautiful Tanuki styles..👌
Great idea for sometime! I have a queue of videos and at the current rate I'm managing to publish only one a month ... but tanuki is a really nice art. 🌳👍🏻
I swear RU-vid reads my mind sometimes. Only yesterday I was contemplating re-potting my bonsai and wondering shallow or deep. I spoke to no-one and I said nothing out loud. Uncanny. Thanks for the great advice.
Glad to hear my video is getting offered to the right people, even if RU-vid is doing it by telepathy!! Did you see my videos about repotting? I hope you might enjoy these ones: The stone trick: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ICsBu6nkWCk.html and 10 Reasons to Repot: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eFdWy-MfFrs.html
Hi Dave- I’ve watched hundreds of bonsai videos, and I have to say this was one of the most helpful for me. I’ve lost many trees to watering issues and I think you’ve just showed me why. Thanks so much!
Wow. Just...wow. First of all, thank you for doing all the book-readin’ for us! Such a wealth of information here that personally I never would have considered. I’m another yer or two away from using an actual bonsai pot for any of my crap trees but I can guarantee that this video will stick with me as a perfect reference. Thank you so much bro!
Thanks man! I really enjoy moving trees from a deeper pot to a shallow one, you don't have to wait until they're all ready, you could always do one of yours sooner for a bit of fun. Anyway don't let me tell ya what to do!! Btw one of the reasons I wanted to do this one is because I am getting tired of all the repots by now, got a few more to go but it was time to move the focus a bit away from all that repotting 🤪 Next vid, ginkgo forest enlargement.. if I ever get the time to edit it. Maybe I will make that one a bit simpler. Cheers!
@@BlueSkyBonsai will do for sure! I thought I would be able to get the small Norway maple into a tiny pot, but it was just too much work. We shall see...
Thank you for introducing the concept of PERCHED WATER to me and explaing perched water as a balance of two opposing forces, capillarity (upward) and gravity (downward). Knowing about perched water will enable me to take better care of my bonsai trees.
Another informative and well presented video on pot selection. Like that you recommended raising the tree/roots slightly. I believe it is also a better looking design/aspect to the overall appearance. Keep them coming my friend.
Thanks so much Jeff! Yes you commented in another video that you to like to raise the trees, maybe I could've mentioned that idea about the line of the nebari just pointing to approximately the edges of the pot, as a guide to how high to raise it. I often realise some extra tips after publishing when it's too late! anyway I thought this one would be an interesting subject since most pot videos focus on shape and color, or even the size without discussing the possible effects on root health. Cheers for your vote of confidence!
Maan, your films are not only stuffed with practically given knowledge but also relaxing. I've already heard about perched water table before but the way you explain it is really something. You don't go into unnecessary details for people who are not scientists but you also don't skip and oversimplify the matter. I really appreciate it!
Just found your channel last week, but the amount of details you give in your explanations are so nice and at the same time very comprehensive. They answer some questions I had for a while now. Love it!
Thanks Karst, I hope to answer more in the future too! But at the same time, a lot of the answers, you must gain from your own trees and experience. Anyway, I really appreciate your kind words. 👍🏻😊
Thanks Kate, and sorry for taking you by surprise! 😁 this video could easily have been 15 or 20 minutes if I had elaborated on the repotting part but I decided to try and keep it less than 7 minutes as a kind of experiment. Also I think everyone is tired of repotting by now in June .. I know I am, but I still have several more to do. I just won't film them...
Thanks Cheryl! I was never content to just accept when bonsai artists told me "do it like this, it works for me" so I studied bonsai horticulture in my spare time. I have lost trees in the past by following advice that was not appropriate for the hot climate here. So I hope my explanations make you consider how you're doing things, and even question whether I'm right or not!
Love your videos & just subscribed. This explanation re depth of pots & how it affects the roots was something I’d never heard before but then I am a beginner at this. You have a soothing speaking voice which makes it so easy to stay tuned. Thank you!
Thanks for your kind words and for subscribing! Feel free to browse back through my past videos, you might be interested in seeing if the quality gets worse as you go back on time!
I appreciate your regard for horticulture, not just bonsai aesthetics. I think that pot depth should be determined by tree species (as well as other considerations): for instance, japanese maples develop shallow roots whereas olive tree roots grow deep. It would follow logically that a shallow dish is fine for maples, which also like the soil moist and cope well with little depth, whereas the olive likes it drained and prefers it deep. Just my two cents.
Thanks Alex, these are very good considerations, and likewise Azaleas don't do well in very shallow pots because their tiny fine roots can't get too wet or too dry. Cheers 🌳👍🏻
Thanks! Yes exactly, I would think the wide flat pots with more soil visible to the sun should dry out quicker but it's always the deep ones that dry first. At least in the top half or so.
Most of my friends doing bonsai are retired , I still have some years to work. This also means i don't have the whole day to watch my trees, so I tend to take a deeper pot, despite the rules. Not exaggerating of course. For example, i'm not gonna use a cascade pot for a upward tree. Vertalen ofcourse
Yes it's challenging to keep bonsai alive and healthy when you're out at work all day. I found that installing automatic watering system made my life 100% better! Then you can choose pots appropriate for the tree size.
@@BlueSkyBonsai I have been thinking about a watering system, but knowing myself I would stumble on the esthetic view of all those tubes running through my trees.
It's true that the watering tubes and nozzles can degrade the look of a good bonsai display. But I figured it's better like that, than to risk a bench full of dying trees! Also, I have recently improved the installation by making each set of nozzles independent from the bonsai, largely so it's easy to pick up each pot/tree without touching the watering. Now it looks like this: flic.kr/p/2oyWiCE flic.kr/p/2oySwrr Still not perfect, but is better than having the tubes intertwined with the branches and pots.
Great video! Question: Why does a cascade tree need a deeper pot?? Or, is it really an aesthetic consideration to put a cascade tree in a deeper pot (for visual balance)?
nice choice on the pot! are u some sort of professor or do u always just research the hell out of something before making the video? lol such a nice video & good tips ! I feel like most bonsai people don't know the horticulture side of things & it would help them a ton
Although the water density or g of water per cm3 of soil is larger in the shallower pot, the total amount of water is larger in the larger one. There are two other aspects, water retention and water evaporation.
Absolutely right, yes. Also there are another two aspects as well as those you mention, how much the roots have grown and pervaded the soil, and how much total leaf area the tree has. More leaf area and roots will draw up the water faster from the soil, especially at times of high evaporation. Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
Love the editing, love the production quality, love the soundtrack but the video is short grrrr....! Awesome content David, very educational. Thanks ever so much.
Hello! I have just started watching your channel and I find it extremely helpful! I am very new into bonsai and looking for basic principles. One thing I am struggling with is finding the info about proper watering. I have seen your videos about watering systems comparison but it still does t give fundamental principles of understanding when and how much to water the bonsai. What is the frequency , etc. if you could share some info that would be super helpful for the beginner 😍
Hi! In that video about watering, before going into details about the 5 methods, I talked about the best advice for how to water and how much. You can also read the advice in this article: blueskybonsai.wordpress.com/watering-bonsai/ HTH
@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you so much for a swift reply! I understand that the soil is the key, but does it mean that it should never dry out and be moist? Thank you!
@@UginUa it depends a lot on your climate and the time of year. Generally speaking, the root ball should never dry out. So you could say, as soon as the top soil *starts* to dry, that's the time to water it. Now in the heatwave in the northern hemisphere that could be 2 or 3 times a day - 3 for me here in Madrid. But in a cool wet climate, or in winter, it could take several days before the soil starts to feel dry so then you wait several days before watering. Use the soil surface as a guide! And by the way, granular soil might dry out a quicker than compost peat soil, but, granular soil is muuuuch better for root health. As long as the roots themselves never dry out.
Thanks SB! But its also good to experiment with twigs and maybe start creating one or two small bonsai. IMHO it's best to have a range of different sizes, species and styles. The three S's 😉👍🏻
@@BlueSkyBonsai I do have a few smaller trees and orchids in some pots I 3D printed, I have the habit of putting plants in too large of a pot. This video was grate information to avoids that. It’s a shame all trees ain’t as easy like willows
@@askgbk yeah for defo there are some really tricky species, I have vowed to never touch a Serissa again, they just don't survive in the Madrid climate indoors or out. And Carmona are a tough beast, they seem to attract insects, and sometimes just die for no apparent reason. Azaleas can be tricky too, but are worth it for the flowers. But deciduous trees are usually easy, especially if they are native to your climate.
@@BlueSkyBonsai Can it be an issues keeping so many trees together from so many different climates? A few of my trees and plants have died for some unknown reason, my rhododendron probably won’t make it
@@askgbk yes, it can be an issue, mainly because of different watering needs and shade/light needs. The general advice is to group together trees with similar needs. On one hand it's logical, but on the other it can be a pain because you might want a bit of a mix, for show, rather than all the elms in one spot and all the boxwoods in another.
I have a clarifying question, because I think the answer was kind of implied but not explicit: Was the assertion made that in a shallower pot, the roots will not get dry faster than in a deeper pot?
Thanks for the question, maybe I should have made that a bit clearer in the video. Yes, in a shallower pot, the roots stay wet for longer than the same root system in a deeper pot (all else being equal, i.e. same root system, same soil, same day, same weather). But there's a catch: when the surface soil in the shallow pot starts to dry, the soil then dries out much quicker than that in a deeper pot. Does that answer your question ?
Thanks Sabik! I'm happy to hear it when people enjoy the music too, for me it's an important part of my videos. I always try to put links to the music in the video's description - you can see the links to three of my favourites: the Ambientalist, MARION, and Mokka. Enjoy!
Hi Bobby, well spotted that top dressing is superb. It's about 50% akadama +50% kiryuzuna, all small granules of 2 - 3mm size. Some bonsai dealers call it "shohin size granules". I buy the two packets separately and mix them myself. Kiryuzuna is a bit like pumice, but yellow. For top soil, kiryu is better than pumice because it changes colour when it's wet so you can easily see when it gets dry so you know when to water it. Pure akadama is also good for top soil but ice can break down akadama, so if you have a heavy freeze it could leave the top soil a bit clogged. That's why I add kiryu, because ice does not break kiryu so it holds the structure in your soil. Cheers Bobby, take care👍
Really helpful video David. Can I ask if the three shallow pots at 6:10 are hand made pots please? Search as I may, I can never find pots as shallow as those.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful. Those three pots are chinese imported but I bought them from my local bonsai store laosgarden.com The only handmade one is the shallow beige round pot on the left.
So I don’t know if ur familiar with a white Champaca I ordered two of these trees and I’m trying to stun the growth they don’t like to be water logged or have water sitting but still love to be wet and not dry what kinda pot would you recommend I saw videos online talking about you can trim them in the winter time every winter to stunt there growth and keep them in a tight pot I need them to grow a decent size as I am using there buds to make essential oils but half to have them indoors and I live in Montana and they originate from India so two very different zones lol what ever info you can give me would help a lot just trying to find the best way to stunt the growth with out killing them.
Hi, I have no experience with white champaca. However if you're cultivating this for its oils, and not specifically to look like a miniature tree in a small pot, then you can generally enhance the health of the tree by using a larger pot. Make sure it has drainage holes, and use good draining soil (not that compacted peat moss). Small pots require more frequent repotting to prune the roots. With a larger pot you can repot it less frequently, and prune the branches to keep it small rather than the roots. HTH
I ordered 3 Japanese maple trees yesterday and waiting for them to come in. I watched so many of your videos, so I can learn how to turn these trees into Bonsais but what should I do first? Let them grow in original pots a bit more for the trunk to thicken up and then cut off all the long branches later or should I repot it and trim it as soon as I get them? If there are any videos that would help me with starting this off, please let me know 🙂
Hi! Congrats on your 3 JM trees, they are amongst my favourite trees for bonsai. Top 5 anyway. I've sometimes considered doing a video for your exact question: Got my first bonsai home ... now what? But I just haven't had the time yet to do it. Basically, let them sit in their own pots and get accustomed to their new environment for a couple of weeks before you do anything. Secondly, it's now getting a bit late in the season to repot them with root pruning. So what you could do is to gently ease the root ball out of the pot and inspect the roots. If they are looking really unhealthy, or terribly overcrowded, you could "slip pot" the entire root ball into a bigger pot - here is the video for that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xJFa-dsNO9I.html but if the roots are looking healthy and not overcrowded then put it back into its pot and delay the repot decision until next spring. Best time to repot, safest time, is Spring when the leaf buds are just swelling up, ready to pop. Whether you prune the trees now, or let them grow wild for the rest of the year, depends on whether you want the trees to grow thicker trunks before you start refining the branches. Did you buy pre-bonsai maples, or are they already in bonsai pots? bear in mind that trees in bonsai pots almost stop thickening entirely... if you want them to thicken more then you'll need to put in bigger, deeper pots for 3 or so years and let them grow wild, as big as possible. If you keep pruning the branches and the roots, you will keep the tree trunk small. So, your next steps (after new environment and root check), are dependent on what size the trees are and what size you want them to be! I recommend try three different plans for your three trees? One bonsai pot now, start refining a small tree structure. 2, deep pot to thicken up for a couple of years, then move to a smaller pot & refine, and 3, plant in garden for 4-5 years to really grow big and thick before chopping back and training as a bonsai. HTH 😀
@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you Dave, that's great! They are all coming in normal pots as normal trees, so I'll have to convert them into bonsai at some stage 😱 If they come in and they are about 50-60cm tall, can I just cut the whole crown (during winter) and leave say one third or about 15cm of the trunk? Would it grow out branches from that trunk that I can then prune and start shaping into bonsai? That would maybe give the effect of thick trunk at the base or would I kill the whole tree by doing that?
@@Whatsuporchids yes you could do a trunk chop in winter, then in Spring it will start pushing out new shoots from some of the nodes that you see on the maple trunk. But like I mentioned, I would recommend three different plans for your three trees, otherwise you're just getting three times the same. E.g. 1. trunk chop at 15cm, 2. prune the branches of the second to an approximately tree shape, and 3. leave the third to grow unhindered for another 2 years. That's what I'd do, (in fact I'm still doing it) but, your trees = your choice!! Whatever you decide, enjoy it!
@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you Dave, I think that's exactly what I'll do, I'll start them off differently, so that I can see how they develop from there. I'm so excited, I can't wait until they get here!! 🥰 I also saw a blue cone korean fir for sale - it looked so beautiful but I wasn't sure if I would manage to turn it into a bonsai tree, so I thought I'll stick to maple trees - I got one with white leaves, one with orange leaves and one with purple leaves 🤍🧡💜
@@Whatsuporchids lovely. Yeah if you want to try your hand at a coniferous evergreen, I would recommend get a juniper, they are very easy to maintain and can be used for almost any bonsai style.
Thanks Ian. I'm going to put proper subtitles on this video. I hope that should help. In the past when someone asked me to turn off the music on my videos, I published a no-music version of the same video on Patreon, so that they could watch and listen without the music. Those videos didn't get many views, but, would that be of interest to you? The problem is, I really love the music that I put in my videos, and a lot of viewers also say they like it. So that's why I decided to create an alternative channel on Patreon, rather than removing the music on this YT channel.
I would add that a wider shallow pot holds more water than a narrow deep pot. Yes, the perched water table height is the same, but there is more water because of the larger surface. You could have covered that aswell as you were allready on the topic.
Take a look at www.certre.it - they are in Italy and ship internationally. My favourite pots are the Pisa, the Roma and the Treviso. If you decide to purchase, use the promotional code BLUESKY and they give you an immediate discount. (They don't pay me! But they might decide to, if enough people use this promotion code 😊 ) The pots are very high quality.
Yes they can, but it's not a big problem for a year or so, as long as they get enough water and light. It can actually be healthy to let a bonsai overgrow for many months before pruning back... the more leaves = the more energy generated inside the tree from sunlight and water.
Any advice on best soil mix for a 40yr old brush cherry bonsai? I believe it is an acidic loving plant so I was wondering about using Kanuma soil?? But should I use this on its own.. or mix with pumice and lava rock. Or should I use something else something else? It has never flowered while it has been under my care which I am assuming is due to the non acidic ‘shop bought’ bonsai soil mix I have used. Thanks for any advice
I've never had a brush cherry so can't tell you from personal experience. But acid-loving plants always do well in kanuma. Adding pumice won't do much for the mix, except raise the soil's pH a bit (less acidic - pumice is neutral, pH7). And possibly help to hold the structure for more years. For azaleas I use a base layer of pumice because it's a bit harder than kanuma. Then for the rest I use pure kanuma, or sometimes mix in some akadama which is slightly more retentive and heavier (denser) than kanuma. Azaleas flower every year, unlesss they're dying. I just don't know anything about the brush cherry.
Sorry, I don't know. But, is it a pot with drainage holes, and when you water it, can the water drain away freely? If not, that's your problem. All roots need fresh oxygenated water regularly, not stale old water pooled at the feet. Did it go dry for a length of time? If so that will cause the tree to throw off its leaves. Is it sitting in a dark room for several weeks? All trees need plenty of light. Did you add a strong dose of fertilizer? Too much minerals/salts in the soil can cause the roots to lose water back into the soil. When this happens, the roots are not delivering water up the trunk so the leaves are unable to transpire, the tree responds by shedding its leaves just the same as if you had left it two weeks without watering. There are many reasons why a tree can shed its leaves. Give it light, water, and some TLC for a couple of months and it should spring back to life again. *NO fertilizer* until it's completely healthy again! HTH.
The question is: are you happy with how thin the trunk is? If you want to continue thickening up the trunk, plant it in a bigger deeper pot, and don't worry too much about the aesthetics. Because as soon as you plant a tree into a small bonsai pot, you can more or less say goodbye to trunk growth. HTH
Just received my 2nd tree a Chinese Elm. Scared to take it out pot. Some leaves are brown others yellow. Leaves only at end of green sprouting branch. Should I check roots or just water for a while then do roots not sure please Sir help
Chinese elms are usually ok, even if it loses a lot of leaves in the meantime. Hopefully you can gently ease it out of the pot without damaging the root ball. If it is over-rooted/potbound, slip-pot it into a bigger pot, adding good bonsai soil underneath and around the edges, keeping the existing root ball intact. Keep watering and keep it in good light but not direct sunlight for a few weeks.
The best tip for growing bonsai is throw the rules out the window and do what works. Ive got 2 right now growing in smart pots ( air prune pot) buried 1/4 into another pot sitting in water and ive never had better results. Regular potting soil no bonsai soil. I dont want to enjoy my bonsai when im in my 70s i want to enjoy them now and what im doing and have been doing for years works so why do it by the book?
If that works for you, that's great. I like shallow pots for some trees so having good drainage is critical otherwise the roots rot in a shallow pot, and unless you smell the underside of the pot, you don't know they're rotting until you see the leaves dropping.
Hi, to thicken the trunk, put it in a deep pot and be prepared to be patient for 3 years with no pruning. You will see a BIG difference after three years, as long as you let it grow unhindered. If you prune the branches, you will slow down the trunk growth.
@@BlueSkyBonsai So if i use a Pot or a Plastic Container (the white one) like the one you show us from 4.35 to 5.20 you think is more then Anough to thicken the Trunk Please?
@@bobbymalta73 what size is you tree trunk now? Those white pots are good for growing a tree from, say 1/2cm starting girth up to 2cm, or as big as 3cm thick. But if your trunk is already 2 or 3 cm thick and you still want to thicken it, you might want to use an even bigger pot like the brown pots you can see at 4:39. (Some people grow them in the ground for faster growth, but I don't because then you can't move them!)
