Wow, again, the patience you have piecing together these videos. Pretty sweet seeing the tree nearly 2 years in the development process! I’m not sure how many other YT’rs do this. But I thoroughly enjoy your progression videos. Thank you! Definitely interesting if you decide to air layer this tree!!
This was very helpful. I have just started doing bonsai and this gives me a very realistic impression of how long it can take to care and maintain a tree. Where most videos are useful to understand how to prune or wire, yours is the first video I have seen to watch one plant’s journey for more than a year. It also gives me a lot of hope that if I butcher some plants, I can recover them over time.
Cheers. yeah i think a lot of do not quite explain it really is a lonnnng and slow process. and yes, if you have a deciduous and butcher it, it should sort its self out in time :) This hobby is easy, the magic ingredient is being able to wait.
Cheers. yeah, there is a lot jump cuts. I think its important to show to that this hobby is Slooow and Lonnng and somtimes not a lot happens. I think this is the only way to really show that, so I hope it comes across :)
I have a twenty year old Chinese Elm, that I made into a bonsai. It’s been my precious baby all these years. It always goes dormant and drops its leaves in late fall. I don’t like to whack it back, but do a bit of trimming and have only trimmed the roots back once three years ago. I call it Bonsie. Trying to create another Bonsai ,this year, from a Crepe Myrtle.
The reason i fell in love with bonsai is because it forces you to slow down and work on natures time scale. this video perfectly shows that in a way that many "pruning" videos dont.
Great video Ian! 👍 I agree with @Matt Brennan - ground layer is the way to go. I love my Chinese elm. So much fun with all the back budding and crazy growth. Looking forward to the ongoing updates! Cheers!
It was great seeing your work on this CE, and having the patience to wait the first season before hacking into it. Some people call them "malsai" when they arrive in this condition... but it will be so satisfying in a few years when you have turned it around into a beautiful bonsai! +1 on the ground-layer comments.
Cheers Dave. Yeah you are right these are exactly the Malsi cheap crap you find in all the super markets and stuff. But like you said. They can be turned around. :)
I’ve never bought a finished bonsai tree before but the videos I’ve seen almost makes me think that it’s more work to buy a bonsai tree than nursery stock
Yes and no.l If you are going to spend 15 quid on one of these .. .may as well just spend the same on nursery stock. ...if you are spending 150 quid ... or 1500 ...things will have actually be done correctly and you are paying for the time that has been spent actually developing the tree from what was probably nursery stock many years before.
I’ve been equally disappointed with trees purchased online. I think I bought a couple then decided to either develop my own or only buy from a reputable nursery after seeing the tree “in person”. Thanks, keep growing
Amazing video. Just came across this by accident and it is so interesting. You are totally right about these imported Chinese Elms you get from retailers. I always end up removing nearly everything and just starting again. I normally prioritise the roots but I can understand timing got in the way for you. I went to a bonsai supplier the other day and he said he was struggling to get anything these days. Prices have quadrupled because of shipping and import regs...so you could have a good investment for the future with that tree :)
You must have done something right because I keep coming back and watching this video 😊. Thank you for your patience and beautiful work also in all your other videos that I have watched. 👏👏😎
This is my wish come true! Always wanted someone to just buy the same quality of Chinese elm like the rest of us get from the market and just not manage to kill it, all done over the years but shot in a relatively decent sized video. Subbed, thank you and good luck!
Dude, there was nothing wrong with the trunk or roots. It was begging for air roots, better still root over rock. Not a fan of broom style for Chinese Elm, but this was a lot better than you let on. Usually people get these, even form decent nursery, with dropping/ yellow leaves, and other issues. The fun of Bonsai is trying to find a way to bring the best qualities out of the specimen, not continually pointing out the “disastrous” trunk.
Had no idea you could get a Chinese Elm bonsai on Amazon. It is better than I expected honestly! If you could find the perfect rock to fit in that void on the trunk it might look good as a root over rock. Right now it kind of reminds me of the Eiffel Tower from certain angles. Great video!
Cheers :) hahah yes its very eiffel towerish!! and you shoudl check amazon US. the UK one is full of these trees, all crappy, but all have good potential for a low cost.
its a two step back..one step forward situation. Although, this is more of a twenty two steps back. give it time, you will see the changes will be for the better. it will look similar, but actually be built properly
I got the exact type of elm from amazon 3 days ago,my first tree though,I am thinking of leaving it alone now though till spring then look at repotting it in better soil etc but for now just leave it alone
Nice video, some of the mass production trees are shocking but they are commonly root cutting that is trimmed to a broom shape. I can see this becoming 3 trees, you could remove the upper section it would more than likely root as a large cutting as they're so vigorous. The lower part could be split in two and wedge cut at the top. Yes it would take time for them to be show standard but as you've found out they will add branches without hesitation. Oh and don't forget you could get a tonne of cuttings to work with every time you trim it.
cheers. yes. the top is definitely coming off and I think the two main roots should develop some shoots if I keep them planted. so we will see what happens :)
Seems totally worth it based on the vigor alone. Have you considered finding JUST the right rock and wedging it up between those roots? Could pawn it off as root over rock. Air layer would probably be much better, but if it doesn’t take, or only partially takes on one side of the trunk, you’re right back to where you started.
Cheers. Yes. A great £15 well spent haha The risk is worth the reward hahah. But I think even if it roots badly. It still won’t be as bad as two fatties loooking shit.
Great videos man! Been looking at some of them and I love how you make a playlist of evey three seperatly. Maybe you should think of investing in a turntable from Ikea, might help you out with the film part. You could even go for a diy work table with fixed places to put your camera, that way you always have the same angle and background. I can see it already with your logo engraved in it and all. Just giving some advice, it will push your channel to a new level and the good part is that it will help you out aswell... you could add your soil storage under the bench so that it is always close to hand and what you spilled just rake it back in there. Any how, great stuff so far, keep up te good work
Cheers. yes i have a turntable, but its useless hhah as for the rest of the set up. this is all rather temporary and i cant really do much about it at the minute. However, I am trying to get out of here and get some more space, which will help the trees more, but also the videos. So hopefully that happens sooner rather than later.
@@BackGardenBonsai 🤞lets hope sooner than later indeed. Good luck mate. Would you mind doing a video on the tools you have and maybe show a example of how you use them that would be super! Saw your first tool vid but some times the sound of the music went over your voice and didn't quite understand it. Specialy the electrical tape ... What would you use that for?
I think that orange/red pot adds nice colour to that section of the video haha for $15, it's not bad, I hear they are vigorous growers so I think you can make it into something nice in no time!
haha I was so annoyed that red pot was in the way 🤣there really is not enough space in my shed for all my stuff 🤣but yes. they are crazy vigorous and a lot of fun
Hi. I love your videos. May I ask more about your soil choices? I am new to bonsai and have some seeds in the fridge that are nearly ready to sow (Japanese cedar and black cherry). The soil you use for these older trees looks like mainly gravel as well. Any help or advice would be appreciated.. or even a video on soil/potting/sowing would be awesome! Thanks! 😊
cheers, bonsai soil is very loose, read this - www.backgardenbonsai.com/a-general-guide-to-bonsai-soil/ that should get you started and if you click the beginner resources tab at the top you should find plenty to keep you busty for a while :)
@@BackGardenBonsai this article is so useful! Thank you! Will definitely help with repotting my (only) more mature tree that I have. Would you advise sowing into similar mixtures? Or using a more organic mix just to get the plant started before changing to a more traditional soil? Thanks again for your help Ian!
the sooner you get a tree into good soil, the sooner you start getting finer roots. roots in like normal compost are always a nightmare. you might need to use smaller particle size, since they are a smaller plant, but the same rules still apply the loose soil gives more space for air and water and the roots grow better
"And here was what I was left with"... I nearly died laughing. I know you had too, to get the shape you wanted. Funny though. To be fair was only £15 good value. I quite liked the split trunk.
yeah i leave it outside all year. it probably dips below freezing. its fairly mild. but these can take a good amount of cold. they are certainly not indooor trees like they are often sold as.
@@BackGardenBonsai it’s gets below freezing here. I just ordered my first Chinese elm and it’s coming from California. Since it’s fairly warm there in the winter, do you think it is wise to keep it inside this winter? I just don’t want to kill my first tree.
hmm yeah. i would probably keep it somewhere unheated, but protected. like your garage or somthing. just to keep the real cold off it, as it may not have prepared itself for that if its from california
@@enzeefpv9323 no it will be fine. it will go dormat. probably loose its leaves. which is normal for winter. it will not need much light. then in spring when you take it out. it will be well rested and grow very happily
How often are you watering the tree in each seasons (if that’s how you call it)? I bought my first tree few days ago, I’m totally new to this thing but I’m stoked to give it the time it needs. Also, do you have a recommendation on which soil should I use? Thank you so much!
it sounds stupid, but you need to water it, when it needs water lol. showing up at set intervals isn't ideal. might still be too wet, or already have dried out. so you gotta kinda check it daily and see whats going on. read these, for the water and soil, it should help point you in the right directions www.backgardenbonsai.com/how-to-water-a-bonsai/ www.backgardenbonsai.com/a-general-guide-to-bonsai-soil/
I'm glad you said that, because that's what I kind of thought, so thank you for making me sure! Thank you very much, I appreciate your help :) Have a good one@@BackGardenBonsai
Two years in 13 minutes. Sometimes I wish trees would grow that fast :) As other comments say I also think it would be safer to burry that Y root and go with a tourniquet ground layer.
Unbelievable video! Admit it - you love sorting out this mess - you look like you're in your element here lol! I managed to kill a Chinese elm in one year and am just starting to understand why. BTW, how do you overwinter? In your shed or inside your grow light enclosure?
hahah it’s annoying to deal with the mess. but I love it really. as for over wintering. it just sits outside all year. doesn’t need anything. but then it is quite mild here
Cool video. But I don't understand why you wouldn't spend more money to get a better bonsai if it takes so long to get results. Unless the challenge is apart of the fun.
yeah exactly. its all about the journey. i want to grow and develop trees into something myself, not just drop £3k on something amazing and pretty much done. although I am tempted at times haha
Are they springtails? if they are, its nothing to worry about. id still repot it in spring, as i imagine it will be a similar mess as mine and need better soil
@@BackGardenBonsai Ah true! But I like hearing the sound of the mix going in and poking it with a chop stick and the cutting of the branches or roots haha
haha yes. me too. A lot of the time the sound is bad, from wind or neighbours children screaming. but hopefully soon i can move and have a better set up for videos and sound :)
“I bought a bonsai from Amazon, I normally buy them from nurseries” I mean where do you think that bonsai is coming from ? I’m not trying to be nasty but that doesn’t make sense to me. The bonsais you buy on Amazon come from the same nurseries that sell them through their website
yeah youve totally misunderstood. you are correct. the little elms in blue pots all comes from the same field in china. doesnt matter where you buy them... they all come from there. I am saying i would normally go to your average plant nursery and buy trees that are sold for your garden ... then work them into bonsai, rather than buying these "pre made" ones
Got one of these from amazon. Be careful as I nearly got a MASSIVE aphid infestation! Luckly the elm survived winter dormancy and the aggressive soap-water treatment.
@@BackGardenBonsai unfortunately mine is a pretty terrible candidate for bonsai. I think I'll be growing it out for many years before it can be trained. I will say though, the roots we all very very fine, which was surprising.
God, I hope mine off amazon doesnt come this bad..ive never had a bonsai or any plant lol. I can survive with the trunk but holy crap it was just an absolute jungle in this video before you gave it such a copious haircut
@@BackGardenBonsai LMFAOOO my man, it was EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOURS. Amazon sold, with the upside down y trunk. Root ball was much much better than yours ( I think at least) but I complained to amazon and got a refund of my $20 back..I'm going to just shop in person for bonsai at this point
My grandson bought me Chinese elm group for Christmas, he didn’t realise how bad it was I have been doing bonsai for 30odd years, it took me 3 years to get it to a Stage were it can loosely be called a bonsai group, my grandson was ripped off by the seller because he didn’t know any better.
IMO you should consider root over rock for this tree instead of airlayering. The split base is perfect for it and you get to keep so many roots that will give you a way more satisfying progression on the branch structure! Great video as always :)
