How to Propogate Bonsai & Make Cuttings 

Master Chan...I am always blown away by your personality. It is such a pleasure to listen to you and you always make me smile. I feel if more people in this world would have your outlook on life and a “ piece “ of your personality this world would be a better place!

Thank you for donating your time and knowledge to the world. Your knowledge will be treasured for centuries.

keep this man alive !!!

It's not a question of money. I always learn so much from you. I appreciate all your videos.

Dr. Chan, I have been getting plants to grow for the last 70 years and I have been BONSAIING for the last 58 years, I am still learning new things from you, THANK YOU. This is another heavy video, very full of information. I finally heard you on quite a few things, you are not saying things will not work, you are saying, "the better way is". I can't argue with 95%. Thanks for the reminder about transportation, you have to slow everything down. Just, thank you so much.

Umm, your forearms are awesome. Love to see the results of a lifetime of physical labor. Love the videos!

Thank you mr. Chan. I love your videos. I hope you live 1,000 years more so you can keep making these awesome videos.

you’ve inspired me to go on a walk and take cuttings from the neighbourhood!

Okay, I'm around 35 seconds in and I'm already subscribing. I probably won't attempt bonsai in the next year or so, but I can't deny the charisma and enthusiasm you bring to your material. Thanks!

Wow, what a delightful and inspiring human being. An absolute joy to listen to and watch working.

Watching this is so relaxing..we need more people like you in the world. Thanks for the video I’m going to try propagating thru cuttings.

Peter...I am returning to your library for videos I’ve not seen!!! Fantastic!!

I just love this man. He is the Holy Grail of knowledge. I do wonder how often they need watering and do you mist them as they are a bit more delicate? And where do you all keep them during this stage, must it be indoors?

Thank you so much for this video. As a beginner it can be quite difficult to start a collection because so many teachers only show techniques on advanced trees! It's really helpful to get instruction on the very beginnings of a planting.

Bonsai Class with Master Chan -the perfect start to the day. Knowledge and friendship shared.

The nicest thing about taking cuttings cuttings is that it is the easiest way of sharing odd or unusual plants with your friends and neighbors.

I keep coming back to this video to remind myself what it looks like.

Master Chan, I love your teaching, using examples and wise words. Every time when I have a bad day, I watch your videos and the sun start shining in my mind. It's a kind of meditation and relaxing following your tips, tricks and wisdom. Today I was laughing so loud that my husband came around asking what is so funny by creating bonsai. The point with cutting the finger was so absolutly funny, welldone. Thank you for this important theme. For me plants growing from seeds and cuttings are like my babies. I have so many trees and plants grown in the last 2 decades from this and every time it's for me such a pleasure to be part of the great wonder of life and nature, seeing the first tiny green coming trough the soil saying "Hello Mama, here I am". And some of them I spoil like my children. If I have problems to find an person who will look for them when I go on holiday with the caravan (quite often in a year) I take them with me!! My friends call me grazy. My husbands is not amused about this, but his wife is his queen and he has now arranged with this, so every time he left a space for them in the car. True love! Take care, stay healthy, the bonsai world need you.

always a boss. peter chan rocks

Awesome! I did Juniper (San Jose) cuttings for the first (started them last Fall).. Checked them recently this Spring and 11 out of 20 rooted. I'm very excited :D I will make a video of them soon :) Edit: This video motivated me to try more cuttings today, lol (especially since it’s Spring right now, the best time.. it’s either now, or I have to wait another year for optimal growth)... I just did today... 6 nanking dwarf-cherry cuttings and 6 satsuki azalea cuttings... I’ve never attempted cuttings of these neither. I hope they will root! 🙏

thank you peter chan. your videos are very interesting! i like that you explain lots of details, but at the same time, make bonsai super accessible for everyone.

Last year I made several cuttings, in individual pots, of rosemary. Took alot of time and none of them rooted. This year I took a bunch of cuttings and just stuck them in a flat like yours and every one of them took. They make great little bonsai.

Fantastic video ...very..very informative...will be propagating lots come spring time..

i bought a japanese elm a week ago, and thinned and tidied it this evening, all the shoots that i trimmed ive tried to plant as cuttings - ive got loads and loads! I used your matchstick rule of thumb and didnt get greedy - touch wood i get a dozen plants for the price of one!! cheers for the content again.

Woow, it was sooo educational, l searched a lot for cuttings like maple and etcetera but you cover them all in one video, thank u very much sir

Thank you Mr. Chan so much for cutting tricks and tips. Always fascinating to watch you.

This is so great! I've been trying so hard to do cuttings, but the guides are always so vague and complicated. This is so straight-forward and easy to understand. Thank you so much for this!

7.08 I'm in stitches! Peter you are a legend thank you for all your wonderful lectures

Sir, thank you so much for passing down all of you knowledge to us viewers. I saw one of your videos explaining the basics about bonsai about 5 months ago, before I left a terrible job. Today I bought my first juniper tree, have begun prunning and shaping it. I have to tell you I am enjoying my new hobby. In a way it has also saved my life as it takes away any of my worries. It's just about the tree and caring for it. Thank you!

I can't tell you how much I love your videos! Thank you for sharing what you know and allowing us to get to know you through your expertise! I wonder if you realize how beloved you are here on youtube, and how grateful we all are that you are out there in the world providing such useful knowledge to so many. You are a wonderful man, my friend! Good health and all the best to you!

Thank you so much for this video! I have always wondered, how one can get the plant without having to spend a fortune on it in the specific shops or make a voyage to the forest of fields. Your video has answered all the questions I had about propagation, an even the ones I was only about to have:) I adore the way you explain everything and make the bonsai and gardening culture more reachable and affordable. Greetings and thanks from South Russia!

Thank you for all the wonderful things you have learnt me already ,it is a pleasure to watch you.

Thank you for the videos. Your sense of joy and fascination with gardening definitely shines through on these videos as well as being informative. Here's a thought from a mother of eight children, propagation of people already exists, not to be crude, it's called making babies. Also fascinating!

Truly fascinating Peter next time I trim my trees I am going to grow them on instead of putting them in the compost bin ,thank you once again for sharing your experience and knowledge..😊😊😊😊

One of my favorite activities! Thank you for the video on the subject- I didn't know you could actually make root cuttings with some species, so I'll have to experiment with that a bit on my own.

Sir I am from Kolkata. I learnt bonsai from Mr Phani Basu. In each and every class he described your techniques and methods.He used to say ‘Peter Chan is the best’. Now when I watch your videos , I can understand how right he was . I am learning so much from you Sir.

FANTASTIC instructional video as usual but I'm just wondering if it'd be better for a small back yard gardener to propagate the cuttings in individual small but deep containers whereby if they strike then I won't be disturbing their roots as if I had them altogether in a deep tray. I think that would minimise damage to the young tender roots & hence minimize transfer shock. I also cover the individual containers to create a mini Green house effect so far it's proving to be successful but I'd love to hear your opinion & any other suggestions please.

Many thanks, sir, for the many blessings of your kind and caring teaching that you provide us all.

You learn something new everyday,Thank you again sir.

Thankyou so much peter what a great vid . I have just in the last week took cuttings from 2 of my maples. Havent tried before so fingers crossed they will take. Both are palmatum dissectum one is purple and the other green.

This was by far the most informative video I have seen on this topic. Thank you Master Chan! Your wisdom is so obvious and amazing.

Hi Peter. You mentioned root cutting in a video once before and at the time I had never heard of it. Shortly after hearing this I had cause to root prune a hawthorn. I had two pieces of root about 3 or 4 inches long and about 1.1/2 inches thick with a few feeder roots on one side. I planted them both in pots with the thick piece of root level with the surface of the soil. Like a log lying on the surface. Both of them pushed out multi trunks along the top of the log.

Peter, nice discussion of taking and preparing cuttings. However you might want to add a followup video on aftercare. For example, misting regularly can help greatly with root development as can using a heat matt under them. Overwatering can lead to root rot but under watering can desiccate and result in failure. When I ran a greenhouse in college we had a large propagation table filled with perlite and heating coils embedded under that. There was an automatic misting rig over it that ran at preset intervals. I had to root hundreds of plant cuttings for biology classes every semester. Wish I had access to that setup now! However it is possible to create a small home rooting setup quite easily with some grow lights, plastic sheeting, and the materials you discussed. Thanks for all the work you are putting into these videos.

Thanks again Peter, I have about 50 cuttings from my picea, and they are mostly staying green, some of the new needles died but we will see, the elms don't look too good but the video explained it a lot better on where to cut.

Master Chan, I’ve been watching and learning from you for a few years now. I am so grateful for the knowledge you share. I only have about 25 trees that I care for but I get so much joy from it. Thank you! I started 28 Japanese maples from clippings today. I will patiently wait for the outcome

Thank you so much for these videos , you are an inspiration

You are amazing, Sir. thank you for your wisdom and skill.

I love watching your videos. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I appreciate it.

So nice of you to share this knowledge. Wow.. Really appreciate and enjoy all of your videos. Thank you a lot.

My learning never ends when watching your videos Peter. Thank you for all your efforts in teaching all your followers the art of Bonsai

This is a fascinating bit of information, Master Chan. Thank you so much for sharing with us. Last evening, my son and I went to a near-by Wal-Mart store and I bought 2 healthy specimens of plants to be my first serious attempts at bonsai. One is a Japanese Holly and the other is a Chinese Holly. Beautiful condition and very healthy. I also got an unusual Jade plant called an Ogre Ears. It didn't take but a second to see how it got it's name......about half of it's leaves are shaped exactly like the ears of the cartoon character, Shrek; tubular with slightly angled ends. My goal is to turn it into a bonsai tree like I've seen some other folks do. Those leaves will make it a unique little tree.

Thank you and your staff for posting this. It's is very informative. I'm learning alot.

I had an emergency back in the summer, builders needed a couple of trees taken out as they were too close to a new build extension. One was an Acer, lovely piece about 15ft tall. I managed to dig out a reasonable rootball, still appears to be surviving, however to reduce the mass I lopped off a large branch, I've taken several cutting from it and even saved a mini branch of about 12" ~ this was before I saw this video.... but.. knowing Peter's love of spagnum moss and having seen his air layerings... they're all in spag moss in pots.... with shoots growing :) yes even the stump of branch - hey why not? The principle is pretty much the same as air-layering. If this works it will be my medium for cuttings. I know the test will be winter, I'll keep a close watch on temperatures. By the way Peter - good use of a Wickes 'builders tray' (the black tray he mixes the potting soils in) I use the same for all sorts of applications inc oil drip trays for trucks at work.

Great Video and advice :) I've grown cuttings for Hydrangea, Hebe, Buddleia, Spirea & Lavender. Most of these plants are now on my channel header and I made a new Hebe video which shows these cuttings on their journey into big shrubs. Happy Growing :)

The other day I went to my mom home and got some heel cuttings from her Christmas tree and Albert Spruce . And I got some soil that is for cuttings from Miracle Grow and I saved this video so that I do it correctly. I wish I could you a picture. I can't wait to see what happens. Thank you for your lesson. 🌲🌱🍃🌿☺☺☺Sincerely Patricia Ann Griggs

You are a true inspiration and a fount of information - thank you! In this video you exactly express my own feelings of the joy of finding something - be it seed or snipping - that I've stuck in soil flourishing and growing!

U are a great teacher ..love your videos.

Very inspiring watching your videos as many other subscribers shared in their opinions, i can't really get enough of it, and the way you are taking and explaining about bonsai made me start growing my own bonsai trees. I got 4 junipers and 4 japonese cedars. In the process of poting and pruning them plants i got some (by my opinion) very nice cuttings witch I have sticked in damp medium, and my question is, can I grow juniper communis and cryptomeria japonese cuttings at this time of the year without the rooting powder? Thank You very much for sharing all that knowledge, best wishes!

Thank you very much Master! Loves all your videos

Very helpful and informative. Thank you. Many videos I’ve seen recommend putting the planted cuttings in a closed container with air vents but I often have trouble with mold forming that way, and it probably keeps them too wet. Do you keep your trays open in a humid greenhouse and then water as needed? My method has not been very successful so I appreciate your tips to increase my rate of success. You are an excellent teacher.

wow.. again the best video i can learn from on propagation. thank you!

Thanks Mr Chan for the info you make it sound like any one can have results , makes me want to go try some right now. Big Fan

Master Chan, I am a new subscriber and I have learned so much already. My question for today is: “After the newly cut plant starts to root can you leave them outside for the winter, should you at least bring them into the garage, or do they need to be kept in a greenhouse & above a certain degree all winter?” Just found your video on overwintering and that answered my question 🙂.

I wonder if Eleagnus would make good bonsai . . . it grows fast, bends and shapes easy, and has tiny white flowers that attract pollinators! Plus I have almost and endless supply from the landscaping place where I work now. Hmmmm . . . guess I'll try some cuttings of Eleagnus as well.

Gracias por compartir su conocimiento en el arte del bonsai

Thanks for the lesson. Gives me confidence to try again.

Thanks for your horticultural knowledge 👍

Thank you Master Chan! Your passion shows in your videos. Still looking for the "everyday garden material" book... is a reprint (or preferably ebook) in the works?

Exactly the video that I've been searching for. Thank you!

very interesting, you are the best Peter

Thanks Peter I will be trying some soft wood cutting tomorrow

This is brilliant!! You seem like a wonderful person. Would love to meet you in person!...Come to Florida, USA! :) Thank you for your selfless and thoughtful advice.

Heron, you should do a live stream video because you can put in for donations to your channel. Just a suggestion for you , I love this stuff. Thank you Heron!

Lessons to be learned ... thanks Peter.

Hello; I have watched a number of your vidoes! I really like the imformation you provide, excellent. In this video, you describe your method for propogating several different varieties of plants, fantastic. I'm wondering if can inform me, about the area, or dwelling, you use, to put trays of cuttings. I notice that you have a big building, or green house, or hot house. do you recommend some type of enclosure. for putting my trays of cuttings, that I'm trying to propogate.

Thank you! I am trying this with some Tulip Poplar prunings I had today. Whether I make them full trees or bonsai, we will see! Thank you for the treasure trove of knowledge that is your RU-vid channel. Also, I had a laugh at 25:05 - "You've got to get rid of these suckers"!! 😆😆

Thanks for this video peter....really handy info.

I really enjoyed - my garden is now full of pots with cuttings ;-)

Great video! Keeping this one for reference!

Peter Chan..King of bonsai..

I love your videos, you're really kind

Thank you for a great lesson 🌱🌲🌳🌴🌵🌿🤗💖💥

Yes I am glad you did this video🌿🌿🍃🍃💚💚💚👧

Thank you for your great videos and knowledge! Has anyone advice where best to keep cuttings? I’m in middle England and haven’t had great success in a small green house. I was thinking indoors might be better with more stable temperature? Thanks

Tissue culture is a strong possibility on some of the trees that "won't propagate" through traditional cutting methods. The best part is, you can clone pretty much any plant/tree as long as you have a small piece of leaf, root, stem, etc. It's a pretty straightforward process, if anyone's interested, there's quite a few videos on here about "tissue culture". I've seen the tiniest tip of a trimmed leaf turn into the spitting image of her mother. It's an amazing process!

Learnt so much from this, thanks for sharing

Mr, Chan. I hate throwing away cuttings. I have wondered for years whether one can grow bald cypress, Dawn redwood, etc. from cuttings.

Thanks ever so much l like the way how you explain everything your the best keep up the good work

Excellent video Sir . Thank you.

Love watching

What an amazing video. Thank you so much

Do you water them after planting them right away? I'm afraid of getting root rot. How often do I water them. Thank you for you videos.

Thank You Peter for your outstanding videos.I look forward to your new videos daily. Your educational videos have been very helpful to me. I have purchased a few of your books as well. I would like to visit Herons when I travel to Britain in the fall. It would be great to take one of your classes! Is there a process for reserving a spot for a class? - FYI...I just did some root cuttings today from my large Cedar Trees...hoping I am successful in propagating! Cheers.

I like to use a potato peeler to strip the bark for my cuttings and aloe vera gel for natural organic chemical-free rooting hormone

Hi sir... Good video about plants and bonsai. Have a nice day sir....

Thank you for making these videos.

Wonderful!!! Thanks! The project will start tomorrow...

mr chan you should do a hard wood cutting video for us.. winter time is hardwood cutting time usually.. i just got some hardy hibiscus hard wood going in less then 2 weeks

Great video. Some good tips there. You didn’t mention much about aftercare of the cuttings. Do you cover them to provide a humid environment? I’ve managed to root Chinese elm and Ficus cuttings previously. I’m now trying Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis), but having less luck. I have no idea how Wild Service Tree do as bonsai but they’re one of my favourite trees. Do you have any in your nursery?

I totally agree with bonsai bob 👍👍👍👍