It’s obvious that Peter knows what he’s doing, but his confidence allows him to be so “rough” that I find myself wincing throughout these videos while listening to him rake through the roots and chop off bits and pieces.
I truly appreciate how you talk about your work and share your thoughts teaching the viewers the wisdom of your craft. I am impressed to see how much you know about each individual tree. May you be blessed with a joyful and long life.
The split trunk maple is pictured on the hard cover of the first bonsai book I was gifted when I was about 11 years old. I just found your youtube channel a few days ago and I'm so glad to be able to see your creations again. I will be 43 years old soon and you Sir are a childhood memory come to life! God bless you.
This must rank as the best youtube videos I have ever seen; thank you for sharing so freely, of your immense knowledge and experience. I have always been attracted to the concept of Bonsai, but was entirely ignorant on the subject. I have already learned SO much from you and cannot wait to begin on my very own Bonsai journey. Thank you again and all the best!
I can't get enough of these videos. They are immensely useful and helpful in illustrating the many different approaches to take for each unique specimen. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so generously.
Peter, I had to pause the video on the "split trunk maple", that photo is worth framing, it seems as iconic to me as Hokusai's "great wave". Also, that's what you should make a Tee Shirt print of.
I love these videos, I have only one request, Would it be possible to cover the “soil” you use for different trees? As example, what is in the containers you are opening in this video? Thank you Herons!
Man I am envious of this guy. It must be freeing to have so many bonsais of so many ages that you have no inhibitions of really getting in there and being aggressive. He has no fear. But the end results are no doubt better. I am admittedly afraid to do much to my bonsais as I only have two, but I know in the long run it is better to go for it.
I very much enjoyed this video. I always enjoy your content & your plethora of knowledge in everything bonsai. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Watched this again, learned so much more, takes a few views to really understand the decisions and now that I have so many baby maples it's a great review.
17:22 I saw this tree in your book in the mid '90s when I was a teenager. I feel in love immediately. It is very similar to a Japanese mountain maple tree my grandparents on my mother's side planted from a cutting my grandmother got some odd 60 or 70 years ago, which was much later transplanted to my parent's new house. Unfortunately, after 20 years or so, it has not made it these past 2 years and was taken down. I miss it dearly. Such a beautiful tree with so much meaning to me. As a young and untamed rascal of a kid, I kicked it and split the trunk, but my grandfather wrapped it up and it healed. A part of my life that I learned from and cherished died with that tree, a tree I might have killed, but one that was saved and eventually died like any other tree might have. I wish I would have saved it, but I never thought it would be gone. That is the last lesson it had to teach me.
yes, Its great, but also sucks that the tree you start will not be worth anything until you have long past. trees, like us have different stages in life. the baby tree has no bark. the child tree has its first layer of bark, (soft layer/light color. A teenage tree is when it starts to really grow upward and your always pruning it back. (this is the age you buy a tree for your yard) Young adult with in 5-10 years want to reproduce like crazy! and the most beautiful!. This is also the age where many trees start to die because of that. If not enough nutrients for the next stage, the tree will give up its life for its young. An adult tree has the most dramatic changes happen to its bark, It changes so much it wont even look like the same tree anymore after another 10 years as it changes color and shape and often looks like a different breed. In bonzai this is the best year for you, as these trees are now HUGE in nature. Every year after this we go into elder tree, this is when parts of it die off, but the tree continues to live. Long white dead wood forms. A lot of people kill off young branches to give the illusion its an elder tree but if you know trees.... you cant fool a professional.
Brilliant video. Was looking at starting a couple of bare roots this winter. But I think a visit for a raw specimen and a couple of pots will keep my collection keeping me busy. Even better your in the same shire as me. Great advice on air layering too.
Good afternoon. I'm from Québec in Canada. This province produces over 80% of the world's maple syrup, a delicious sweetener produced by boiling and reducing the collected sap of maple trees in early spring (March and April), before the leaf buds burst. The technique was taught to European explorers (settlers / colonists) by North American native peoples in the sixteenth century. Just thought you'd like to know!
I love the confidence he has from experience. I cringe at how rough he is with the trees--even while knowing that he's done this for longer than I've been alive and knows that the trees will be fine.
Absolutely magnificent. You are truly a masterful artist. Thankyou for so generously filming all your processes. I am so inspired by your work. God bless you.
I abandoned my trees to travel, most I planted in ground, and I'm hooked again. The trees that survived are fat and healthy. But the potted trees, even in large pots, died and the sadness is as bad as if they were a part of my family. My blood sweat and tears.
Rather inspiring. I bought a young air-layered Japanese Maple recently, which has a rather skinny trunk. I put it into a plastic pot for now, on top of a piece of ceramic tile, hoping to encourage horizontal roots. After watching this, I think I might wire the trunk into some 'S' shape. Thanks!
I got some v reasonable priced acer this week (i snapped up a load of them) and im in the middle of repotting - they need a lot of defoliation and pruning to get the leaf size down and more dense growth. Great tip on not pruning back flush to a node -v good to know.
Seems people don't give much attention to trees grown from seed. Do you think that it is because people are impatient. Of course use any method /s to create. But I think seed grown in pot is special. Thank you for your great videos.
Never too old to plant Trees. When planting a Tree next generation will havest the Fruits. Trees mostly be better when Planter left for long time. Thats life.
If you plant the tree in the ground (field-grown) the growth will be much faster than in a pot because the plants can spread out with all of the extra growing room and more and larger branches equal a thicker trunk . Most of the the larger bonsai you see have been field grown from five to ten to 20 years and then refined to create these two to three foot bonsai (unless you air layer a thick branch from another tree then you're kind of cheating 😉) but all around if you are successfully interacting with a bonsai and keeping it healthy and maintained, you have to be at least remotely patient. 👍
my maple seeds have just started sprouting! and I have no idea what I'm doing but I have plenty of time to keep learning. I'm actually surprised at how much joy I've received growing from seed. it's really special when you wait for months, and all of a sudden an empty pot sprouts cute little seedlings. When my bonsais are 20 and 30 years old, I wonder if I always look back at this time as the most exciting and precious? if I don't manage to accidentally kill them that is 😨
Hello Peter, could you kindly make a video showing how to develop new trees from field maple root cuttings? It would be interesting to learn your method and try my hand at this. I realize this is an older video so I will repost this on your latest video too. Thank you and be well! -EJ in the San Jose, CA
Thank you for showing the decision process. I have a maple from the nursery which has two leading trunks and now I know I have to cut one as it is not aesthetically appealing on this particular tree!
How do you encourage branch growth after you've achieved a good thick trunk? For example your new split trunk maple, how will you get the trucks to start making smaller branches?
Excuse me, but you saying "Air layering"? What is this method? BTW, I really love your videos. First videos that actually make the hobby seem uncomplicated. I might actually try Bonsai - Thank you
Hello, Can you make a video about the type of different Japanese maple colors there are, people think that blue leaf maples exist but it’s not true. This lie it’s use by seed sellers to attract buyers. Thanks and just to say I really like your videos
His awards winning bonsai he is referring to looks like a shirasawanum katsura- hime, a dwarf version of the katsura. I have one that is not award winning but it's a beautiful small tree.
Peter, I very much enjoy your videos I have learned a lot from watching them. I noticed when you show many of the trees you are grooming for bonsai at the nursery and on exhibit that you do not show any weeping willows or any willow trees although I see them made into bonsai I have noticed they are not exactly a popular choice. But I love them I would love to see you show a video on how to shape and train one of those and would be most grateful.
Hi I’ve got a Japanese maple about 6 years old last year 2023 the leaves got badly scorched I defoliated all the leaves but all the branches died the trunk was as thick as a thumb I cut it back to an inch above the soil repotted it and it’s in my mini green house I’ve noticed a new shoot 1/4 of an inch up from the soil on the trunk what should I do any help would be appreciated thanks Gary Snell
