Lol - I don't think you'll find a rock in Tony's stovepipe spruce. See video " Exposed root bonsai technique - Spruce". Looks like Tony gathered the long roots from 2 spruce and gave them an interesting twist with wire. He then potted them up in the stove pipe. I think the idea was to gradually push up the tree and reveal an interesting root structure until it was self-supporting. Either way, great fun watching the progress! Love the work you've done with your other spruce as well!
Great to see your work on these. They all look so much better with the branches thinned out, I loved the last one! They can backbud on old dead looking wood, it's good to leave a ¼ inch or so when you're pruning. Loved the video.
Really liking Tony's "Root-Over-Grit" style 😛 I'm somewhat newer to Spruce as bonsai myself but I am quite familiar with Spruce as a species. Best suggestion I have is to wire ASAP as the branches like to just spring back even after a really long time of being held in place.
I think Tony's plan was to push the tree up a little at a time and create a quite long exposed root. I believe he wired the roots into shape, it'll be interesting to see how the wire has effected/scarred the roots. Maybe with the last one just push it up a few centimeters a year and see if the roots are strong enough to hold the tree? Re spruce, I normally take off the growing tips in early summer, after the spring push. That generally makes them backbud from all areas with needles and even from the trunk sometimes. In late autumn/winter I prune off whatever I don't want, creating structure and ramification. You can completely transform the shape of the tree that way, just don't take off too much at a time, you need those dormant buds to develop into interesting options. Michael
Thanks Phillip - it is almost impossible to guess which species will be more popular. I was convinced the Cedar would be the better choice for UA-cam :)
How beautiful those trees can be… 😍 Congratulations Xavier. 👍❤️ I managed to kill my 1st, 2nd and (probably worst) my mum‘s big picea… 🫣 My 3rd one is doing well without treatment. 😅 Enjoy you’re video and don’t touch my picea ist my best option in case of this tree. 😄😘 Cheers 🙋♀️
Just another softwood variety we need to watch out for. They take so many years for wire to be effective that it is better to look at clip and grow techniques I think.
Tony's video is titled "Exposed root bonsai technique - Spruce" and I found it at ua-cam.com/video/jjPSgnOw_sc/v-deo.html. It's been a while since I watched it, but I think he was adding root movement with wire rather than a rock. Either way, it'll be great to see the results some day.
Is it possible that there isn’t a rock in Tony’s stovepipe pot? I just went over to his channel and two stovepipe pots were used for a future exposed root with wire applied to the roots without any rocks. Not sure if I was looking at the correct video though…
It appears I mistook what he was trying to do - it has been so long since I last saw that video. I will definitely leave the second one alone for a few more years
Lol - I don't think you'll find a rock in Tony's stovepipe spruce. See video " Exposed root bonsai technique - Spruce". Looks like Tony gathered the long roots from 2 spruce and gave them an interesting twist with wire. He then potted them up in the stove pipe. I think the idea was to gradually push up the tree and reveal an interesting root structure until it was self-supporting. Either way, great fun watching the progress! Love the work you've done with your other spruce as well!
Yep, I remember that too...
Do you know - I think you might be right. Typical of me :)
I think I should do my research a little better :)
Great to see your work on these.
They all look so much better with the branches thinned out, I loved the last one!
They can backbud on old dead looking wood, it's good to leave a ¼ inch or so when you're pruning.
Loved the video.
Thanks for that advice - I definitely liked how the third one ended up looking.
Great vid Xavier, always a treat to tune in
The big one rolls out tomorrow. Jelle is in the Garden. We got on so well - we both lost our voices :)
'Jinable' is now my new favourite word 😁 great video xavier enjoyable to watch as allways
I thinki it is spelt with two 'n's callan - cheers my friend :)
@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat I wonder if you meant spelt with „g“? 😉
Really liking Tony's "Root-Over-Grit" style 😛
I'm somewhat newer to Spruce as bonsai myself but I am quite familiar with Spruce as a species. Best suggestion I have is to wire ASAP as the branches like to just spring back even after a really long time of being held in place.
I have definitely discovered that problem with wire - it is one of the reasons I prefer working on the other two examples :)
Nice Piceas ! Good Job xav! Cheers 🍻
I definitely like the last one - let's see how it responds.
I think Tony's plan was to push the tree up a little at a time and create a quite long exposed root. I believe he wired the roots into shape, it'll be interesting to see how the wire has effected/scarred the roots.
Maybe with the last one just push it up a few centimeters a year and see if the roots are strong enough to hold the tree?
Re spruce, I normally take off the growing tips in early summer, after the spring push. That generally makes them backbud from all areas with needles and even from the trunk sometimes.
In late autumn/winter I prune off whatever I don't want, creating structure and ramification. You can completely transform the shape of the tree that way, just don't take off too much at a time, you need those dormant buds to develop into interesting options.
Michael
Thanks for that - Spruce is a new species for me so this helps :)
Great work....I especially like the last planting 🎉🎉🎉🎉
That surprised me by the time I had finished pruning it.
Well done very nice video of bonsai s thanks xavier keep up the good work mate thanks
Thanks Phillip - it is almost impossible to guess which species will be more popular. I was convinced the Cedar would be the better choice for UA-cam :)
Hello Xav... nice video.. I have a tall picea like that too that I'll be bonsai'ng in a week or so.
I look forward to it.
How beautiful those trees can be… 😍 Congratulations Xavier. 👍❤️ I managed to kill my 1st, 2nd and (probably worst) my mum‘s big picea… 🫣 My 3rd one is doing well without treatment. 😅 Enjoy you’re video and don’t touch my picea ist my best option in case of this tree. 😄😘 Cheers 🙋♀️
We shall see how these all respond. They do seem to be a little 'sensitive' to touching :)
Great video xav 👍
Thanks Andy
how come wire scars are bad on the spruce? i feel that was a cautionary tale i need to know about haha
Just another softwood variety we need to watch out for. They take so many years for wire to be effective that it is better to look at clip and grow techniques I think.
@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat have you ever air layered a spruce? I'm currently trying but not feeling very hopeful :P
@@lil_treez_au Nope - I look forward to hearing how you get on
@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat I'll be sure to update you :) might take a year or two for anything to happen though haha
Tony's video is titled "Exposed root bonsai technique - Spruce" and I found it at ua-cam.com/video/jjPSgnOw_sc/v-deo.html. It's been a while since I watched it, but I think he was adding root movement with wire rather than a rock. Either way, it'll be great to see the results some day.
Thanks for that - I shall be more careful about the second one which I will leave for another year before pushing it up a little.
Is it possible that there isn’t a rock in Tony’s stovepipe pot? I just went over to his channel and two stovepipe pots were used for a future exposed root with wire applied to the roots without any rocks. Not sure if I was looking at the correct video though…
It appears I mistook what he was trying to do - it has been so long since I last saw that video. I will definitely leave the second one alone for a few more years
Xav I don't think it was a root over rock that Tony did. Might have to watch the video again.
I am starting to realise that everybody else already knew the answer. makes for funny viewing me tryuing to find a rock that never existed :)
Just right in time before leaving to nightshift 👍❤️😘
Don't forget to take your house keys :)
@@XaviersBonsaiRetreatKind of funny you wrote this. I almost never forget my keys, but I DID the day before 😂😘
If I remember right, he had more than 1 tube tree. I don't think he did root Over Rock for all of them.
I have the second tube as well - so that one I will leave alone for a few years
boah, you keep on pushing out these videos, man!
I'm all about quantity not quality :)