Use Apical Dominance for Better Bonsai
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- How do you manage top-dominant tree species when growing bonsai? Whether it is Larix bonsai, Japanese Maple or Zelkova bonsai: Understanding how the tree balances growth, and what you can do to reduce top-strength and direct strength to lower branches is key to developing better bonsai.
Balancing growth and dominance is a key-concept for bonsai growers. Watch this video to be more effective in growing lower branches and reduce overly thick branches in the top of the tree.
Beech development:
Video 1: • Create Trunk Taper and...
Video 2: • Bonsai Beech styling |...
I *really* love this biomechanical approach to explaining and thinking about bonsai techniques--as a beginner, this is the kind of thing that will help me think critically and avoid making too many beginner mistakes (already thinking about a dwarf spruce I may have mistreated....), rather than just thinking about a decision's impact on aesthetics
I already knew about apical/basal dominance but what I didn't realise was that it's all shrubs that are basally dominant (doh!). This light bulb moment will help the development of my uncommon species in training (dogwood, viburnum, weigela etc etc). Thanks Jelle, I always pick up a titbit of information from your videos. Keep up the good work👍
:)
This is the second time I have watched this video in two weeks and I still learned so much. This video is a “must watch” for anyone in the intermediate level of their bonsai journey. Please make more of these. Possibly consider a video on recommended books for intermediate level students like me. Your channel is amazing but I really want to get more books that are beyond the bonsai basics like tools, parts of a tree, how to put mesh in the bottom of a pot. I want more advanced tutorials like how to develop an apex, how to best set up a tree for the future development, etc. and this video is right in that sweet spot. Best video I have seen yet (with a challenge to produce more of them).
Wow, I am early! I clicked thinking it was an older video instead it’s freshly baked!
The part about how to make sure to have short internodes in the trunk is very interesting. Thanks.
Haha, glad you found it early on!
*SO* helpful! Probably the clearest explanation of bonsai basics I have heard. Thanks so much!
As a novice I found this video very educational.
me too! very helpful thx Jelle
Glad to hear it! Have you seen my "bonsai for dummies" video? Really aimed at broad, general information re. growing bonsai!
You're welcome narko
@@GrowingBonsai nope, but i will now) ty
I've been using the same techniques on my zelkova and native maple species and I've seen it work just like you explained.
Especially the maple species (Norwegian and Red maples) are interesting to learn techniques on, because they grow so fast and they are really hard to kill. 😂
It also gives me the possibility to see what is possible with them.
Shorter internodes on weaker branches is new information I did not know. Excellently explained and demonstrated. Even when you are covering a subject I feel I have an understanding of you find a way to add information I did not know and is very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Maybe I should do a longer video just on the internodes?
This is one of your best videos. I love how I think differently about sacrifice branches now (that less dominant future apex is brilliant and something I will adopt on my own trees).
Keep up the great work.
One of the best descriptions on branch development that I have ever heard. So info packed that I'll have to watch it several times to absorb it all. Outstanding!
this is awesome, i love when you talk about why you make the decisions you make to develop the tree 👏 👏 thanks jelle
You're welcome!
Absolutely eye-opening video about a fundamental principle in bonsai.
Your videos are unbeatable when it comes to technical knowledge about the art and I am very grateful that you share this knowledge with the world for free.
I would love to see your trees live one day. As far as I know you live in Germany, so that might even be possible ;)
Anyway. Thank You! Your work is greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much! Great to hear you find little bits of new info in the videos!
Super video Jelle ! Dit is mijn favoriete aanpak, het theoretische. Zo begrijp ik het. Weer veel bijgeleerd en bedankt daarvoor !
This is an excellent video Jelle. I am brand new to bonsai so this was ALL news to me. All except the apical dominance thing. I did know that from growing house plants. But I did not know I could have so much control with it. I saved this video so I can refer back to it and watch it often so I can understand it better. Thanks so much!!
Oh wonderful breakdown of developing good bottom growth! I've understood the principals, but you have shown me how to manipulate and take advantage of top dominance - finer internodes and more interesting new trunk line is brilliant!!!
Glad it was helpful!
I thought this was a great video. Lot of really needed info for me.
Glad it was helpful!
lots of new info here for me jelle, thanks again for sharing your knowledge
My pleasure!
Very informative! Great explanation of how to use sacrifice branches to create taper. Thanks!😊
Glad it was helpful! Now go outside and work on your bonsai!
Very helpful video. Will be rewatching in a few days to get the info to really sink in 😉
Really helpful - thank you, Jelle!
32k already wow that's really super fast with you :)
Many thanks for the video. Of course I know that the tips grow better, but thinking about it intensively for a 15 minutes was very helpful.
To be honest, I hadn't thought about pruning the lower part of the tree less before. Thanks Jelle!
Fantastic video! Many thanks for your guided lesson!
My pleasure! Hope it was helpfull and fun!
Agree with Stevieboy, I learnt some more today 👍
Great to hear!
Very good design “and why” explanations on current design and thoughtfulness looking into the future design one has in their mind. 👍
Excellent video! Learning everyday. Thanks again
Great to hear!
Thank you, this was very helpful! 🙏
You're so welcome! Feel free to share the link around :)
As you are more experienced it would be nice to hear the number of years you expect before these little trees become bonsai / nice.
It is hard to tell. It so depends on where you want to take a tree before you can say how long it takes. But typically a decade is realistic to have in the back of your mind using younger plants.
Great video Jelle, thank you 😊
You’re welcome 😊
very good video. I actually learned new things. Thanks
Glad to hear it! Have a browse around. I might have other, also interesting, videos for you!
How informative !
Went to subscribe, already subscribed. Lol good stuff.
Awesome! Thank you! Hm.. So sorry. Subscribing twice does not work :).
Do look around the channel. Over 200 videos on there now!
Great video, good choice of trees too. I think you explain a lotta things others do not - best bonsai ytber by a long shot in my opinion :)
Thank you SO Much! Great to hear!
Good insights. Thanks, Jelle.
My pleasure!
Good stuff Jelle 👍
Thx so much!
Great video and lesson Jelle 👊👊
:)
Thanks Jelle 👍
My pleasure!
Immediate interaction for the algorithm, will watch soon!
Thx for joining the game & supporting this video!
@@GrowingBonsaiOh, could you post the link to the azalea video you mentioned, Jelle? Maybe a pinned comment or in the description?
Great info thanks !
No problem!
Very useful. Have come across some of the basic concepts before but not in such an instructional way and it seems I need lots of repetition since I always manage to cut off the wrong branches and only realise just after it has already been done or when watching your video😞
Glad it was helpful! Think twice, cut once?
im new in bonsai, love your channel mate, hugs from russia!
Welcome!
Very useful information
Great to hear, thank you!
Awesome video Jelle!🏆
👏🏽
Great detail, as far as all the Pruning..
If you see this, please leave the link for that Beech, in its earlier stage(s)..
Thanks so much🙏🏽
It is there now!
100k here we go.
So close! At this speed only 3 more years, hahahaha. I doubt I have the energy to keep going with YT another 3 years!
nice info!!
Glad it was helpful!
BTW finally subscribed!
Great to hear you decided to stick around!
Hope a book is in the works my friend.
Haha, great idea. Who knows!
A dear made a rub on a small tree can I fix it
Hoi Jelle, bedankt voor alle leuke en interessante video's die je maakt. Ik kijk er altijd weer naar uit. Ik heb een vraag. Ik probeer al een paar jaar ruw materiaal van een nishiki gawa mapel aan te schaffen. Maar vind alleen tuincentra in de UK en USA. Weet jij of er een tuincentrum of iets dergelijks in NL is die dit verkoopt. Ik hoor het graag. Alvast bedankt.
Ik heb ze een paar jaar geleden bij Esveld gevonden!
Bedankt voor je antwoord. Daar ben ik wel eens geweest. Succes met je channel.
Great video. I really needed this for my Japanese black pine that is in development. It's just another question: Does this also work with succulents like with my dwarf jade?
In principle, yes. But succulents are somewhat inpredictable I find. I need to get more experience
At what time of year is it best to remove sacrifice branches or leaders?
Hey Jelle,
Ive recently picked up a nice little acer but its got a bit of a nasty v shaped graft. Whats the best way to reduce the knuckle bulge caused by a iffy graft? Many thanks from Wales 🤘
Man... Your video's are always FULL of information (a lot of which are new to me as a beginner), but I gotta be honest: they're also often quite confusing. Maybe it's in the way you explain things, or the way you cut back and forth between scenes/sentences... not sure. But I find myself having to put a lot of extra focus into filtering the info out. (And I'm usually a fast learner)
For example at 6:20 - Isn't taper a variation in thickness between segments of a branch? Aren't you therefor saying the same thing twice? (And what was that 'chapter-callout' shot with the maple doing there :P)
This is all meant as constructive criticism of course, and you can't cater to everyone's learning style. I just thought I'd share ;-)
Thanks for the info!
Watch it again. Two options. You fatten the whole branch by letting the end of the branch extend. Or you only fatten part of the branch by having a branch halfway down to extend. The latter enhances taper, as the end of the branch does not thicken.
I had considered making a diagram for that part.
@@GrowingBonsai Ooohh I see! Makes more sense now. Thanks for clarifying :-)
Thank you for this informative video, but I still have a question, do you know approximately how many trees you have in your garden?, because i always see some new trees😅 but i know it because im also always buying or growing some new trees too👍
A lot! It hovers between 200 and 300. Trees come and go :). My aim is to go down to below 150
i find that euro hornbeam can def be lower dom on younger trees.. not all trees or top dom..
Interesting. In my garden if I do nothing, a clear leader is established by itself, indicative of top-dominance.
@GrowingBonsai I have two European hornbeam in the ground and single and group plantings in pot's and I find that left to their own devices the trees in the ground start to have long runners that could almost be called suckers because they start about an inch from the root base that starts Competing with the apex during the growing season. I'm tempted to just let them run to fattin' up the lower trunk but yeah a simple cut could easily correct the issue.. on hornbeam, I'm not too worried about having a scar free trunk so I'll probably let them run for this season ,,, by doing so last season I got ridiculously good taper on one of my hornbeams in a pot but I cut it off this growing season it was stealing too much energy from the rest of the tree, started growing branches of its thought it was running stuff around here... I had to show him who's the boss around here,, yea snip...
You asked to comment: can you add the beech tree development youtube link?
Done! Sorry..
@@GrowingBonsai Thanks! I've already seen it. I just reminded because you asked in the video ;).
Chào bạn ❤
Hi Leatherback
Thank you for another great video covering fundamentals.
Your new video reminded me a bit on a video I have reviewed many times because it covers a topic which is so fundamental to bonsai design. If you have not seen Peter Tea’s presentation at the Sacramento club meeting I highly suggest everyone watch this. Even you Jelle. The UA-cam channel of the American bonsai association Sacramento (ABAS) does not have the algorithm to get as many views on UA-cam.
Nonetheless, the content of this one particular video is one of the very best I’ve ever seen by any presenter.
ua-cam.com/video/dm5q8c49I8s/v-deo.htmlsi=ZF5thxhilS2EQiSz
I encourage anyone who is serious about Bonsai to review this video and go back to it for refreshed inspiration to understand branch development.
The content is so important.
That is not to say this video is also not of great importance. I merely want to promote quality education when I see it and Peter’s talk is just that good. For those who may not be familiar with the work of Peter Tea he is formally Japanese trained and had more winning trees at the last Pacific bonsai Expo than any other grower.
Jelle I hope to meet you one day. Maybe I’ll have to fly to Europe to do that. I’m definitely due for a trip to Europe to explore the phenomenal bonsai talent on the continent.
Even though California is geographically and culturally much much closer to Japan. Europe has had a huge advantage in the development of quality bonsai trees because of the importation restriction of Japanese trees to the United States.
The ability to bring in mature properly developed trees as a platform to work on and learn from has made the European Bonsai community in many ways better than the American counterpart.
I see the interest in Bonsai growing in almost all countries and trees of better and better quality are being developed especially using new local varieties, which is quite exciting.
Very best wishes from San Francisco,
Mats Hagström
Hi Mat, thank you for sharing.
I scanned the video, and I must say, I am not sure why you recommend it. It basically does not share much that is not already in my video. He takes 2 hours to get to the same main points. Which makes sense in the club-evening setting. However, for youtube it is less suitable Cutting it into several shorter videos would work a lot better for the YT platform.
Note: I find it not great form to go onto a comments section of a video to promote another channel.
You are not wrong. I guess I found the video with Peter’s presentation especially the number diagram to be a simple reminder of what to focus on. The experience of spending years developing part of a tree to realize the timing or technique was wrong and having to start all over has happened to me. I suppose having seen Peter’s trees(best trees I’ve seen in the USA) and this has made me a believer in his teachings. Clearly the video is not ideal for UA-cam success.
Maybe promoting another teacher on someone’s channel is poor form.
Maybe I should spend less time watching UA-cam and more time working on my trees.
I did subscribe to your channel which I typically do not do.