Thank you!! So glad you're finding them helpful. I've been away all summer unable to make any new videos, but I have a couple planned so hopefully you won't need to wait too long for the next one.
Love the video as always. There was a quiz online asking what channel i never miss a video. You channel was number one. Beautiful photography and high value education. Thank you for all your hard work.
An informative and succinct video on repotting. It’s a quicker way to repot one’s bonsai, especially the medium and smaller sized ones. Your graphics are spot on in showing what you actually do to repot. I also began switching to Akadama, Kiryu, or combo for a top dressing. As you say, one can see when the soil is dry and in need of water (not to forget what one has used for the bonsai soil mix). Hello from the Pacific NW.
Hi Jeff, and thanks! Akadama and kiryu are not cheap, but I'm still able to reuse the stuff I bought a few years ago, and now I'm only buying new small-grain stuff for top dressing. The other soil I've used in past is non-clumping cat litter, and I can also reuse that after drying and seiving. In the end I have a general mix that gets reused year on year, and the powdery fines that have broken down by freeze action and time, are filtered out by seiving. Best regards from sunny Madrid!
@@BlueSkyBonsai Yes indeed. Akadama and Kiryu are practically cost prohibitive or out of many bonsai enthusiasts cost realm. Yes I mostly use it as top dressing now, and reuse them or other soil ingredients. I and local Bonsai Club members and area master artists have begun using Pumice, Lavar rock or grits, and small pine barks (aged or new) as a soil mix. I’ve tried it starting last year, with no negative aspects thus far. Keep your videos coming my friend.
Great video Dave and I like your use of animations to explain your actions. I also like your use of 'pause' and 'play'. Great work and as they say in bonsai - Keep Growing!
Thanks Gavin! Yep these little details in a video can make quite a difference. But as you're already aware, they take time to tinker with and get right... hehe the woes of video editing! Cheers
Thanks!! Haha, I do like to keep it short and concise. With this one I set myself the goal of a 5 minute video.. nearly impossible!! But under 7 mins is ok...
As we can expect from you, precise, practical and to the point. Thanks as always for your great videos. I actually did this kind of repotting this spring for the bulk of my trees, not knowing what to call it. Glad to know I was so smart!😀 I love the white board and I refer back to your videos a lot.
Great to hear it! So, I call it pot refresh, but my bonsai friend Ian calls it semi-repot! Your choice 😊 Anyway thanks for your comments - much appreciated.
Also thanks for all your hard work making theses videos ,I’ve learned so much by watching your videos & have become much more confident,thank you Dave .
Aussie Dave here David, well it's 4:50 am here in Queensland Australia. And I am excited to see you posted another tremendous video 😊. I'm always happy to see your insightful videos, please keep them coming 😊
Cheers Xavier! Yup, this spring i listed the repots I had to do, and there were about 40 so I divided them into serious root pruning versus fast pot refresh. So quick and simple was necessary 😊👍
I much appreciate the work you put into producing your videos. They are excellent and provide insightful hands on knowledge to a novice such as I am. Frank. Canada
A literal 15 second repot, amazing! 😉 As always, diggin the whiteboard work. This technique seems more in line with advanced trees and slowing down the growth. Most of my trees aren’t there yet. (Plus, I love whacking all those roots off each year)
Yeah it's true that rootwork is extremely satisfying. But sometimes when you have a queue of 20 more repots to do and time is running out, you gotta find a quick way! Cheers Billy 👍
Great video, Dave! :D I'm also happy to inform you that all of my trees survived the winter, including the tiny maple I left of the balcony (despite about a week of -20'C in December). Almost all of them have opened their leaves now, just one left, I think. And I'm a bit late to replant some of them, but I got all the maples and my two golden chain trees done in time at least. :P Some don't need replanting either. But I have to deal with my conkers before they grow too big, I guess. XD
Thanks Syster! I'm so happy to hear all your trees survived! I bet it looks fantastic now with them all budding and leafing out now in spring. It might not be too late to repot or transplant .. it's only a problem when the real warmer weather starts so the leaves transpire too much for the depleted roots.
Very nice repot , looks amazing 😁👍 Mine where not really ready for a pot this year. Didn't know what kind i wanted too. So put the little one in the ground. And the bigger one in a container with used akadama mix. I did remove a stub beneath the underside of the trunk. So it can hopefully work a little more on nebari and growth this year 😁
Excelente video, mucha información útil, imágenes muy buenas, muy buen contenido de video y en general una calidad de video y edición excelente. Los subtítulos muy útiles para comprender del todo la explicación. Muchas gracias por tu excelente trabajo!. Saludos
Dave valió la pena el esfuerzo 💪🏼. Me gustan las imágenes, los colores, lo educativo que resulta y gracias a los subtítulos se puede entender cuando usas palabras más técnicas. Un éxito más 😊 Enhorabuena.
Muchas gracias Isa!! Me encantan tus comentarios! Desafortunadamente no todo el mundo cree que valga la pena, ya me entiendes. En fin... gracias again!!!
Rather nice coincidence that you should also be digging in the dirt. I'm still very fond of the worlds happiest rock. I also took the time this week to repot my peach. Got all the way into the root ball for the first time since nearly slip potting it from a nursery pot to a resin barrel. Started combing and picking my way to the middle, found an additional chunk of trunk almost comparable to my fist once I cut away some of the higher root plane. Found my way almost to the middle of the bottom before realizing that I might have found a piece of treasure. Big old fist like bole with several strange growths like a dozen spheres coming together. Combed most of the roots and repotted back in the same pot, same soil, and same charcoal drain layer from the first potting. Buried it deep under a thick layer of pea shingle to keep the soil from blowing away and gave it a deep watering and time in the shade. What was once a very straight tree has become an increasingly crooked and more interesting specimen. Naturally since peach will never be a good bonsai, I have gone with the length of my arm as its over all height before canopy.
Good work with the peach! True it's not a traditional bonsai but any tree can be trained to look good in a pot. And it souns like you really discovered the buried treasure! Talking of coincidences. I just googled Worlds Happiest Rock. And it came back with (after Ayers Rock in Australia), the E.L.O. song Mr Blue Sky. Now that is an interesting coincidence!
Yet another very nice video, Dave! Thank you! If I have to find an issue with your videos is that they don't get released not nearly as frequently as I would hope! 😉 That aside, brilliant! The whiteboard section is great (as always)!
Thanks Stefano, hahaha I also sometimes wish I had more available time to do more videos. Won't go into details but, the combination of a big demanding family and the insufferable perfectionist inside me, is the recipe for either high stress (no thanks) or infrequent videos. Anyway really appreciate your comments, point taken and I'll be sure to keep going with the whiteboards! 😊👍
I honestly have to catch up on the videos, love the content! Haven't been in "bonsai mood" since last summer, of all things my favourite 2 trees didn't survive the 45°C / 113 °F heat. The other ones survived because I placed them in large tubs that were always filled with a little water, but these two were the only ones in comparatively flat bonsai pots (the others in tall nursery pots), so I was afraid they'd rot and left them out... well, they dried out even with daily watering and being in the shade :( That and depression... but now that spring is here, seeing the other trees bud and bloom is a nice feeling.
Hi Karliah I'm sorry to hear, sounds like you've had a difficult time. Also a real bummer about your two favourite trees. If it's any consolation, last summer I also lost some trees including a developing thunbergii pine, because one of my irrigation lines blocked while I was away on holiday. So that line all dried and died. I think it's inevitable... over the years I have lost all my Serissa, nearly all my Carmonas, and nearly all my Azaleas. Clearly some species are more sensitive than others, while others are more adept to containers and different climates. Anyway, it's nice to hear from you again I've missed your comments recently. (Mind you, I'm not posting videos much nowadays, at a rate of about two months between each vid! 🙄) keep on touch, I hope you have a great year! 😎💪❤
@@BlueSkyBonsai That's really unfortunate to hear but it feel a little better to know that I'm not alone. The ones that died was an azalea and a field maple - although the field maple has back budded... way down below any of the branches, so I'm going to lose all progress - but at least the tree itself is not dead yet. Good to know I've been missed, haha. :) I can imagine it's a little difficult trying to make bonsai related informational videos during winter.
@@KarIiah TBH it's harder to make this content in spring, because, all my spare time is occupied with repotting. I really must get rid of some of my trees! Anyway, best of luck with the field maple, it will spring back like a phoenix from the flames! But unfortunately Azaleas never do... either they're alive and healthy, or they're history :( In any case, enjoy spring and don't give up on the bonsaiing :)
Hi Dave hope you are well- thank you for all your videos they are really helpful. You did a video on ground layering- I have a ficus tree that I need to do. It is early spring now in South Africa where I live - should I wait (the tree is really healthy and actively growing). Will appreciate your feedback and advice. Shawn
Hi Shawn, spring is a perfect time to start an air layer - as soon as you see the new leaf buds developing. One thing about figs though, because they have relatively large leaves, the transpiration is more than many trees. So, although they should root quite easily, you need to make sure that more than ample roots have developed in your layer before you chop it and pot it. So, use rooting hormone on your layer, and don't be impatient! Hope that helps.
@@shawnhelfrich4956 yes same process, same time of year. One more thing.. keep the tree in semi shade in summer, either use 50% shade cloth or just put it somewhere there's no direct sunlight. Hot sun greatly increases transpiration in leaves, and that could be a risk for your tree during the first few months of a ground layer with insufficient roots.
It's a Japanese maple, variety "deshojo". The leaves can go green in summer but they turn red again towards autumn before dropping. The best time is spring when they're bright red for a couple of months. It's my favourite type of maple and definitely one of my favourite trees
@@davidoneill5962 the bad news is, they can take 12+ years for the bark to start thickening and turning grey. When they're young they photosynthesize through the trunk and branches to get as much sunlight energy as possible, that's why you see the green bark. I have a Japanese maple (different variety) cutting from 2016, growing petty massive now, nearly 2 metres, and the trunk is still green. But if you're in a hurry you can make the bark go thicker and grey prematurely, by wiring the young trunk in bends. Trouble is, the tell-tale wire scars will show really quickly and stay visible for up to 10 years. So if you do decide to do that, remove the wire and rewire it every 2 weeks, with same bends but with the wire in a slightly different place each time. Another crude way is to get a sharp knife and make multiple vertical cuts in the trunk so it produces callus tissue which goes grey quickly. Or.... just be patient and accept the health benefits of green bark!!
Hello, I collected a western Hemlock in Feb this year. I planted it in a wooden box with a free draining bonsai soil with a lot of sphagnum moss. I saw a yt video of a guy who planted his air layers in a pot of sphagnum moss. He left them for the winter, and in Spring they had all suffered from root rot and of course died. I wanted to take out the moss and put it back in the box before the British winter with lots of rain sets in. I'm after some advice of when would best for this? I don't have a greenhouse. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks
Hi, I don't have experience of the western hemlock but I have had a lot of experience with sphaggy moss and nowadays I don't use it for anything except packing onto ground layers and air layers to keep them moist and pathogen-free, while the upper tree tries to forms its new roots. Should you unpot and remove the sphagnum now? I would say it depends on how well your overall soil & pot system is draining: when you water it properly does the water drain freely out the bottom within a few seconds? If it drains freely then I guess your roots will be okay until next spring. But if it's clogging and the water is not getting through easily, then you would probably need to sort out the soil and ensure proper drainage before the pooled up water starts to stagnate. Hope that helps!
@@tayemgaming Thanks! I use a soil mix of akadama and kiryuzuna. They are about 2 to 3mm granule size in this small pot. In larger pots I use about 5mm granule size.
Can you please help me, I’m wondering if I can still repot my small maple tree considering it’s not an early spring anymore and it has leaves already (I live in Poland, and it’s a bit colder here than in Madrid). I bought it recently and the soil which it is in now is horrible, retaining a lot of moisture.
Hi, if you use the "pot refresh" method like in this video, yes you can do repot a maple still now in May. Leaving most of the rootball untouched, only removing the long winding roots, and letting some of the bad soil fall away. Afterwards, keep it in the shade for a few days if it's sunny, and keep high humidity if possible. If you have cloudy wet weather it's no problem, but if you suddenly get dry weather like here in Madrid, the you can protect the leaves by covering the whole tree with a clear plastic bag, and misting inside. But I would not do a full/aggressive bare-root pruning until next spring when you see the new buds swelling.
Hi Dave! So, I just wired my beech... first wiring I've ever done (because I had to cut off the top last summer, and I need the new leader to grow up and not sideways). So I was wondering... how long must the vires be on at least, and how long at the most? I don't want it to get marked and ugly, but I'm also aware that removing it too fast means the shape won't stay/stick. Help? :P
Hi Syster, well done for doing your first wiring! In spring through summer trees grow fastest so you'll need to frequently check the wire isn't starting to bite. Say every week or two. As soon as you see it looking tight on the bark, it's perfectly ok to unwire and rewire it. when the stem is thin, it'll thicken quickly and you might need to rewire it 3 or 4 times before the end of the season, to keep the new shape and avoid the telltale spiral scars. Older, slow-growing trees can take the same wire for many months before it starts to scar, but not a young deciduous species that you're still growing upwards. HTH!
Another fantastic explanation and demo Dave 😊xx Do your maples ever suffer with aphid in the spring? Here in the UK I've got some the size of house cows!! Nasty! xx
Thanks Rebecca!! Haven't had much trouble with aphids on the maples, but they really go for the crab apple and a lot of the annuals that my wife puts on the balcony. I'm quite ruthless with the insecticide though 😊
@Blue Sky Bonsai mealy bug love my Crab apples, I give them a squirt of IPA, haven't tried it on my aphid invaders, but will definitely get the soft soap spray out before they deform the leaves 😊xx
A great way to start Saturday!!! Thanks Dave!
Thanks Nigel! Hope the video music wasn't too loud at your breakfast table!!
I REALLY miss your videos. They are so helpful. I am wearing my laptop out watching them over and over!
Thank you!! So glad you're finding them helpful. I've been away all summer unable to make any new videos, but I have a couple planned so hopefully you won't need to wait too long for the next one.
Thank you. I hope you had a good summer. I look forward to your upcoming videos!
Love the video as always. There was a quiz online asking what channel i never miss a video. You channel was number one. Beautiful photography and high value education. Thank you for all your hard work.
Wow thanks for the fantastic feedback! It really helps. What was the quiz, I wonder if your answer might help to promote my channel !! 😊👍
@@BlueSkyBonsai it was either a film booth or channel makers poll. ( UA-cam self help channels)
@@PlantObsessed thanks again! I'll take a look at those two channels :)
Love the subtitles😍😍😍 (and the video)
Thanks for the perfect subtitles in Spanish too ❤
Calm clear and informative.
One of my favourite Bonsai channels.
✌️❤️🇳🇿
Wow, thank you!
Eggcellent tutorial as usual Dave. Happy Easter. Thanks, keep growing
Haha Cheers Matt! Have a happy Easter too!
An informative and succinct video on repotting. It’s a quicker way to repot one’s bonsai, especially the medium and smaller sized ones. Your graphics are spot on in showing what you actually do to repot. I also began switching to Akadama, Kiryu, or combo for a top dressing. As you say, one can see when the soil is dry and in need of water (not to forget what one has used for the bonsai soil mix). Hello from the Pacific NW.
Hi Jeff, and thanks! Akadama and kiryu are not cheap, but I'm still able to reuse the stuff I bought a few years ago, and now I'm only buying new small-grain stuff for top dressing. The other soil I've used in past is non-clumping cat litter, and I can also reuse that after drying and seiving. In the end I have a general mix that gets reused year on year, and the powdery fines that have broken down by freeze action and time, are filtered out by seiving.
Best regards from sunny Madrid!
@@BlueSkyBonsai Yes indeed. Akadama and Kiryu are practically cost prohibitive or out of many bonsai enthusiasts cost realm. Yes I mostly use it as top dressing now, and reuse them or other soil ingredients. I and local Bonsai Club members and area master artists have begun using Pumice, Lavar rock or grits, and small pine barks (aged or new) as a soil mix. I’ve tried it starting last year, with no negative aspects thus far. Keep your videos coming my friend.
@@BlueSkyBonsai Also I had ceased bare rooting at repot times. Had too many negative experiences.
Thanks for mentioning the rock trick; I keep forgetting to try that. I think I will this Spring.
Yes, give it a go! I've done it on about 15 trees and have been very pleased with the results.
Wonderful, wonderful teacher👍💓 Thank you kindly for white boards, your expertise, you keep us all highly interested in this beautiful hobby
Thanks Judy! I really appreciate your kind words. Indeed it's a beautiful hobby, I'm happy to hear I'm keeping you and others interested!
Lazy man’s repot… ie you’re speaking my language! Cheers bro, hope all is well.
Cheers Colin, yeah all is ok here, just trying to enjoy things one day at a time 😊 hope you're doing ok!
Great video Dave and I like your use of animations to explain your actions. I also like your use of 'pause' and 'play'.
Great work and as they say in bonsai - Keep Growing!
Thanks Gavin! Yep these little details in a video can make quite a difference. But as you're already aware, they take time to tinker with and get right... hehe the woes of video editing! Cheers
Great video Dave, with your usual high production values. 🙏
Thanks Jason, glad you liked it. Haha not many people know the time that all this editing takes, but you do! Cheers 😊👍
Those maples are looking great Dave! This method also definitely works well, i like to call it a semi-repot haha
Cheers Ian, yep in Spring the deshojos are my favourites maybe until the leaves start fading to geeen. Semi-repot haha I like it!
Great video Dave! I love all the tips and tricks you share. Thanks!
Thanks Mike! Glad you liked it and hopefully find the information useful!
The best concise and informative videos out there. Best bang for the buck you'll get on bonsai youtube.
Thanks!! Haha, I do like to keep it short and concise. With this one I set myself the goal of a 5 minute video.. nearly impossible!! But under 7 mins is ok...
Hello, I've already started missing you. nice to see something from you again. Greetings from Styria and Happy Easter. 🐰💚
Cheers, and greetings from Madrid! Happy Easter 😊👍
As we can expect from you, precise, practical and to the point. Thanks as always for your great videos. I actually did this kind of repotting this spring for the bulk of my trees, not knowing what to call it. Glad to know I was so smart!😀 I love the white board and I refer back to your videos a lot.
Great to hear it! So, I call it pot refresh, but my bonsai friend Ian calls it semi-repot! Your choice 😊 Anyway thanks for your comments - much appreciated.
The whiteboard graphics are very helpful.
Thanks Don, I enjoy doing the graphics so I'm happy to hear that they are helpful.
Brilliant video Dave! Them deshojos are looking great! Very informative video also! 😄Keep up the great work!!
Thanks so much Adam! Must say deshojos are prolly my favourite species in spring. Cheers!
Also thanks for all your hard work making theses videos ,I’ve learned so much by watching your videos & have become much more confident,thank you Dave .
Glad to hear! Thanks for your kind comments!
The best, concise videos out there! Great to see you, and the gorgeous maples again, Dave. Happy Easter 💚
Thanks Kate! I really appreciate your vote of confidence! Happy Easter 😊
That deshojo is always the star of the video and as always great info thank you !!
Haha yes these two deshojos get a lot of screen time! I think they are photogenic and make nice videography. Glad you liked it!!
Aussie Dave here David, well it's 4:50 am here in Queensland Australia. And I am excited to see you posted another tremendous video 😊. I'm always happy to see your insightful videos, please keep them coming 😊
Hey Aussie Dave! Nice to hear from you, at the crack of dawn there. Thanks, I'll try to!
Simple and to the point. I love those sort of repots when :)
Cheers Xavier! Yup, this spring i listed the repots I had to do, and there were about 40 so I divided them into serious root pruning versus fast pot refresh. So quick and simple was necessary 😊👍
Excellent video. Never stop using the whiteboard tutorials they are really good.😃👍
Thanks, ok I will be sure to continue using yhem in future videos!
I much appreciate the work you put into producing your videos. They are excellent and provide insightful hands on knowledge to a novice such as I am. Frank. Canada
Thanks Frank for your kind comment. Glad to hear my videos are appreciated and you're finding them useful.
Great video 👍👍 Love the visuals and the way you can explain so clear👌👌
Thank you! 😊👍
Great video Dave. I always enjoy them.
Thanks Raymond, I'm glad you liked it!
Finally new video !!!!
Haha, yes I'm slow at filming and editing! My excuse is 40 repots this spring and I only filmed about three of them 😊
I am going give this a try. Thanks Dave!
I just did another one a couple of days ago, and this week I'll do a couple more. It's getting too hot here todo an aggressive root pruning by now.
Absolutely beautiful trees 😍
Thanks! Yes I love the deshojos on this season.
Nice technique. I just dug up a nice winged spindle out of my yard yesterday. Can't wait to start developing it.
Thanks Adam! Sounds good. Euonymus is on my list of "must get" species someday, I need to get rid of some of my collection first though...
Gorgeous and a top video once again , Bravo !
Many thanks indeed! 😊
A literal 15 second repot, amazing! 😉
As always, diggin the whiteboard work. This technique seems more in line with advanced trees and slowing down the growth. Most of my trees aren’t there yet. (Plus, I love whacking all those roots off each year)
Yeah it's true that rootwork is extremely satisfying. But sometimes when you have a queue of 20 more repots to do and time is running out, you gotta find a quick way! Cheers Billy 👍
Great video, Dave! :D I'm also happy to inform you that all of my trees survived the winter, including the tiny maple I left of the balcony (despite about a week of -20'C in December). Almost all of them have opened their leaves now, just one left, I think. And I'm a bit late to replant some of them, but I got all the maples and my two golden chain trees done in time at least. :P Some don't need replanting either. But I have to deal with my conkers before they grow too big, I guess. XD
Thanks Syster! I'm so happy to hear all your trees survived! I bet it looks fantastic now with them all budding and leafing out now in spring. It might not be too late to repot or transplant .. it's only a problem when the real warmer weather starts so the leaves transpire too much for the depleted roots.
Ps. Dealing with your conkers!! Sounds like it could be painful 😂
Cara membuat bonsai yang menginspirasi saudaraku 👍👍❤️... Salam dari indonesia 🇮🇩🇮🇩🤝🙏
👍👍😊
Very nice repot , looks amazing 😁👍
Mine where not really ready for a pot this year.
Didn't know what kind i wanted too.
So put the little one in the ground.
And the bigger one in a container with used akadama mix.
I did remove a stub beneath the underside of the trunk.
So it can hopefully work a little more on nebari and growth this year 😁
Thanks a lot! Good work on your trees - hope the nebari develop nicely!
Excelente video, mucha información útil, imágenes muy buenas, muy buen contenido de video y en general una calidad de video y edición excelente. Los subtítulos muy útiles para comprender del todo la explicación. Muchas gracias por tu excelente trabajo!. Saludos
Muchas gracias de nuevo! Parece que estás viendo todos mis videos! Espero que los encuentras útiles con tus bonsáis!!
Very interesting video!👍👍👍
Thanks, glad you found it interesting! 😊👍
Great video- one for the bonsai tool kit for sure! Thanks so much for sharing suspect I'll need this knowledge sooner than later 😄
Thanks Sue! Yes it's a great little fast-track when you know you have a queue of repots to do and not much spare time.
Dave valió la pena el esfuerzo 💪🏼. Me gustan las imágenes, los colores, lo educativo que resulta y gracias a los subtítulos se puede entender cuando usas palabras más técnicas. Un éxito más 😊 Enhorabuena.
Muchas gracias Isa!! Me encantan tus comentarios! Desafortunadamente no todo el mundo cree que valga la pena, ya me entiendes. En fin... gracias again!!!
Rather nice coincidence that you should also be digging in the dirt. I'm still very fond of the worlds happiest rock. I also took the time this week to repot my peach. Got all the way into the root ball for the first time since nearly slip potting it from a nursery pot to a resin barrel. Started combing and picking my way to the middle, found an additional chunk of trunk almost comparable to my fist once I cut away some of the higher root plane. Found my way almost to the middle of the bottom before realizing that I might have found a piece of treasure. Big old fist like bole with several strange growths like a dozen spheres coming together. Combed most of the roots and repotted back in the same pot, same soil, and same charcoal drain layer from the first potting. Buried it deep under a thick layer of pea shingle to keep the soil from blowing away and gave it a deep watering and time in the shade. What was once a very straight tree has become an increasingly crooked and more interesting specimen. Naturally since peach will never be a good bonsai, I have gone with the length of my arm as its over all height before canopy.
Good work with the peach! True it's not a traditional bonsai but any tree can be trained to look good in a pot. And it souns like you really discovered the buried treasure!
Talking of coincidences. I just googled Worlds Happiest Rock. And it came back with (after Ayers Rock in Australia), the E.L.O. song Mr Blue Sky. Now that is an interesting coincidence!
So beautiful
Thanks! Guess you mean the deshojo maples, not the ugly roots?! (Nor the ugly presenter!!)
Yet another very nice video, Dave! Thank you!
If I have to find an issue with your videos is that they don't get released not nearly as frequently as I would hope! 😉
That aside, brilliant! The whiteboard section is great (as always)!
Thanks Stefano, hahaha I also sometimes wish I had more available time to do more videos. Won't go into details but, the combination of a big demanding family and the insufferable perfectionist inside me, is the recipe for either high stress (no thanks) or infrequent videos. Anyway really appreciate your comments, point taken and I'll be sure to keep going with the whiteboards! 😊👍
Don’t be a stranger Dave, keep them coming🍺
I'll try!! 🍻
Perfecto como de costumbre. Saludos desde Francia.
Gracias Christophe, agradezco tus comentarios!!
Pohon maple yang sangat bagus cantik, senang bisa melihat video anda, di tempat saya gk ada pohon maple
Terima kasih banyak! Saya kira maple sulit dipelihara di iklim Indonesia.
I honestly have to catch up on the videos, love the content! Haven't been in "bonsai mood" since last summer, of all things my favourite 2 trees didn't survive the 45°C / 113 °F heat. The other ones survived because I placed them in large tubs that were always filled with a little water, but these two were the only ones in comparatively flat bonsai pots (the others in tall nursery pots), so I was afraid they'd rot and left them out... well, they dried out even with daily watering and being in the shade :(
That and depression... but now that spring is here, seeing the other trees bud and bloom is a nice feeling.
Hi Karliah I'm sorry to hear, sounds like you've had a difficult time. Also a real bummer about your two favourite trees. If it's any consolation, last summer I also lost some trees including a developing thunbergii pine, because one of my irrigation lines blocked while I was away on holiday. So that line all dried and died. I think it's inevitable... over the years I have lost all my Serissa, nearly all my Carmonas, and nearly all my Azaleas. Clearly some species are more sensitive than others, while others are more adept to containers and different climates.
Anyway, it's nice to hear from you again I've missed your comments recently. (Mind you, I'm not posting videos much nowadays, at a rate of about two months between each vid! 🙄)
keep on touch, I hope you have a great year! 😎💪❤
@@BlueSkyBonsai That's really unfortunate to hear but it feel a little better to know that I'm not alone. The ones that died was an azalea and a field maple - although the field maple has back budded... way down below any of the branches, so I'm going to lose all progress - but at least the tree itself is not dead yet.
Good to know I've been missed, haha. :) I can imagine it's a little difficult trying to make bonsai related informational videos during winter.
@@KarIiah TBH it's harder to make this content in spring, because, all my spare time is occupied with repotting. I really must get rid of some of my trees!
Anyway, best of luck with the field maple, it will spring back like a phoenix from the flames! But unfortunately Azaleas never do... either they're alive and healthy, or they're history :(
In any case, enjoy spring and don't give up on the bonsaiing :)
Hi Dave hope you are well- thank you for all your videos they are really helpful. You did a video on ground layering- I have a ficus tree that I need to do. It is early spring now in South Africa where I live - should I wait (the tree is really healthy and actively growing). Will appreciate your feedback and advice. Shawn
Hi Shawn, spring is a perfect time to start an air layer - as soon as you see the new leaf buds developing.
One thing about figs though, because they have relatively large leaves, the transpiration is more than many trees. So, although they should root quite easily, you need to make sure that more than ample roots have developed in your layer before you chop it and pot it. So, use rooting hormone on your layer, and don't be impatient! Hope that helps.
Thank Dave - will the same time of year apply for a ground layering- I want to change the root plane on the trunk.
@@shawnhelfrich4956 yes same process, same time of year. One more thing.. keep the tree in semi shade in summer, either use 50% shade cloth or just put it somewhere there's no direct sunlight. Hot sun greatly increases transpiration in leaves, and that could be a risk for your tree during the first few months of a ground layer with insufficient roots.
Thank you Dave- will send you a picture if I’m successful ✌🏻
Nice animations!
Thanks, glad you liked them!
Nice video bro.
Thanks bro! Glad you liked it!
I love that Bonsai with red maple leaves & silver birch trunk ,what is that species called please ?
It's a Japanese maple, variety "deshojo".
The leaves can go green in summer but they turn red again towards autumn before dropping. The best time is spring when they're bright red for a couple of months. It's my favourite type of maple and definitely one of my favourite trees
@@BlueSkyBonsai thanks mate,that’s definitely on my to buy list,well a young one anyway
@@BlueSkyBonsai how many years before the bark turns white ?
@@davidoneill5962 the bad news is, they can take 12+ years for the bark to start thickening and turning grey. When they're young they photosynthesize through the trunk and branches to get as much sunlight energy as possible, that's why you see the green bark. I have a Japanese maple (different variety) cutting from 2016, growing petty massive now, nearly 2 metres, and the trunk is still green.
But if you're in a hurry you can make the bark go thicker and grey prematurely, by wiring the young trunk in bends. Trouble is, the tell-tale wire scars will show really quickly and stay visible for up to 10 years. So if you do decide to do that, remove the wire and rewire it every 2 weeks, with same bends but with the wire in a slightly different place each time. Another crude way is to get a sharp knife and make multiple vertical cuts in the trunk so it produces callus tissue which goes grey quickly. Or.... just be patient and accept the health benefits of green bark!!
Hello, I collected a western Hemlock in Feb this year. I planted it in a wooden box with a free draining bonsai soil with a lot of sphagnum moss.
I saw a yt video of a guy who planted his air layers in a pot of sphagnum moss. He left them for the winter, and in Spring they had all suffered from root rot and of course died.
I wanted to take out the moss and put it back in the box before the British winter with lots of rain sets in.
I'm after some advice of when would best for this? I don't have a greenhouse.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Hi, I don't have experience of the western hemlock but I have had a lot of experience with sphaggy moss and nowadays I don't use it for anything except packing onto ground layers and air layers to keep them moist and pathogen-free, while the upper tree tries to forms its new roots.
Should you unpot and remove the sphagnum now? I would say it depends on how well your overall soil & pot system is draining: when you water it properly does the water drain freely out the bottom within a few seconds? If it drains freely then I guess your roots will be okay until next spring. But if it's clogging and the water is not getting through easily, then you would probably need to sort out the soil and ensure proper drainage before the pooled up water starts to stagnate.
Hope that helps!
Nice job thank you for sharing it 🙏👌🥰👍
Thanks! 😊👍
So beautiful trees. 👍
Thanks, yes I love these deshojo maples! 👍
Love the video.💌💌. Pls tell me the name of the soil.
@@tayemgaming Thanks! I use a soil mix of akadama and kiryuzuna. They are about 2 to 3mm granule size in this small pot. In larger pots I use about 5mm granule size.
Hello good sir good to see you.
Hi and thanks! Hope you enjoyed the vid.
@@BlueSkyBonsai I did. I think I might be a bonsai tree myself. I "hibernate" when it's not bonsai time.
Sounds like a good life. If we could truly hibernate it might make us live longer. Maybe a siesta / nap every day is the closest alternative...
@Blue Sky Bonsai I have noticed my bonsai video intake definitely increases during the spring does that reflect your analytics?
Can you please help me, I’m wondering if I can still repot my small maple tree considering it’s not an early spring anymore and it has leaves already (I live in Poland, and it’s a bit colder here than in Madrid). I bought it recently and the soil which it is in now is horrible, retaining a lot of moisture.
Hi, if you use the "pot refresh" method like in this video, yes you can do repot a maple still now in May. Leaving most of the rootball untouched, only removing the long winding roots, and letting some of the bad soil fall away.
Afterwards, keep it in the shade for a few days if it's sunny, and keep high humidity if possible. If you have cloudy wet weather it's no problem, but if you suddenly get dry weather like here in Madrid, the you can protect the leaves by covering the whole tree with a clear plastic bag, and misting inside.
But I would not do a full/aggressive bare-root pruning until next spring when you see the new buds swelling.
Nice❤❤❤
Hi Dave!
So, I just wired my beech... first wiring I've ever done (because I had to cut off the top last summer, and I need the new leader to grow up and not sideways). So I was wondering... how long must the vires be on at least, and how long at the most? I don't want it to get marked and ugly, but I'm also aware that removing it too fast means the shape won't stay/stick. Help? :P
Hi Syster, well done for doing your first wiring! In spring through summer trees grow fastest so you'll need to frequently check the wire isn't starting to bite. Say every week or two. As soon as you see it looking tight on the bark, it's perfectly ok to unwire and rewire it. when the stem is thin, it'll thicken quickly and you might need to rewire it 3 or 4 times before the end of the season, to keep the new shape and avoid the telltale spiral scars.
Older, slow-growing trees can take the same wire for many months before it starts to scar, but not a young deciduous species that you're still growing upwards. HTH!
Another fantastic explanation and demo Dave 😊xx Do your maples ever suffer with aphid in the spring? Here in the UK I've got some the size of house cows!! Nasty! xx
Thanks Rebecca!! Haven't had much trouble with aphids on the maples, but they really go for the crab apple and a lot of the annuals that my wife puts on the balcony. I'm quite ruthless with the insecticide though 😊
@Blue Sky Bonsai mealy bug love my Crab apples, I give them a squirt of IPA, haven't tried it on my aphid invaders, but will definitely get the soft soap spray out before they deform the leaves 😊xx
Superb 👌👌👌
Thanks 🤗
Trimakasih sudah berbagi
terima kasih telah menonton video ini
Mantap bosku keren👍👍👍
Thank you! 👍
❤❤❤❤❤owesome
Thanks much!
Noice!
Thanks! 👍
Awesome!!
Cheers Edinborogh! 😊👍