Hey Nigel Sanders, your videos have been a big source of enjoyment and education as I've gotten started on my own bonsai journey. Thank you for putting out quality work and being true to your own self! Your videos are what got me into bonsai, and now I've been doing it for two years. Big fan
Nigel is the main reason i went from having 3 trees to now about 26 trees. All I've either bought as nursery stock, rooted, or gotten from outside somewhere; and have been training them.
Loved watching you trim up the Chinese Elm! I'm VERY new to this and being able to watch you go through this process with your explanations is such a great resource! I even found myself feeling better about the Elm as you pruned. I found that to be an unexpected happening. It seemed as you pruned and cleaned I seemed to relax more. This is something to which I'll pay attention when I start having trees mature enough to embark on major clean ups. Thank you so much for your dedication and attention to detail, Nigel.
Thank you Bonnie, there were so many decisions! I hope I got the tree off to a good start, I'm sure there will be lots more work coming to them in future.
I’m glad you are also growing oak bonsai. Recently I bought some cold growing seedlings including an oak from a bonsai nursery in Melbourne. Collected couple more oak seedlings from a park under huge trees. I hope they all will survive in the subtropics of Brisbane.
Great video, all that snow was a welcome sight as we prepare for sweltering summer in the tropics.I especially liked the rejuvenated schefflera bonsai. The back of the tree looks like an athlete lifting a heavy weight.
Hi Mr Nigel, just to let you know how you have inspired me to not be afraid & give it a go on random trees, I go out for walks in the hills and find a few small trees and took them home and they have survived but definitely in need of structure and shape 👍🏼 thanx for all your wonderful tips 🙏🏼
Thank you Anna! This tree died over the winter, it was my fault, our furnace broke just as the weather turned cold and I didn't have time to bring the tree in for the winter. It got down to -24 C and it killed the roots. I do have a cutting from the tree that survived and I'll be growing this in future videos.
Oh I'm really sorry to hear that... it's a comfort knowing you have a cutting from the tree and it lives on. I'm in Sydney Australia, I can not imagine what -24 C is like. It gets down to -4 C here and everyone loses their minds! I look forward to watching the little cutting grow.
@@TheBonsaiZone you inspired me to start my first bonsai and I hope that what you've accomplished will motivate me to take this further and become a life long passion.
Nigel, I like what you have done to this tree. Appreciate that you take the time to explain what/why you are making changes to your trees. Enjoyed the updates. And....I'm sure glad we don't have the cold weather like you do!
Nigel , Happy New Year. You sir are a master, that elm is in great hands . It looked much better after you cleaned it up. Looking forward to your updates on this specimen.
I absolutely love the pot it's in...but agreed I think a different pot would be better. I had to come back and finish watching (company popped in). One thing I've certainly learned from you is these trees are a lifetime endeavor, and this art is virtually limitless depending on individual creativity...Thanks Nigel!😀
First off awesome shirt! Second thank you for the videos you do a great job and I am always looking forward to a new one. you do great work and I find it very helpful. keep up the good work and keep them coming.
Really nice elm, both before and now I believe! I haven't been on UA-cam in some time now, and WoW! The setup looks incredible! So crisp with the black background, soft lighting.... and TURNTABLE!?! Topper production quality, and before all else, the well versed narration of the thought process behind the changes! You're the best host for my favorite show, so thanks for showing us the passion you've got for your Bonsai!! P.S. The snow looks so amazing on all the branches!!
Meeoow, brand new to bonsai. I'm slowly learning about plants, I've had a bamboo plant that I've been caring for about under 2 years, I also have a poinsetta that I'm struggling to keep alive without any proper tool in such cold weather and I started looking into for knowledge on growing your own food through gardening and it recommended you to my feed. I've watched a lot of your videos and a few short documentary/interview type stuff about bamboo artists and I've really been lit up with excitement. I'll be moving in a few months so I have plenty of time to plan and prepare. I have a friend with a gorgeous Japanese Maple that needs to be pruned right after my move so I'll be getting some fresh cuttings right away and I'm interested in possibly trying out California Redwood in the future. I may also try some from seed, I love what you said early in this series about how much control you can have over the tree from seed and I think growing a handful from seed will give me some valuable experience and some trial and error, putting what you say into actual practice. I'm really anxious and excited to get started. On another note do you have any experience with growing very small bonsai? I've seen your videos about keeping them small but I've seen some that are absolutely tiny, like a tiny thick trunk with some flowers and almost no branches, I can't imagine how hard that is but I'd love to try it someday. I can't wait to learn more from your videos and to start getting more experience for myself. (My apologies for commenting on an older video, I was just going to say 'meow' because your kitty was amusing background noise but I felt such a small comment was sort of lame and then I just couldn't stop typing. Thank you so much for your content, your trees are absolutely gorgeous.) PS Also! I had no idea libraries had 3D printers, would you say creating your own pots has a more value for you over all, the price seems a little big for such little material but I have no clue about 3D printers so perhaps I'm just unaware. Regardless your work with the 3D pots was absolutely fascinating and I'm super interested in trying that as well to make really unique pots for my trees.
Glad to see you're excited about growing! I will be creating some super miniature trees in the future! Check out ther playlist section of the channel, each tree has a playlist so you can follow the progress for each species! ua-cam.com/channels/xWc7cn-M-22gie8oPslLcA.htmlplaylists?disable_polymer=1
Unfortunately the tree died over the winter, I wasn't able to bring it in that year as our furnace broke and I just didn't get to it until it was too late. These things happen in life, but hopefully I can get another to replace it in the future.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone Sorry to heat that! I live in the UK and I have two Chinese elms. This is their first winter with me. They still have their leaves at the moment and I want to keep them outside so they go dormant over winter. I reeeeaally hope they survive the winter!
Thanks Nigel. I live in Yorkshire which, although cold in winter, certainly doesn’t get the cold which you do! I am seriously thinking of buying my second bonsai and I think I want a Chinese Elm. Although I live in an apartment, the surrounding garden does give me the option of putting my bonsais outside for the summer. My first bonsai is a safe one for me, a ficus retusa. I noticed that your Elm was outside I really cold temperatures. I am a little confused and I would welcome your advice and thoughts. Tim Marshall
I think my Elm was a Siberian Elm and it didn't last the cold winter. I didn't get time to move my trees in when it got cold because our furnace broke. A Chinese Elm benefits from a cool period, but can survive without one. Here is an article... www.evergreengardenworks.com/dormancy.htm
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone . Again, thank you. Interesting article and informative also. It seems to me that the Chinese Elm “may” be okay but in the article it does say that window sunlight is not enough and artificial lighting is required. In Yorkshire, in mid winter, the daylight hours are short. Sunrise around 09.00 and sunset around 16.00. As a new enthusiast I feel that I am wandering into an area with those conditions which are beyond where I want to go at this time. I will get more experience and learn more before getting a tree which may struggle in my environment. I appreciate both the time you took to respond and your videos. Good uTube videos are very important to me as educational tools. There are plenty of videos out there which are next to useless, and yours are good. Tim Marshall
Always improving the videos Nigel. Another very good one! A loth of work to do on this Elm. Very interesting to watch you in the freezing weather, while here in South of Brazil we are with 30 C degrees! Best whishes in your new season of The Bonsai Zone. I'll be here expecting every new episode!
Thank you Elmar, believe it or not, I'm enjoying the winter here. On my morning walks, the colder the better, as I always warm up too much when walking and working out!
Seriously, this channel offers some of the best content on YT. Truly inspiring. I myself am going to try doing some Crassula bonsai, I hear it's quite beginner-friendly. Cheers from Italy!
The Elm tree didn't make it, i think it got too cold in the winter and the roots died. The cutting from it is growing well, the main tree tried to leaf out, but it didn't survive. I'll concentrate on the cutting.
Ha ha a barmy 7. We have a couple of cool 44^C days coming up here in Aus. Love the look of your trees with the snow 😁. Nice elm keep up the good work. Cheers Sam
Thanks Sam, stay cool, my greenhouse gets up to 44 on a hot day in summer here, it always feels cold when I step outside in our normal summer temp of around 30 C!
Good job. The tree looked a little top heavy with all that dense growth. You managed to get a good balance. I'm sure it will look stunning when it leafs up.
Hi Nigel thanks for taking so much care in making you videos so interesting and educational I'm from south Africa and I'm wanting to build a greenhouse for tropical trees but the problem is space most of our open space is in part shade or complete shade and I was wondering if it would be fine to build it in the shade as long as their is enough heat. Other option is to make a small one that I can't fit in, in full sun. Thanks in advance
One of the reasons I think it would be ok is that I keep my ficus in a shady spot with good indirect sunlight and it thrives there and when I put it in the sun the leaves go a yellow colour
Full sun can be too intense for many of the ficus trees, many of my ficus grow better indoors than out on the bench in full sun. I think your tree would do well in a more shady spot. You can always add LED lights to your greenhouse if you think the trees need more light.
Hi Nigel, have taken over the care of a 35-38 year old juniper bonsai but I fear that it's too late already. Her leaves have all turned mostly brown and when I scratched the bark, as I have read to do, it was a light brown/red. There is still some green moss on it but not as much. I have relocated the plant to my balcony which I am sure it's probably not happy about but at least I can keep an eye out for it. I feel that it just didn't get enough water and attention in the last few months and it took the owner that much time to realize it. I am trying my best to help it. Any suggestions? I know it's near impossible to really give me advice since you can't see her but I just want to reach out either way.
I have a bad feeling about the roots, I don't think it has been re potted in a long, long time. I think it will be a slow process in sorting the roots out over the years.
Dear Mr. Saunders, Firstly thank you for all your amazing videos. Question... I live in an mountain climate. Temperatures in winter are about the same as you mentioned in this video. Am I correct in understanding that I could just leave them outside in winter basically? And they would survive that, like yours did? Don't the roots freeze completely? Would be happy if you could explain!
Hello, Nigel and fellow bonsai lovers. I'm a beginner bonsai student and I'd like to ask why you're holding off repotting? I'd like to understand the reason behind it as I have always understood that we try to balance the pruning work done on the top as well as the bottom. Thank you!
I like to re pot in spring, the tree is dormant right now and I don't want to remove the roots before the sap starts to run. This is usually late March around here. After the sap stops running, the roots can be pruned and the tree re potted.
Hi Nigel, i would like to start off by saying thank you so much for the fantastic content you give us, love watching your vids and always look forward to seeing what is coming next 😁... Ive been interested in bonsai for a while now and finally purchased my first tree, its a chinese elm. Ive seen online that alot of plants can be poisonous to animals and was curious to know if its safe to keep indoors around my cat? Any help in this matter is appreciated.
Hi im hoping that somebody can answer my simple question. Can I dig up a small pine tree and put it in a pot even though it's winter? I was told I cold as long as the ground isn't completely frozen.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone thanks for the help. I'm 22 years old and would love to have more people my age enjoy bonsai. So my goal is to get it started myself and show my local peers how awesome of a hobby it can be!
I would air-layer the top off, just above those lower branches. Turn the bottom half into a shohin and the top into a larger tree. Agree that the bottom branch was awful. I would've cut them all off, but I'm think your plan also worked. Glad you dealt with them!
from my perspective i would have gone this route too, it would be a longer route but would have given the tree more character. enjoying your videos of late, really so much improvement on quality... you got a new subscriber Mr. Saunders!
Hey nigel, I was wondering, would it be possible to train a vines leaves to stay small, and have them climb a bonsai? You'd have to stay vigilant to make sure the vines don't overwhelm the bonsai but I think it would give a beautiful mature look to a bonsai.
I have seen vines trained as bonsai, but never as an accent to the tree. It would look very rain forest like, to have them growing up the tree and hanging down from the canopy! Maybe it's something to experiment with in a future video! Good thinking.
The seeds need cold stratification, if you collect them in fall, they will need a 6 week period of cool temperatures. You can store the pods in a fridge. Some seeds, just don't want to germinate, you just need to keep trying each year.
@@TheBonsaiZone Ah brilliant, for some reason I thought they didn't need the cold strat but I'll try that in the coming autumn as I'm a bit over encumbered with all my collected seeds sprouting this spring. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to so many of us, yours are my favourite bonsai videos and favourite advice.
In growing an African Baobab tree from seed, it grows long, tall and skinny. At what point would you cut it to desired height or go by the process to transform it into a small/medium sized bonsai?
I would cut it back when the tree is about to come out of dormancy after winter. They will normally loose there leaves when dormant. Be sure to keep them bone dry until the new spring growth comes in.
Nigel, at 30:01 you show your outside bonsai. In your KW area does it not get well below 0 and if so, do you have any of your bonsai freeze and die off? Thankyou
Hi Nigel, You have been a big inspiration for me. Just one quick question, Can we make Rainbow Eucalyptus as bonsai, as it is a very vivid and beautiful but huge tree.
wow i can not take a risk to put that great wonderful bonsai collection in -22C temperature with that shallow pot . i watch Ryan Niel video about Winter Preparation he had problem once in cold winter when spring came he thought everything was alright the trees had survived but when spring end the trees had weak and then it died because the roots damaged and that spring growth was because of the sugar that the tree saved in fall so i do not know but i think that is a risk for -22c you have very beautiful bonsai collection out there
I have lost some of the more delicate trees, leaving them out on the benches, mostly small seedlings. The larger trees seem to survive with no problems, so far. I have lost more trees to rabbits, mice and early bud break, then to the cold.
Hi Nigel. Do you know how old your Chinese Elm is? I bought a relatively mature one last spring. The previous owner said she had had it for 7 or 8 years and it had been 2 to 4 yrs old when she got it. Mine is a informal upright style and looks to be of a similar or maybe slightly larger girth than yours. Also mine has been in the garage all winter and is still fully leafed. And the leafs still seem to be green even after that long bout of really heavy freeze we had over the Christmas-New Year period. Do you think that is normal? To be honest I was afraid the tree would die over the winter, even though it was in the garage. Thanks! BTW... I really like the large leaf schefflera with the dead trunk. I think it has tons of character!
Hey Nigel, Your bonsais never die of these freezing temperatures? I am always worried that my roots are dying off from these cold. I put them always in my garage when its freezes a couple days. Greetings from Belgium.
This is very normal for many of the Ficus trees. They can be fussy when pruned, all you can do is work with what lives after you have cut them back. They very rarely die, but the new growth can be unpredictable at times. I'm going to have to prune back my ficus benjamina that I grafted the cutting on top of the base soon. I hope all goes well, but I do expect some die back.
Hi Nigel. Another very interesting video. Congratulations for having your first Chinese Elm. You have kept your coniferous plants outside. Dosn't frost harm their roots? Do Chinese Elms grow from cutting? If so I'll be happy to buy a couple of your cuttings. Thank you.
Most of my trees are very cold hardy and can survive temperatures as low as - 50 C (-58 F) Hopefully, I'll never see those kind of temperatures around here. The coldest it's gotten in -34 C (-29 F). The trees stay frozen for most of the winter. I kept them all outside on the bench last winter and all survived except for some weaker seedlings. I hope I have good results this year as it has been a colder winter. I have found that I loose more trees and branches keeping them indoors with early bud break and weather that goes up and down. Outside they seem to adapt to the natural weather conditions. I hope my Elm cuttings will root, I'll let you know in a future video if they do.
Thank you kindly for your response. I too live in the same zone as you. I am in Milton but kept my coniferous trees in my small green house +10 C. I hope they don't die. I love to show you my green house. let me know when you come to Milton next time.
I did have one long ago and it was growing well. It was very hard getting them through the long winter indoors. The lower light and cooler temperatures, weakened my tree and it slowly died. I think I would need grow lights to keep them healthy in our winters here.
I usually don't, the only trees that I seal the cuts on are ones that typically die back as the trunk or branch dries out. For these I put some white glue as a sealant on the cut. This washes away in a few weeks, but gives the tree time to seal the wound. I have read that cut paste on a typical wound can do more harm than good. It can trap moisture inside and can lead to early rotting. I have seen articles that suggest the use of sealant and others that don't! Maybe the pro cut paste camp also sells the product?
Hey, nice work on the elm and I really like your videos in general. There is just one thing - with your new light, I would say there is a bit too contrast in your videos. It's quite hard to appreciate all details, because some areas are overexposed, while other areas are way too dark. Maybe it would help if you tried pointing the LED light upwards and having sort of a indirect lighting? But other than that, nice as always, cheers!
Thanks, I will be getting more lights for those really dark days. I usually get some light coming in from the windows, but I didn't get much that day. I'm looking forward to getting a better lighting set up!
I'm following you because your videos are very educational and so easy to understand. I'm a noob in bonsai world but now I have over 150 seedlings!! but I don't know what to do with all of those and 300 seeds planted... XD. That's ther reason your videos help me in many aspects. Thanks very much mate!!!
It is not doing very well unfortunately. It started to leaf out and then it stopped and the leaves are beginning to dry out. I think I might have killed off the root system over the winter. I do have a cutting from the tree that is growing well!
Hey Nigel, i was wondering if there is an email in which i can contact you for advice? I'm very new to Bonsai and I've got a Chinese elm which i've had for maybe half a year, it's got white 'fluff' or mould all over the soil and the base of the trunk, i was wondering if you knew what caused this? Great videos!
Wish I had Chinese Elms growing nearby, it's hard finding seeds that'll actually grow online, or finding a tree not in an 'S' shape already, especially since I don't want to spend too much on one
Sometimes it is best to buy the s shape trees and then take cuttings off of them and grow new trees in the shape you want. I have seen people cut the s shape trees back to a stump and re grow the tree to get rid of the curved trunk.
Rocking that Star Wars shirt! Why is there a 5 at 1:03, though? I'm really curious about how this tree is going to develop in your hands. PS: Say hi to your expert pilot for me :)
That is a very good question and I wish I had an answer! I should have a spreadsheet that keeps track of the videos and updates, but I usually pick a tree that has recovered well from a previous operation. Sometimes it is a tree that is easy to get out from behind the other trees on the bench!
The roots actually do freeze all the way through, It's the continual freezing and thawing that can damage them. Most of the trees I have, are very hardy and can take temperatures of -50 C. My trees stayed outside all last winter and I seemed to have less trouble than if I had brought them inside. Indoors, I would always get a tree coming into leaf way too early and the branches would die off when brought outside. It's a bit of a gamble no matter where you keep your trees for the winter. The trees have the entire fall to get used to the dropping temperatures and hopefully mother nature knows what to do. I hope the trees make it through the winter, if you see me crying in spring, you'll no why!
You get used to the cold weather here, when it goes above freezing, it feels really warm outside! It's very common after a long winter, to walk around in a tee shirt in spring when it's only a few degrees above freezing! The amazing human body!
Hi Nigel Saunders. I have a question . Aren't the large hardy elms you show around the 4 minute mark actually Siberian Elms (Ulmus pumila) and NOT Chinese Elms (Ulmus parvifolia) ?
Yes you are very correct! I always thought it was a Chinese Elm, but the bark is very different. The Chinese elm has a bark that flakes off and the Siberian Elm develops the ridges like the one shown in the video. Thanks, Jim, I learned something new! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_parvifolia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_pumila
I do too, this one died, I just didn't get time to bring it in for the winter, that was the year our furnace broke, just as we were getting the cold weather.
You could probably just take out the main trunk and leave that bottom thickest branch that's left as the main trunk Make it look like it's growing from the side of a cliff
Hey Nigel Sanders, your videos have been a big source of enjoyment and education as I've gotten started on my own bonsai journey. Thank you for putting out quality work and being true to your own self! Your videos are what got me into bonsai, and now I've been doing it for two years. Big fan
Jared Letson, ain’t he wonderful! He makes it seem so easy I’m hooked on his videos and starting my own Bonsai journey
Nigel is the main reason i went from having 3 trees to now about 26 trees. All I've either bought as nursery stock, rooted, or gotten from outside somewhere; and have been training them.
Loved watching you trim up the Chinese Elm! I'm VERY new to this and being able to watch you go through this process with your explanations is such a great resource! I even found myself feeling better about the Elm as you pruned. I found that to be an unexpected happening. It seemed as you pruned and cleaned I seemed to relax more. This is something to which I'll pay attention when I start having trees mature enough to embark on major clean ups. Thank you so much for your dedication and attention to detail, Nigel.
Thank you Bonnie, there were so many decisions! I hope I got the tree off to a good start, I'm sure there will be lots more work coming to them in future.
I’m glad you are also growing oak bonsai. Recently I bought some cold growing seedlings including an oak from a bonsai nursery in Melbourne. Collected couple more oak seedlings from a park under huge trees. I hope they all will survive in the subtropics of Brisbane.
The bonsais look terrific in the snow, especially the groups. At first I thought I was looking at full-size trees,
Thanks, I'm trying to get the impression of a miniature forest, quite a challenge!
Nigel you are an artist! The tree shape became much better. Thank for your video as always.
Your bonsai forests are really looking natural with snow on it.
Good piece of chinese elm, and learnt a lot again from your work, thanks Nigel.
Thank you BTC! Winter is going by fast, before I know it, spring will be here!
Great video, all that snow was a welcome sight as we prepare for sweltering summer in the tropics.I especially liked the rejuvenated schefflera bonsai.
The back of the tree looks like an athlete lifting a heavy weight.
Thanks, a great description of the tree! Stay cool this summer!
Hi Mr Nigel, just to let you know how you have inspired me to not be afraid & give it a go on random trees, I go out for walks in the hills and find a few small trees and took them home and they have survived but definitely in need of structure and shape 👍🏼 thanx for all your wonderful tips 🙏🏼
It is always best to start with free trees!
Very satisfying watching those branches getting snipped away!
Thank you Anna! This tree died over the winter, it was my fault, our furnace broke just as the weather turned cold and I didn't have time to bring the tree in for the winter. It got down to -24 C and it killed the roots. I do have a cutting from the tree that survived and I'll be growing this in future videos.
Oh I'm really sorry to hear that... it's a comfort knowing you have a cutting from the tree and it lives on. I'm in Sydney Australia, I can not imagine what -24 C is like. It gets down to -4 C here and everyone loses their minds! I look forward to watching the little cutting grow.
Your patience to make these trees is saint like...
I be hella jealous
Thank you, I am patient with most things in life!
@@TheBonsaiZone you inspired me to start my first bonsai and I hope that what you've accomplished will motivate me to take this further and become a life long passion.
Nigel,
I like what you have done to this tree. Appreciate that you take the time to explain what/why you are making changes to your trees. Enjoyed the updates. And....I'm sure glad we don't have the cold weather like you do!
Sorry to hear about your friend. Excited to see how you develop this tree. I love the way this species looks as bonsai!
Nigel , Happy New Year. You sir are a master, that elm is in great hands . It looked much better after you cleaned it up. Looking forward to your updates on this specimen.
Nice new toy nigel, theyre helpful and a heap of fun. Good to see all the little guys are surviving the coldtoo and This elm has serious potential.
I absolutely love the pot it's in...but agreed I think a different pot would be better. I had to come back and finish watching (company popped in). One thing I've certainly learned from you is these trees are a lifetime endeavor, and this art is virtually limitless depending on individual creativity...Thanks Nigel!😀
amazingly grateful as always lol watching another great video from you and prunning my icecream :)
First off awesome shirt! Second thank you for the videos you do a great job and I am always looking forward to a new one. you do great work and I find it very helpful. keep up the good work and keep them coming.
Thank you, I still have the original Star Wars poster I bought in 1977!
No way that is crazy! Haha
Dope name @JaygoFett
your oak trees look like mine, this is good because I can see how we make different bonsais out of the same material and age
Really nice elm, both before and now I believe! I haven't been on UA-cam in some time now, and WoW! The setup looks incredible! So crisp with the black background, soft lighting.... and TURNTABLE!?! Topper production quality, and before all else, the well versed narration of the thought process behind the changes! You're the best host for my favorite show, so thanks for showing us the passion you've got for your Bonsai!!
P.S. The snow looks so amazing on all the branches!!
Meeoow, brand new to bonsai. I'm slowly learning about plants, I've had a bamboo plant that I've been caring for about under 2 years, I also have a poinsetta that I'm struggling to keep alive without any proper tool in such cold weather and I started looking into for knowledge on growing your own food through gardening and it recommended you to my feed. I've watched a lot of your videos and a few short documentary/interview type stuff about bamboo artists and I've really been lit up with excitement. I'll be moving in a few months so I have plenty of time to plan and prepare. I have a friend with a gorgeous Japanese Maple that needs to be pruned right after my move so I'll be getting some fresh cuttings right away and I'm interested in possibly trying out California Redwood in the future. I may also try some from seed, I love what you said early in this series about how much control you can have over the tree from seed and I think growing a handful from seed will give me some valuable experience and some trial and error, putting what you say into actual practice. I'm really anxious and excited to get started. On another note do you have any experience with growing very small bonsai? I've seen your videos about keeping them small but I've seen some that are absolutely tiny, like a tiny thick trunk with some flowers and almost no branches, I can't imagine how hard that is but I'd love to try it someday. I can't wait to learn more from your videos and to start getting more experience for myself.
(My apologies for commenting on an older video, I was just going to say 'meow' because your kitty was amusing background noise but I felt such a small comment was sort of lame and then I just couldn't stop typing. Thank you so much for your content, your trees are absolutely gorgeous.)
PS Also! I had no idea libraries had 3D printers, would you say creating your own pots has a more value for you over all, the price seems a little big for such little material but I have no clue about 3D printers so perhaps I'm just unaware. Regardless your work with the 3D pots was absolutely fascinating and I'm super interested in trying that as well to make really unique pots for my trees.
Glad to see you're excited about growing! I will be creating some super miniature trees in the future! Check out ther playlist section of the channel, each tree has a playlist so you can follow the progress for each species!
ua-cam.com/channels/xWc7cn-M-22gie8oPslLcA.htmlplaylists?disable_polymer=1
Great video! It reminds me of your channel before it became "The Bonsai Zone" (which I love). It's nice to get back to roots occasionally :)
Looking forward to seeing more of this tree! It's in good hands now, that's for sure
i love your movies Nigel! they are verry informative. keep up the good work!
Thank you Dennis, lots more to come!
Great stuff, look forward to spring not only for my trees that I hopefully have many years to turn into bonsai but yours as well.
Good god that’s a hideous tree 😂 I wonder how lovely it looks now! I will look for updates! Love your videos
Unfortunately the tree died over the winter, I wasn't able to bring it in that year as our furnace broke and I just didn't get to it until it was too late. These things happen in life, but hopefully I can get another to replace it in the future.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone Sorry to heat that! I live in the UK and I have two Chinese elms. This is their first winter with me. They still have their leaves at the moment and I want to keep them outside so they go dormant over winter. I reeeeaally hope they survive the winter!
Thanks Nigel. I live in Yorkshire which, although cold in winter, certainly doesn’t get the cold which you do! I am seriously thinking of buying my second bonsai and I think I want a Chinese Elm. Although I live in an apartment, the surrounding garden does give me the option of putting my bonsais outside for the summer. My first bonsai is a safe one for me, a ficus retusa. I noticed that your Elm was outside I really cold temperatures. I am a little confused and I would welcome your advice and thoughts. Tim Marshall
I think my Elm was a Siberian Elm and it didn't last the cold winter. I didn't get time to move my trees in when it got cold because our furnace broke. A Chinese Elm benefits from a cool period, but can survive without one. Here is an article...
www.evergreengardenworks.com/dormancy.htm
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone .
Again, thank you. Interesting article and informative also. It seems to me that the Chinese Elm “may” be okay but in the article it does say that window sunlight is not enough and artificial lighting is required. In Yorkshire, in mid winter, the daylight hours are short. Sunrise around 09.00 and sunset around 16.00. As a new enthusiast I feel that I am wandering into an area with those conditions which are beyond where I want to go at this time. I will get more experience and learn more before getting a tree which may struggle in my environment. I appreciate both the time you took to respond and your videos. Good uTube videos are very important to me as educational tools. There are plenty of videos out there which are next to useless, and yours are good. Tim Marshall
Always improving the videos Nigel. Another very good one! A loth of work to do on this Elm. Very interesting to watch you in the freezing weather, while here in South of Brazil we are with 30 C degrees! Best whishes in your new season of The Bonsai Zone. I'll be here expecting every new episode!
Thank you Elmar, believe it or not, I'm enjoying the winter here. On my morning walks, the colder the better, as I always warm up too much when walking and working out!
You are awesome , Mr. Saunders!
Great job video clips. I enjoyed. Nice hair. Thanks Mr
Thank you Andy, the cuttings are growing well.
Great work on this tree Nigel!
Thank you Mike, it's a step in the right direction, I hope!
Thank you for more of your wonderful videos and tutorials. You are an inspiration. Have a wonderful and productive 2018.
Hi Nigel. Great video. Trees are looking so beautiful with snow on them. Thanks for such informative videos.
Regards.
Seriously, this channel offers some of the best content on YT. Truly inspiring.
I myself am going to try doing some Crassula bonsai, I hear it's quite beginner-friendly.
Cheers from Italy!
Can you please give us an update of this elm tree...I love elm trees and need more information and ideas on how to care and style them...thanks
The Elm tree didn't make it, i think it got too cold in the winter and the roots died. The cutting from it is growing well, the main tree tried to leaf out, but it didn't survive. I'll concentrate on the cutting.
Can’t wait to see it covered in leaves in the spring!
Ha ha a barmy 7. We have a couple of cool 44^C days coming up here in Aus. Love the look of your trees with the snow 😁. Nice elm keep up the good work. Cheers Sam
Thanks Sam, stay cool, my greenhouse gets up to 44 on a hot day in summer here, it always feels cold when I step outside in our normal summer temp of around 30 C!
Good job. The tree looked a little top heavy with all that dense growth. You managed to get a good balance. I'm sure it will look stunning when it leafs up.
Thank you Brandon, I think it is a step in the right direction, but I'm sure there will be lots more work on the tree in future!
Hi Nigel thanks for taking so much care in making you videos so interesting and educational I'm from south Africa and I'm wanting to build a greenhouse for tropical trees but the problem is space most of our open space is in part shade or complete shade and I was wondering if it would be fine to build it in the shade as long as their is enough heat. Other option is to make a small one that I can't fit in, in full sun. Thanks in advance
One of the reasons I think it would be ok is that I keep my ficus in a shady spot with good indirect sunlight and it thrives there and when I put it in the sun the leaves go a yellow colour
Full sun can be too intense for many of the ficus trees, many of my ficus grow better indoors than out on the bench in full sun. I think your tree would do well in a more shady spot. You can always add LED lights to your greenhouse if you think the trees need more light.
K thanks very much
Hi Nigel, have taken over the care of a 35-38 year old juniper bonsai but I fear that it's too late already. Her leaves have all turned mostly brown and when I scratched the bark, as I have read to do, it was a light brown/red. There is still some green moss on it but not as much. I have relocated the plant to my balcony which I am sure it's probably not happy about but at least I can keep an eye out for it. I feel that it just didn't get enough water and attention in the last few months and it took the owner that much time to realize it. I am trying my best to help it. Any suggestions? I know it's near impossible to really give me advice since you can't see her but I just want to reach out either way.
Can't wait to see the repotting of this tree.
I have a bad feeling about the roots, I don't think it has been re potted in a long, long time. I think it will be a slow process in sorting the roots out over the years.
Dear Mr. Saunders, Firstly thank you for all your amazing videos. Question... I live in an mountain climate. Temperatures in winter are about the same as you mentioned in this video. Am I correct in understanding that I could just leave them outside in winter basically? And they would survive that, like yours did? Don't the roots freeze completely? Would be happy if you could explain!
I believe this tree was actually a Siberian Elm and they are hardy, the Chinese Elm needs protection from freezing. My mistake.
Love the shirt Nigel!!
Thanks, I'm a big Star Wars fan!
That elm definitely needed some work. Looks much better that it did!
Thank you Joseph, a long future ahead for the tree with lots more work to be done!
Hello, Nigel and fellow bonsai lovers. I'm a beginner bonsai student and I'd like to ask why you're holding off repotting? I'd like to understand the reason behind it as I have always understood that we try to balance the pruning work done on the top as well as the bottom.
Thank you!
I like to re pot in spring, the tree is dormant right now and I don't want to remove the roots before the sap starts to run. This is usually late March around here. After the sap stops running, the roots can be pruned and the tree re potted.
Hi Nigel, i would like to start off by saying thank you so much for the fantastic content you give us, love watching your vids and always look forward to seeing what is coming next 😁... Ive been interested in bonsai for a while now and finally purchased my first tree, its a chinese elm. Ive seen online that alot of plants can be poisonous to animals and was curious to know if its safe to keep indoors around my cat? Any help in this matter is appreciated.
I think your cat is safe from the elms! Here is an article on this....
www.bonsaiempire.com/forum/help-me/7027-poisonous-for-pets
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone
Thank you Nigel 👍🏼
Would love to see an update on this Chinese elm!
It’s coming on great Nigel. 👍🏻
I think the dead wood on the tree actually looks really amazing! Creating a Shari like this artificially is actually pretty hard to do.
Hi im hoping that somebody can answer my simple question. Can I dig up a small pine tree and put it in a pot even though it's winter? I was told I cold as long as the ground isn't completely frozen.
It's the middle of winter and I'm itching to do something bonsai related.
Yes you can, keep as much root as possible at first. It is a good time to dig when the tree is dormant!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone thanks for the help. I'm 22 years old and would love to have more people my age enjoy bonsai. So my goal is to get it started myself and show my local peers how awesome of a hobby it can be!
I would air-layer the top off, just above those lower branches. Turn the bottom half into a shohin and the top into a larger tree.
Agree that the bottom branch was awful. I would've cut them all off, but I'm think your plan also worked. Glad you dealt with them!
Jasper Shepherd Smith 923
from my perspective i would have gone this route too, it would be a longer route but would have given the tree more character.
enjoying your videos of late, really so much improvement on quality... you got a new subscriber Mr. Saunders!
Jasper Shepherd Smith care to explain what "air-layer the top off" means?
Hey nigel, I was wondering, would it be possible to train a vines leaves to stay small, and have them climb a bonsai? You'd have to stay vigilant to make sure the vines don't overwhelm the bonsai but I think it would give a beautiful mature look to a bonsai.
I have seen vines trained as bonsai, but never as an accent to the tree. It would look very rain forest like, to have them growing up the tree and hanging down from the canopy! Maybe it's something to experiment with in a future video! Good thinking.
Hi Nigel, I collected some black locust seed pods but haven't had any luck getting them to sprout. I was wondering how you germinated them?
The seeds need cold stratification, if you collect them in fall, they will need a 6 week period of cool temperatures. You can store the pods in a fridge. Some seeds, just don't want to germinate, you just need to keep trying each year.
@@TheBonsaiZone Ah brilliant, for some reason I thought they didn't need the cold strat but I'll try that in the coming autumn as I'm a bit over encumbered with all my collected seeds sprouting this spring. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to so many of us, yours are my favourite bonsai videos and favourite advice.
In growing an African Baobab tree from seed, it grows long, tall and skinny. At what point would you cut it to desired height or go by the process to transform it into a small/medium sized bonsai?
I would cut it back when the tree is about to come out of dormancy after winter. They will normally loose there leaves when dormant. Be sure to keep them bone dry until the new spring growth comes in.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’ll be sure to do just that!
Brutal but nice. Keep up the great work
Thank you, some times it's just light trimming, sometimes a little more!
Hey like your videos was wondering could show how you make a cutting from that first branch that you cut off Thanks
Nigel, at 30:01 you show your outside bonsai. In your KW area does it not get well below 0 and if so, do you have any of your bonsai freeze and die off? Thankyou
Hi Nigel, You have been a big inspiration for me. Just one quick question, Can we make Rainbow Eucalyptus as bonsai, as it is a very vivid and beautiful but huge tree.
I believe you can! There has been some talk on the bonsai forums about this tree and I can see some bonsai images on google!
Wow looks really good
Thanks, I have told you the bad news on one of the other comments.
@@TheBonsaiZone as I am new starter to the hobby what tools would you say are most essential to start with ...
i kept my chinese elm inside because it gets very cold here im in toronto it hasnt lost its leaves is that ok, what should i do
wow i can not take a risk to put that great wonderful bonsai collection in -22C temperature with that shallow pot . i watch Ryan Niel video about Winter Preparation he had problem once in cold winter when spring came he thought everything was alright the trees had survived but when spring end the trees had weak and then it died because the roots damaged and that spring growth was because of the sugar that the tree saved in fall so i do not know but i think that is a risk for -22c you have very beautiful bonsai collection out there
I'm loving those Royal oaks! I have an oak in my front yard I love but the leaves are much too large to make a sutibal bonsai from any seedlings.
And I love how you cleaned up the Chinese elm. Thanks for sharing
Did some research it's a pin oak and heard it does make a good bonsai. With all the seeds and seedlings I'll see around its worth the gamble
The Oaks are growing really well indoors, I hope my seeds that are outside grow well in spring!
Thank you Hassan!
You and family are great! Love Ukulele Atlanta Holly and family
I see my favorite apple tree in the background!
Great video, Nigel. Thanks. A question: was there ever a severely bad winter when you lost some of your bonsai, let alone favorite bonsai?
I have lost some of the more delicate trees, leaving them out on the benches, mostly small seedlings. The larger trees seem to survive with no problems, so far. I have lost more trees to rabbits, mice and early bud break, then to the cold.
Hi Nigel. Do you know how old your Chinese Elm is? I bought a relatively mature one last spring. The previous owner said she had had it for 7 or 8 years and it had been 2 to 4 yrs old when she got it. Mine is a informal upright style and looks to be of a similar or maybe slightly larger girth than yours. Also mine has been in the garage all winter and is still fully leafed. And the leafs still seem to be green even after that long bout of really heavy freeze we had over the Christmas-New Year period. Do you think that is normal? To be honest I was afraid the tree would die over the winter, even though it was in the garage.
Thanks!
BTW... I really like the large leaf schefflera with the dead trunk. I think it has tons of character!
Hey Nigel,
Your bonsais never die of these freezing temperatures? I am always worried that my roots are dying off from these cold. I put them always in my garage when its freezes a couple days.
Greetings from Belgium.
Hi Nigel, I pruned my ficus a little, but I had some branches die back quite a lot.. Could you tell what I did wrong?
This is very normal for many of the Ficus trees. They can be fussy when pruned, all you can do is work with what lives after you have cut them back. They very rarely die, but the new growth can be unpredictable at times. I'm going to have to prune back my ficus benjamina that I grafted the cutting on top of the base soon. I hope all goes well, but I do expect some die back.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone thank you for your answer.. I think I'll just let it grow more branches to spread the risk a bit
Hi Nigel. Another very interesting video. Congratulations for having your first Chinese Elm. You have kept your coniferous plants outside. Dosn't frost harm their roots?
Do Chinese Elms grow from cutting? If so I'll be happy to buy a couple of your cuttings. Thank you.
Most of my trees are very cold hardy and can survive temperatures as low as - 50 C (-58 F) Hopefully, I'll never see those kind of temperatures around here. The coldest it's gotten in -34 C (-29 F). The trees stay frozen for most of the winter. I kept them all outside on the bench last winter and all survived except for some weaker seedlings. I hope I have good results this year as it has been a colder winter. I have found that I loose more trees and branches keeping them indoors with early bud break and weather that goes up and down. Outside they seem to adapt to the natural weather conditions. I hope my Elm cuttings will root, I'll let you know in a future video if they do.
Thank you kindly for your response. I too live in the same zone as you. I am in Milton but kept my coniferous trees in my small green house +10 C. I hope they don't die. I love to show you my green house. let me know when you come to Milton next time.
Nice video Nigel, I agree, the pot does not look good with Bonsai tree
Hey Nigel, I really enjoy your videos . Have you done anything with eucalyptus trees? I would love to see something like that.
I did have one long ago and it was growing well. It was very hard getting them through the long winter indoors. The lower light and cooler temperatures, weakened my tree and it slowly died. I think I would need grow lights to keep them healthy in our winters here.
Hi. Thanks for another great video. Just one question. Do you seal your cuts. If No. Why not.
I usually don't, the only trees that I seal the cuts on are ones that typically die back as the trunk or branch dries out. For these I put some white glue as a sealant on the cut. This washes away in a few weeks, but gives the tree time to seal the wound. I have read that cut paste on a typical wound can do more harm than good. It can trap moisture inside and can lead to early rotting. I have seen articles that suggest the use of sealant and others that don't! Maybe the pro cut paste camp also sells the product?
When talking about the outside temperature, it might be a good idea to say that it is in centegrade as not all of your audience will know that.
Hey, nice work on the elm and I really like your videos in general. There is just one thing - with your new light, I would say there is a bit too contrast in your videos. It's quite hard to appreciate all details, because some areas are overexposed, while other areas are way too dark. Maybe it would help if you tried pointing the LED light upwards and having sort of a indirect lighting? But other than that, nice as always, cheers!
*a bit too much contrast
Thanks, I will be getting more lights for those really dark days. I usually get some light coming in from the windows, but I didn't get much that day. I'm looking forward to getting a better lighting set up!
I would like to see a hokidachi style in any Other olm. Maybe starting forma beggining from a small prebonsai
Many of the cuttings are growing well, I'll try some different styles and I'll be sure to try a broom style! Thanks Jordi.
I'm following you because your videos are very educational and so easy to understand. I'm a noob in bonsai world but now I have over 150 seedlings!! but I don't know what to do with all of those and 300 seeds planted... XD. That's ther reason your videos help me in many aspects. Thanks very much mate!!!
Hey Nigel. Do we have an update on this one?
It is not doing very well unfortunately. It started to leaf out and then it stopped and the leaves are beginning to dry out. I think I might have killed off the root system over the winter. I do have a cutting from the tree that is growing well!
It’s now Feb 2021. Update please
Thanks
Hey Nigel, i was wondering if there is an email in which i can contact you for advice? I'm very new to Bonsai and I've got a Chinese elm which i've had for maybe half a year, it's got white 'fluff' or mould all over the soil and the base of the trunk, i was wondering if you knew what caused this? Great videos!
my email address is...
thekwbonsaisociety@gmail.com
I'll have a look!
Wish I had Chinese Elms growing nearby, it's hard finding seeds that'll actually grow online, or finding a tree not in an 'S' shape already, especially since I don't want to spend too much on one
Sometimes it is best to buy the s shape trees and then take cuttings off of them and grow new trees in the shape you want. I have seen people cut the s shape trees back to a stump and re grow the tree to get rid of the curved trunk.
Funny I'm expecting a large Chinese Elm in a couple days
Hi Nigel did you get any Chinese elms from them cuttings?
Sadly, the Chinese Elm died over the winter.
@@TheBonsaiZone not if they are indoors they can be indoors for the winter.
Rocking that Star Wars shirt! Why is there a 5 at 1:03, though?
I'm really curious about how this tree is going to develop in your hands.
PS: Say hi to your expert pilot for me :)
Hi Nigel, how old is the Schefflera in the update?
It is getting close to 20 years old now!
When and do you feed Bonsai trees?
what is your decision prcosess when picking update trees?
That is a very good question and I wish I had an answer! I should have a spreadsheet that keeps track of the videos and updates, but I usually pick a tree that has recovered well from a previous operation. Sometimes it is a tree that is easy to get out from behind the other trees on the bench!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone i hope to see some of you American elms
I have a quick question for you Nigel!
How do you ensure your roots dont freeze all the way through and die? Do you do anything to the soil or pots?
The roots actually do freeze all the way through, It's the continual freezing and thawing that can damage them. Most of the trees I have, are very hardy and can take temperatures of -50 C. My trees stayed outside all last winter and I seemed to have less trouble than if I had brought them inside. Indoors, I would always get a tree coming into leaf way too early and the branches would die off when brought outside. It's a bit of a gamble no matter where you keep your trees for the winter. The trees have the entire fall to get used to the dropping temperatures and hopefully mother nature knows what to do. I hope the trees make it through the winter, if you see me crying in spring, you'll no why!
great transformation
Please suggest me low light flowering plants
It's 8ºC here and I'm freezing. How can you stand being outside with a t-shirt when it's snowing?
You get used to the cold weather here, when it goes above freezing, it feels really warm outside! It's very common after a long winter, to walk around in a tee shirt in spring when it's only a few degrees above freezing! The amazing human body!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone The amazing human body indeed!
Wait a second. I though worms are good for the soil and the plants?
Balmy 😂 plus 7° you are a mad man! Haha
Hi Nigel Saunders. I have a question . Aren't the large hardy elms you show around the 4 minute mark actually Siberian Elms (Ulmus pumila) and NOT Chinese Elms (Ulmus parvifolia) ?
Yes you are very correct! I always thought it was a Chinese Elm, but the bark is very different. The Chinese elm has a bark that flakes off and the Siberian Elm develops the ridges like the one shown in the video. Thanks, Jim, I learned something new!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_parvifolia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulmus_pumila
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone . I wonder if you should consider winter protection for your Ulmus parvifolia ?
I knew that he had to be a mini you❤️
Thanks, he's a way better drone pilot than me!
a new project. we wait for it's next video.
I can't wait also!
I love chinese elm tree's
I do too, this one died, I just didn't get time to bring it in for the winter, that was the year our furnace broke, just as we were getting the cold weather.
Elms have crazy potential
How we make Christmas bonsai tree
Yes indeed!
I would want that to happen to mine! lol
Ở đau đẹp quá đi. #bonsaibinhdinh
Tất cả chỉ là một phần của việc tạo ra một cây bonsai.
Great work
You could probably just take out the main trunk and leave that bottom thickest branch that's left as the main trunk
Make it look like it's growing from the side of a cliff