I really don't think in any application "scraggly bits of crotch growth " will ever be usefull! 😆 on a serious note can we all just take the time to appreciate this man has put out a great video every day for well over 2 weeks, that's dedication ! Thanks Tony 🌲
Hi Tjeerd. I think you're definitely right, but I decided to leave that branch to grow to help to pull sap and heal the cut. I can always prune it back this time next year
It looked like a guess work at first but after wiring and shaping, your intentions came out…. Rest in peace Tony….. God bless your bereaved family and also your bonsai organization.
It's been so easy to spot the bonsai enthusiasts in Sainsbury's lately, they're the ones shunting the Omorika trees back and forwards looking for decent trunks. I was quite surprised to see how many trees my local Sainsbury's had in stock, I was expecting maybe half a dozen or so but there must have been well over sixty. Took me ages to sort through them all.😱
yeah, it's great that experienced bonsai experts are happy to share their knowledge and techniques, and I'm sure that over time the standard of bonsai worldwide will keep improving.
i really apriciate that you shared you had expected/hoped for more wow. It shows you to be very authentic and It shows the reality of working with material. I would like to see a follow up video on this tree next Christmas to see how it develops over the next year with good soil and proper care
Hi Nolan, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I will definitely be updating on this tree as it hopefully thrives next year. As for my expectations, Sometimes I'm surprised at how good a tree looks, and others I'm a bit underwhelmed. Either way, it#'s all part of the learning.
@@TonysBonsai This is off topic but I don't know if you mentioned it in this video or another but I think you mentioned you work in the trades. With plaster or drywall. Would you mind if I asked you a question about that? I think this is you passion project and I don't want to muddy them for you. So if now I totally get it.
Tony, I think you're being a bit hard on yourself mate. That tree looks really good. I watched the greenwood video and wondered if you'd be having a go. Well done.
A few twinkle-lights and baubles and you have a great dining table centre piece!! I watched Corin's video a bit speeded up. I remember at a society demo by Corin (who is a genuinely entertaining guy) say that, no matter how good a tree is, give it to him and he'll make it better. - he then proceeded to do just that with some members' trees.
Well done! I saw Corin's video only a couple of days ago and today I bought one of those trees to work on, you added to the motivation. I've been 'off games' for a while and this will get me back into it. Hope I can produce something as elegant as yours.
Here in the States they seem to push Dwarf Alberta spruce and Norfolk Island Pines this time of year. Both extremely challenging. I did find a wonderful Hinoki Cypress last week and will continue the hunt for one like this one.
@@TonysBonsai ,, I did pick up a small clump of 7 Norfolk Island Pines for $8 separated, pruned and planted them up. Like you I couldn’t pass up the bargain 😁 I guess when the Albertas go on sale after Christmas I’ll have another try with them too. Practice makes perfect? We’ll see. Thanks, keep growing
Hi tony,don’t worry how someone else would style the tree,if you like how it looks that’s what counts.there could be 10 experts pruning that tree and they would all be different.
Hi Brian. you are right there. Ultimately we all have different views on how trees look best, but it's a really interesting exercise to copy someone elses work. I remember trying to paint a Monet once. Mine was pretty awful, but it taught me so much about paint application.
I always enjoy your content Tony. I also watched Corin’s video and I agree that this species is a great tree to work on for practice without breaking the bank.
Looks really great. May have inspired me to pop down to my local Sainsburys last night to pick up a tree. Will be seeing what i can make of it this weekend. I am still very much a beginner myself in bonsai so your tips are a great help, keep up the great work
I hope Corin appreciates your swift response to his video. As you appreciate his ability to decide cut and describe. Mind you it's in his genes you know. Xxx And I'm loving your many videos of late giving us a bonsai fix every day. Xxx
@@TonysBonsai not met him yet, been to the nursary but he was teaching when we were there. Badger is nearly there, pyrography on it next week to get his coat. Xx
Proper good result with this one I'd say! I love Spruce, it was my first tree and I've already made a little £5 Picea perfecta since they've been arriving in the shops, it ended up windswept with about £4 of branches on the floor! And regarding pots, I put everything that's not growing out in a shallow pot (I got a load of round plastic ones you mostly see bulbs in) it just makes the whole composition work in my opinion. Will be well worth watering the foliage on this for a while to give it the best chance to root in too.
Hi Chris. These little spruce are great fun and can produce some good trees. Your picea perfecta sounds interesting. thanks for the tip on the watering of the foliage too. I'll do that thanks.
Thank you, Tony, for an honest video . Dwarf Alberta Spruce are at my Home Depot and Lowes every year fairly reasonable. I'm 3 years in on my Bonsai journey and feel the same struggle of which branch to remove . I've even killed a couple of trees earlier . Hopefully, past that point now .
I'm assuming this is the video that was meant for Tuesday Tony it turned out right in the end I'm happy that you name dropped the people you kind of follow to get more knowledge so i jotted them down and will look them up also .another good video keep them coming ..im so glad i found your channel
Yes it is. I am heading up to the lake district tomorrow to do some photography, so I decided to post this one today. It's a great practice tree, and at least with your horticultural knowledge, you will have a good chance of keeping it alive. There are lots of entertaining bonsai channels around, but for high-quality advice, these are the ones I consider the best. www.youtube.com/@BonsaiMirai www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyBonsai www.youtube.com/@bonsai4me2 ua-cam.com/channels/z_vX75GG3NFKiyLzwmHxtA.htmlfeatured www.youtube.com/@saruyamabonsai www.youtube.com/@EiseienBonsai www.youtube.com/@TerryErasmusbonsai www.youtube.com/@ShohinbonsaiEurope
I saw Corin's video, then Tony's and decided I must have a go. Mine also needs revisiting in a day or two to possible thin it out more, but the biggest bonus was three low branches sprouting from the bas, which when teased have come away will some root attached. So with a lot of luck I have an instant bonsai and three saplings for my £10.
You know how to get me jealous! I love it when you gat a bonus tree or two, and you should be able to wire them when they're still young and get some decent movement into the trunks.
That soil was pretty wild. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tree potted up in something like that. I guess they assume most of these trees are just going to end up being dumped after the holidays anyways so they save money on the mix.
Hi John. Yes, I think they do it because it's the easiest soil to transfer the roots into, and as you say it will be cheap. I just hope that it makes it, but only time will tell.
Thks mate Your Work Really Hellped me Very causeWhen i buy a tree it makes me very difficult to Choose which branches are Good or not. Cherrs mate thks 4 sharing. 🙌
Hi Tony took inspiration from you regards one of these trees so as me and my wife are complete newbies at this we thought we would buy one but at the same time we seen these small ones so we thought we would try that first turned out great well we think so for a first time wireing a tree
That's fantastic Keith. I'm really glad you went for it and decided to have a go at wiring. It gets easier with practice, but I always still find it great fun
Hi having played with Christmas trees before one piece of advice I would give is definitely don't remove the neddles from branches as they don't back bud on bare wood
Yes, I agree it would look better. I didn't leave it to add height though. I left it to help draw up the sap so that the wound heals better which is my priority.
I went out an bought a tree and followed your example. Any chance of a follow up on the progress of this tree, if it has made it? When to remove the wires? Pruning when needed, etc. Looking forward to seeing the progress of all the trees in your channel.
Hi Jane. I was just looking at my tree yesterday. I wouldn't say it's in amazing health, but it also doesn't look like it's dying. I will be updating on the tree in late spring when it hopefully starts to push our new fresh growth. At the moment nothing much has changed from when I did it. How is yours doing?
@@TonysBonsai I was just looking at where i cut a big branch off when i got it and though it looks like it has started healing. Buds are just starting to swell. I am further south in the uk. Fingers crossed these trees all survive. I kept mine in the pot until mid March and there was nothing going on with the roots. At least it is in better soil now in its training pot. It was in a very sandy mix. Still don't think i have pruned enough off the branches yet.
I love the way you show your steps good and bad. I must admit i wasnt impressed with your finished tree. Then you said yourself you weren't happy with it. So much better in your last section. I may be raiding the trees at Sainsburys later today 😀
Thanks Sue. Yes, I'm not an expert like Corin. I'm just learning about bonsai and vlogging about my journey. Sometimes I do what I think is pretty nice work, and other times it's not so good. Either way, It's always fun and that's what it's all about for me.
Fair play to you Tony - trying to do a Corin on camera! And it's not bad mate at all. I might have left a couple more branches on, and reduced the overall foliage a bit more. And the very top of the apex needs to come off. But, really well done.
Thanks David. It really did give me an appreciation for how Corin manages to create a tree so easily. As for the top, I've left it to hopefully allow it to heal over the cut better, but in time it definitely needs pruning back I agree.
Great video! Here in the United States they sell the Alberta Spruce Conica . Some people think it's a challenging species to work with but I find working with them is not to hard I have a few that I made into bonsai and have had for a few years.
@@TonysBonsai I've tried this with a dwarf alberta spruce from B&Q last year - unfortunately it didn't survive... I've got another one that I just potted but didn't do any pruning or wiring - perhaps I'll try this year or even let the roots grow for another season 🤔
@@maciejgronowski I was thinking about that. I might pick one up and just knock off a bit of the dust and then plant it out in the ground with only a very basic prune, then come back to it next year.
Hi Luigi. I am hopeful that they will be able to live on even though they have been in this dry dusty soil. At least the roots look ok. Have fun styling it!
Well done super cool dude! I am an old man so I can't be cool according to my kids and i embarass myself if I try. I was so tempted to do the same thing but I decided against it when I saw all the rain outside. The bottom of the garden is no fun right now :)
Looks really good. Inspired me to get out and grab myself a couple. Will they bud back if you can't reduce the length of the upper branches to visible buds?
Yes, I believe that providing the tree is healthy and growing well that it will back bud. I wouldn;t expect it next year, but perhaps if all goes well it will back bud in spring 2024
Great work Tony got 2 today myself..hoping I can make them look half passable but all about learning..and definitely fit into to bonsai for 50..💵.. bracket..keep up the good work
Cheers Rob. These are really fun projects, and the way I look at it is that even if they don't make it becasue of the questionable root situation, we get £10 worth of practice.
28:33 a perfect example for sometimes you need to take a break, to step back a little and get a new perspective.. although the tree was already quite nice Tony really improved it there.. And it's videos like this that might get people (like myself) into bonsai 👍 You watch this and think, "I can do that. And it's not even expensive.. so even IF I fail - who cares. Let's give it a go!" Thanks Tony for your effort, I would love to see more videos like that - rest in peace, mate!
The soil looks like silt. I.e., the sludge they dredge from waterways and river outlets. In recent years has been used increasingly in products like John Iness and other things. It is nutrient rich but is prone to drying, compaction and panning.
That#s interesting Nick. Yes it did feel very fine like a dry silt now that you mention it. I suspect that is what they used, but I'm definitely glad to get it into my own bonsai soil.
Nice work Tony. Loads of accessible, inexpensive (generally spruce) material this time of year. Even IKEA selling small spruce trees ideal for Shohin size for a fiver.
We don;t have akea around here, but I'm sure I'll be able to source something similar somewhere. My main concern is whether or not it will survive, but if it does, then it's a real bargain.
Great video, where did you get the ebony chopstick from, got a tree from B&M, the bloke thought I was mad looking through about twenty trees, got lights on it now and will tackle it in the new year. Cheers.
🤣It has to be done mate. If you get a decent tree to work with in the new year, then the effort is well worth it. I make my own bonsai chopsticks out of UK native woods and also various luxurious woods from around the world. They are basically pretty daft, but I like making them and they fell really nice to use.
Thanks Mark. I love my cutters and they seem really strong. www.amazon.co.uk/Round-Edge-Cutter-Stainless-Multifunction/dp/B075L21JC7/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1XP4I84E15AUW&keywords=hybrid+bonsai+cutters&qid=1669801689&sprefix=hybrid+bonsai+cutters%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-16
Came out really nice. At first after bending the branches down i thought u were shooting for the charlie brown xmas tree🤣. Its ok though u knew it didnt look complete. Its kinda hard to put this much work in a half hour video. What i did on one of mine was to use the left right back branch style and that usually works. Also time consuming i would pick and choose each little branch and wire them but like i said that could take all day. Great pot and great outcome on this tree.! Cheers from the USA! I gotta get me some this year
You make a good point about combining video and bonsai. While I'm conscious about creating good watchable content, I also have to balance it with enjoying it, and doing it as well as I can, but I think it's mainly working out pretty well. Sounds like you really put some effort into yours, and I bet it looks fantastic!
The pot looks sort of black in the video. Considering how conifers are typically not potted in glazed pots, I think this one looks decent in my opinion. 🤙 A couple years ago, I bought a spruce like yours and after finding it had a whorl of 6 branches in the trunk, went ahead and planted it just let it be a normal spruce tree. At some point a few weeks ago a deer came by and made a decision of it's own for the tree. It totally stripped the bark and branches from the top half (creating jin.) All that remains are 3 branches coming from the same point with a couple smaller branches below. I am forced to dig it up in spring and train as bonsai. "Twist my arm" 😁
Hi Kevin. It sounds like that deer did you a favour. Sometimes we struggle to be so brutal, but the deer wasn't so concerned about it, and from the sounds of it has made it into something interesting
I have to confess that when I see the initial styling on these “Christmas trees” it often fills me with a sense of horror 😂😂😂 They often look like something you would hold over your head to pick up Channel 5 reception in an area with poor signal… 😂 Ps. That’s a very appropriate pot 😂🎄
Hi Paul. I think if you did this now, you would have to protect the tree over winter in some kind of cold frame or pollytunnel. The best time to do it would be in early spring
I wondered the same on the Greenwood video... What are the chances of this kind of tree re-establishing given it's almost bare-rooted? Anybody tried this before and have any insights?
I bought a larger spruce tree this time last year, and it died pretty quickly but to be fair it had far fewer fine feeder roots, so I'm about 50/50 on this one. At the same time I bought 5 large scotts pines with equally awful roots. 2 made it and 3 died.
@@TonysBonsai So you're saying there's a chance.... if it's typically about 1 in 3 though, that's £30 each instead of £10 which isn't quite as appealing. Will definitely be looking for some bargains when these are even cheaper
Definitely looks better after the tidy up. Just as good as corin's. Have to be honest I do tend to balk a bit when I see a tree go into a pot that's probably 4 times the price (like Corin did) I always think the tree should be more valuable than the pot, just me. Yours is fine though and quite fitting for Christmas 🎄 😉
Thanks, Daniel. I know what you mean about the pot, and I suspect that his was four times the price (that he pays for it) If mine lives and grows to be a really good tree, I suppose I could always change the pot, but for now, I think the silver suits a Christmas tree nicely
@@TonysBonsai thank you, my first video will be in spring, I guess. No idea yet which kind of videos I like best... I am following a Japanese bonsai guy, I like his style. No talking, rain and other nature sounds in the background and this dude just doing his bonsai work... So might be going in that direction. Still a lot to discover, like how to edit videos and such.
@@TonysBonsai I love a bit of a challenge... 😉 May I ask what kind of gear you are using? I must do it on a budget... So, I will try to do it with the gear I already own. Simply because I am investing my tight budget into a recently obtained lot at a community garden. It needs a lot of work.
Yeah, my gear's pretty good as I use my professional photography equipment. It's getting old now though but it still takes decent footage. Canon 5d4 and a 24-70 2.8ii To be honest though, good sound is far more important. People will tolerate bad visuals but they won't watch if the sound is poor. I use a rode radio mic
@Tony's Bonsai hi, during this post you said there was no excuse for not getting yourself one of these trees. How about no transport and mobility issues?
Sainsbury’s definitely do home delivery (though admittedly I don’t know if that includes these trees). None of my lazy neighbours seem to shop in person and do it all online. 😊 They also don’t mow their own lawns, walk their own dogs (even when working from home), do their own gardening, ironing or clean their own ovens. 😮
@@TonysBonsai it's OK Tony I was just being pedantic lol. I do have my grocery delivered because of my health so, I will try and see if they will deliver - I shop at tesco. I doubt they will though, its a shame as I would def. try. Take care
@@TheBonsaiGarden hi Jason, I miss going shopping and browsing. I have delivery because of my health, I do my own house work though and I removed my lawn. I am going to try and order a tree but I think you are probably right, they probably will refuse to deliver. Take care
Hi, I'm surprised at that. I turn off all unskippable ads on my videos, so there should be no more than two short ones, and I turn off all mid-roll ads on my content too.
@@TonysBonsai I normally watch from my laptop which blocks all ads but i was away and tried to watch it on my phone but yeah i gave up lol not your fault m8 I just hate forced ads get that enough in life as it is.
Before I got brave enough to wire, I poked holes around the rim of the pot and tied the limbs down with string. It works and no wire bite. I still use this technique with tender material. Newbies can give this a try
@@TonysBonsai I use the string tie down tact with my Climbing Aloe (Aloiampelos ciliaris)... Aloe doesn't bounce back from wire scars very well, so it's difficult to manipulate the stems, but in the end, the string tie down method doesn't leave scars, and you get great spirals.
I can not count how many times i have placed the tree wrong in the pot. And have to unwire it. I think we have kind of the same brain Tony 🤣 and 29 min of Tony bonsai afther work. Perfect! Thanks mate. Really enjoy that! If hade been cool if you hade Instagram. I could showed you my omorika spruce. Or Serbian spruce
❤️❤️❤️Dearly missed ❤️❤️
I really don't think in any application "scraggly bits of crotch growth " will ever be usefull! 😆 on a serious note can we all just take the time to appreciate this man has put out a great video every day for well over 2 weeks, that's dedication ! Thanks Tony 🌲
I can see "scraggly bits of crotch growth " being the next bog thing! 🤣Cheers Andrew
Reminds me of some of the young ladies I came across in the early 80’s
@@MrEieio44 🤣🤣been there mate!
@@MrEieio44 bush to bonsai! 😆✂🌲
Hi Tony. i think u can make the tree little more refined by bending the 3 shoots on top down and shorten the long one in the middle.
Hi Tjeerd. I think you're definitely right, but I decided to leave that branch to grow to help to pull sap and heal the cut. I can always prune it back this time next year
It looked like a guess work at first but after wiring and shaping, your intentions came out….
Rest in peace Tony…..
God bless your bereaved family and also your bonsai organization.
My wee Auld dad loves watching your videos. He also had me take him to the supermarket for his £10 tree, it’s trimmed down and shaped 😊
Thank you, I'm really glad he's enjoying the,. I love reading comments like yours. It makes my day, and I hope he enjoyed working on his new tree.
I watched his video yesterday in total awe and amazement.
His final tree was pretty fantastic I thought. I'm happy with mine, but if he fancies a trade I'm game 🤣
You guys in the north are lucky to have all these conifers etc to get this time of year. Here in africa we must be happy with plastic Christmas trees.
🤣You'll have to go and collect a nice wild olive and turn that into a Christmas tree style
Yup, its pretty kak
It's been so easy to spot the bonsai enthusiasts in Sainsbury's lately, they're the ones shunting the Omorika trees back and forwards looking for decent trunks.
I was quite surprised to see how many trees my local Sainsbury's had in stock, I was expecting maybe half a dozen or so but there must have been well over sixty. Took me ages to sort through them all.😱
🤣The bonsai scrummage! I hope you managed to find a good one. I only had around ten to pick from, but I think it's looking ok in the end.
lol. Same in the garden centres 😂
It is a pleasure and awsome watching you, Tony. Definitely nice outcome too. 🙏🙋♀️
Thank you yes. In the end, it reminds me of the huge trees in the Alps on a lovely tree lined run down the mountain.
I think it looks quite nice Tony. Corin is certainly a master. I think he’d be proud of inspiring our community to give it a try. Thanks, keep growing
yeah, it's great that experienced bonsai experts are happy to share their knowledge and techniques, and I'm sure that over time the standard of bonsai worldwide will keep improving.
Just started watching your video on trimming, and wiring of the tree! Thank you! This helps me to start👍🤗🌲
i really apriciate that you shared you had expected/hoped for more wow. It shows you to be very authentic and It shows the reality of working with material.
I would like to see a follow up video on this tree next Christmas to see how it develops over the next year with good soil and proper care
Hi Nolan, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I will definitely be updating on this tree as it hopefully thrives next year. As for my expectations, Sometimes I'm surprised at how good a tree looks, and others I'm a bit underwhelmed. Either way, it#'s all part of the learning.
@@TonysBonsai This is off topic but I don't know if you mentioned it in this video or another but I think you mentioned you work in the trades. With plaster or drywall. Would you mind if I asked you a question about that? I think this is you passion project and I don't want to muddy them for you. So if now I totally get it.
@@nolanbrooks1588 Yeah no worries. What do you want to know?
Tony, I think you're being a bit hard on yourself mate. That tree looks really good. I watched the greenwood video and wondered if you'd be having a go. Well done.
Cheers mate. Yeah in retrospect I think it's looking pretty good, and providing it grows well it should turn into a decent tree.
A few twinkle-lights and baubles and you have a great dining table centre piece!! I watched Corin's video a bit speeded up. I remember at a society demo by Corin (who is a genuinely entertaining guy) say that, no matter how good a tree is, give it to him and he'll make it better. - he then proceeded to do just that with some members' trees.
Yes, he seems to know exactly what to do to to get the very best from every tree he works on. Experience and talent I think.
Hi Tony, the time to go shopping for these trees is the week Xmas when they’ll be on sale 😉
you're not wrong there John. I'm sure there will be some great bargains, and I wouldn;t mind picking up a couple more of these myself.
You really ARE the coolest out there Tony. Even with dead microphone batteries!
🤣🤣I really need to get some new batteries. I use top-quality rechargeables, but they are all beginning to give up after years of use.
Well done! I saw Corin's video only a couple of days ago and today I bought one of those trees to work on, you added to the motivation. I've been 'off games' for a while and this will get me back into it. Hope I can produce something as elegant as yours.
Hi MArk. I hope the work on your spruce went well and you've got a nice tree for the future
Thanks for this Tony, inspired me to add to my little collection👍.
That's great. definitely a fun project to practice bonsai skills on.
Here in the States they seem to push Dwarf Alberta spruce and Norfolk Island Pines this time of year. Both extremely challenging. I did find a wonderful Hinoki Cypress last week and will continue the hunt for one like this one.
Glad you managed to get a nice hinoki, and I'm sure if you keep hunting you'll get one of these or something similar.
@@TonysBonsai ,, I did pick up a small clump of 7 Norfolk Island Pines for $8 separated, pruned and planted them up. Like you I couldn’t pass up the bargain 😁
I guess when the Albertas go on sale after Christmas I’ll have another try with them too. Practice makes perfect? We’ll see. Thanks, keep growing
Hi tony,don’t worry how someone else would style the tree,if you like how it looks that’s what counts.there could be 10 experts pruning that tree and they would all be different.
Hi Brian. you are right there. Ultimately we all have different views on how trees look best, but it's a really interesting exercise to copy someone elses work. I remember trying to paint a Monet once. Mine was pretty awful, but it taught me so much about paint application.
I like the pot a lot. A little bit of Christmas bling.
Cheers MArk. Gotta keep things festive!
I always enjoy your content Tony. I also watched Corin’s video and I agree that this species is a great tree to work on for practice without breaking the bank.
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it, and as you say, they're great trees to practice on.
They will be cheaper after Christmas xx
@@lougriffiths I'll be keeping my eye out for them for sure
Looks really great. May have inspired me to pop down to my local Sainsburys last night to pick up a tree. Will be seeing what i can make of it this weekend. I am still very much a beginner myself in bonsai so your tips are a great help, keep up the great work
Excellent. This kind fo project is great fun, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it and learn loads.
I hope Corin appreciates your swift response to his video. As you appreciate his ability to decide cut and describe. Mind you it's in his genes you know. Xxx And I'm loving your many videos of late giving us a bonsai fix every day. Xxx
Hi Mandy. I love Corin's videos, and although he doesn;t show his personality too much, he seems like a really sound bloke to me.
@@TonysBonsai not met him yet, been to the nursary but he was teaching when we were there. Badger is nearly there, pyrography on it next week to get his coat. Xx
I love badgers. One of my favourite places for photography has one which I have seen a couple of times at dusk.
Proper good result with this one I'd say! I love Spruce, it was my first tree and I've already made a little £5 Picea perfecta since they've been arriving in the shops, it ended up windswept with about £4 of branches on the floor! And regarding pots, I put everything that's not growing out in a shallow pot (I got a load of round plastic ones you mostly see bulbs in) it just makes the whole composition work in my opinion. Will be well worth watering the foliage on this for a while to give it the best chance to root in too.
Hi Chris. These little spruce are great fun and can produce some good trees. Your picea perfecta sounds interesting. thanks for the tip on the watering of the foliage too. I'll do that thanks.
Well done Tony saw the Corin video and thought the local super market are going to have a run on Christmas trees.
Thanks Joe. Yeah, Sainsburys will be full of bonsai people digging through their pots 🤣
You got a real eye for bonsai tony.
Thank you. This didn't go perfectly, but I'm pretty happy with how it ended up,.
Thank you, Tony, for an honest video . Dwarf Alberta Spruce are at my Home Depot and Lowes every year fairly reasonable. I'm 3 years in on my Bonsai journey and feel the same struggle of which branch to remove . I've even killed a couple of trees earlier . Hopefully, past that point now .
Great work, one of the trees slipped into my trolley whilst shopping at the supermarket 😂
🤣Ah well Joanne. Accidents do happen! 🤣
I'm assuming this is the video that was meant for Tuesday Tony it turned out right in the end I'm happy that you name dropped the people you kind of follow to get more knowledge so i jotted them down and will look them up also .another good video keep them coming ..im so glad i found your channel
Yes it is. I am heading up to the lake district tomorrow to do some photography, so I decided to post this one today. It's a great practice tree, and at least with your horticultural knowledge, you will have a good chance of keeping it alive.
There are lots of entertaining bonsai channels around, but for high-quality advice, these are the ones I consider the best.
www.youtube.com/@BonsaiMirai
www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyBonsai
www.youtube.com/@bonsai4me2
ua-cam.com/channels/z_vX75GG3NFKiyLzwmHxtA.htmlfeatured
www.youtube.com/@saruyamabonsai
www.youtube.com/@EiseienBonsai
www.youtube.com/@TerryErasmusbonsai
www.youtube.com/@ShohinbonsaiEurope
I saw Corin's video, then Tony's and decided I must have a go. Mine also needs revisiting in a day or two to possible thin it out more, but the biggest bonus was three low branches sprouting from the bas, which when teased have come away will some root attached. So with a lot of luck I have an instant bonsai and three saplings for my £10.
You know how to get me jealous! I love it when you gat a bonus tree or two, and you should be able to wire them when they're still young and get some decent movement into the trunks.
@@TonysBonsai All are now dead.... Next year I will get a tree at Christmas and not touch it until spring and I can see it is growing.
That soil was pretty wild. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tree potted up in something like that. I guess they assume most of these trees are just going to end up being dumped after the holidays anyways so they save money on the mix.
Hi John. Yes, I think they do it because it's the easiest soil to transfer the roots into, and as you say it will be cheap. I just hope that it makes it, but only time will tell.
Love how you refined it at the very end
Thank you. Yes I was really pleased with those final changes. I think they really improved its shape
Thks mate Your Work Really Hellped me Very causeWhen i buy a tree it makes me very difficult to Choose which branches are Good or not.
Cherrs mate thks 4 sharing. 🙌
Thanks Bobby. Keep practicing like me, and we'll both get better together
Great work Tony I've just something very similar with a Xmas tree so glad you did that to confirm what I've just done 😊👍
Cheers mate, and thanks for the shout out.
@@TonysBonsai it's well deserved I watch every single one of your videos 😊
Hi Tony took inspiration from you regards one of these trees so as me and my wife are complete newbies at this we thought we would buy one but at the same time we seen these small ones so we thought we would try that first turned out great well we think so for a first time wireing a tree
That's fantastic Keith. I'm really glad you went for it and decided to have a go at wiring. It gets easier with practice, but I always still find it great fun
Hi having played with Christmas trees before one piece of advice I would give is definitely don't remove the neddles from branches as they don't back bud on bare wood
yes, that's good advice thank you Louise
Take the longest section of the top leader off leaving just the two. It will look in better proportion. Don't need any more height in the tree...
Yes, I agree it would look better. I didn't leave it to add height though. I left it to help draw up the sap so that the wound heals better which is my priority.
I went out an bought a tree and followed your example. Any chance of a follow up on the progress of this tree, if it has made it? When to remove the wires? Pruning when needed, etc. Looking forward to seeing the progress of all the trees in your channel.
Hi Jane. I was just looking at my tree yesterday. I wouldn't say it's in amazing health, but it also doesn't look like it's dying. I will be updating on the tree in late spring when it hopefully starts to push our new fresh growth. At the moment nothing much has changed from when I did it. How is yours doing?
@@TonysBonsai I was just looking at where i cut a big branch off when i got it and though it looks like it has started healing. Buds are just starting to swell. I am further south in the uk. Fingers crossed these trees all survive. I kept mine in the pot until mid March and there was nothing going on with the roots. At least it is in better soil now in its training pot. It was in a very sandy mix. Still don't think i have pruned enough off the branches yet.
I love the way you show your steps good and bad. I must admit i wasnt impressed with your finished tree. Then you said yourself you weren't happy with it. So much better in your last section. I may be raiding the trees at Sainsburys later today 😀
Thanks Sue. Yes, I'm not an expert like Corin. I'm just learning about bonsai and vlogging about my journey. Sometimes I do what I think is pretty nice work, and other times it's not so good. Either way, It's always fun and that's what it's all about for me.
Fair play to you Tony - trying to do a Corin on camera! And it's not bad mate at all. I might have left a couple more branches on, and reduced the overall foliage a bit more. And the very top of the apex needs to come off. But, really well done.
Thanks David. It really did give me an appreciation for how Corin manages to create a tree so easily. As for the top, I've left it to hopefully allow it to heal over the cut better, but in time it definitely needs pruning back I agree.
Great video! Here in the United States they sell the Alberta Spruce Conica . Some people think it's a challenging species to work with but I find working with them is not to hard I have a few that I made into bonsai and have had for a few years.
I bet your more mature examples are beginning to look really good!
Looks great mate shame there was not more roots on it hope it pulls through nice shape to the tree Tony
Cheers, yeah it's by no means guaranteed to make it. I'd say it's 50/50
I think it works great for what it is Tony! Top effort and it’ll come on leaps and bounds in the coming years.
Thanks Gazz. I just hope it survives. That soil was shocking, but with a bit of luck it will pull through
What a transformation Tony!
Thanks Raymond. It turned out pretty nice in the end I reckon.
Ah! This is field grown tree which was recently put in that pot! Good you checked it 👌 it's very common with Xmas trees...
Yes, I'm sure they put it in that fine dust to make it easier to pot up. Hopefully it has a chance now.
@@TonysBonsai I've tried this with a dwarf alberta spruce from B&Q last year - unfortunately it didn't survive... I've got another one that I just potted but didn't do any pruning or wiring - perhaps I'll try this year or even let the roots grow for another season 🤔
@@maciejgronowski I was thinking about that. I might pick one up and just knock off a bit of the dust and then plant it out in the ground with only a very basic prune, then come back to it next year.
I picked this up today Tony. Only saw your video so far, Subbed based on this. Thank you for being inspirational mate. Mine is same dry sandy soil.
Hi Luigi. I am hopeful that they will be able to live on even though they have been in this dry dusty soil. At least the roots look ok. Have fun styling it!
Well done super cool dude! I am an old man so I can't be cool according to my kids and i embarass myself if I try. I was so tempted to do the same thing but I decided against it when I saw all the rain outside. The bottom of the garden is no fun right now :)
Cheers mate. All this rain is crazy, but we're forecast some cool dry days over here, so hopefully, you'll get some dry weather yourself
Looks really good. Inspired me to get out and grab myself a couple. Will they bud back if you can't reduce the length of the upper branches to visible buds?
Yes, I believe that providing the tree is healthy and growing well that it will back bud. I wouldn;t expect it next year, but perhaps if all goes well it will back bud in spring 2024
Great work Tony got 2 today myself..hoping I can make them look half passable but all about learning..and definitely fit into to bonsai for 50..💵.. bracket..keep up the good work
Cheers Rob. These are really fun projects, and the way I look at it is that even if they don't make it becasue of the questionable root situation, we get £10 worth of practice.
28:33 a perfect example for sometimes you need to take a break, to step back a little and get a new perspective.. although the tree was already quite nice Tony really improved it there..
And it's videos like this that might get people (like myself) into bonsai 👍 You watch this and think, "I can do that. And it's not even expensive.. so even IF I fail - who cares. Let's give it a go!"
Thanks Tony for your effort, I would love to see more videos like that - rest in peace, mate!
The soil looks like silt. I.e., the sludge they dredge from waterways and river outlets. In recent years has been used increasingly in products like John Iness and other things. It is nutrient rich but is prone to drying, compaction and panning.
That#s interesting Nick. Yes it did feel very fine like a dry silt now that you mention it. I suspect that is what they used, but I'm definitely glad to get it into my own bonsai soil.
Nice work Tony. Loads of accessible, inexpensive (generally spruce) material this time of year. Even IKEA selling small spruce trees ideal for Shohin size for a fiver.
We don;t have akea around here, but I'm sure I'll be able to source something similar somewhere. My main concern is whether or not it will survive, but if it does, then it's a real bargain.
That is a posh stick my friend!!!
What can I say mate. I'm a pretty posh bloke! 🤣
That pot looks quite good Tony. I heard you mention Premier Bonsai, can I ask what size pot it is please?
Hi Mike
This is the pot
premierbonsai.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p33136.html
Thanks Tony.
Great video, where did you get the ebony chopstick from, got a tree from B&M, the bloke thought I was mad looking through about twenty trees, got lights on it now and will tackle it in the new year. Cheers.
🤣It has to be done mate. If you get a decent tree to work with in the new year, then the effort is well worth it. I make my own bonsai chopsticks out of UK native woods and also various luxurious woods from around the world. They are basically pretty daft, but I like making them and they fell really nice to use.
I watched that same video! I want to get one now!
They are everywhere at the moment. You should definitely get yourself one mate
Hi Tony great video. Can you tell me what cutters you are using and where from .thanks
Thanks Mark. I love my cutters and they seem really strong.
www.amazon.co.uk/Round-Edge-Cutter-Stainless-Multifunction/dp/B075L21JC7/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1XP4I84E15AUW&keywords=hybrid+bonsai+cutters&qid=1669801689&sprefix=hybrid+bonsai+cutters%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-16
Came out really nice. At first after bending the branches down i thought u were shooting for the charlie brown xmas tree🤣. Its ok though u knew it didnt look complete. Its kinda hard to put this much work in a half hour video. What i did on one of mine was to use the left right back branch style and that usually works. Also time consuming i would pick and choose each little branch and wire them but like i said that could take all day. Great pot and great outcome on this tree.! Cheers from the USA! I gotta get me some this year
You make a good point about combining video and bonsai. While I'm conscious about creating good watchable content, I also have to balance it with enjoying it, and doing it as well as I can, but I think it's mainly working out pretty well.
Sounds like you really put some effort into yours, and I bet it looks fantastic!
@@TonysBonsai its def working out well. Love the channel im only 5 yrs in but learning soo much everday. Keep the videos up!
The pot looks sort of black in the video. Considering how conifers are typically not potted in glazed pots, I think this one looks decent in my opinion. 🤙
A couple years ago, I bought a spruce like yours and after finding it had a whorl of 6 branches in the trunk, went ahead and planted it just let it be a normal spruce tree.
At some point a few weeks ago a deer came by and made a decision of it's own for the tree. It totally stripped the bark and branches from the top half (creating jin.) All that remains are 3 branches coming from the same point with a couple smaller branches below. I am forced to dig it up in spring and train as bonsai. "Twist my arm" 😁
Hi Kevin. It sounds like that deer did you a favour. Sometimes we struggle to be so brutal, but the deer wasn't so concerned about it, and from the sounds of it has made it into something interesting
You will be surprised,but Ebony wood is from the diffrent Diospyrus trees better known as Khaki fruit or persimmon which is eben used for Bonsai👍👍👍
Wow, that is fascinating thank you. I have some persimmon seeds from the US in in a pot, so hopefully, I will be able to grow some bonsai trees.
I have to confess that when I see the initial styling on these “Christmas trees” it often fills me with a sense of horror 😂😂😂
They often look like something you would hold over your head to pick up Channel 5 reception in an area with poor signal… 😂
Ps. That’s a very appropriate pot 😂🎄
yes, I know what you mean. I think perhaps that's why I was so impressed with Corins effort. It looks like a real tree.
Glad you liked the pot. 🤣
Looks great Tony! 😊
Thank you. I'm pretty happy with it
I’ve made a Christmas video with 2 piceas inspired by Peter Chan. I’m just finishing off the editing 👍
@@ggevergreenbonsai1259 Nice. I'll check that out later
I like in a cold region of the US. Could I do this now and have the tree survive?
Hi Paul. I think if you did this now, you would have to protect the tree over winter in some kind of cold frame or pollytunnel. The best time to do it would be in early spring
Turned into a cracking tree Tony.
Cheers mate. I just hope it survives. in such awful soil, I'm not convinced it will make it, but there's always a chance.
@@TonysBonsai :) Adjust the watering to the substrate untill you can adjust the substrate.
It had to be fully re-potted. that's why I think it will die🤣
@@TonysBonsai {Patience is the best way to avoid Patients!
Good vid Tony 👍
Cheers mate
I wondered the same on the Greenwood video... What are the chances of this kind of tree re-establishing given it's almost bare-rooted? Anybody tried this before and have any insights?
I bought a larger spruce tree this time last year, and it died pretty quickly but to be fair it had far fewer fine feeder roots, so I'm about 50/50 on this one. At the same time I bought 5 large scotts pines with equally awful roots. 2 made it and 3 died.
@@TonysBonsai So you're saying there's a chance.... if it's typically about 1 in 3 though, that's £30 each instead of £10 which isn't quite as appealing. Will definitely be looking for some bargains when these are even cheaper
Definitely looks better after the tidy up. Just as good as corin's. Have to be honest I do tend to balk a bit when I see a tree go into a pot that's probably 4 times the price (like Corin did) I always think the tree should be more valuable than the pot, just me. Yours is fine though and quite fitting for Christmas 🎄 😉
Thanks, Daniel. I know what you mean about the pot, and I suspect that his was four times the price (that he pays for it)
If mine lives and grows to be a really good tree, I suppose I could always change the pot, but for now, I think the silver suits a Christmas tree nicely
There is a "Texas ebony" here in the US
Thank you. How interesting. The only problem is that I'm now wanting to get myself a piece of it 🤣
Nice mate, love it!
(It's Bart Stellink btw, changed name for a future channel. You and many other youtubing bonsai enthousiasts inspired me)
Hi Bob. I've just subscribed, and I will look forward to your first video!
@@TonysBonsai thank you, my first video will be in spring, I guess. No idea yet which kind of videos I like best... I am following a Japanese bonsai guy, I like his style. No talking, rain and other nature sounds in the background and this dude just doing his bonsai work... So might be going in that direction. Still a lot to discover, like how to edit videos and such.
Good Idea. That kind of content requires a lot of video work, slick editing and good audio, so you are definitely setting yourself a challenge.
@@TonysBonsai I love a bit of a challenge... 😉 May I ask what kind of gear you are using? I must do it on a budget... So, I will try to do it with the gear I already own. Simply because I am investing my tight budget into a recently obtained lot at a community garden. It needs a lot of work.
Yeah, my gear's pretty good as I use my professional photography equipment. It's getting old now though but it still takes decent footage.
Canon 5d4 and a 24-70 2.8ii
To be honest though, good sound is far more important. People will tolerate bad visuals but they won't watch if the sound is poor.
I use a rode radio mic
If I bought one of those trees my wife would have it planted in the garden with Christmas lights on it before I got through the door
It would still look good, and it would probably have a better chance of surviving 🤣
Love it!!!
Cheers Chuck
i did one today too and there was hardly any feeder roots i think it will die
i put a bunch of root hormone in the soil so maybe not 🙏
Fingers crossed for it mate. I think they have a decent chance but they are by no means guaranteed to survive.
@Tony's Bonsai hi, during this post you said there was no excuse for not getting yourself one of these trees. How about no transport and mobility issues?
Hi Taya. You of course make a very good point. I suppose I wasn't meaning it quite so literally.
Sainsbury’s definitely do home delivery (though admittedly I don’t know if that includes these trees). None of my lazy neighbours seem to shop in person and do it all online. 😊
They also don’t mow their own lawns, walk their own dogs (even when working from home), do their own gardening, ironing or clean their own ovens. 😮
@@TonysBonsai it's OK Tony I was just being pedantic lol. I do have my grocery delivered because of my health so, I will try and see if they will deliver - I shop at tesco. I doubt they will though, its a shame as I would def. try. Take care
@@TheBonsaiGarden hi Jason, I miss going shopping and browsing. I have delivery because of my health, I do my own house work though and I removed my lawn. I am going to try and order a tree but I think you are probably right, they probably will refuse to deliver. Take care
I tried to watch this on my phone but creeping jesus the amount of ads before even getting to watch.. I gave up lol
Hi, I'm surprised at that. I turn off all unskippable ads on my videos, so there should be no more than two short ones, and I turn off all mid-roll ads on my content too.
@@TonysBonsai I normally watch from my laptop which blocks all ads but i was away and tried to watch it on my phone but yeah i gave up lol not your fault m8 I just hate forced ads get that enough in life as it is.
Before I got brave enough to wire, I poked holes around the rim of the pot and tied the limbs down with string. It works and no wire bite. I still use this technique with tender material. Newbies can give this a try
That sounds like a good system Lori. If it works, then that's what counts.
@@TonysBonsai I use the string tie down tact with my Climbing Aloe (Aloiampelos ciliaris)... Aloe doesn't bounce back from wire scars very well, so it's difficult to manipulate the stems, but in the end, the string tie down method doesn't leave scars, and you get great spirals.
@@aN1njaKyzerz thanks. Another vote for the string method. I'll have to give it a try
Sumodh turntable is what you need now 😂
Yes I agree. I definitely need something better than that plastic thing
Yesterday I think about that. you need to make your own Tony
Yes, I'll have a think
👍👌👌
Thanks Bruce
Ho ho ho 😞🌲
🤣
dont that p you off when you make fundamental errors like not putting a tree in the right position in the pot.
🤣yep, it's annoying, but at least it's easily fixable in this instance.
Foist
Good man Rob!
Why did you diss Corin? Genuinely confused…
What do you mean? I didn't? I did nothing other than say how good he is at bonsai and how much I enjoy his videos?
Which part are you referring to?
Hi didn't diss Corin, in fact quite the opposite. Keep it up Tony, loving your videos mate! At least some of us get the banter 😂
@@beemac752 yes, perhaps it could just be a case of lost in translation.
@@TonysBonsai yes. I’m sorry if I read things wrong
I can not count how many times i have placed the tree wrong in the pot. And have to unwire it. I think we have kind of the same brain Tony 🤣 and 29 min of Tony bonsai afther work. Perfect! Thanks mate. Really enjoy that! If hade been cool if you hade Instagram. I could showed you my omorika spruce. Or Serbian spruce
Yes, sounds like both of our brains are slightly malfunctioning 🤣
I can be reached at anthonyhigginsonphotography@gmail.com
@@TonysBonsai hahaha 🤣🤣🤣