This is the first Peter rant vid I've seen. Tactfully done for someone who is clearly frustrated (and for good reason!). It's good to have an outlet like this, where you know the right people will receive the message. Many of us in other professions wish we could do the same when a client does/says something really daft. This video is well received. And people need to hear it. Part of learning bonsai is to kill a bunch of trees in the beginning. Nothing makes you remember a lesson like killing a tree!
But I think part of the issue is that certain "professionals" also tell people new to bonsai to frequently re-pot their trees (without telling them anything about how to see when a tree is in need for a new pot), that's also what Peter said in the beginning. If only all sources were as reliable as Peter.
I'd be more surprised if he sold a tree he cared for for 4 or more years and have a client kill it within the first week in their care and NOT care? I dont think I could do it.
@@Fyralynn ... I’d say when you sell your tree give some bonsai information to the client , ie when to repot , best season and months , how and when to water , full sun or semi shade etc that way a new client will have a tree for many many years as they themselves grow into a bonsai person , that’s what I would do , the bonsai lives and the owner has a long lasting lovely bonsai to show off , it’s a win win in my eyes .
How true how true... I couldn't keep my hands off my first tree. My constant meddling ended up killing the tree. I've learnt my lesson with my current tree. I've barely touched it in almost a year and its nice, strong and healthy. I will do some light pruning this season and repot next. Thank you as always Peter!
I love this guy; he is just dear! I stumbled upon his video about the "all about indoor bonsai" (there is no such thing!) and as someone new to this, I loved how forthright he was!
Thank you so much for this video. The first thing I learned as a newbie is that, as in almost everything in our technological age, everyone has an opinion is that is absolutely right! I've already made several mistakes but thanks to you I won't make them again.
ladybirds & lacewings feed on those scale insect, and are commercially available, if you don't want to use insecticides. I keep little terrariums of them and release them at the first sign of pest insects. It works really well for me :)
yep, i did that too. my first bonsai i was too eager, did too much and didnt think about time of year or letting it recover. now im ready to try again i think
Great advice to beginners. Thank you Peter. We grow Bonsai for enjoyment and relaxation. You don’t have to constantly be working on the tree. Sit back and watch em grow and thrive.
Thank you very much for the advice. Seems I've done everything wrong with my first bonsai. I got a ficus in May, from a local garden centre. It wasn't being sold as a "bonsai"so the first thing I did was trim the roots for the new pot. Luckily it has survived.
Helpful video. My enthusiasm has more than once been to the detriment of the tree. I have to remember just to let the thing grow! Maybe a Hippocratic oath for bonsai growers?
Just came across your video. I live in the tropics (summer all year round) and I have a few bonsai. They are at least 30 years old, meaning, I've been looking after them for the past 30 years. I was told in my younger days that bonsai need to be re-potted yearly and have their roots trimmed etc. Maybe I'm lazy and maybe I've been lucky, but I cannot remember having re-potted them more than once in the past 30 years. They are still doing well. Truth be told, I've also lost a few bonsai too. A learning process. So, you are right. No need to fix them when they are not broken. Only re-pot if necessary. Enjoyed your video. Have subscribed !!!
In Bonsai we all make mistakes and those mistakes help us learn. I can definitely relate to the 'can't keep my hands off it' then wonder why the tree dies. Over time we settle in the understanding we have learned from mistakes. In my experience in the UK, evergreens do better repotted later. Privet ovalfolium can be dug up in the UK, root pruned and repotted throughout the year without concern.,
I'm just sad that I can't order one of your tree (aka from Montreal, Canada). Just entering the Bonsai world and love your video Peter. They seams to be extra-expensive here in Quebec.
Bonsai: an art in gardening and a relationship with each plant. Not typically a product! I really have learned a lot from masters like Peter, however I find that gaining knowledge and experience with wild plants is far more important for understanding how nature interacts with itself (ecology!). Give it a shot if you can everyone it's so rewarding! Just get out there and do your best to understand (with some very light research) why each type of organism is doing what it is and I promise you will at least find a few wonderful insights into the world around you! Long read, but if I can help even one person along the way I've done it, happy hunting out there
Absolutely! I was lucky to grow up immersed in trees and greenery that I certainly took for granted, and it's only now that I've moved to a city centre for work that I've realised quite how much I've lost. There are some brownfield plots nearby that are full of incredibly resilient plants (a brutal showdown between old furniture industry species like hazel versus grasses/weeds), but local trees tend to be solitary, planted for decoration. Since opening my eyes a little bit more, they're not wild but I've been more interested in how hedgerows are ruthlessly cut back (seems to be hedge-cutting season at the moment, at least where I work) and I'll be checking out how they recover back over the next couple of months. A few weeks ago myself and a friend went on a walk around town after a heavy rain to scavenge for young seedlings from verges and cracks in the pavement for the first time as well. We came across a nice selection of little maple shoots, potted them up and almost all of them have taken successfully since (to my elated surprise!). I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow and develop differently bound to their little pots and subjected to a bit of pruning, compared to lanky saplings in the wild.
@@wolfenhalo thanks for sharing! I luckily live on the outskirts of my city so there is a decent amount of nature here. There is a great channel on here called crime pays but botany doesn’t and he has a few videos on covertly planting native trees and plants in plots like you’re describing. Might be worth a shot! That aside, my 2 bonsai that I have started are just little saplings from around the foundation of my house, one is a maple and the other is a cedar. I wish more people would pay attention to the natural world around them like you clearly do, props to you friend!
Ripped out a couple of elm trees that sprung up this year about a month ago (mid June). It was just starting to get hot and I got lucky. Both of them are starting to show new growth. One I ended up cutting about 3/4 of the fine roots and the other I cut off all the leaves.
If it looks healthy and grows as you'd expect don't repot. You can take it out of the pot once a year in late winter/early spring and evaluate how potbound it is but be gentle and remember it's always better to leave it for one more year than to repot too early.
Very interesting video and from this video I think next year when I get my composition I will be buy my bonsai from your place because you are a truthful person very happy .great video
Good point well made Peter, i find that a lot of nurseries dont look after their trees as well as Herons and ive been forced to repot for the health of the tree but always try to keep it within Spring time - maybe a slip pot outside of this if it is that desperate, otherwise just leave it alone.
Thank you for all of the help you broadcast to the world. I’ve used your tips to begin my bonsai journey (albeit a bit late in life). I do have a non bonsai question about your boots. I’m curious about the brand you wear. They look perfect for working outdoors. Thank you for being an entertaining presenter and spreader of knowledge.
Summer is a good time to find trees reduced in price at home centers overstock. I don't plant them or remove them from pots though, I just leave them in their pots until next Spring. But, as Peter said, you can prune, so no hurry to disturb the roots.
1:39 So I have an important question!!!. What if I get a tree that is not doing well because it has an unhealthy soil and it gets mold on the surface of the soil and trunk. Do I have to wait until spring to take care of the mold and bad soil? Or should I take action now and do what is best for it such as change it into a good pot, change the soil and take of the dead branches?
The mould is probably innocuous and not harmful at all. But if it has been growing in a pot with no drainage holes, the soil will become putrid - then YES - change the soil but without cutting any of the roots.
i repot it at spring if i buy but i do repot it after a buy it if not that year the next, to see the root systeam if it is good or it will die off coz it have finger roots in it. i find to many figer trees are sold so i stop if the have figer roots and just take air layer from them to try to save it.
Thank you. Wondering if you would consider doing a new to bonsai - plant selection from a garden centre (easy to manage plants), what size would you make that plant because I also like your large Bonsai trees but maybe that's not good for a beginner with not a lot of time? Would love your thoughts.
Ill visit your nursery perphaps spring or summer time, i am new to bonsai, got my dwarf jade, 1st mistake i made was repotting it december, now leaves are falling, new shoots are coming out tho, my next one will be chinese elm
so i bought a new bonsai yesterday and when i got home and checked the bottom, the roots were crawling out of the drainage hole. i will wait till spring to repot it its 3 Fukien tea tree in one pot
Thanks for sharing Peter ! I can see the beautiful ficus with a lot a aerial roots. And I really wonder how can we obtain such aerial roots by ourselves ? Thanks for the answer
I am curious what the "soil" is that these bonsais are in, it looks quite dense and more soil-like, rather than rocky. I am a beginner and I think the mix I am using retains too much water (even though it was a premixed "bonsai" mix), so I am curious what other people use and why. I am in a humid climate for a lot of the year, so I wonder if this adds to my problem.
A very common mix is either a 1.1.1 ratio of pumice, lava rock and akadama (for conifers) or a 2.1.1, two parts akadama, one part lava rock and pumice. Although that is often more for when you are trying to get a fiberous root system, which slows down thickening but will make your tree more tolerant. Taking one of those mixes and adding a organic component in is a good idea for development. Pine bark, a bit of peat, and/or perlite mixed in can be useful in that case. Although it should always be relatively free draining. If it's not, just be sure to really pay attention to the soil and allow it to dry out quite a bit before watering. If you have more questions feel free to message me on my Instagram account: Faunavar
If I buy nursery stock, what often comes in a drum pot, growing in pure peat. Is it safe to untangle and/or cut the roots to put it in better draining soil around this time of year? Or also best leave it until next spring.
Urgh…I wished I had watched this yesterday. I spilt a wisteria into 3 plants and repotted them. Then again, I am a newbie! Also, should have watched Peter’s video on Maple! I broke it not knowing that maple tree trunk is brittle. Mine is only 6 years old. 😭😭😭
So what I learned from this video is that if I want to cut my stomach open, I should do it in early spring!
😂
... and the japanese call it "harakiri" ;)
@@peter1718 Sounds romantic
I think there is more you learned🤣
@@2centprofitgmailcom it’s definitely an anniversary gift most spouses would appreciate.
"I don't like to use expletives, but hell. "
😆😆😆😆 adorable man.
Some say..." If it's not broken, don't fix it " Thx for sharing Peter 👍.
This is the first Peter rant vid I've seen.
Tactfully done for someone who is clearly frustrated (and for good reason!).
It's good to have an outlet like this, where you know the right people will receive the message.
Many of us in other professions wish we could do the same when a client does/says something really daft.
This video is well received. And people need to hear it.
Part of learning bonsai is to kill a bunch of trees in the beginning. Nothing makes you remember a lesson like killing a tree!
But I think part of the issue is that certain "professionals" also tell people new to bonsai to frequently re-pot their trees (without telling them anything about how to see when a tree is in need for a new pot), that's also what Peter said in the beginning. If only all sources were as reliable as Peter.
@@AI-qe5vz - Thank you - well said.
"Why the _hell_ would you repot the tree?*
~slightly triggered Peter
Buyers probably want a unique pot to go with their unique tree, not the generic blue glazed import pot.
@@wavespeech1973 thats fine, but they must understand when the right time is to put it in that unique pot
I'd be more surprised if he sold a tree he cared for for 4 or more years and have a client kill it within the first week in their care and NOT care? I dont think I could do it.
@@Fyralynn ... I’d say when you sell your tree give some bonsai information to the client , ie when to repot , best season and months , how and when to water , full sun or semi shade etc that way a new client will have a tree for many many years as they themselves grow into a bonsai person , that’s what I would do , the bonsai lives and the owner has a long lasting lovely bonsai to show off , it’s a win win in my eyes .
I learn so much from you! My bonsai garden came from my yard after watching bonsai for free. Some were already shaped beautifully!! Thank you!
Thats the best way to learn and to progress
Life feels more hectic on a day without a nice relaxing Herons video. Thanks for the video, Peter.
How true how true... I couldn't keep my hands off my first tree. My constant meddling ended up killing the tree.
I've learnt my lesson with my current tree. I've barely touched it in almost a year and its nice, strong and healthy. I will do some light pruning this season and repot next.
Thank you as always Peter!
I love this guy; he is just dear! I stumbled upon his video about the "all about indoor bonsai" (there is no such thing!) and as someone new to this, I loved how forthright he was!
I like this series. Basic, important lessons. VERY much needed for the people starting out on their own. Thanks Peter.
Thank you so much for this video. The first thing I learned as a newbie is that, as in almost everything in our technological age, everyone has an opinion is that is absolutely right! I've already made several mistakes but thanks to you I won't make them again.
ladybirds & lacewings feed on those scale insect, and are commercially available, if you don't want to use insecticides.
I keep little terrariums of them and release them at the first sign of pest insects. It works really well for me :)
I’ll try… but my local birds not only eats the bugs, they eat my seeds and my leaves :(
One of my bonsai’s branches was Destroyed by bird…
@@raikj1078 you can try putting a light screen like 2” chicken wire and then using lacewings. I had the same exact problem and it worked for me 😁
Ive been growing bonsai for about 5 years now and your videos have been immensly helpful.
The word 'Hell' is an expletive? 😂... Peter is such a gent 💜💜💜
I know worse but I daren't use them on my videos !!
@@peterchan3100 obvio ovovovovoo ovovokoojo n onooonoo no r Jolito ok
Leave a healthy tree be…it will show when it needs repotting … thanks Peter for that well needed explanation 👍🏻
yep, i did that too. my first bonsai i was too eager, did too much and didnt think about time of year or letting it recover. now im ready to try again i think
Gosh I just love watching these videos! Such great advice and he’s so humble even though he very much so knows what he’s doing
Very stern, clear, true advice like the style you have put this vital information across.this is why you need more than one bonsai.
Great advice to beginners. Thank you Peter. We grow Bonsai for enjoyment and relaxation. You don’t have to constantly be working on the tree. Sit back and watch em grow and thrive.
heronnnnnnnnnnn!
Thank you very much for the advice. Seems I've done everything wrong with my first bonsai. I got a ficus in May, from a local garden centre. It wasn't being sold as a "bonsai"so the first thing I did was trim the roots for the new pot. Luckily it has survived.
Just repotted my bonsai today and then I see this video 😅 rlly hoping my tree will be alright
Aweome UA-cam account ! Very informative n entertaining as always !
Excellent advice! Thanks so much.Sending warm wishes from your Florida fan 🐊🌴🦩😎
Helpful video. My enthusiasm has more than once been to the detriment of the tree. I have to remember just to let the thing grow! Maybe a Hippocratic oath for bonsai growers?
I watch all your videos, your bonsai's look amazing and I mean they all look amazing. Your explaining really helps. Your a legend
Peter, can we have a video on pests, fungas' and all the different things that can go wrong with soils and leaves.
Just came across your video. I live in the tropics (summer all year round) and I have a few bonsai. They are at least 30 years old, meaning, I've been looking after them for the past 30 years. I was told in my younger days that bonsai need to be re-potted yearly and have their roots trimmed etc. Maybe I'm lazy and maybe I've been lucky, but I cannot remember having re-potted them more than once in the past 30 years. They are still doing well. Truth be told, I've also lost a few bonsai too. A learning process. So, you are right. No need to fix them when they are not broken. Only re-pot if necessary. Enjoyed your video. Have subscribed !!!
This guy is absolutely brilliant!
Good morning all from a rainy Trinidad. Peter is so right. Great lesson from a master.👍
In Bonsai we all make mistakes and those mistakes help us learn. I can definitely relate to the 'can't keep my hands off it' then wonder why the tree dies. Over time we settle in the understanding we have learned from mistakes. In my experience in the UK, evergreens do better repotted later. Privet ovalfolium can be dug up in the UK, root pruned and repotted throughout the year without concern.,
It's 4am and I've never even considered buying a Bonsai tree before. How did I get here?
@Alex Mendoza I can't disagree with that!
Welcome to the dark side. 😉
😬
the root system is so delicate
I bought a 20yrs old ficus and did a hard prune on it🤯 best decision I’ve made on it
Good advices for beginners, like me. Thanks Peter!
You are a beautiful soul my friend.
Peter please do a tutorial on Pomegranate Bonsai
I want to take some cuttings for a tree next door in the spring
This channel gives me life
love your style it harmonizes with you
People say that I dont suffer fools gladly - if you know what that means.
Thank you very much for the comprehensive information to tepoting bonsai.
Yes please this video 🍁
Aussie Dave here Peter, very well presented and factual to boot 🤗
Golden advice
Patience, vision, dedication..
🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿
I would like to see an example of one that needs repotting (root bound), please.
I'm just sad that I can't order one of your tree (aka from Montreal, Canada). Just entering the Bonsai world and love your video Peter. They seams to be extra-expensive here in Quebec.
Bonsai: an art in gardening and a relationship with each plant. Not typically a product! I really have learned a lot from masters like Peter, however I find that gaining knowledge and experience with wild plants is far more important for understanding how nature interacts with itself (ecology!). Give it a shot if you can everyone it's so rewarding! Just get out there and do your best to understand (with some very light research) why each type of organism is doing what it is and I promise you will at least find a few wonderful insights into the world around you! Long read, but if I can help even one person along the way I've done it, happy hunting out there
Absolutely! I was lucky to grow up immersed in trees and greenery that I certainly took for granted, and it's only now that I've moved to a city centre for work that I've realised quite how much I've lost. There are some brownfield plots nearby that are full of incredibly resilient plants (a brutal showdown between old furniture industry species like hazel versus grasses/weeds), but local trees tend to be solitary, planted for decoration. Since opening my eyes a little bit more, they're not wild but I've been more interested in how hedgerows are ruthlessly cut back (seems to be hedge-cutting season at the moment, at least where I work) and I'll be checking out how they recover back over the next couple of months. A few weeks ago myself and a friend went on a walk around town after a heavy rain to scavenge for young seedlings from verges and cracks in the pavement for the first time as well. We came across a nice selection of little maple shoots, potted them up and almost all of them have taken successfully since (to my elated surprise!). I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow and develop differently bound to their little pots and subjected to a bit of pruning, compared to lanky saplings in the wild.
@@wolfenhalo thanks for sharing! I luckily live on the outskirts of my city so there is a decent amount of nature here. There is a great channel on here called crime pays but botany doesn’t and he has a few videos on covertly planting native trees and plants in plots like you’re describing. Might be worth a shot! That aside, my 2 bonsai that I have started are just little saplings from around the foundation of my house, one is a maple and the other is a cedar. I wish more people would pay attention to the natural world around them like you clearly do, props to you friend!
Ripped out a couple of elm trees that sprung up this year about a month ago (mid June). It was just starting to get hot and I got lucky. Both of them are starting to show new growth. One I ended up cutting about 3/4 of the fine roots and the other I cut off all the leaves.
sir,
You Always get a knowledge.
I've an question
how to know that plants want/need repot.?
If it looks healthy and grows as you'd expect don't repot. You can take it out of the pot once a year in late winter/early spring and evaluate how potbound it is but be gentle and remember it's always better to leave it for one more year than to repot too early.
Tree new very much agree 🥰🥰
Thank you Mr. Chan
thanks mr. peter chan..
Very interesting video and from this video I think next year when I get my composition I will be buy my bonsai from your place because you are a truthful person very happy .great video
"would you cut a healthy persons stomach open to see what's going on?" Love it!
Good point well made Peter, i find that a lot of nurseries dont look after their trees as well as Herons and ive been forced to repot for the health of the tree but always try to keep it within Spring time - maybe a slip pot outside of this if it is that desperate, otherwise just leave it alone.
I really cant wait for spring to start here. Just been collecting some trident maple seeds hope to sprout them soon.
I repotted an indoor plant during July because it was dying from being extremely pot bound. Its doing fine now...
Thank you for all of the help you broadcast to the world. I’ve used your tips to begin my bonsai journey (albeit a bit late in life). I do have a non bonsai question about your boots. I’m curious about the brand you wear. They look perfect for working outdoors. Thank you for being an entertaining presenter and spreader of knowledge.
Were you going to buy me a pair of boots? I only wear old ones !
Love this dude man
Great advice Super channel
Thank you, very informative!🙏
Informative sir ..
Summer is a good time to find trees reduced in price at home centers overstock. I don't plant them or remove them from pots though, I just leave them in their pots until next Spring. But, as Peter said, you can prune, so no hurry to disturb the roots.
youre the man, great business and quality trees
Thank you
You are a treasure, sir
Great video Peter, and such great advice. So, so true. Those eager beavers 🦫
Hope all is well with you.
Regards
Sally from Spagmoss Land🙂
I love this so much
1:39 So I have an important question!!!. What if I get a tree that is not doing well because it has an unhealthy soil and it gets mold on the surface of the soil and trunk. Do I have to wait until spring to take care of the mold and bad soil? Or should I take action now and do what is best for it such as change it into a good pot, change the soil and take of the dead branches?
He already said it, if the tree needs it, it has to be done. but if the tree is okay, don't do it.
The mould is probably innocuous and not harmful at all. But if it has been growing in a pot with no drainage holes, the soil will become putrid - then YES - change the soil but without cutting any of the roots.
Thank you Peter Chan for taking the time to respond in the comments.
I try to respond to as many as possible - time permitting.
i repot it at spring if i buy but i do repot it after a buy it if not that year the next, to see the root systeam if it is good or it will die off coz it have finger roots in it. i find to many figer trees are sold so i stop if the have figer roots and just take air layer from them to try to save it.
You are the expert..马绍尔 佛 他和 特色
Good Tips, thank you Peter... I think I killed some of my trees by cutting too much roots, even in spring :(
i wish i lived closed to you , id love to shop there
Perfect advice from you, thanks
Great advice thank you sir
Thank you. Wondering if you would consider doing a new to bonsai - plant selection from a garden centre (easy to manage plants), what size would you make that plant because I also like your large Bonsai trees but maybe that's not good for a beginner with not a lot of time? Would love your thoughts.
There are already videos on that subject on this channel.
Ill visit your nursery perphaps spring or summer time, i am new to bonsai, got my dwarf jade, 1st mistake i made was repotting it december, now leaves are falling, new shoots are coming out tho, my next one will be chinese elm
Peter saying hell made me smile from ear to ear 😂
I dare not use worse abuses on this channel.
Thank for sharing
Hi. Please post an update on that white pine which looked like a man with 2 arms, and you fixed by compacting into one branch
Thank you, sir. That answered a big question I had n_n I appreciate it!
Thanks so much!
so i bought a new bonsai yesterday and when i got home and checked the bottom, the roots were crawling out of the drainage hole. i will wait till spring to repot it
its 3 Fukien tea tree in one pot
Always best to repot in Spring. Fukien tea is a difficult species in temperate climates when grown as indoor bonsai.
Love all of these videos, but can we get a mic on Peter.
Great advice.
Thanks for sharing Peter !
I can see the beautiful ficus with a lot a aerial roots. And I really wonder how can we obtain such aerial roots by ourselves ?
Thanks for the answer
Ohhh i ❤ my Bonsais
Thank for this good advices !
Thank you for the tips love the videos
Great beginners advice, where were you 25 years ago when I was a newbie. Lol!
I was here but there was no UA-cam.
brilliant made me laugh first time in a bonsai video thanks' Peter
I am curious what the "soil" is that these bonsais are in, it looks quite dense and more soil-like, rather than rocky. I am a beginner and I think the mix I am using retains too much water (even though it was a premixed "bonsai" mix), so I am curious what other people use and why. I am in a humid climate for a lot of the year, so I wonder if this adds to my problem.
A very common mix is either a 1.1.1 ratio of pumice, lava rock and akadama (for conifers) or a 2.1.1, two parts akadama, one part lava rock and pumice. Although that is often more for when you are trying to get a fiberous root system, which slows down thickening but will make your tree more tolerant. Taking one of those mixes and adding a organic component in is a good idea for development. Pine bark, a bit of peat, and/or perlite mixed in can be useful in that case. Although it should always be relatively free draining. If it's not, just be sure to really pay attention to the soil and allow it to dry out quite a bit before watering. If you have more questions feel free to message me on my Instagram account: Faunavar
@@travisgordon9470 Thank you :)
In the tropics we dont have the 4 seasons, when then is the right time to repot or prune? advice appreciated
I repotted a new tree last month. It has lost all its leaves 😕
How is it doing now?
It seems my Instagram question about the bulging root in my Gardenia Bonsai inspired a video :P
If I buy nursery stock, what often comes in a drum pot, growing in pure peat. Is it safe to untangle and/or cut the roots to put it in better draining soil around this time of year? Or also best leave it until next spring.
Spring is best for repotting
How do indoor bonsai experience the change of seasons if they’re indoor year round?
Good
Urgh…I wished I had watched this yesterday. I spilt a wisteria into 3 plants and repotted them. Then again, I am a newbie! Also, should have watched Peter’s video on Maple! I broke it not knowing that maple tree trunk is brittle. Mine is only 6 years old. 😭😭😭
Out-of-season repotting is not necessarily a death sentence, it's just not ideal. Hoping your wisterias pull though!