What I love about Mr Saunders, he doesn't pretend to be a professional or an expert, just a hobbyist who knows his stuff and enjoys himself. Unpretentious, genuine and warm friendly personality.
I love your ficuses and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your Bonsai Style. The more I learn about bonsai the more I like your natural style, and your balanced practices.
I had no green fingers what so ever when I got a bonsia kit as a gift. After watching your videos I managed to turn my seed into a tree. It sprouted this morning and I'm already checking how to trim it 😂
There are so many beautiful metaphors connected to bonsai, one of the main reason I'm getting into it now, 20 years old, wishing for it to be a lifelong hobby. One of the main metaphors is in focus in this video: sometimes you have to let something beautiful go, to get another beautiful thing you could never dream of. Patience, and loving the process are two other things, as well as less is more. They all sound cheezy, but with this it really is true. Nature teaches us everything we need to know if we just listen.
very good, it gives a chill down your spine, just see the radical pruning, but we know it's for aesthetic plant growth, then there calmed down, beautiful mame my friend, bear hug
I like the videos of Walter Pall and Grahm Potter the best, but thank you! I watch all the videos on bonsai and I continually learn new ideas and techniques, The internet is such a good research tool for learning!
Another extremely helpful video! I have been playing with the idea with my black pine, but wasn't sure how to go about it. You have eased my mind about losing the tree. Thank you yet again.
This is a very instructive and helpful video Nigel. My first and only bonsai which I bought a couple of months ago from a nursery is a Ficus Retusa. It has quite a long and straight BENDY trunk obviously done by wiring. My plan I think is to repot about March when our winter is leading into spring and let it establish. I think at some stage it would benefit from a trunk chop. I am not really liking the overly false bending of the trunk now and I feel that a trunk chop will reduce that and give a better trunk width to the height of the tree. It’s a learning process. I will leave a lower branch which is there. I’ll make a final decision later. Thank you. I do like your videos and wish to thank you. My best to all who may read this for the coming year. Tim
Thank you Tim, sounds like a good plan for your Ficus! Many of the commercial Ficus are grown in a unnatural S shape, and some people like this style. I prefer a more natural style. I have over a thousand photos of full size Ficus trees, and this is the style I hope to achieve!
No that was totally random, The neighbor two houses down was practicing his whip skills. I didn't notice the perfect timing until I edited the video, it makes me laugh every time I see it!
Mr. Saunders, i was inspired by your Sheff Banyan style Bonsai, that about a month ago, i bought a 2 gal. 12.00 dwarf Sheff pot from Walmart, and proceeded to place it in a modified dishpan with mesh and plety of drain holes. I then exposed some of the roots and trunk chopped the thin stalks to about 3 to 4 inches and the thicker stalks to about 7 to 9 inches, leaving a leaf on some or a bud knob... is this kinda how you go your banyan going? Theres a few trunk roots about 1 inch above one or 2 thick stalks.... i have it in my window sill, and i currently live in central Va. any and all advice is appreciated...
Hi Nigel! I have an 18" ficus religioso I grew from seed, it's almost a year old now. Straight and fairly skinny. In your opinion, how long should I wait to do my first trunk chop? It's a very vigorous grower and has become one of my favorite trees to monitor. I Love your videos and always look forward to the notifications popping up! You have encouraged me to grow many species of trees I had never thought of and I thank you for all your efforts in educating the bonsai community! Look forward to your insight. Good day!
Another great video Mr. Nigel, you're the Master Yoda of Bonsai! I'm learning so much with your videos. My question is when to trunk chopp a ficus and a pinus? Summer? i have read about pinus and many people leave a sacrifice branch, i do that and i like to trunk chopp now but i don't know when to do it. Thanks! and sorry for my english Best regards from Argentina!
Please don't take this the wrong way but your trunk chopping scissors are quite rusty. I was always urged to make sure cutting implements are clean as the bacteria can enter the fresh wound and cause damage. Just my 2 cents for what's it's worth :). Thank you for the video, good info and nice that you did multiple species of trunk chops and it's appropriate information, not just one. Thanks.
Hi Nigel just wanted to ask if you had any update on the Scots Pine? It doesn't look like the ones in your collection that I have seen in the last few years since I started watching your videos? I have read through all the comments and see a few people have asked but no replies on that topic? Just asking as I have a few seedlings at the same stage and want to get an idea how boldly to cut over winter wanting to keep them fairly small. Thanks so much love your channel and really appreciate all the hours you have put in over many years so we can watch the progression of your trees. It's an amazing way to learn and relax thank you
Nigel Saunders in this process of trunk chopping is there a specific time of year that is best to do this process. Where I live here in Pennsylvania everything is already growing and the tree I’m going to chop has almost all foliage and I feel that there is a possibility of major stress to the tree if I do the chop now but it also has growth below the line where I wish to make the cut. Said tree is between 3 and 7 years old. I could send a picture if you’d like to see for yourself
I often come back to this video when I need to be brave and cut some big trees down! Do you often take cuttings from the things cut off ? I like to air layer my acers before trunk chopping so I get two trees out of one. Or I cut back hard, wait for ramification then air layer. Acers are extremely expensive in the UK and I don't have that much money for bonsai!
Hi Nigel, I liked your message at the end of the video, about enjoying the simple things in life. I am growing a flowering gum tree from seed. I don't know if they take well to bonsai - but it's now at the point where it's about 15 cm tall with four or five sets of leaves (in pairs). It's very spindly and I'm wondering if I should let it grow some more, or try a trunk chop? Thanks.
hi nigel, thank you for the explanation. i now can proceed to chop my little tree with relieve which i have doubts before, maybe because the tree have grown a bit taller and got a long kind of tail, but i want the trunk to be thicker and also my tree somehow got weird branching which i find it a bit disturbing. i hope the tree will grow thicker and get some new beautiful branches
Can I trunk chop a six foot ficus down to two feet? Should I cut down the roots too because the roots are about to crack the pot. My ficus does have a small baby growing at the base of the trunk.
Can I use olive oil on a paint brush or rag to make old beat up and dried up looking trunks looking better? The plant end is wonderful green but the truck is so brutal but it has so much character because it looks like a rollercoaster 🎢 with all the twist and turns on it . I think it’s a juniper bush/tree?? I want to clean it up a bit and use it as my first Bonsai tree. The roots are thick and look like branches and not many meshy looking roots like hair on it. Should I temporarily pot it in a bucket with potting soil so it can grow some new roots or can I trim off what I got now and use Bonsai gravel type soil that I’ve never used before but I see you use it all the time. Also have you ever did a fig tree 🌳 bonsai ??
Yes, the trunks can be lightly brushed with a small wire brush, then a very very light application of oil will bring out the colour. If you plant the tree in some good draining bonsai soil, the root system will become more fibrous and fine. I have had a Fig tree as a bonsai (Ficus carica), but mine died last year. They need a cool rest period in the winter and I don't think I was giving it one.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone o man sorry to hear about your fig tree bonsai . I love fig trees . I just brought some cuttings from Portugal in August and got them to root in the USA . 5 of them have died after I put them on 1 gallon pots from being in Dixie cups . I think those 5 died because the Black Magic potting soil did not drain enough or because of the pine bark mulch that was on top? The others are doing ok. I got 2 grow lights and a heat mat on them now . I was planning on growing them all winter ? Don’t know if that’s a good idea now???
I would love to see this little ficus - how it looks like today. Maybe if you think it will be apropriate, you could show it to us as a part of the next video, or something like that. Just asking. :)
Hey mr. Nigel, could you please tell me what kind of plants are more suitable to bonsai in a tropical country like sri lanka, except ficus. Most of the tamerind plants do not resist trunk chops. They usually die when the shoot apex is cut. Can you suggest a solution for this problem? And some other plant species to bonsai in our country. You have replied to almost all the comments. Wow that's great. Btw thanx for such an informative video. Hope me too will have a soon reply from you ;-)
All I do when I go to Home Depot and Lowes, is look at their wood trim section for something suitable, but have no luck in finding what I can make the feet with or how I would cut it to give it that style.
Hi Nigel, My friend had gifted me a cutting of ficus religiosa in a glass jar with water that was developing new shoots and air buds, but no roots. She asked me to plant it in a pot and place it in the sun. I did as advised (since I was not aware of its growth process) and found its new shoots started burning in the sun. I have removed it from the potting soil now and placed it back in the water in a glass container and placed it in my backyard in a shaded area and waiting for the roots to grow. I live in Toronto, Canada and we are in mid-summer now. Can you please advice how can I save or work better with my ficus religiosa cutting? Lots and lots of thanks in advance. :)
The cuttings are best outside in the sun, you will need to transition them to full sunlight, start in the shade and over a period of two weeks, gradually give the cuttings more sun.
Just wondering if the little Scots pine is still alive after cutting off 90% of its foliage? Would be good for beginners to understand an evergreen is not able to withstand losing more than about 40% of its foliage and therefore its ability to photosynthesise in one go. If it doesnt die it will very often take a few years to recover if at all. That is regardless of timing AND assuming its healthy in the first place. Prob best to do it in two goes.I am not trolling you just adding two very important factors. All the best.
Hello. It always confuse me on the steps for trunk chop and root pruning. Specifically the order they should be done. Let me explain, to start a bonsai, do we start by potting the tree first and at the same time do the root prune, and once the roots are established then we do a trunk chop. Or do we do a trunk chop first and let it establishes the trunk that we want, then only we dig them out to place in a pot? Thanks
I have seen that large rectangular pot often on your videos. Did you have it made for you? Looks like fancy molding fitted for that plastic pot of yours. Do you have many of the same?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I am new to bonsai and love your informative videos! I have a overgrowth of Rose Of Sharon in my yard. They are 30+ years old. If i were to trunk chop them, would it be advised to leave them in the ground to recover for another year and not dig up right away? Also, what about trunk chopping a collected cedar you have just dug up and placed in a pot?
Hi Nigel! I am just getting into the hobby. I also live in Kitchener. Do you know of any local sources for good bonsai tools, materials, & equipment? I tried Sheridan and Belgian Nursery but neither one had much. Right now I am specifically looking for cut paste (the clay style). You may see me at a KW Bonsai Society meeting soon! Thanks for all your hard work with these videos. I am finding all of them quite educational.
there is another question i want to ask u. it's not related to this video hope u don't mind. i want to have some cuttings from my ficus micro. i plan to grow them vigorously to thicken the trunk. many has said to plant it onto the ground. but i do not want a messed up root after a year or two when i dig it out. i thought of also developing some nice root flare while thickening the trunk so i thought of using a larger shallow pot instead of planting on the ground. so may i ask for your advice on this? can this work out (developing surface root while thickening the trunk at the same time using shallow pot )? is this a good idea or do you have any better solution for me?if i can, how big of a shallow pot do i need to use? a pot which give me almost the same growth as if i am growing it onto the ground. this is my case : i want to take some cuttings from a ficus tree, then let the cuttings grow freely (no pruning) to thickening the trunk to desired diameter and if possible, also develop some nice surface root along, then only transplant it into a smaller bonsai pot to start develop some main branching and aerial root. please advice on this path, which method should be better for me in your opinion? i've been asking you a lot of questions in many of your videos, and i hope i'm not making you frustrated with lots of Q. and thank you sir.
Hi Nigel, I admire your videos and recently trunk chopped a Japanese black pine I purchased from a nursery, unfortunately the small branch I cut back to has broken off, and all I have left is a stump.. is their any chance of the pine budding back or is it a goner ..
Probably not as south as down here in New Zealand, we're about to be thrown into winter so I'll take (better) care of it till spring and see what happens. Keep these videos coming, you're a legend mate!
Nigel, I absolutely love your videos. I do have a question though, what type of trees would work well for bonsai in Colorado? We can have some pretty harsh winters and some hot summers.
Most of the trees found at your local nurseries will be winter hardy. Nurseries tend to keep trees that easily survive the winter, you can't sell a dead tree! I would give larches, spruces, hemlock, Yew's, pines, cedar's, boxwood and junipers a try, all these trees are suitable and are winter hardy. They do need protection from the drying winter winds, an unheated shed or garage will do. They can be put in the ground for the winter, buried pot and all, but you need to protect them from rabbits and mice.
Hey mate. I chopped my schefflera down to about 2 inches tall and say 1.5 inch thick about 3 months ago, it hasn't done anything since but is still green if i scratch the bark. How long till i give up on it throwing out a shoot?
It should grow if it gets good sunlight, warmth and humidity. They usually start to grow really well this time of year if they are in a sunny window sill. I would keep it until summer, you'll know by then.
Do you use cut paste on the wounds ??? and when is it a good time to trunk chop. I plan on doing a major trunk chop at the end of this up coming winter on a large Acer Palmatum FireGlow . I live in southern California. Thanks for a great video Nigel.
I have been using white glue on the wounds on my trees, it works well enough to seal the wound until the wound starts healing. I have a cut paste I bought, but I like the white glue better. It just slowly disappears and has caused no problems. I find cut paste can hold too much moisture in and the wound can sometimes start to rot. I would be happy to hear other people's comments on this subject!
This year I started following Walter Pall's advice to never use cut paste of any kind, but the caveat is the tree has to be vigorous so the wound starts healing quickly. I clean up the cuts meticulously, making sure to use hand carving tools to make the cut smoothly slope into the trunk (or branch) - this helps the wound start to roll over faster I believe because too many lumps/undulations actually add distance to be traversed (sorry I'm an engineer). I also believe it helps to use a very sharp knife to cut away the tiniest additional rim of bark at the cut boundary so the cells are more likely to be live, not having been smashed by the pruner - Graham Potter gave that advice. I should start documenting work on my trees, for a blog at least, but I subjectively believe this method greatly improved healing of major cuts this summer on a semi-large trident maple, an ilex, a corkscrew willow and a texas elm. Cuts were all done in early to mid June when trees had all shown were very vigorous; also they were not repotted this year prior to this work.
Hi Nigel, congratulations you have a beautiful bonsai collection. I like the way you work the trees, very natural way I´d say. I noticed you don´t use any specific knob butters or wound sealant paste, don´t you think it´s necessary? Thanks
I carve my wounds flush with some woodworking tools. Some people say it is bad to seal a wound, others say it is good. I have been using white woodworkers glue as a sealant. It lasts long enough to stop the wound from drying out and then slowly washes away.
The best way to thicken a pine is to grow a sacrifice branch. This is a branch that you grow really long to thicken up the tree. This branch gets removed completely after several years of growing wild, when it has done it's job of thickening the trunk. You will get a scare where you remove the branch, so it is best to grow the branch from the back of the tree. When you are growing the sacrifice branch, the rest of the tree gets pruned as per normal to keep the tree compact. Just the sacrifice branch grows long and wild.
i have a hinoki false cypress. i live in Alberta. i have buried the pot in preparation for winter. do you think if i give it some added protection that it would survive. the people in my bonsai group say their shimpaku do ok over winter and they are close to the same hardiness rating.
big question for you Nigel just got a black pine that has been let grow to tall and I want to cut it back down to a more manageable size is it possible to do it without killing the tree or do need forget about it and try and find a smaller one
They can be reduced in height if the lower branches are strong enough, here is an article on this,,, www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54814
It all depends on the condition of the tree and the aftercare. If the tree is vigorous and it is in a location that gets good light, and is warm and humid, it should be no problem for tropical trees. For hardy trees it is the best time, in the dead of winter. The roots are usually frozen in the pot, do the tree can be chopped without any root damage. The hardy trees have very little activity this time of year, so they won't bleed sap very much. The wound should dry out enough so that when spring comes, it will still lose very little sap.
Hi nigel, what time of year is best to chop a prunus avium cherry. I have seen that August is best for pruning, but is that the same for trunk chops or should I wait until spring?? I am new to bonsai, so could use a little help. Mike. UK.
I like to do the trunk chops in fall after the tree has gone dormant. You get very little bleeding and the new buds start to form all over the tree throughout the winter. By spring the tree is just ready to grow. As the new growth comes in, you can balance the vigor of the new growth, to keep the new growth under control. I pinch the vigorous shoots back to the first set of leaves and the less vigorous ones. I leave untouched.
I have a guava tree its about a feet tall and I was thinking about turning it into a bonsai... It has one central branch going up the some smaller ones making the canopy. Would it be safe/wise to cut the trunk? I don't want it to die. How do I know of it can be cut or not?
Guava trees make great bonsai and can be cut back safely. Cut back the tree only if it is healthy and growing well. Hope you get a fine bonsai in the end!
What happens if you have a great specimen, the crown is great, but the trunk is a little skinny simply bc the tree is young? Can you simply maintain the crown and hope the trunk will eventually thicken?
To increase the size of the trunk you need growth on the tree. You could grow a sacrifice branch, a branch that you allow to grow really long. This branch will help thicken up the trunk and then when it has done it's job, it can be removed. It is best to place a branch like this a the back so you don't see the scar after removal.
I just started with couple of plants and have always been scared of doing a trunk chop. always been afraid what if the tree dies and does not grow again. this video really helped me in gaining some confidence to try it on my ficus and another wild summer plant. thanks for the insight. though would like to check if there is a specific/appropriate season to do a trunk chop. I am in India and it's 100+Fahrenheit in temperature out here. please if you can suggest.
I would do the chop whenever the tree is growing it's best. I have noticed that that some ficus trees slow down in growth in the really hot weather, so it may be best to do the chop when temperatures are cooler.
Most trees can be trunk chopped and evergreens only if they have a strong lower branch. Yes, some trees grow and heal much faster than others, It depends on the species.
Yes, I'll be doing the first work on a Dawn Redwood soon! Look for it in an upcoming video. I have seen Quiver trees pruned to keep the height down, I'm not sure about a trunk chop?
great video, but trunk chopping is scary stuff. it's like you're a mind reader, 'tho. yesterday I watched a video on attaining taper in your bonsai trunks (by bonsai iligan.) he goes into extreme detail with his dry erase board, it's another great video. I guess my question is, will this work on a bush? I have a few azaleas I am trying to bonsai and their main trunks are fairly thin and of a uniform size all the way up. I would probably need to wait and thicken it a bit, then go for some taper.
When would you recommend doing a trunk chop on a green island ficus and to be able to save the top portion to replant? I live is a fairly similar climate as you Nigel. Thank you for your videos!
This would be best done in the summer in hot humid weather. Keep the cutting in a bright location, but out of the direct afternoon sun. A clear bag over the cutting can create a small greenhouse, but be careful it doesn't get too hot and the soil stays moist. It is best to keep it out of any direct sun if you use a bag to stop excess heat build up. Good luck, you might try air layering the top off the tree also, it is a safer method of rooting the top before separating.
Nigel, is trunk chopping and then immediately collecting deciduous trees advisable? It's obvious I should wait until spring, but I don't know if there's a good sequence of actions to take that ensures their survival. There are several tall skinny sugar maple I'd like to add to my collection, as well as some serviceberries...
I would trunk chop the trees now in winter and then in spring dig them out of the ground. It can be done at the same time safety also. You are reducing the roots, so the top can be reduced also
Hi Nigel, big fan of your videos from Australia! Perhaps this is an obvious question, but i am quite new to bonsai and any kind of gardening in general, is there a preferred time of the year to do trunk chopping? Are deciduous trees such as elms and maples more sensitive to large trunk chops than trees like the Ficus'? I have a 15 or 20 year old Ficus Benjamina with a trunk around 1.5 inches in diameter that has been growing at my parent's house in twin trunk form. I have already split it, one half remaining a standard tree and the other i have cut down from around 2m tall down to about a foot in one of your hail-mary cuts. How well to they handle trunk carving? Assuming it lives, i hope to eventually make it look like it was split through natural means such as hurricane, but it will take some severe carving to achieve this and i'm curious how far i should take the carving at a time.
Well G'day, hardy trees that go dormant over the winter, should have major work done to the top of them while they are in their dormant state. The second best time is when they almost go dormant in the middle of summer, but they will bleed more sap at this time. Ficus wood is very soft and will start to rot quickly. It is very rare to see deadwood on a ficus for that reason. It is best to prune with slightly concave cuts and let the tree heal around the wound. It will take many years of vigorous growing to close large wounds, but it can be done. The tree will survive well even if the deadwood rots away to nothing, this can be an interesting feature of the tree. This happens very often in nature from storm damage. The deadwood can be treated with lime sulfur, and it will last a little longer, but it's time is limited.
Thank you very much for the information! I was thinking of doing the deadwood because in splitting the trunks it has meant leaving a whole side of it without roots where it has been cut flush, but if it is not a natural look for the tree then that is not really a desirable look. Keep up the excellent videos, I enjoy them very much and am learning more each time i watch them!
Hello Mr. Nigel, im soo thankful to your videos , its really wonerdful. Just wanted to ask how to trim Araucaria heterophylla since i tried pinching the tip , the tip became brown, another branch it didnt. also since its like a star how can we trim it/ prune it. also i wanted to know how much to trim the tap root. thank you:-)
Check out my video on the Norfolk Island Pine, I do some pruning in it. ua-cam.com/video/n8iRLCW571Y/v-deo.html I would remove all the tap root, if it has lots of other roots growing from the base. If it has little roots other than the tap root, try cutting it in half and wait for more roots to grow. I will be re potting mine soon, I'll make a video.
Rewatching this video, and I was wondering if you still have that cedar tree the one with all the scars? Also do you have any root over rock trees? I remember you were growing kapok trees to make them somewhat like root over rock with the temple you were building
Yes, the beaten up Cedar or (Thuja occidentalis) is doing well. I will be re potting it this spring and I'll have to give it it's own playlist! I have a Scot's pine growing over a rock.... ua-cam.com/video/XS1KViKbBOM/v-deo.html I have the root over temple Ficus, but not many other examples at this time. ua-cam.com/video/Cwh5HzruMm4/v-deo.html I will be working on the Kapok roots and my plan is to have them growing over a temple or temple wall in the future.
But officer, Nigel Saunders said to do something green today, this is the nearest green substance I could find.. let me set it on fire in peace maaaaaaaaaannn
I have a question that's totally unrelated to this video. Do you have any Gingko bonsai? I want to start one at some point, but the research I've done is making it sound like it might be difficult. Do you have any tips or info you can share?
Check out the Gingko pages, it's excellent! There are several good videos from this site on UA-cam also. kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/ I collected Gingko seeds last fall and I had them in the front porch, some mouse stole them all. I'm going to try again this fall.
Hi Nigel, I've got a question which I havent been able to find an answer for despite all the googling - if you trunk chop a tree and a new shoot grows, as the new shoot gets thicker and develops does the existing trunk continue to grow in thickness as well? Thanks for all the videos they's been very educational!
I have found that the new leader that grows from a trunk chop, quickly thickens and catches up with the original trunk thickness. It will always have some taper due the cut, but less than most people think. Both the old trunk and the new leader tend to thicken at the same rate after the new top catches up in thickness to the original stump.
I have two dwarf scheffleras that have leaves only at the top. I tried cutting off the very tops, but they just sprouted new growth right next to where I cut them. If I do trunk chops, it will leave pure stumps with no leaves at all, and I doubt they will recover. How do I make them grow new leaves and stems near the base? I try watering a bit more, but that doesn't seem to do it. Thanks.
They will sprout the new growth from around the cut point. To get growth down low you will need to cut close to the soil line. I initially cut mine down to about an inch high. The tree must be allowed to grow freely for at least a year before cutting it back. It needs lots of vigor in the tree, the more vigor the more new branches you will get. Be sure to let your tree dry out a little before watering again to avoid root problems. Too much water can rot the roots. Be sure your tree is in a good draining soil and it gets good sunshine. Mist the tree on hot days to keep the top of the soil damp. Good luck.
They can be reduced in height and will re grow branches below the cut if the tree is healthy and vigorous. The trunk needs to be older wood to generate the branches, green wood will die back to the first set of dormant buds below the cut. It is best to hard prune back when the tree is dormant in mid summer or late fall. The tree will need good aftercare, partial shade and watered carefully.
Hi Nigel. Q: is it safe to chop trunks at any time ? Or is like with pruning, tropical trees in the summer, "domestic " in the early spring. Thanks for sharing your life with us.
I would do your drastic work to the hardy trees in late fall or winter, and your tropical trees in summer. If your hardy trees are trunk chopped in spring, they will bleed a lot from the cut point. The tropical trees will bleed a little in summer, but the wound seems to heal quickly.
What I love about Mr Saunders, he doesn't pretend to be a professional or an expert, just a hobbyist who knows his stuff and enjoys himself. Unpretentious, genuine and warm friendly personality.
Thank Tom Tom, I do really enjoy the hobby!
I love your ficuses and I LOVE LOVE LOVE your Bonsai Style. The more I learn about bonsai the more I like your natural style, and your balanced practices.
Thank you Matias!
I had no green fingers what so ever when I got a bonsia kit as a gift. After watching your videos I managed to turn my seed into a tree. It sprouted this morning and I'm already checking how to trim it 😂
There are so many beautiful metaphors connected to bonsai, one of the main reason I'm getting into it now, 20 years old, wishing for it to be a lifelong hobby.
One of the main metaphors is in focus in this video: sometimes you have to let something beautiful go, to get another beautiful thing you could never dream of.
Patience, and loving the process are two other things, as well as less is more.
They all sound cheezy, but with this it really is true. Nature teaches us everything we need to know if we just listen.
Thanks you Zende, great advice and all the best!
very good, it gives a chill down your spine, just see the radical pruning, but we know it's for aesthetic plant growth, then there calmed down, beautiful mame my friend, bear hug
Thank you! As always, you produce a clear, informative tutorial.
This guy has the best bonsai videos on the net, Awesome
I like the videos of Walter Pall and Grahm Potter the best, but thank you! I watch all the videos on bonsai and I continually learn new ideas and techniques, The internet is such a good research tool for learning!
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone I love your videos and find myself rewatching them. You are the best bonsai teacher on the entire internet. Thanks
Its really hard to get information that you provide to us!! Thank you so much.
I love your slight pauses that allow me to process what you said, thank you for excellent training! And your advice on living :-)
Thank you Joy, happy growing!
What an incredibly useful video!!! Thanks a million Nigel.
I always want to apologize to the tree when the trunk is chopped! Haha!
Yes, it's always hard to do, it sets you so far back, yet so far ahead!
mentally getting ready to do it today
Another extremely helpful video! I have been playing with the idea with my black pine, but wasn't sure how to go about it. You have eased my mind about losing the tree. Thank you yet again.
Loved this video Nigel. I watched this just before I chopped up the little Montezuma Cypress we picked up at the nursery the other day. Cheers!
Thank you Aaron, good luck with your Cypress, they are an interesting tree!
This is a very instructive and helpful video Nigel. My first and only bonsai which I bought a couple of months ago from a nursery is a Ficus Retusa. It has quite a long and straight BENDY trunk obviously done by wiring. My plan I think is to repot about March when our winter is leading into spring and let it establish. I think at some stage it would benefit from a trunk chop. I am not really liking the overly false bending of the trunk now and I feel that a trunk chop will reduce that and give a better trunk width to the height of the tree. It’s a learning process. I will leave a lower branch which is there. I’ll make a final decision later. Thank you. I do like your videos and wish to thank you. My best to all who may read this for the coming year. Tim
Thank you Tim, sounds like a good plan for your Ficus! Many of the commercial Ficus are grown in a unnatural S shape, and some people like this style. I prefer a more natural style. I have over a thousand photos of full size Ficus trees, and this is the style I hope to achieve!
Was the crack of the whip timed on purpose in the beginning of the video? It made me laughing out loud in the library
No that was totally random, The neighbor two houses down was practicing his whip skills. I didn't notice the perfect timing until I edited the video, it makes me laugh every time I see it!
I didnt realize until i read the comments... Mr. Saunsers could not have timed that cutting motion with better perfection..... cant stop laughing!
I just watched it again...I still laugh!
Mr. Saunders, i was inspired by your Sheff Banyan style Bonsai, that about a month ago, i bought a 2 gal. 12.00 dwarf Sheff pot from Walmart, and proceeded to place it in a modified dishpan with mesh and plety of drain holes. I then exposed some of the roots and trunk chopped the thin stalks to about 3 to 4 inches and the thicker stalks to about 7 to 9 inches, leaving a leaf on some or a bud knob... is this kinda how you go your banyan going? Theres a few trunk roots about 1 inch above one or 2 thick stalks.... i have it in my window sill, and i currently live in central Va. any and all advice is appreciated...
give us a bonsai tour of ur garden sir
It will be coming!
Thank You, Nigel!
This excellent educational video about the formation of a tree trunk!
I really enjoy your videos Nigel I am learning a lot from them thank you for your time and education ..
I'll have to stick with bonsai'ing and visiting my family as I tend to enjoy buying gardening stuff and pots to much ha !
Love your vids Nigel!
Thank you very much and a great comment!
Nigel, how about an update on the Scott’s Pine trunk chop!!
Great works of wisdom at the end! Love your videos, very informative and fun to watch.
Thank you Jon!
Great tips Nigel, Thanks! Indeed not that easy to do/accept, but essential for the tree growth.
Great video. This is something I will be getting into more since moste of my trees are a year old now. Thanks for the advice.
Good to hear your trees are doing well, it's nice to be able to prune them after they have grown enough!
You're the man, Nigel.
I named my bonsai tree nigel because of you :)
Thanks Leon, nice!
when is the best time to trunk chop... I have a trident maple that I need to trunk chop...
Hi Nigel! I have an 18" ficus religioso I grew from seed, it's almost a year old now. Straight and fairly skinny. In your opinion, how long should I wait to do my first trunk chop? It's a very vigorous grower and has become one of my favorite trees to monitor. I Love your videos and always look forward to the notifications popping up! You have encouraged me to grow many species of trees I had never thought of and I thank you for all your efforts in educating the bonsai community! Look forward to your insight. Good day!
i love your motivation at the end. Go look up familie to get happy, enjoy the small stuff.. You're god damn right!
Thank you Steven!
Nice chopping Nigel from New Creation Rai Santosh East-Nepal 🇳🇵
Another great video Mr. Nigel, you're the Master Yoda of Bonsai! I'm learning so much with your videos. My question is when to trunk chopp a ficus and a pinus? Summer? i have read about pinus and many people leave a sacrifice branch, i do that and i like to trunk chopp now but i don't know when to do it.
Thanks! and sorry for my english
Best regards from Argentina!
Please don't take this the wrong way but your trunk chopping scissors are quite rusty. I was always urged to make sure cutting implements are clean as the bacteria can enter the fresh wound and cause damage. Just my 2 cents for what's it's worth :). Thank you for the video, good info and nice that you did multiple species of trunk chops and it's appropriate information, not just one. Thanks.
Thanks, yes, it's time to sharpen and tune up the pruners! Your comment is correct, I should have everything sharp and clean as possible.
Nigel Saunders
Thanks for the reply. Glad you didnt take it in the wrong way, I know how some youtube comments can be! Thank you for the video.
nice video mr.nigel
and well said at the last...yes i will try to grow bonsai in simple way...:)
Thank you Kaushik, happy growing!
Hi Nigel just wanted to ask if you had any update on the Scots Pine? It doesn't look like the ones in your collection that I have seen in the last few years since I started watching your videos? I have read through all the comments and see a few people have asked but no replies on that topic?
Just asking as I have a few seedlings at the same stage and want to get an idea how boldly to cut over winter wanting to keep them fairly small.
Thanks so much love your channel and really appreciate all the hours you have put in over many years so we can watch the progression of your trees. It's an amazing way to learn and relax thank you
Did the scotts pine survive?
Nigel Saunders in this process of trunk chopping is there a specific time of year that is best to do this process. Where I live here in Pennsylvania everything is already growing and the tree I’m going to chop has almost all foliage and I feel that there is a possibility of major stress to the tree if I do the chop now but it also has growth below the line where I wish to make the cut. Said tree is between 3 and 7 years old. I could send a picture if you’d like to see for yourself
I often come back to this video when I need to be brave and cut some big trees down! Do you often take cuttings from the things cut off ?
I like to air layer my acers before trunk chopping so I get two trees out of one. Or I cut back hard, wait for ramification then air layer. Acers are extremely expensive in the UK and I don't have that much money for bonsai!
Hi Nigel, I liked your message at the end of the video, about enjoying the simple things in life. I am growing a flowering gum tree from seed. I don't know if they take well to bonsai - but it's now at the point where it's about 15 cm tall with four or five sets of leaves (in pairs). It's very spindly and I'm wondering if I should let it grow some more, or try a trunk chop? Thanks.
I think if you have good weather coming up, like spring or early summer, I would go for it.
Thanks Nigel. I'm in Australia so we're heading into autumn now. So I'll hold off until sprint. Thanks for your reply.
wow. that cedar looks like a really exciting tree. Full of character!
Can we see an update on it @Nigel Saunders?
Thank you, the tree is growing really well this year and it is due for some styling!
Coming soon!
I really loved the way u ended this video... feeling happy :)
A good state of mind! Thanks!
when can deciduous trees (like an elm tree) be trunk chopped?
hi nigel, thank you for the explanation. i now can proceed to chop my little tree with relieve which i have doubts before, maybe because the tree have grown a bit taller and got a long kind of tail, but i want the trunk to be thicker and also my tree somehow got weird branching which i find it a bit disturbing. i hope the tree will grow thicker and get some new beautiful branches
Hard pruning is always a bit risky and scary, but the results make it all worth while!
Can I trunk chop a six foot ficus down to two feet? Should I cut down the roots too because the roots are about to crack the pot.
My ficus does have a small baby growing at the base of the trunk.
Can I use olive oil on a paint brush or rag to make old beat up and dried up looking trunks looking better? The plant end is wonderful green but the truck is so brutal but it has so much character because it looks like a rollercoaster 🎢 with all the twist and turns on it . I think it’s a juniper bush/tree?? I want to clean it up a bit and use it as my first Bonsai tree. The roots are thick and look like branches and not many meshy looking roots like hair on it. Should I temporarily pot it in a bucket with potting soil so it can grow some new roots or can I trim off what I got now and use Bonsai gravel type soil that I’ve never used before but I see you use it all the time. Also have you ever did a fig tree 🌳 bonsai ??
Yes, the trunks can be lightly brushed with a small wire brush, then a very very light application of oil will bring out the colour. If you plant the tree in some good draining bonsai soil, the root system will become more fibrous and fine. I have had a Fig tree as a bonsai (Ficus carica), but mine died last year. They need a cool rest period in the winter and I don't think I was giving it one.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone o man sorry to hear about your fig tree bonsai . I love fig trees . I just brought some cuttings from Portugal in August and got them to root in the USA . 5 of them have died after I put them on 1 gallon pots from being in Dixie cups . I think those 5 died because the Black Magic potting soil did not drain enough or because of the pine bark mulch that was on top? The others are doing ok. I got 2 grow lights and a heat mat on them now . I was planning on growing them all winter ? Don’t know if that’s a good idea now???
I would love to see this little ficus - how it looks like today. Maybe if you think it will be apropriate, you could show it to us as a part of the next video, or something like that. Just asking. :)
The schefflera forest has great movement. Good guidance "do somethin green today..."
Thanks Sophia, a new video coming on this forest soon!
Great video Nigel.Absolutely loved it.Very useful.Thank you very much !
Hey mr. Nigel, could you please tell me what kind of plants are more suitable to bonsai in a tropical country like sri lanka, except ficus. Most of the tamerind plants do not resist trunk chops. They usually die when the shoot apex is cut. Can you suggest a solution for this problem? And some other plant species to bonsai in our country. You have replied to almost all the comments. Wow that's great. Btw thanx for such an informative video. Hope me too will have a soon reply from you ;-)
Here is a good resource for you!
facebook.com/SLBonsai/
facebook.com/nugaa.streetbonsai/
Hope they can get you going!
I have a trumpet vine bonsai tree it’s very skinny......lol I’m kind of scared to do it.have you ever used a trumpet vine as a bonsai?
All I do when I go to Home Depot and Lowes, is look at their wood trim section for something suitable, but have no luck in finding what I can make the feet with or how I would cut it to give it that style.
I just remembered that I routed the two curved edges to the blocks I used for the feet. Hope that helps!
I was afraid of that.. No longer have a router ever since I moved into a condo.. Oh well, need to find someone who does.. Thanks.
Very educational video - thank you
Hi Nigel, My friend had gifted me a cutting of ficus religiosa in a glass jar with water that was developing new shoots and air buds, but no roots. She asked me to plant it in a pot and place it in the sun. I did as advised (since I was not aware of its growth process) and found its new shoots started burning in the sun. I have removed it from the potting soil now and placed it back in the water in a glass container and placed it in my backyard in a shaded area and waiting for the roots to grow. I live in Toronto, Canada and we are in mid-summer now. Can you please advice how can I save or work better with my ficus religiosa cutting? Lots and lots of thanks in advance. :)
The cuttings are best outside in the sun, you will need to transition them to full sunlight, start in the shade and over a period of two weeks, gradually give the cuttings more sun.
Just wondering if the little Scots pine is still alive after cutting off 90% of its foliage? Would be good for beginners to understand an evergreen is not able to withstand losing more than about 40% of its foliage and therefore its ability to photosynthesise in one go. If it doesnt die it will very often take a few years to recover if at all. That is regardless of timing AND assuming its healthy in the first place. Prob best to do it in two goes.I am not trolling you just adding two very important factors. All the best.
I love the whip 😎👍🌲
Yes, just perfect timing!
Hello. It always confuse me on the steps for trunk chop and root pruning. Specifically the order they should be done. Let me explain, to start a bonsai, do we start by potting the tree first and at the same time do the root prune, and once the roots are established then we do a trunk chop. Or do we do a trunk chop first and let it establishes the trunk that we want, then only we dig them out to place in a pot? Thanks
I have seen that large rectangular pot often on your videos. Did you have it made for you? Looks like fancy molding fitted for that plastic pot of yours. Do you have many of the same?
I made three of the wooden frames, but I wish I had made more! I'll have to get back to some wood working when I get time.
My new favorite saying...."Hail Mary cut"
For a cut I don't like doing, I seem to be doing them a lot! Such is bonsai.
lol...that's for sure...cheers
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I am new to bonsai and love your informative videos! I have a overgrowth of Rose Of Sharon in my yard. They are 30+ years old. If i were to trunk chop them, would it be advised to leave them in the ground to recover for another year and not dig up right away? Also, what about trunk chopping a collected cedar you have just dug up and placed in a pot?
Awesome video and info, it's a scary step!
Very educational, thank you for this upload!
You are most welcome Paul!
I agree with you on what you said at the end of the video!!
Thanks AiranElAztek, those words keep me happy!
Great video again! It might be a nice idea to make the residual trunk on the small pine into a piece of deadwood.
Could be a really nice Mame bonsai
Thanks, good idea.
Hi Nigel! I am just getting into the hobby. I also live in Kitchener. Do you know of any local sources for good bonsai tools, materials, & equipment? I tried Sheridan and Belgian Nursery but neither one had much. Right now I am specifically looking for cut paste (the clay style). You may see me at a KW Bonsai Society meeting soon! Thanks for all your hard work with these videos. I am finding all of them quite educational.
there is another question i want to ask u. it's not related to this video hope u don't mind. i want to have some cuttings from my ficus micro. i plan to grow them vigorously to thicken the trunk. many has said to plant it onto the ground. but i do not want a messed up root after a year or two when i dig it out. i thought of also developing some nice root flare while thickening the trunk so i thought of using a larger shallow pot instead of planting on the ground. so may i ask for your advice on this? can this work out (developing surface root while thickening the trunk at the same time using shallow pot )? is this a good idea or do you have any better solution for me?if i can, how big of a shallow pot do i need to use? a pot which give me almost the same growth as if i am growing it onto the ground. this is my case : i want to take some cuttings from a ficus tree, then let the cuttings grow freely (no pruning) to thickening the trunk to desired diameter and if possible, also develop some nice surface root along, then only transplant it into a smaller bonsai pot to start develop some main branching and aerial root. please advice on this path, which method should be better for me in your opinion? i've been asking you a lot of questions in many of your videos, and i hope i'm not making you frustrated with lots of Q. and thank you sir.
Would buying a tree sapling from a store be good or beginners?
Thank you for such a helpful video.
Hi Nigel, I admire your videos and recently trunk chopped a Japanese black pine I purchased from a nursery, unfortunately the small branch I cut back to has broken off, and all I have left is a stump.. is their any chance of the pine budding back or is it a goner ..
I think it might have gone south, but.... keep it until late spring, you never know!
Probably not as south as down here in New Zealand, we're about to be thrown into winter so I'll take (better) care of it till spring and see what happens. Keep these videos coming, you're a legend mate!
Nigel, I absolutely love your videos. I do have a question though, what type of trees would work well for bonsai in Colorado? We can have some pretty harsh winters and some hot summers.
Most of the trees found at your local nurseries will be winter hardy. Nurseries tend to keep trees that easily survive the winter, you can't sell a dead tree! I would give larches, spruces, hemlock, Yew's, pines, cedar's, boxwood and junipers a try, all these trees are suitable and are winter hardy. They do need protection from the drying winter winds, an unheated shed or garage will do. They can be put in the ground for the winter, buried pot and all, but you need to protect them from rabbits and mice.
+Nigel Saunders thank you!
Hey mate. I chopped my schefflera down to about 2 inches tall and say 1.5 inch thick about 3 months ago, it hasn't done anything since but is still green if i scratch the bark. How long till i give up on it throwing out a shoot?
It should grow if it gets good sunlight, warmth and humidity. They usually start to grow really well this time of year if they are in a sunny window sill. I would keep it until summer, you'll know by then.
iv been waiting for this one. thanx Nigel^^
Do you use cut paste on the wounds ??? and when is it a good time to trunk chop. I plan on doing a major trunk chop at the end of this up coming winter on a large Acer Palmatum FireGlow . I live in southern California. Thanks for a great video Nigel.
I have been using white glue on the wounds on my trees, it works well enough to seal the wound until the wound starts healing. I have a cut paste I bought, but I like the white glue better. It just slowly disappears and has caused no problems. I find cut paste can hold too much moisture in and the wound can sometimes start to rot. I would be happy to hear other people's comments on this subject!
This year I started following Walter Pall's advice to never use cut paste of any kind, but the caveat is the tree has to be vigorous so the wound starts healing quickly. I clean up the cuts meticulously, making sure to use hand carving tools to make the cut smoothly slope into the trunk (or branch) - this helps the wound start to roll over faster I believe because too many lumps/undulations actually add distance to be traversed (sorry I'm an engineer). I also believe it helps to use a very sharp knife to cut away the tiniest additional rim of bark at the cut boundary so the cells are more likely to be live, not having been smashed by the pruner - Graham Potter gave that advice.
I should start documenting work on my trees, for a blog at least, but I subjectively believe this method greatly improved healing of major cuts this summer on a semi-large trident maple, an ilex, a corkscrew willow and a texas elm. Cuts were all done in early to mid June when trees had all shown were very vigorous; also they were not repotted this year prior to this work.
+Mark Mondrinos - Mark please share your experience with the rest of the world. Make your first video !
Also I didn't realize how green I was until all your suggestions :-)
Hi Nigel, congratulations you have a beautiful bonsai collection. I like the way you work the trees, very natural way I´d say. I noticed you don´t use any specific knob butters or wound sealant paste, don´t you think it´s necessary?
Thanks
I carve my wounds flush with some woodworking tools. Some people say it is bad to seal a wound, others say it is good. I have been using white woodworkers glue as a sealant. It lasts long enough to stop the wound from drying out and then slowly washes away.
Thanks for the tip!
Nigel i remember u said that in order to thicken to trunk we gotta let them grow, so now how would u thicken your pine?
The best way to thicken a pine is to grow a sacrifice branch. This is a branch that you grow really long to thicken up the tree. This branch gets removed completely after several years of growing wild, when it has done it's job of thickening the trunk. You will get a scare where you remove the branch, so it is best to grow the branch from the back of the tree. When you are growing the sacrifice branch, the rest of the tree gets pruned as per normal to keep the tree compact. Just the sacrifice branch grows long and wild.
i have a hinoki false cypress. i live in Alberta. i have buried the pot in preparation for winter. do you think if i give it some added protection that it would survive. the people in my bonsai group say their shimpaku do ok over winter and they are close to the same hardiness rating.
I think with a cover of burlap to keep it insulated and to keep the wind of the tree, it will do fine.
big question for you Nigel just got a black pine that has been let grow to tall and I want to cut it back down to a more manageable size is it possible to do it without killing the tree or do need forget about it and try and find a smaller one
They can be reduced in height if the lower branches are strong enough, here is an article on this,,,
www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54814
Is it ok to trunk chop in mid-winter?
It all depends on the condition of the tree and the aftercare. If the tree is vigorous and it is in a location that gets good light, and is warm and humid, it should be no problem for tropical trees. For hardy trees it is the best time, in the dead of winter. The roots are usually frozen in the pot, do the tree can be chopped without any root damage. The hardy trees have very little activity this time of year, so they won't bleed sap very much. The wound should dry out enough so that when spring comes, it will still lose very little sap.
trunked my Acer back at the end of winter. It's rolling over quite fast
Hi nigel, what time of year is best to chop a prunus avium cherry. I have seen that August is best for pruning, but is that the same for trunk chops or should I wait until spring?? I am new to bonsai, so could use a little help. Mike. UK.
I like to do the trunk chops in fall after the tree has gone dormant. You get very little bleeding and the new buds start to form all over the tree throughout the winter. By spring the tree is just ready to grow. As the new growth comes in, you can balance the vigor of the new growth, to keep the new growth under control. I pinch the vigorous shoots back to the first set of leaves and the less vigorous ones. I leave untouched.
Perfect thank you.
I have a guava tree its about a feet tall and I was thinking about turning it into a bonsai... It has one central branch going up the some smaller ones making the canopy. Would it be safe/wise to cut the trunk? I don't want it to die. How do I know of it can be cut or not?
Guava trees make great bonsai and can be cut back safely. Cut back the tree only if it is healthy and growing well. Hope you get a fine bonsai in the end!
What happens if you have a great specimen, the crown is great, but the trunk is a little skinny simply bc the tree is young? Can you simply maintain the crown and hope the trunk will eventually thicken?
To increase the size of the trunk you need growth on the tree. You could grow a sacrifice branch, a branch that you allow to grow really long. This branch will help thicken up the trunk and then when it has done it's job, it can be removed. It is best to place a branch like this a the back so you don't see the scar after removal.
Nigel Saunders, The Bonsai Zone thank you!!!
I wanna see the update of the scotch pine
I just started with couple of plants and have always been scared of doing a trunk chop. always been afraid what if the tree dies and does not grow again. this video really helped me in gaining some confidence to try it on my ficus and another wild summer plant. thanks for the insight.
though would like to check if there is a specific/appropriate season to do a trunk chop. I am in India and it's 100+Fahrenheit in temperature out here. please if you can suggest.
I would do the chop whenever the tree is growing it's best. I have noticed that that some ficus trees slow down in growth in the really hot weather, so it may be best to do the chop when temperatures are cooler.
Can any tree be trunk chopped? Or so some not heal as well as others?
Most trees can be trunk chopped and evergreens only if they have a strong lower branch. Yes, some trees grow and heal much faster than others, It depends on the species.
@@TheBonsaiZone Hey thanks Nigel. I love your videos man! Keep up the awesome work!
Is it possible to do a trunk chop on a dawn redwood? What about an aloe ramosissima (quiver tree)? Let me know thanks master Nigel.
Yes, I'll be doing the first work on a Dawn Redwood soon! Look for it in an upcoming video. I have seen Quiver trees pruned to keep the height down, I'm not sure about a trunk chop?
great video, but trunk chopping is scary stuff. it's like you're a mind reader, 'tho. yesterday I watched a video on attaining taper in your bonsai trunks (by bonsai iligan.) he goes into extreme detail with his dry erase board, it's another great video. I guess my question is, will this work on a bush? I have a few azaleas I am trying to bonsai and their main trunks are fairly thin and of a uniform size all the way up. I would probably need to wait and thicken it a bit, then go for some taper.
Yes the Azaleas will react well to cutting back into old wood.
When would you recommend doing a trunk chop on a green island ficus and to be able to save the top portion to replant? I live is a fairly similar climate as you Nigel. Thank you for your videos!
This would be best done in the summer in hot humid weather. Keep the cutting in a bright location, but out of the direct afternoon sun. A clear bag over the cutting can create a small greenhouse, but be careful it doesn't get too hot and the soil stays moist. It is best to keep it out of any direct sun if you use a bag to stop excess heat build up. Good luck, you might try air layering the top off the tree also, it is a safer method of rooting the top before separating.
Thank you so much! Your videos are the best!
Nigel, is trunk chopping and then immediately collecting deciduous trees advisable? It's obvious I should wait until spring, but I don't know if there's a good sequence of actions to take that ensures their survival.
There are several tall skinny sugar maple I'd like to add to my collection, as well as some serviceberries...
I would trunk chop the trees now in winter and then in spring dig them out of the ground. It can be done at the same time safety also. You are reducing the roots, so the top can be reduced also
Nigel Saunders Does the timing really matter? The buds don't have to be swelling or anything?
Hi Nigel, big fan of your videos from Australia!
Perhaps this is an obvious question, but i am quite new to bonsai and any kind of gardening in general, is there a preferred time of the year to do trunk chopping? Are deciduous trees such as elms and maples more sensitive to large trunk chops than trees like the Ficus'?
I have a 15 or 20 year old Ficus Benjamina with a trunk around 1.5 inches in diameter that has been growing at my parent's house in twin trunk form. I have already split it, one half remaining a standard tree and the other i have cut down from around 2m tall down to about a foot in one of your hail-mary cuts. How well to they handle trunk carving? Assuming it lives, i hope to eventually make it look like it was split through natural means such as hurricane, but it will take some severe carving to achieve this and i'm curious how far i should take the carving at a time.
Well G'day, hardy trees that go dormant over the winter, should have major work done to the top of them while they are in their dormant state. The second best time is when they almost go dormant in the middle of summer, but they will bleed more sap at this time.
Ficus wood is very soft and will start to rot quickly. It is very rare to see deadwood on a ficus for that reason. It is best to prune with slightly concave cuts and let the tree heal around the wound. It will take many years of vigorous growing to close large wounds, but it can be done. The tree will survive well even if the deadwood rots away to nothing, this can be an interesting feature of the tree. This happens very often in nature from storm damage. The deadwood can be treated with lime sulfur, and it will last a little longer, but it's time is limited.
Thank you very much for the information! I was thinking of doing the deadwood because in splitting the trunks it has meant leaving a whole side of it without roots where it has been cut flush, but if it is not a natural look for the tree then that is not really a desirable look.
Keep up the excellent videos, I enjoy them very much and am learning more each time i watch them!
Thanks Nigel, I enjoyed that greatly! Thanks for the great video!
Hello Mr. Nigel, im soo thankful to your videos , its really wonerdful. Just wanted to ask how to trim Araucaria heterophylla since i tried pinching the tip , the tip became brown, another branch it didnt. also since its like a star how can we trim it/ prune it.
also i wanted to know how much to trim the tap root.
thank you:-)
Check out my video on the Norfolk Island Pine, I do some pruning in it.
ua-cam.com/video/n8iRLCW571Y/v-deo.html
I would remove all the tap root, if it has lots of other roots growing from the base. If it has little roots other than the tap root, try cutting it in half and wait for more roots to grow. I will be re potting mine soon, I'll make a video.
Rewatching this video, and I was wondering if you still have that cedar tree the one with all the scars? Also do you have any root over rock trees? I remember you were growing kapok trees to make them somewhat like root over rock with the temple you were building
Yes, the beaten up Cedar or (Thuja occidentalis) is doing well. I will be re potting it this spring and I'll have to give it it's own playlist! I have a Scot's pine growing over a rock....
ua-cam.com/video/XS1KViKbBOM/v-deo.html
I have the root over temple Ficus, but not many other examples at this time.
ua-cam.com/video/Cwh5HzruMm4/v-deo.html
I will be working on the Kapok roots and my plan is to have them growing over a temple or temple wall in the future.
But officer, Nigel Saunders said to do something green today, this is the nearest green substance I could find.. let me set it on fire in peace maaaaaaaaaannn
Go green!
Thanks Nigel , this video was very helpful on a topic that's not covered much. Is mid to late summer a good time for trunk chopping?
It is a good time to cut your tropical trees. The hardy trees are best done while the tree is dormant, late fall and winter.
On a Japanese maple, does there have to be leaves below where you make your chop?
I have a question that's totally unrelated to this video. Do you have any Gingko bonsai? I want to start one at some point, but the research I've done is making it sound like it might be difficult. Do you have any tips or info you can share?
Check out the Gingko pages, it's excellent! There are several good videos from this site on UA-cam also.
kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/
I collected Gingko seeds last fall and I had them in the front porch, some mouse stole them all. I'm going to try again this fall.
Hi Nigel, I've got a question which I havent been able to find an answer for despite all the googling - if you trunk chop a tree and a new shoot grows, as the new shoot gets thicker and develops does the existing trunk continue to grow in thickness as well? Thanks for all the videos they's been very educational!
I have found that the new leader that grows from a trunk chop, quickly thickens and catches up with the original trunk thickness. It will always have some taper due the cut, but less than most people think. Both the old trunk and the new leader tend to thicken at the same rate after the new top catches up in thickness to the original stump.
@@TheBonsaiZone Thanks!
I have two dwarf scheffleras that have leaves only at the top. I tried cutting off the very tops, but they just sprouted new growth right next to where I cut them. If I do trunk chops, it will leave pure stumps with no leaves at all, and I doubt they will recover.
How do I make them grow new leaves and stems near the base? I try watering a bit more, but that doesn't seem to do it.
Thanks.
They will sprout the new growth from around the cut point. To get growth down low you will need to cut close to the soil line. I initially cut mine down to about an inch high. The tree must be allowed to grow freely for at least a year before cutting it back. It needs lots of vigor in the tree, the more vigor the more new branches you will get. Be sure to let your tree dry out a little before watering again to avoid root problems. Too much water can rot the roots. Be sure your tree is in a good draining soil and it gets good sunshine. Mist the tree on hot days to keep the top of the soil damp. Good luck.
Thanks so much. I'll follow your suggestions and postpone the trunk chopping for a year.
Hi Nigel question can you truck chop a japanese maple to keep it short and to make the truck fatter for a bonsai or will it die? tku dj
They can be reduced in height and will re grow branches below the cut if the tree is healthy and vigorous. The trunk needs to be older wood to generate the branches, green wood will die back to the first set of dormant buds below the cut. It is best to hard prune back when the tree is dormant in mid summer or late fall. The tree will need good aftercare, partial shade and watered carefully.
Nice video Nigel! When should I trunk chop my field grown Japanese maple?
I try and do this type of work in late fall, before the trees are put away for the winter. Any time after the tree has become dormant is a good time.
Hi Nigel. Q: is it safe to chop trunks at any time ? Or is like with pruning, tropical trees in the summer, "domestic " in the early spring.
Thanks for sharing your life with us.
I would do your drastic work to the hardy trees in late fall or winter, and your tropical trees in summer. If your hardy trees are trunk chopped in spring, they will bleed a lot from the cut point. The tropical trees will bleed a little in summer, but the wound seems to heal quickly.
+Nigel Saunders - Thank you sir.
Love your videos!