Thanks Dave, sorry for the late reply. If you are coming up this way I’d love to have a visit, it would be great to connect and talk bonsai. I should be around my place most of the summer.😃👍. Let me know your plans as they develop. Keep up the good bonsai progression. You rock

@ where are you located again?

Hahaha, ya I’m in Canada. Near a small town called Nelson. It’s about 3hr drive north of Spokane Washington. Anyways keep me posted 😃👍

So great to hear. Thanks for sharing this. Comments like these keep me inspired to continue to post. 👍

I just go to the lip of my pot but mine are dug into the earth so a bit warmer from earths heat. It can be a trade off of warmth for oxygen in soil. Depending on your mulch your can go on the soil surface if the temperatures get cold in your area. Most mulch is easy to remove in the spring. Mulch can also bring voles, rodents etc so beware. I’m now putting cayanne (hot peepers powder) around my fence as well to try to ward off any pests. Hope this helps👍

Great question. Mostly peat and perlite. I keep as much original soil so as not to disturb the roots. I sometimes add some shphagnum moss and or wood chips. But mostly pear and perlite. A lot of people use pumice but your watering has to be on point.

You get some crazy weather in your area of the world. Thanks for posting 👍 good luck with bonsai. Thanks agin for commenting.

Thanks for the thoughtful post. Yes, I’m not sure if they are mountain hemlock or costal variety. Costal Tsuga heterophylla or mountain Tsuga mertensiana. Most likely costal from all the maps I’ve checked. Defiantly lots all throughout our area as far as cranbrook as well. The wiki maps aren’t nearly as detailed as the gov bc maps, which indicate there are a lot more in the interior region. You find them with the cedars and other wet loving plants. Those are some deep scars, we’ll have to see how they do over time.

I just did a quick google search and mice skulls are 20.4 to 22.5 mm with width. Pretty small but I bet you can get metal wire that is that small. Just a thought 💭 good luck

That’s so good. You are one productive person. Love it and inspiring

Thanks Matt, I always feel nervous at the overwinter process. Learning to gain more trust in the strength of the trees. Thinking a lot about a greenhouse of some sort for my nicer and more delicate trees. 😃👍

It’s red. I think it’s an Amur maple. My cell phone distorts the colors. 👍

Thanks for checking it. It’s amazing how a few years can transform a collection into something more impactful. Thanks again 😃👍

My next video, probably Saturday. I’ll show and talk about my winterizing process. I do the same thing, heel in dirt up to the rim of the pot. 👍😃

Thanks

Thanks fellow Canadian. I appreciate the comment 😃👍

Interesting that you ask. My next video is just that😃👍. Basically I heel them in the dirt up to the rim of the pot.

Thanks Nigel, I appreciate the love.

It’s the time of year when the maples shine. Thanks for comment. it means a lot

Thanks

Thanks

Thanks for the comment. I keep checking your site for new videos in case I missed them in my subscription feed but alas one every 6 months. I’m hoping you are just adjusting to your new place, finding solutions for the problems that arise and we will get you back once the dust has settled. Anyways all that said looking forward to some new videos from you😃👍. Thanks again for commenting, nice to know you are watching.

@@kootenaybonsaicanada Yeah you pretty much nailed it. Too much going on for me to handle, let alone the fun stuff. The surviving trees do need work though, so videos (in theory) should be coming in the spring!

Thanks, I’m just starting Michael’s book “post-dated” this morning with my coffee. Already a great read, he has a way with words. Thanks for the chat the yesterday and new books. Our conversations are always inspiring and thought provoking 😃👍

Hahaha, yup that the word I was looking for. 👍👍😃

Just like flat Earth!

Thanks 🙏

Thanks, i agree I sometimes get a bit to critical. 😃👍 it’s all in an effort to up my game. Thanks again for the thoughtful comment.

Creating a “Big lonely Doug” - the bonsai zone

Yes you are correct. He was a part of the club that Nigel is connected to for many years. They both go way back together. The Bonsai community can feel pretty small sometimes. Nice work on making the connection 😃👍

@ that’s wild. Very cool!!

Yes yes and yes. Thanks for the comment.

Great question. Timing of collection is a huge factor for success overall. I wish I had a good place to send you. You could check out mirai podcast with Randy knight for his insights. I tend to keep out of direct sun for a couple weeks (morning dappled sun). Then into a sunny position. A lot of people recommend straight pumice for the soil if you go that route your watering has to be on point. I do a perlite, peat, worm castings (5-10%). Basically a type of nursery mix but way more perlite (40 ish %). Don’t overwater or wait till the soil is completely dry. If it’s dry and hotter I sometimes spray down the tree to reduce loss of water. Some people use heat mats. If you have a greenhouse that’s best particularly since I live up north. Tie the tree down to the pot and move the tree as little as possible as it’s recovering. I think Randy puts his collected trees in wood chips and on the ground. Worth checking out his strategies. Have your newly collected tree protected from wind and ideally near other trees (like not on a patio or concrete pathway etc) again particularly if it’s dry. Hope this helps.

Oh ya, keep as many roots as possible on collect. I don’t do any root work post collect and end up with a lot of native soil in my wood planter boxes. I get rid of the native soil and do the first root work the following repot, a couple years later.

@@kootenaybonsaicanada thanks for the great response

Great tips and advice. Thanks for your thoughtful comment 👍😃

@@kootenaybonsaicanada Have you ever considered use of "fabric grow bag" or "Pond basket" they restrain the roots; so you get the inground growth; but then you can lift the tree every two to three years; work on the tree and then replant; no root trauma.....Regards

@tomtynan8130 - this is Leszek’s material. Great idea and probably the smart idea. Thanks for the thoughtful tip. 👍😃

I had such a great visit with him. He’s a true gem and gift to the bonsai world. Super generous both with gifts and his knowledge and inspiration. It was inspiring for me to connect with him. So strange how small the bonsai world can feel at times. I’m so looking forward to seeing his garden as it progresses.

@@kootenaybonsaicanada Me too, it's a good thing you have a KZbin channel!!!

Great question 👍. Also love your videos and can’t wait for more. Probably time of year. I find best time has been in the spring before they push out growth. Which is hard because they are often the first to start growing and it can be hard to get into the mountains due to snow. I’ve had trouble with larch as well. Also, From what I’ve heard ( can’t remember where) the roots are sensitive to extreme heat. Hope that helps 😃👍

@@kootenaybonsaicanada gonna have to look for the boggy places for them. =)

I’m so glad to hear and it warms my heart that you both I getting something from my videos 😃💕. Yes and yes. Email me at [email protected] to set something up. I live about 1.5 hr drive from Nakusp. I only check that email every so often so don’t fret if it takes me a bit to get back to you both. You can always prompt me here if it’s urgent. Look forward to to hearing from you.

Hi Nigel, so great to get to talk to Leszek and get his experience and passion for the work. I have some more footage of his field growing material 😃👍

Yes, in Canada you have to get permission to collect.👍

Thanks

Thanks 🙏 so great to get comments and people watching from other countries. Thanks again

Unsure, I did a little research and couldn’t come up with anything. Thanks for the question sorry I couldn’t give you an answer.

@@kootenaybonsaicanada thanks for trying to figure this out. Deep dive into white pines is needed. I will let you know if I have success

Yes keep me in the loop

The link didn’t work. So try searching - anton nijhuis bonsai. It’ll come up. Not sure which post in his Wordpress speaks to collecting so it might take a bit of searching and reading. Hope this helps

Thanks

Thanks for the design idea. I appreciate people engaging with my work in the that way. A windswept could be a good option for this material. I’ll have to think about it and see what I do when I return to design it again in the spring

Thanks for the thoughtful post, hahaha, yes it’s hard to part with something you’ve cared for and nurtured, even if it doesn’t return the love or does but only in small doses. Anyways, yes firs are great but I realize only grow in a small area in the Pacific Northwest. That is my guess why we see so few people working with them. Thanks for the post 👍😃