5-Year-Old to 25-Year-Old Bonsai Transformation

Hello, I'm bonsai master Dr. Milton Chang. Since I've been doing bonsai for over 50 years, most of the trees in my collection are 25 years old or older! Today, I'm going to show you how you can achieve the same. I demonstrate how to cut a young Trident Maple to transform it into a 25-year-old bonsai heirloom. I also share some of my techniques on how to make your cuts so that your branches grow out looking more natural.
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Questions about your bonsai? You can reach out to me at [e-mail].
#bonsai #bonsaiheirloom #bonsaitree #bonsaitreesforbeginners #bonsaiforbeginners #bonsaitreecare #bonsaitreemaking #bonsaigarden #bonsaiplant #tridentmaple #chineseelm #clumpstylebonsai #tutorial #gardening #plants #miltonchang #entrepreneur #bonsaimaster #bonsaisensei

[@hewhogotrizz]

This new channel is a gem and I'm glad I found it ! 50 years is a long time compared to the 2 years im doing bonsai, I'm sure I can learn a lot from you. Wishing you success and health !

[@badazz07sti]

I'm with you!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for your support! Bonsai is a wonderful hobby so keep going and build your techniques and experience! Please subscribe to my channel and I will do my best to teach you more of what I've learned from my 50+ years of experience.

[@gariktv8756]

@@bonsaiheirloom hello, Do you have any apples tree bonsai and maybe you can make video about it? Thank you

[@SysterYster]

I have also been doing it for two years now. :D It's fun, but the replanting in the spring is a killer. (I did somehow get myself like 20 trees...) Did you buy bonsai, or did you grow then from seeds (like I did)?

[@hewhogotrizz]

@@SysterYster I did neither. Most of my trees are bought from nurseries because they are affordable and you can style them as you want. From seed its nice but you have to wait a long time before you see results and ready bonsai trees are really expensive to experiment on them 😁

[@bayareaspearoshorediver7535]

Another master to follow!

[@lluisasastre]

I would like to adopt you as a father and be able to learn every day from all your advice on bonsai, thank you very much for sharing, I just have to follow you in each video and enjoy them, take care!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for your support! Please subscribe to my channel because I will be creating many more videos with my advice, tips, and techniques for bonsai.

[@lluisasastre]

👍

[@deepanjanbanerjee3491]

Stumbled on your channel accidentally and loved it! Look forward to more.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Much more to come! My goal is to teach you all the techniques I've learned from my 50+ years of doing bonsai. Please subscribe and be a part of my bonsai community.

[@TropicalBonsai]

Nice! I would love to see old pictures of the tree on the right as a progression video!

[@jonathanzellner906]

I’m getting so much confidence from you. Especially from your comments of how many trees didn’t make it during your learning process. I appreciate you!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Of course! Don't give up and keep on trying and learning. It will all be worth it.

[@gazzhunter]

Great video Dr. Chang. Can’t wait for more!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! Please subscribe to keep up with my videos. Much more content coming! Also, feel free to let me know what topics you would like me to cover.

[@davidnewth924]

Wonderful video thank you Milton!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!

[@OwaSzn-zi6rc]

19 watching from the Pacific islands, love your work.. helped alot

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching and supporting my channel!

[@brothercain]

Absolutely love your channel !! so happy I found it !

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I'm happy you're here! Thanks for being a part of my bonsai community!

[@omarquinonesmendoza7662]

Really good video! Thank you!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@nerinat8371]

Thanks for the great tips

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Happy to help!

[@DH-yj7bx]

Nice vid Milton thankyou

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@thomas7543]

You have just found another subscriber.. your video so informative for a noob like me.. look forward to watching more with interest..

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for subscribing and welcome to my bonsai community! I'm always happy to share my knowledge so that you can enjoy working on your bonsai!

[@jonathanryals9934]

I had an idea to "jumpstart" some bonsai trees. You look in the areas of past construction, and find trees that have been cut or damaged in the past but grew back.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Great idea! Thank you, I'll look into this.

[@mcbabs7495]

Un grand merci à vous Monsieur, pour le partage de votre expérience!

[@bonsaijayachanel7328]

very nice bonsai

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you!

[@schmid3573]

❤Thnx❤

[@uchimartos7674]

Instant subscribe

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you!

[@anthonyqicuk8177]

I live in North Carolina and I wish we had banzai close that y'all have in California

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Everything is a problem or there is NO difficulty at all in life... if you decide to overcome them. There are quite a few bonsai clubs and nurseries in your area. Bonsai is to provide enjoyment…not stress! Just take a weekend off! Sorry for extrapolating to touch upon philosophy/opinion. I’d like you to succeed! Best wishes, Milton

[@WilliamAiken]

I could listen to this guy talk all day! So much wisdom and knowledge on Bonsai!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@HaiHuynh2023]

I really like your videos. ❤❤❤. If you don’t mind, show me the brand name of your tools. They’re the incredible tools. Specially the cutting tool.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Today you can buy good stainless steel garden/bonsai cutters from Amazon, Temu Store, or Ali Express at less than 1/2 the price I paid for carbon steel ‘bonsai” tools forty years ago! What inflation? Look for designation like “German steel” or any stainless high in chrome, vanadium, and Molybdenum. Find the ones that fit your preferences ergonomically…they are almost all good. Cuttery manufacturers know the tradeoff between maintaining a sharp cutting edge and being brittle.

[@LadDox_]

Awesome algorithm

[@Donkey_Balls]

Very interesting

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

假的时候群众反映强烈的对比图文章节操作文题你的笑着迷路边摊你的笑🌲二爷居然太热额🥰🥰

[@its_notta_cedar]

Yeeep, this channel is going to be big.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you so much! Happy to have you as part of my bonsai community.

[@heidizwaenepoel7355]

You are on to a great concept here. For lots of us beginners it is hard to see in the future, starting off with a nursery tree, to envision what it could become. You show in a very easy way, what choices one can make to become a certain result. Thank you so much ! Hope to seeing lots of videos like this too 🙏

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! I plan to do more videos like this, where I compare a young and old tree and discuss the choices you can make along the way. Please subscribe to keep up with my videos. Many more to come!

[@heidizwaenepoel7355]

@@bonsaiheirloom great !

[@rainbowstar4360]

This is so wonderful. Thank you.

[@GD20236]

Hello, great bosai care, visit you.❤❤🔔📯

[@tacobonsai]

I love your perspective. You really understand each tree. great video and i look forward to all of the future videos.

[@janespright]

It would be an honor for me to see the younger bonsai develop, 5 years from now. With a little luck, I could even reply to this message/video

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I will be showing updates on my young bonsai! Please subscribe so you know when I upload more videos. Thank you for your support!

[@vrudy6]

I’m 54, and I’ve been doing bonsais since the pandemic began. I’ve learned, as you mentioned, that patience is key. I’ve also learned to not to be too scared to cut back on the trees aggressively. Thanks for the knowledge you’ve provided.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, patience and creativity is key! You can shape the tree into anything you imagine, with time. Good luck with your bonsai! Please subscribe and visit my channel again for more of my techniques and things I've learned over the years.

[@vrudy6]

@@bonsaiheirloom I subscribed. Thank you

[@jooooooooi]

Is that woodpecker in the background working on one of the heirlooms!?

[@sagebonsai]

First video I seen from you and without hesitation I've subscribed before getting to the half way point in the video clip.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, that means a lot to me! Many more videos coming!

[@bustamante-music]

very inspirational and opened my eyes to making large cuts seem more natural, thank you sir

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you found the video helpful! I will be sharing more of my techniques that I learned from doing bonsai for 50+ years. Please subscribe and be a part of my bonsai community!

[@JustJane1972]

The rough cutting is by far more natural, but something lacking on other videos. Thank you for helping explain styling techniques looking to the future

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes! My goal is to make the tree look natural and emulate nature, so I always lean towards "messy" and natural looking cuts.

[@ChopsticksDIYGarden]

Thank you for the tips. I'm glad I've found your channel.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! Happy to have you here!

[@vincesartain9290]

Great information! Thank you for taking the time to help us newbies!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for your support! Bonsai is a wonderful and fulfilling hobby so I'm glad to share my 50+ years of experience with you all.

[@gtanoob6051]

Keep the videos coming love the trees i just started about 4 years ago myself and have acquired some amazing material to play with thanks for all the information

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! I'll have many more videos coming quite frequently, so please subscribe to keep up with them! Bonsai is a wonderful hobby and I'm very excited for your growing collection.

[@gtanoob6051]

I subscribed about a month ago and this video honestly motivated me to make a few tough decisions on some very old maples I have that don’t have much movement in them. Going to go ahead and make some major cuts once the fully leaf out and the new growth hardens off.

[@michaelchang6451]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@edisislamovic5106]

Good video thanks for the information

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@victorious407]

Good day. I am from Slovakia and my English is very poor. But you speak so clearly and fluently that I understand absolutely everything. Thanks for all the information and I wish you all the best in life. (You have a really wonderful collection of bonsai)

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you so much!

[@howardmckeown7187]

your english is excellent, 👍

[@michaelchang6451]

Shout out to the tree from @Costco LOL🥰

[@michaelchang6451]

The dog @11:15 Priceless!

[@FIZZYYAM]

Great video

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

[@bernardconstantino7433]

new subscriber i love your video...❤❤❤❤im from phillippines❤❤

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for subscribing and being a part of my bonsai community!

[@bernardconstantino7433]

@@bonsaiheirloom please make more beatiful videos.... i love your bonsai......i learn a lot from this video

[@winsonboss1240]

Bonsai is a process...great video, very educational!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, bonsai is a process but a very fun and fulfilling one! Thank you for your support. I'm glad you liked the video. Please subscribe for more educational videos from me!

[@yazhousun406]

Thank you. KZbin needs more videos like this. A lot of bonsai grower they just follow what been told and ignore the reason doing it behind. False informations are everywhere

[@yazhousun406]

Also the information we get are about ramifications and work on established bonsai. 90% of bonsai work is about grow the material and develop the main trunk and roots. These parts are ignored by a lot of bonsai lovers. The ramification is only the last step of the journey I think.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, I'm happy you found my video helpful. I want to show you all every step of the process and how you can create your very own bonsai heirloom from a young starter tree. I'll also be showing you all periodic updates on my young bonsai, so please subscribe to keep up with my videos!

[@specialk22tt]

Costco bonsai! I love it! Your videos make bonsai much less intimidating and I love how you never wire your trees. I agree they seem too contrived otherwise.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I'm glad you feel that way! Bonsai is a wonderful hobby and hopefully my videos help you on your bonsai journey. I like to let the tree grow naturally, which I why I use the clip and grow method. There are a few rare occasions where I will wire, but I will cover this in my upcoming Q&A video. Please stay tuned!

[@specialk22tt]

@@bonsaiheirloom I look forward to it!

[@gariktv8756]

Great video, I will follow your advise and hopefully I will have awesome tree in 25 years 👍🏻

[@bonsaiheirloom]

You can do it! Best of luck!

[@chamarafish4454]

Great 👍

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you!

[@SysterYster]

If you have a bonsai baby with a very tall trunk and no lower branches. Can you just cut it down really low, and new branches will sprout from the stem, or do you risk killing it if you cut so drastically? Also, I like that this video is very instructive and help us newbies to see how to plan a future bonsai. :) Thank you!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Hi there! What type of tree are you asking about? For most deciduous trees, like elm, yes. For pines and juniper, likely no.

[@alfaqir4755]

The bonsai is out of this world! Thanks for the demo and lengthy but informative explanation.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! Glad you found it helpful!

[@alfaqir4755]

@@bonsaiheirloom your welcome, thanks for replying 😅

[@danielbrennan5872]

Thank You

[@uchimartos7674]

I would find a video about watering bonsai interesting and what you have to say about it. After all, it is essential for our trees and there is a lot more to it than many people might think. What types of water, when, how? Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us :) Regards

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for your suggestion! I will make a video about this soon. Please feel free to comment any questions or other video content that you would like to see from me!

[@martink4205]

All my 20+ oak trees are about 10 years old and is just a 3cm wide twig.... this video has made me want to give up my poor attempt at growing bonsai trees. Anyone got any suggestions for a hobby that dont take 10 years to work out your doing it wrong lol

[@bonsaiheirloom]

All seedlings start off slow, then they grow fast. Think of the growth rate as proportional to the amount of leaves. And, of course, that grows exponentially. When I moved into my home 25 years ago, I lamented that I will never have a heritage oak tree on my property. My CA Coast Life Oak was only about 8” in diameter. I put a lot of slow release lawn food near the tree and it is now 8 ft across in diameter, maybe 80’ tall, and I believe the tap root hit ground water! So, put your seedling into a sunny spot in the ground, fertilize, give it a lot of water and see it soar! Have fun! Never give up…figure out continuous improvement…it will improve your life too! Best wishes!

[@黃鈴文]

👍

[@kolynegordon9364]

Just subscribed looking forward to more of your videos

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Many more videos to come. Thank you for subscribing!

[@robinatkinson6499]

Best video for me as a beginner Thankyou Sir 👍

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you found it helpful! Best wishes to you and your bonsai!

[@happybonsai648]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I'm happy to share my knowledge with you all. Thank you!

[@raymondplodzien7459]

Such a good video. Great explanation of the process.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you, I'm glad you found the video helpful!

[@thomasroeder1]

Thanks a lot for sharing! Yourself and Peter Chan are my KZbin bonsai mentors

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@opgentj]

Love it - brutality to beauty - only an artist can pull that off. 😅

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! You can craft your trees into living art too. Just begin with the end in mind and shape your tree into what you have envisioned.

[@kythuatvuonnam1078]

Cây bonsai đẹp quá bạn ơi 👍👍👍

[@falkhammermuller9342]

Thank you for the information.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I'm happy to share it!

[@michaellarosa6344]

Another very fantastic video. truly inspiring and your knowledge is top class. Also your love too share with the KZbin community. Your a star ⭐️.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Wow, thank you for the compliment! :)

[@michaellarosa6344]

Your most welcome. I’m new to all of this but it’s all truly inspiring. Can’t wait for the years to see my trees grow with me . And for your advice

[@celynamez]

I cut off all my branches! 😢 not sure what I was thinking but I got tired of it growing long skinny branches with very little bit of leaves. I really want to save it, have you ever made a tree from just a trunk??????

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Well, it is your design, so why not. And I bet you can find trees like that in the middle of a thick forest! Long skinny branches means you are growing it in deep shade. Take it out into full sun…old leaves will burn, new leaves will emerge to thicken your truck and make it tapered. And fertilize and water. Have fun experimenting!

[@celynamez]

@@bonsaiheirloom I won’t give up!

[@bonsaipage_]

Very well explained!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you think so!

[@jbmckean]

new sub added today.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Welcome! Thank you for subscribing to my channel.

[@AsiriNanayakkara-mq5dw]

Greetings from Colombo ....I'm so glad to get your kind guidelines through the videos of this channel sir.... your trees are beautiful, having nice movements, .. are they transformations of the traditional bonsai styles....or they are still within the traditional forms... could you please explain a little... thank you sir.❤🙏

[@carlossoares712]

wonderful

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you think so!

[@abhinav3101]

Nice vision

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you so much!

[@faloof9388]

Do you pursuit bonsai as a career or more of an extremely developed hobby?

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I've been doing bonsai as a hobby for over 50 years. Doing it as a hobby really helped me when I was working in the tech industry because it provided me a way to de-stress. I highly recommend bonsai as a hobby because it is very rewarding and fulfilling. Just be patient, take time to refine your techniques, and you will have beautiful bonsai in no time!

[@faloof9388]

@@bonsaiheirloom You truly are a master at your craft

[@ArendvanWerven]

Another great video. The format is wonderful. To see the humble beginnings of a future mightly bonsai. It gives bonsai novices hope that they can achieve their dream bonsai (or at least it does that for me). Thank you so much. Can't wait for more videos, I will stay glued to the channel. It will surely do well. Good luck, sir.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! Bonsai is a great hobby and doesn't have to be difficult! You can start off with a young nursery plant and cut and shape it into what you envision. My goal is to share my techniques and knowledge with you so that you can see the potential if your very own bonsai!

[@HenrySolly40]

I love bonsai and have plenty of questions, but you have certainly given me an answer for most of them. Your guide and visual composition of probable growth are priceless...It's one thing to look at great finished bonsai and another to create one. Your video is the only one that shows how that great bonsai can be created from an ordinary tree, in detail. Thank you and say blessed. 🙏

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, anyone can start doing bonsai. You can find affordable young trees at your local Home Depot. Then, you can start cutting and shaping it into the bonsai that you envision. I have a few videos on how you can transform a young nursery tree into a bonsai. Have fun and please feel free to comment your questions!

[@nwilliams1540]

What a wonderful tutorial. This lesson provided me lots of the basic steps I have been looking for. Thank you!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I appreciate your kind words. Thank you for taking the time to watch it!

[@joegarland4885]

I am glad I found your channel, I love your no nonsense attitude to teaching the elements of bonsai. Thank you for your wisdom.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you! I'm happy to share my techniques that I've refined over the past 50 years of doing bonsai. My goal is to help you on your bonsai journey!

[@johnnyyooooo]

Really great advice and inspiration for my new younger trees. Thanks very much!!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Your younger trees will grow into bonsai heirlooms in no time! Please subscribe to keep up with my videos on more bonsai tips and techniques. Have fun growing your bonsai!

[@HelluvaGuy-t3c]

You're one helluva guy sharing your knowledge with us here. Thank you.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

My pleasure! Glad you're enjoying my videos!

[@samatabonsai]

Inspiration.bomsai.

[@samatabonsai]

Samatabonsai 👌🏼🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@christophenoisette3301]

Vraiment très intéressant. J'attends avec impatience d'autres vidéos et d'autres conseils de votre part. Merci pour le partage de vos connaissances.