Acer Katsura - Initial bonsai development

In this video I take the first stages in pruning a Japanese maple - acer palmatum Katsura to get it on its way towards becoming a baonsai

[@viktorsbonsai]

1:44 Knock off that bud tony!

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣Great minds think alike! I knocked it off as soon as I noticed it after filming.

[@viktorsbonsai]

@@TonysBonsai Haha! There you go 🤣

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Katsura is a super tree for bonsai. My advice - get this into a shallow basket in spring to give yourself a more radial spreading root system and avoid strong deeper roots which will help develop the nebari early and set yourself up for a great future bonsai stunner. The basket method helps the roots die to increased aeration. Alternatively ground planting over a slab buried about 5 inches deep will give a similar effect.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, good advice Jason. I didn't want to start with the roots now because I know what I'm like. I always seem to end up bare rooting them, but as you say, the roots will definitely need some looking at in the spring. I think it will end up going on the ground over a slab.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

@@TonysBonsai good move 👍 I picked up 4 basic concrete slabs 50x50cm from B&Q for about £2 each and arranged them in a grid about 5 inches deep in open ground. I have a handful of trees growing over them including a Morrisons bought Deshojo, an oak, an birch and a crab apple. Be interesting to see where they are next year after 2-3 years of growing.

[@TonysBonsai]

Nice! I have saved the marble fireplace I ripped out a few weeks ago to plant in my garden. Also, I have an acer I planted a couple of winters ago on a small tile which I'm going to lift and check out in the spring. Exciting stuff, and I'm sure these are videos people will be very interested in. I'll look forward to seeing how your trees do on those flags.

[@nickrobson2753]

Great video Tony. I bought a Katsura for £60 from Azure in Cramlington, Northumberland. Great tree in a variety I couldn't find elswhere locally. Hope to follow your lead next year. 🙂

[@joegarland4885]

Hi Tony makings of a nice tree glad you mentioned not to cut right back but leave a stub due maples have a die back issue.

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Joe. I'm one for hacking things right back as far as possible, but as you say, with maples, we have to allow rood for the die back.

[@AlexBraunton]

Lovely stuff Tony. Katsura is such a great variety for bonsai

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate. Yeah I have a few but I can never distinguish them from orange dream. I'm actually wondering if the ones i n my garden are all orange dream and not katsura as they appear identical throughout the year.

[@wgcjtc5591]

Always enjoy your presentations. Simple, straightforward explaination.

[@mattbrennan647]

Great work Tony. It’s certainly set up nicely for next growing season. Good tip on how to use the die back to your advantage. This one is off to a great start. Thanks, keep growing

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers buddy. Given a few years, I think this has some definite potential.

[@PSPMHaestros]

Lovely red tips, it's going to look amazing when it's well ramified! Nice work setting up the structure

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Edu. I think this one has some potential to be a nice tree in a few years time.

[@mikec3820]

hope to get a katsura this season. already collected a few benichidori. beautiful trees. thanks tony

[@shanewatson8581]

Miss you Tony

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Nice work Tony! Great little tree with a great bonsai future! 🐦💙

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Jay. Should be nice in a few years time with a bit of luck

[@piotrdziadczyk8598]

Hi Tony. Strong, healthy plant. Katsuras leaves have beautiful colours starting from spring until the autumn. Piotr

[@TonysBonsai]

Yes, I thought I had a couple of Katsuras in my garden, but I have got a feeling that they are orange dream, so I will use this one to check and find out.

[@scotthogbin613]

Good one Tony, well set up for future development. I dont have any maples as killed one years ago and im worried I'll do it again.... maybe one day I'll get over it and try again.

[@TonysBonsai]

Scott, you need to get some counciling mate. Sounds like you have maple induced PTSD

[@guywatson-bognorregisbonsa7370]

Nice work Tony. I can sense a spell of 'Maple Madness' coming up in the near future. 👍👍

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Guy. Yes, I think it's maple chopping season just beginning!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Typical - My Maple development video comes out tonight :) Great video.

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣Just think of me as the warm-up act mate!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@TonysBonsai Yeah right...I'm the act that makes them realise you are No 1 :)

[@TonysBonsai]

Fair enough. Your like Michael Buble and I'll be Frank Sinatra! 🤣

[@yevhenbryukhov]

Great vid! I find these somewhat more inspiring than the videos from super-duper-pros, who work with 200-year-old junipers or well established fancy bonsai (which I may never achieve and won't buy for sure). 🤫 Especially, since I haven't found any offline groups/gatherings around, despite the fact that I have a big bonsai nurcery 15 mins away...😔

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Yevhen. Yes I know what you mean. It is nice seeing work on amazing material, but as you say, will we ever own anything like that? Probably not. It's a shame about there being no bonsai groups near you. Perhaps you should start one? Maybe just on facebook at first and then it might grow from there.

[@dildobaggins8987]

I swear we’re thinking the same thing tony 😂 Bought a Katsura with a great root flare on sale the other day, down from £50 to £15. Twin Trunked just like this one as well! Just too good an offer to turn down

[@TonysBonsai]

It would indeed be a crime to turn down a tree like that mate. They do say that great minds think alike!

[@nerinat8371]

Thanks Tony ❤

[@JamesWilliam592]

Hello nerinat how are you doing today?

[@bonsaibythesea]

Happy bonsai making 😊

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate!

[@takkyu22]

I love your videos tony

[@TonysBonsai]

Thank you. Glad you're enjoying them.

[@stonecapone7858]

good explanation.

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate. Glad you enjoyed it

[@timfreeman4242]

Picked up loads of maples cheep this year £10 for 4 was my best bargain… Time to get the secateurs out soon! Still retaining their leaves for the most part!

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah, better to wait for the leaves to drop, and get chopping mate!

[@raymondplodzien7459]

Maples make such good bonsais.

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Raymond. Yes, they are certainly a beautiful tree for bonsai.

[@kevinwilkes5969]

Should be a nice tree Tony. Sound advice.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Kevin. I think it has some potential down the line this one.

[@mandyhernon2238]

Good content got a similar katsura that has just sat since l got it I hope your video has given me the courage to have a *Tony chop*. Found a half price lonicera nitida and 3 half price boulevard, who could resist on pay day??? Will be watching your lonicera video again. Keep growingxxx

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Mandy. I think you should wait for a nice calm autumnal day, and make yourself a big mug of coffee and get out there and chop that maple!

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Did you forget to repot this tree now Tony? Love to take a look at the nebari

[@TonysBonsai]

I decided to just leave the tree this year to recover from the chop, and I'll take a good look at the roots next spring. It's doing very well though and is full of leaves.

[@thenaturecreater8906]

@Tonys Bonsai that was probably the correct thing to do! Here in cold Norway trees have not leaft out yet

[@TonysBonsai]

I'm only really waiting for oaks and beech to leaf out now. Hopefully all yours will come to life in the next week or two.

[@davidfleming1395]

Hi Tony thanks for a great video, how do you thicken the trunk thanks

[@viktorsbonsai]

4:58 I think you’re right about mentioning that the strong branch to the left could become the new taper and I highly agree, it’s got nice movement and thickness I think 😊

[@TonysBonsai]

I agree Viktor. Even though I only pruned this yesterday, I already think that that side branch will become the new leader. Possibly one to chop this time next year.

[@viktorsbonsai]

@@TonysBonsai yessir 😎 oh btw where did you get hands on arakawa JM? I can’t find it online only the nonsense ”bonsai seeds” 🤣

[@TonysBonsai]

www.barthelemymaples.co.uk/ I was put on a waiting list last year and in late spring they sent them out through the post. Although they were young grafted trees, they were very healthy and a good price.

[@viktorsbonsai]

@@TonysBonsai nice! You are a saint! You could always air layer 😊 Btw arakawa is not a dwarf JM as i know of so i think it’ll be fine on it’s own roots… in my experience or research really it’s just the cut leafs and dwarfs that don’t perform perfectly without rootstock… Tho the shishi is dwarf but still a good performing vigorous plant on own roots… by the way, on the subject of shishi do you have one? I think you said so at some point… if so where’d you get it

[@viktorsbonsai]

@@TonysBonsai wait hold on they have shishi’s! Problem fixed! 😅

[@kreszenziajusupoglu8298]

Nice tree. Nice video. I was wondering, how do you clean your instruments for Bonsai care? Do u take them apart, clean and oil? What oil do u use, if so? Looking forward to the next inspiration from you

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi, and an interesting question. I don't take my tools apart no. I wash them with soap and warm water, then thoroughly dry them and wipe them with oil. A bit of engine oil is best.

[@mick681]

Another great video. This tree will develop very nicely. Are the cutters you use also called concave cutters? I have been looking for hybrid cutters with little success. I can find lots of concave cutters which look like hybrid cutters.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Mick. Here is a video about my tools and includes my hybrid cutters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKrcg2aHr5yFp7c I love them and they are about £45 off amazon, although I believe Herons sell some good ones too at a reasonable price

[@andyregan8412]

Another great video, i'm new to this and wondering what the chances are of the branches you've cut off surviving as cuttings? Or is it wrong time of year??

[@TonysBonsai]

I believe that at this time of year, you can take hardwood cuttings off Japanese maples, but it is far from easy and I would be very unlikely to get those thick pieces to root at this time of year. I find it hard enough rooting ideal Acer cuttings in late spring which is the best time. Having said that, there is a brilliant video posted a few days ago by Graham Potter. Check it out it's fantastic information about propagating large material. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2rSmWajmdigo7s

[@Speedbagfreek]

Hi and thanks for sharing your knowledge I have a few Acer that I will be using as Bonsai material, 1 in a large pot and 1 in the ground. What would you suggest I move them into first, I was thinking a smaller shallower pot or I’ve seen some people use fruit and veg baskets.

[@TonysBonsai]

I would treat then a bit like collected (yamadori) trees. I would re-pot and major prune, but then you will have to just leave them for a good twelve months to recover from such major work

[@Speedbagfreek]

@@TonysBonsai Thanks

[@andrewdobosz3682]

I splashed (i say that now in everyday conversation) on a bloodgood Japanese maple , I'm assuming the same rules apply,? It too could use a bit of a prune to compact it. But i wanted to take some cuttings or air layer it.. Probably a tad to late to be doing that huh?

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I think you missed your window for air layering a Japanese maple. You want to do this when the tree is in leaf and feeding energy down to the roots, bearing in mind any newly produced roots will need to be sufficiently developed before the colder months set in.

[@andrewdobosz3682]

@@TheBonsaiGarden thanks, then i guess I'll have to wait till next year.

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Andrew. As Jason rightly said, best to wait for the spring to do any air layers. As for splashing the cash. Glad that it's entered your vocabulary. You'll soon be an honorary Prestonian. All you have to do is start eating parched peas in vinegar and calling an alley a ginnel.

[@andrewdobosz3682]

@@TonysBonsai thank you for the advice and great content as usual.. I don't know what parched peas are but I'd give it em a try lol a ginnel you say , I'll have to try to work that into conversation lol

[@TonysBonsai]

if you're ever in the unfortunate position to visit Preston, go into the town center and buy some parched peas from the spud van.

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Just give 25 years now. And we well see how this turns out 🤣 i got the same problem Tony. Its too fun to create somthing with nursery stock stuff. Today i was going home from work and they had 60 % everything. I Just had to stop🤣 one large koto no mai and a big juniper off some type. Can not remeber the name. 700nkr. Its like 50 pounds i think. Baragain

[@TonysBonsai]

Wow, that sounds like you picked up a couple of beauties there. I love my kojo no mai. It's just dropped its leaves. They had the best colour of all my trees.

[@thenaturecreater8906]

@@TonysBonsai yeah i got 4 kojo no mai now. Everyone has lost their leaves. But now i can see the branch structure. And I think i am going to prune them now? What are you thinking. Or wait to spring?

[@TonysBonsai]

I believe they are best pruned in late spring when all the flowers have dropped. I pruned at that time last year, and it healed really well and grew on very healthily, so i'll be doing the same next year.

[@stefanhunyor946]

Guys question…. Shouldn’t be done this in the spring???

[@mattbrennan647]

Japanese Maples will bleed like crazy if pruned in spring. Late fall work on deciduous trees in development is quite safe. Thanks, keep growing

[@stefanhunyor946]

So I can safely do it now? Because I saw on KZbin some guys do it in early spring so I’m confuse now… thanks

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Stephan. As Matt says, it is fine to prune them at this time of year. The safest time to hard prune maples is during their winter dormancy, so if you wait until their leaves have dropped you are then good to go.

[@stefanhunyor946]

Thanks guys

[@BonsaiCornwall]

Have you seen my latest video mate? 😆

[@TonysBonsai]

Enjoyed it buddy. I love your self-promotion too. I think I need to up my game in that regard! 🤣

[@BonsaiCornwall]

@@TonysBonsai I mean the one with you in it mate im not trying to self promote I’m trying to get you to watch it 😂 it has you in it!

[@TonysBonsai]

@@BonsaiCornwall 🤣🤣absolutely brilliant mate. I love videos that are light-hearted. Bonsai don't have to be overly serious in my opinion. keep up the good work!