Bonsai Bench Tour and Updates - August 2024

[@TheBonsaiZone]

A very interesting bench tour, 20 min, flew by!

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks, Nigel! I'm a fan of your channel - thanks for all the inspiration, including the nightshade.

[@acer_p_bonsai]

I think you’re on the right track with your plan to avoid sun scorch next year! After your leaves harden off in late spring, you can move your tree into partial shade. Be particularly careful of hot afternoon sun 😅 🌞 Thanks for sharing your trees with us! 🙏🏽 🪴 🍁

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the confirmation. Yeah, my Mikawa Yatsubusa is definitely going into partial shade in late spring. My Yuri Hime did so-so with scorch, not terrible, as did my Katsura (planted in the ground). My standard JM did great though, very minimal scorching and excellent fall color, so I will likely treat it the same next season - lots of sun. Hope your move went/is going well.

[@gaiabonsai]

Great tour of your benches. You have some really beautiful trees. Thank you for sharing.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thank you for the kind words, and thanks for visiting.

[@LTeppler]

What a lovely tour. Thank you for taking the time for this! I should do a tour for mine before winter. I've only been doing a little bit here and there with mine.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thank you! I'm a big fan of bench tours. I'd prefer to visit other peoples' gardens in person, but watching a KZbin video is the next best, or at least feasible, thing.

[@baldyeti]

Slick collection, good sir. I’m diggin the variety.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks, much appreciated. I think I am one of those I-like-variety bonsai folks. I like how at any given time of the year, some tree is looking especially nice or has flowers etc.

[@n8tyler]

Enjoyed the bench tour... Your trees look good...Keep up the good work...Sequim, WA...

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the encouragement and visit.

[@lisawagner6076]

I very much enjoyed your bench tour!! I LOVE seeing everyone's trees and how they are doing. Thanks!!

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I enjoy a good bench tour as well.

[@mattbrennan647]

Thanks for the tour. The bench is looking good. Thanks, keep growing

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thank you, much appreciated! Same to you - happy growing.

[@rb89362]

Thanks for the tour! Glad to see so many of the cuttings are doing well!

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

You bet!

[@chuckgdry]

Really enjoyed your plant tour. Thanks

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@darrylteneti9596]

Awesome mate, greetings and well wishes from Queensland Australia

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the visit!

[@mirage790]

Just a suggestion... The maple in your garden box can be cut back right where it is and allowed to bud back to encourage a thicker trunk, which it won't get if put in a bonsai pot. I have seen videos by Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai where he does this.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the suggestion! I agree, I'd get better growth that way and might just do as you suggest. Yes, both Peter Chan and Milton Chang of Bonsai Heirloom grow trees in the ground for many years. It's easier to care for them that way too. The only reason I might not do that is if I want to start developing shorter internodes - that's when a bonsai pot or training pot would be the better option.

[@bonsaiexpression]

Nice tour. The ficus you have issues with. I had issues like this. Turned out I had bad roots. They smelt so bad I had to do a video on it and cut most of them off. Bad case of root rot. I'd take a look at them roots fella just in case.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the ficus issue idea! I was hoping somebody might have some thoughts about what is ailing my ficus benjamina. I'll check out the roots. It's still putting up a fight and has produced some new leaves in the last few weeks, but it's definitely not well.

[@bonsaiexpression]

@@BonsaiNorthwest mine was similar but it's absolutely stunk. 😂

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

@@bonsaiexpression I'll give it a sniff test.

[@bonsaiexpression]

@@BonsaiNorthwest 😂

[@SulamAkarBonsai]

hello sir,,a very special bonsai. like being in nature. greetings from indonesia ❤❤❤❤

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for visiting all the way from Indonesia, and thanks for the compliment. Best.

[@SulamAkarBonsai]

@@BonsaiNorthwest You're welcome sir, healthy greetings always

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@daniellethomas3745]

Can you do a beginners guide to bonsai video? I really want to start doing bonsai and it’s hard to find a easy-to-follow tutorial that breaks things down in the most basic terms

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the suggestion, much appreciated! I have a pattern that I've followed with many of my trees, I think it could make a nice simple video to help a beginner start a bonsai. I'll put your idea on my list. In the meantime, Bonsai Empire on KZbin has some nicely done 10-minute videos about how to get started. Another great online resouce is the guide that starts here: www.evergreengardenworks.com/bonsaip.htm. I think these articles break things down well, even better than many beginner bonsai books. This article: www.evergreengardenworks.com/bonsaibe.htm is basically the pattern that I follow when starting a bonsai.

[@sharonbuckley4591]

Some nightshade are really poisonous others not so much. We have them here in the PNW British columbia

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

When we called poison control, they just told us to monitor my son who apparently ate 1-3 berries. I think the next step, if he got feeling really sick, would be to induce vomitting, but we never got to that point because the berries didn't seem to affect him. I've since been seeing nightshade around my area quite a bit, including growing in another part of my yard.

[@bimmer635csi]

If you have info about the apple, I would be super interested. I have several seedlings from various grocery store fruits. Thanks.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Sure, here's a short history of my apple stump: I have an apple tree in my yard. My apple stump is a sucker from this tree. It was several inches in diameter when I dug it up and top pruned it down to maybe 8-12 inches tall, about 5+ years ago. I let it recover that first year after collection, then put it in a bonsai pot. This was in my early bonsai years, and I didn't realize that putting it in a bonsai pot would reduce it's growth (although I wanted to grow another section of trunk). So it barely grew for a few years in that bonsai pot. I then realized that it wasn't going to change much if I kept it in that bonsai pot, so I planted it in my garden box, because I wanted to grow a new section of trunk (and frankly, because I didn't care too much about it). So it's now been in the garden box for at least 3 years I think. I've been letting it grow freely for the most part, although I did recently prune it down to maybe 12-18 inches tall, only because it was starting to shade out some my other shorter trees that are planted nearby that I value more. Rabbits have also done some light pruning on it a few times - they like the tender new shoots in spring. I admittedly don't have much love for this tree. However, it is developing some nice character with all of the pruning, so I do have some interest in developing it further. I think it could be a decent bonsai in another 5-10 years.

[@Emerald_Coast_Bonsai]

Why not just make a little "shadow box" for the maple that is scorched? Just to slip over the top and allow it to stay on the bench.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

That's not a bad idea! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll consider that for next growing season. I'm fine with a little leaf scorch, but I'm determined to not let my Mikawa Yatsubusa (one of my most prized trees) scorch so severely next summer.

[@garyjohnson2989]

Grow the maples in shade bro. Make sure is watered on a daily once Temps r over 85f. I'm having great success with that procedure. I have 2 layers up of black bug netting and has worked miracles this hot-ass summer. No scorched leaves yet. Knock on wood

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

I think you're right, my plan is to move to shade much sooner next growing season. Nice work keeping your maples looking good with this hot summer - hopefully I can say the same next year.

[@dietchrisrich]

Shade. And I've seen Peter from herons bonsai keep his maples in a tray of water that has water just past the drainage. Saw that and it seems like a good idea for the high heat days. Would probably create a little micro climate with high humidity near the pot and leaves. Going to try that next year

[@dietchrisrich]

Also, living in the pnw

[@wolows]

I dont really know anything but on that Mikawa Yatsabusa could that be more of a nutrient deficiency or pot size thing with all that damage being around the edges/tips of the leaves maybe in conjunction with the extreme dry heat? I am in southwest Idaho so also very hot and dry (100-105 just about everyday for all of July this season) and my Mikawa Yatsabusa did very well in about 4-6 hours of sunlight per day but it is also in a 5 gallon pot, not a bonsai pot.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Sounds like you know something, if you can keep your Mikawa Yatsubusa from burning in those temps! Nice work, and thanks for the info. My Mikawa Yatsubusa has now been in a bonsai pot for well over a decade; I wonder if it could use several years in a larger pot. I'm considering that when I next repot in.

[@wolows]

@@BonsaiNorthwest Definitely worth a shot or maybe even try out another pot beneath it like you did with some of the other ones.

[@F90M5]

Leave the maple in a gardening tray (they usually come in black but i would go with a lighter color). Fill the tray with about 1/2 inch of water. Will help reduce heat scorch. Pretty sure i have watched a video of Heron discussing this as a solution after he had the same issue.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for the tip, maybe I'll try it! I agree: Increasing humidity would likely decrease leaf scorch.