Bonsai Hack that bonsai artists do to create Trunk Taper

[@packing999]

This is a high quality vid!!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you !! 😊

[@victoriamoore5986]

Love it! :) great technique

[@fredwanders2448]

The cinematography and music is actually really well done. Oh... and the Bonsai isn't bad either!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@fredwanders2448 thank you!

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here David, yes this video is what I wanted 🤗. I have been asked from a mate to design a bonsai for his daughter who gets married spring 2023. To resemble where they are getting married. It's called ( 1 tree hill ) in Maleny Queensland Australia. I don't have enough time to train a ( sour cherry tree) so I have a jasmine but has some scared from branch cuts 🤔. I'll use your technique to help the callous bulge.. thank you. 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Jasmine is a great idea for a wedding gift, apparently it symbolizes love, purity, community and spirituality. Cheers for getting back to me!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Fine work "Wild man Dave" on the I'll-live tree!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Nigel! Hahaha it's a good name for these trees, it seems they survive almost anything!

[@johnrb9397]

Your boy has got some skill! Lovely work from your end.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks John. I'll let him know, although I suspect he's probably reading through all the comments to see if anyone mentioned him😉

[@cduff4505]

Welcome back! I like the changes, well worth the effort. It has a nice flow now👍🏻

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! You know, I enjoy the work enough that even if the end result were mediocre it would still have been worth it! 😊

[@bonsaitropis_27]

one of the connoisseurs of process and patience is playing in bonsai art karya🙏

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

This is why we say bonsai is more a verb (doing bonsai) than a thing (my tree) 🌳🙏🏻

[@BackGardenBonsai]

Great stuff Dave. that wound looks so much better now compared a stump. It will be great to see how it callus' over and recovers. Its should blend in nicely, it already looks very hidden

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Ian. Yes I hope the callusing moves gracefully inwards and doesn't form ugly bulges at the top. When I repot it in spring it probably won't have callused much but I'll do an update then (time permitting) when I repot it. I think the earliest time you can see how the callus will blend is about 1 year later. We shall see!

[@edinborogh]

Hi Ian, happy holidays! Can't wait for your next content.

[@Yurup]

Good explenation of the procedure. Wasn't sure what you ment beforehand but certainly understand it now!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Glad you understood it afterwards! 🌳👍🏻

[@hs-qz9np]

This is beautiful! I wanna start growing my own tree like this. Thank you for sharing!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@smokyhillbonsai-gerrettmor6373]

The best part of Sunday mornings is a hot cup of coffee and finding new bonsai videos. I always come away with something from your videos Dave. Thanks for sharing!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Gerrett! Yes Sunday is definitely a great bonsai day. Cheers 🌳👍🏻

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Amen brother.

[@jacktaylor6190]

Nicely done Dave! Good to see you back!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jack, I appreciate your comments!

[@n8ingal]

Hey! Greetings from Germany! I am right at the beginning of my bonsai career, though I am interested for years. When I turned 18 I got a really beautiful 18 year old bonsai as a present, but I had no experience, so a few time later the tree died :( all over the time I read a bit about bonsais here and there, but this year there was a tiny acorn growing in a pot on our balcony, set istself there. So I decided to give him the chance to grow to a respectable little beauty instead of just being ripped out. I hope, no I believe your videos can help me manage this. You have a great talent to give your knowledge to others, in a very interesting and easygoing style. Thank you for your help :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hey Sarah, nice to hear from you. There's something about bonsai that keeps you hooked and makes you look at "ordinary" trees in nature with new eyes. You'll have that your whole life, even though you'll lose a few trees along the way. Btw, did you see my two videos about creating bonsai from acorns? 2020: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2nXeX1saa14isU 2021: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZuXdIWgbpuapbc I'll continue updating this series over the coming years. Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying my videos!

[@chriskuiper529]

Just ordered your book, I'm sure it'll be worth it! Keep being awesome!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@chriskuiper529 thanks so much! Hope you find it useful!!

[@wadmadhushan4434]

Wow very beautiful bonsai

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks you very much 😊🙏🏻

[@sagebonsai]

I personally not a fan of smooth out deadwood features, but you did such a nice job that I might have to give this a try. Thank you for sharing with all of us bonsai fans a well made video.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! I appreciate that. I will be interested to know if you do try this on one of your trees. Cheers!

[@jeffhurst4744]

Another good video. Suggestion: lower volume level of background music. It often drowns out your voice, making it hard to hear what you are saying.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you Jeff. Yes I admit the music got too loud in this video. Cheers! 👍🏻

[@scottgoodman7741]

Thank you for the fantastic videos. The details that you add are very helpful for me in my bonsai journey.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Scott, I'm really glad to have helped!

[@angryzombie8088]

Its hard to appreciate sawdust when I'm doing woodwork, it sure feels nice when its just in a video not trying to get into my eyes, nose & mouth. I love the music in this video.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Glad you enjoyed it! The music credits are some way down the description of this video, if you're interested. I also love this music, it's why I keep adding it to my videos. (A few other people complained that the music is too loud so I've turned it down slightly in my this year's videos.. )

[@carlospayan9672]

Wow, this opens up so many doors. Thanks.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

You're welcome! Thanks for your comment 👍🏻

[@sueb1317]

The olive was amazing before you started carving, but has undergone unbelievable transformation afterwards! I'm still learning how to create taper - this is so helpful - much appreciation and thanks for sharing!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Sue, I am happy you found it useful! The transformation in the video was fun to do, but over the last two years the tree has changed almost beyond recognition... this is it in 2019: flic.kr/p/2hYThNg

[@jeffwatts4264]

more great videos , dave thanks , it would be lovely to see the progress of your trees a year on

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jeff! Actually I did an updare 9n video on this tree, under the guise of forming an apex to make it look mature: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4mqlIlpqs6NgJo But if you meant you'd like to see more general updates on all my trees, yeah I should probably do that sometime... In the meantime, if you're interested you can see the progress on a lot of my trees on instagram @blueskybonsai or many more at flickr - blueskybonsai. Thanks!

[@OddBonsai]

That's a very nice olive tree. Nice trunk and branching, and now that you sorted out the top it looks great. Good job!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! In spring I'll repot it, and if I video it I'll do a comparison with Dec 2019... the tree has has changed almost beyond recognition since then 😊

[@OddBonsai]

@@BlueSkyBonsai That sounds great! It's cool to se how the tree improved over the years and makes you feel good for all the effort that went into creating it. What is it's growth rate? I don't have one yet but I read that olive trees are slow growers.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@OddBonsai they are not quite as fast as most deciduous trees, but they're also not slow like say boxwood. The good thing about these, they can take a lot of full-on sunlight and as long as you keep them well watered in the sun, they do shoot out branches pretty quickly. And they root very easily. Great species. Btw here it is 2 years ago: flic.kr/p/2hYS6H1

[@judlpd]

Extremely well explained and illustrated. Thanks. Richard

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! I appreciate that 😊

[@KarIiah]

Turned out really nice! I've been a little busy with work and other stuff, so I now have to catch up with the new videos I've missed :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Karliah! Haha it's good to be busy! As long as you've always got "you" time, and for watering etc. Hope you enjoy my most recent videos, I'm trying to add in whiteboard sessions to each one since that seems to be what the viewers want!

[@KarIiah]

@@BlueSkyBonsai They are very informative and make learning about how trees work a lot easier, so I‘m not surprised!

[@pesoverwatch9324]

Olive and Buxus....your saws love em :D Pretty hard wood!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Portuguese Oak seems to be the hardest wood I've sawed... it took ages

[@littlebonsaicorner]

This is perfect! Now I know what I should do in detail for one of my collected materials with the inverse taper at the trunk chop. Thank you much for sharing.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here David, bloody awesome work 🤗😃😉. Your photography and editing skills are the BEST I have seen on utube bonsai sites 🤩... . You would be great on showing us how to, air-laying, and jinxing, bonsai.....🤔🤗.. keep the videos coming.. 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much Dave! Really appreciate your kind words. Yes, air layering, I should do a video on that. Maybe in Spring. About Jinning, I love your idea of calling it Jinxing!! Now that is a great thumbnail opportunity.. "Jinning or Jinxing?" 😉 Cheers!

[@davidmorgan3508]

Opps my bad, spelling by auto text sometimes is not what I ment. jinning not jinnxing..hahaha 🤔

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@davidmorgan3508 hey it happens to all of us.. but this was a particularly good idea!! 👍🏻

[@Appliedbonsa1]

Beautiful tree, I'm sure you are delighted with it 😊 all the best from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Eric, I'm happy with how it's looking now but I think in a couple of years or 5 it'll be better as the wound becomes more invisible. Cheers and a happy new year to you!

[@Appliedbonsa1]

@@BlueSkyBonsai im sure the Spanish weather will help with the growth in the coming years. All the best and a happy new years.

[@luukderksen8810]

This video answers a question that i had for quite some time now.. Sawing and carving is the way to go for my mismatcht top cut. But first i need to grow a bigger branch between the leader and the first branch beneath it. So i will wait to next year. Thank you very much for helping me with this video!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Luuk, glad to have helped! Yes the good thing about trunk work is that it's never urgent, you can always wait another year. What species of tree is yours?

[@luukderksen8810]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Its a forgiving "beginners" tree, a S-shape Ficus with tiny, dark oval leaves. I keep forgetting the name. Also a Acer Palmatum, but i bought it last year and its small. So making mistakes and learning on the Ficus and then moving on to the Acer. Thanks again!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@luukderksen8810 great idea to practice on the ficus. I also have a ficus retusa, they can take a lot of hacking without skipping a beat!

[@luukderksen8810]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Can i ask you an other question. Because the more i look at my "tree" the more i think it has more potential.... But my idea is a bit drastic... i think? The trunk is beautifull, the top part is not that bad also. The middle part (The S-shape) becomes a thorn in my eyes.. My idea: Can i graft the top part of the plant to the trunk part, and leave / cut the "bad" s-shape part out of it? Both parts (top and trunk) have a good taper, radius is almost the same, both parts have 2 or more branches and its from the same plant... And if its possible.....May you have any pointers or tips That you can share with this nooby....? Thanks..

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@luukderksen8810 wow, what an idea! I've never done this, but in theory it should work. As long as you don't repot it, the roots and trunk base wil continue healthily pushing up sap and new shoots. The worst thing that could happen is the top doesn't survive, but that's not very likely, and in any case the trunk base will stay alive and push up a new tree in time. One thing to consider: grafting usually leaves an identifiable bulge for several years, are you ok with that? Another thing, in bonsai there is no rush. Give it 2 or 3 months, late winter is usually considered the best time to graft when the temperatures start rising but before new spring growth appears. Also that will give you time between now and then to really be sure it's what you want to do with your tree. It sounds brave but fun! 💪🏻🌳👍🏻

[@bobbymalta73]

Wow!! You Are Super Amazing Dave keep share with us your ideas. Cheers Mate! 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Bobby! 😊👍

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Great quality video 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jason! 😊👍🏻

[@GraftingTactick]

What a beautiful piece of artwork 🌱🍃☘👏👏

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much!! 😊

[@bibnida7945]

Beautifully done and rendered on film. I have a ficus tree stump I've been putting off carving into a sumo for a year. Just going to have to go for it. This vid is instructional tho, thanks.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful!

[@PVProduktion]

Nice tree and top quality video as always Dave! Appreciate the humour and good to see your son got some time in the limelight as well :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers PPP! Fact is, I work almost obsessively on the trees, so for the videos I think it's important to add in some elements outside the world of bonsai too 😊

[@PVProduktion]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I hear you.. There's a reason my wife & kids have banned the word 'bonsai' in our household 😅 (and I'm only two years in!)

[@jarheadbonsai]

I cant believe its taken me this long to watch this upgrade. Nice work my friend. Your bonsai yard looks beautiful. 😎🍺🍺

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jered! So what do you think, should my son be in Real Madrid? 😉🍻🍻

[@jarheadbonsai]

@@BlueSkyBonsai its impressive juggling for sure my friend. I need to see his set piece game now. 😎🍺🍺

[@reygonzales534]

This is a great video! I’m really curious to see how much the wound has closed after 2 years

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! You can see how the wound appeared after 1 year in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4mqlIlpqs6NgJo Then more recently, a few photos from this summer: flic.kr/p/2oTPZRr flic.kr/p/2oTQ13o flic.kr/p/2oTMXT8

[@biplabbiswasbiswasbiplab8829]

Fine work

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you 😊🙏🏻

[@trieuvu3536]

I’ve enjoyed your videos and learnt a lot from them, even though I am a yamadori pre-trained bonsai pre-beginner with no nebari, and hope that the inspiration will get me started. BTW I wish you were my dentist.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hahaha I don't think I would make a good dentist! But thanks for your great comments. Good luck on your bonsai journey! It is a hobby like a calling that stays with you always, even if you lose a few trees along the way.

[@redzepplin7397]

The Bonsai Zone sent me!!! subscribed!!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Hope you enjoy the videos! 😊

[@BenBSeattle]

great carving, the taper looks really well done

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Ben, I appreciate it. Wish I could have gone on that yamadori hunt with you guys, that's a definite future video for me here in Spain someday

[@victorious407]

Thank you 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

[@TemplarGrandMaster]

Woow, hi, it's my first time on your channel. It is very interesting to see how you have shaped this bonsai. Like the video.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! I sure enjoyed the work on this one 🌳👍🏻

[@mattbrennan647]

That’s some fine work David. Are you a surgeon? ;-) Your tree looks so much better after that work. Oh, and some friendly advice. DO NOT play soccer with your son. He appears to be quite the phenom. Thanks, keep growing

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks a lot Matt! Haha not a surgeon, my patients would end up with trunk flare! And you're right about my son. I'm too old for football now anyway, at least that's my excuse ! Cheeres 🌳👍🏻

[@Pawpawlogan]

Once I saw you had a wild olive I subscribed. Your editing, 2D drawings, and camera angles are top-notch. Keep up the great work, you will inspire the next generation of bonsai enthusiasts.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the videos 👍

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

Wow it came out great! Totally believable. It reminds me of something Walter pall would do. Remind me: did you do that original chop or did you buy it with that? In any case it’s yet another sick tree. Cheers bro!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks bro that is a very kind compliment! I bought the tree a couple of years ago with the chop already there. Because it was sold as a broom the crown was so thick you couldn't see the trunk top. Difficult to put an age on this tree, the trunk base looks very mature, but it's still a pretty small bonsai. Maybe 20 years? If so, older than my son here 🙃 Ps. I listened to a few War on Drugs tracks, totally enjoyed them. Will listen to some more. Great recommendation! cheers Colin

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

@@BlueSkyBonsai man, I’ve been driving my family crazy and spinning the news album nonstop. They’ve had to deal with this for the past three albums. It’s ALMOST as bad as bonsai addiction.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@BostonBonsaiIdiot the gorgeous guitar vibe reminds me of an 80s band called The Adventures who I genuinely followed in the second half of the 1980s. The singer sounds very different, but if you ever get the chance look up The Adventures... the bassist was my cousin Tony Ayre, sadly no longer with us.

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

@@BlueSkyBonsai never heard of them…will rush out and check them out for sure!

[@carlmcclain6934]

Amazing work!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks!

[@Homeboyvick]

Yo! You’re back!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hey! Sure am!

[@juniorgomestattoo6411]

Your channel is amazing I’m happy to have found , would you consider make some videos about yamadori? When to collect when not too , aftercare etc ? If pleases you , thank uou

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much! I am also happy you found my channel 😊 I definitely plan to do a video or two on Yamadori - collecting and aftercare, etc. Unfortunately it will not be soon - I have no spare time at the moment to do it ... but I will do it some day.

[@juniorgomestattoo6411]

Take your time , I’ll be glad to hear your approach on that subject, keep going with your great work

[@living_sculptures_za]

Well done. Do you think that work will ever completely heal over?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you Liam! I doubt it will completely heal over. But I can keep encouraging the callus to grow across the carving by scratching its inside edges each year. If it hasn't grown across in about 3 years I might try hollowing the trunk to attempt the appearance of an older tree that has suffered in the past. Or maybe not.. I'm always imagining extra work to do on the trees but in the end sometimes I should appreciate them as they are 😂 In 3-4 years or so, the new leader at the top should flow seamlessly from the carved area, which will be an important milestone.

[@gromageindustries6745]

Wow, risky. Did you have any die off after that? Great finish though 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! No die off at all. If you're interested you can see how it looks this year in the last part of my latest video - Simple Technique to Mature your Bonsai

[@bonsaigardenwithmarksander968]

Cheers Dave 😀

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Mark 👍🏻

[@davidmorgan3508]

Aussie Dave here David, I assume it's winter in Spain 🤔.but do you have any interesting facts regarding your bonsai 🤔. We all miss your rewarding videos 🤗

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Dave, thanks for the nudge! Yes it's just turning to winter here now, we've already had some snow. I'm swamped by ordinary life at the moment - work and family - so no time for videos recently. I have several videos planned but no time to film and edit them... sometime soon I hope... Really appreciate your comment - thanks again!

[@andrewfiller3097]

Hey Dave, love the channel. I have been practicing about 2-3 years now. I wondered if you might be able to help me on my journey.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Andrew. It's a beautiful hobby. Maybe you have already experienced the sensation when you're out and about, seeing trees in nature and visualizing how they would look in miniature in a pot? That's where most of my inspiration comes from. What should you do next? Take photos of all your bonsai and upload them to a free Flickr account, create an album for each tree, then you have a great way to track their progress over many years.

[@andrewfiller3097]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thanks for the tip Dave, but more specifically. I was hoping you could hep me with my water. I have recently acquired a couple HAWS water and bug can unable to acquire the water spouts. As the company will not ship to Canada. I was hoping I. Oils pay you to ship them to Canada. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks you sir!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@andrewfiller3097 hi, I'm sorry I can't help you with that. Best regards.

[@tchiteee]

Can i use this technique on maple threes, very interesting videos btw!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Yes you can use this technique on maple trees. In fact you can use it on any deciduous tree, as the callus over so quickly. (But maybe not on a coniferous tree, where you might decide to create a deadwood feature rather than trying to heal over a new branch divide.)

[@BonsaiJCan]

Merry Christmas !

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers J! Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones 🎅🏻👍🏻

[@_madr]

Ver nice indeed. Thanks.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much!

[@tessblog3384]

Beautiful plant awesome ❤️

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! 😊

[@javierg7905]

Hi Dave, what rasp do you use on the dremel to work olive wood? Thanks for sharing

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hola Javier, I bought a set of rasps from Amazon two years ago: www.amazon.es/gp/product/B07ZQMXRND/

[@bonsaigardenwithmarksander968]

Fantastic videos thank you 🙏🏻❤️🌲

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much Mark. Just seen your channel and subscribed. Hey best of luck during this time, be strong 💪🏻🌳🙏🏻

[@bonsaigardenwithmarksander968]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you that’s very nice of you 🙏

[@davidreid622]

Hi Dave. New to your channel and loving the many videos of yours I have watched so far, thank you. Could you tell me please, is Spring the best time to do root pruning on deciduous trees? Before the buds break out? Thanks in advance.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi David, thanks glad you're enjoying my videos. Yes early spring is the safest time just as the buds are swelling and about to pop. The reason, because all the starch stored in the roots over winter has already converted back into sap (glucose) and is surging up the trunk and branches so it's less dependent on the root mass at that time. Later in spring of course the roots are needed to suck water up to all the new leaves. You can also root prune then but it's more risky, you need to keep the leaves really humid for a week or so. But early in spring that's not necessary just before bud burst because there's no transpiration happening in the leaves yet. HTH

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

A lot more details in these two videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3fHiKxjgst5qNU kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnWsg61ojqubnNk

[@davidreid622]

@@BlueSkyBonsai That's great and thank you for taking the time for such a full response. I have learned a lot from your videos already so please do keep up the good work. p.s, very jealous of your Madrid weather from rainy Scotland.

[@BonsaiBuddyTV]

I wish someone told me earlier to have football skills 😅

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

lol 😂😂 well the most important skill is watching 😉

[@judgetoogood1033]

Awesome

[@cb6778]

Thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much, you just made me happy!

[@howardmckeown7187]

brilliant

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks!

[@tumizoomi202]

…… awesome! Thanks!

[@OGNESS420]

Hey sooo recently me and my sister had to clear out a vacant apartment last week… in the closest I found a bonsai tree, I think it’s a ficus? Anyways, I noticed the top of the tree looks like it’s been cut or snapped right off… would this effect the trees growth upwards? Or will it still grow tall?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

It will grow again. Sometimes you have to wait a year, or more. Other times it could be just a few months. Ficus are pretty resilient, but it must be indoors (unless you live in a tropical region where there is no winter). Keep it in a bright window then it will grow faster.

[@madreportera22]

Que abono utiliza? Acabo de ver unas bolitas verdes

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Utilizo varios abonos diferentes. Estas bolitas son parecidas a Osmocote de liberación lenta, otra marca disponible aquí en España. Además utilizo abono liquido 6-6-6 cada 2 semanas en primavera y otoño. Ya no utilizo abono orgánico porque los pájaros siempre atacan el sustrato y los raices unas semanas después. Por eso he cambiado a usar las bolitas osmocote... pero son muy lentas... por eso lo combino con el líquido.

[@madreportera22]

@@BlueSkyBonsai de que marca son las bolitas? Gracias!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@madreportera22 La marca era Flower pero ya no los encuentro de esta marca. He visto otra marca KB Abono Osmocote Universal en Amazon.es que probaré la siguiente vez.

[@madreportera22]

@@BlueSkyBonsai gracias me lo apunto!

[@SysterYster]

Hi Dave! So, it's gotten pretty cold here in Sweden now. We're having some -11'C at night and -4'C in the day and it's gonna keep going for at least another week. Last night my bonsai on the balcony got frozen stiff (not sure how good that was), so I moved them closer to the window and put some stuff around them. Today they had thawed out again. It seems the balcony currently stays between 2'C and -5'C. Do you think they can handle that for a few weeks? Or should I move them down to the cellar room? Currently, the cellar is at 7'C warm (because I turned off the radiators there). Or is that too warm? Up until last week we had like 5-15'C warm outside. I don't want them to die! D: But I don't wanna shock them either with suddenly too warm temperatures in the cellar. Though 7 degrees seem fairly ok, right? So, keep them outside, or take them indoors?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hey Syster, nice to hear from you! 7° in the basement will be fine. I always think 10° is the threshold for both ways - tropicals must come into the warm when the night time temperature gets down to 10, and likewise deciduous species need to stay below 10 or so during dormancy. Even if it creeps up to 12 or 13° for a short time they should stay dormant too, as long as they don't detect longer daylight hours. But at 7° they should stay dormant no problem. If they do bud too early, it's not the end of the world but then you'll need to keep them indoors until you're sure they won't freeze outside. That's the biggest issue to watch for, budding early can cause a tree to get severely weakened if all the new buds freeze. In the meantime outside -5° is not too bad as long as they can thaw a bit during the day. Frozen soil can dehyrate the roots, but at the same time if you water them too much it can cause ice expansion inside the pot which can break some pots (and can burst roots of tropicals which is one reason they don't survive cold winters). Is that TMI?? 😂

[@SysterYster]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you! :) For now, they're still outside. They seem to not be deep-frozen anymore as it's been around 2'C warm during the days on the balcony. I think I'll take them in if it's threatening to get colder than -10 during the nights (outside the glass I mean because that's how cold it is now). :D I don't have my tropical plants outdoors. So they're safe. :) TMI??

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@SysterYster tmi = too much information? 😉 yep sound like all your seedlings are in good hands. Ps. Daughter's replacement turtles are still alive

[@SysterYster]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I see. Thanx. :D Na, not too much info. :) I'm just glad you're replying and give so many nice tips and stuff. :) Thank you! Awesome. Turtles are so cute.

[@backbudbonsai]

Which season is best for healing old big chop wounds?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

The easiest season for actually working on it is in winter when the tree is dormant, because it's simpler to do the work, and the tree doesn't lose any sap. But tree wounds heal fastest over late spring thru summer, and sap (or resin in conifers) is the tree's own natural wound sealant! So early summer can be a good time to do work like this (if you don't mind all the foliage in the way, and knowing that it will bleed some sap) because you have the rest of the summer for healing to take place. Personally I do big chop work in winter because it's simpler, even though I know it will take longer to heal. I'm not in a hurry!

[@BEINGLEO1]

Amazing...

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you!

[@DanielFlores-nw2yz]

I love watching your video. I’m in So California…. Very hot and challenging for my new bonsai hobby.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Great! thanks Daniel. Plenty of water & semi shade in the very hottest months 👍

[@davidreid622]

Dave! Please tell me which bonsai book I'm going to request for my upcoming birthday. :D I've watched a million bonsai you tube videos but I don't have a bonsai book.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi David, I have a few recommendations for books depending on your budget, and, are you looking for something more 1. pictorial how-to for inspiring projects, or 2. an all-round beginners guide, or 3. more advanced and horticultural (intensive reading)? My recommendations are: 1. Bonsai (Peter Warren) amzn.to/3K0iWKi 2. Bonsai Beginner's Bible (Peter Chan) amzn.to/3raIyeU 3. Modern Bonsai Practice (Larry Morton) - amzn.to/312J5Tw These links include my affiliate code so without costing you any extra, you'd be buying me a cup of coffee with your purchase! Thanks!!

[@davidreid622]

@@BlueSkyBonsai You're the best, Dave. You really are, thank you. I'll certainly use your links and must have a think about your question. I no doubt need them all but I certainly need inspiration.

[@davidreid622]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I went for Modern Bonsai Practice. Thank you again for the recommendations and I hope you enjoy your coffee.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@davidreid622 thanks so much!! And happy reading 😊

[@popscratchie3985]

Will the trunk chop ever fully callous over?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Maybe not in the case of an olive. But luckily, the olive bark is the same colour as the deadwood so it's pretty well disguised. In the future if the dead wood turns black, there are other options, but also maybe then the apex foliage will be well enough developed to hide the wound. On a deciduous tree like an oak or an elm, that chop would likely heal over completely after several years.

[@DoBonsai]

waow and first like from me.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks my friend! 😊👍🏻

[@DoBonsai]

@@BlueSkyBonsai always...

[@cigadungbonsaichannel480]

mantap....keren.....😊😊😊💪💪💪💓💓💓

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you!! 🌳👍🏻

[@BogdanNYou]

will this ever heal? It looks like it wall die back and never form bark again

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

It will probably never heal over completely but the bark around the edges will gradually scar over the sides. It's already doing that a bit this year. The dead wood that is still exposed on an olive has almost exactly the same colour as the grey olive bark, so it is quite well disguised. On other trees it might look more visible, so in those cases there are various other techniques you can do, like the Van Meer technique I did in a video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpnagGCknNeXpNk

[@geoffreydowen5793]

maybe a Fret saw might help with the cutting. nice video 👍 Thank you

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

That's a good suggestion, thanks Geoffrey!

[@тахирсафиуллин-з8ж]

Если открытую флоэму укрыть прививочной лентой от высыхания регенерация коры ускорится.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks, yes, in theory cut paste contains chemicals to accelerate the callousing of the bark. But I personally have not observed much difference. The main difference, for me, is the time of year - in summer the wounds callus over much quicker, presumably because of increased sap flow. Also, I find growing a shoot or branch just above the cut, that's the fastest way to heal over the wound.

[@enriqueloz2418]

Muy bueno

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@enriqueloz2418 muchas gracias!

[@mattbrennan647]

Fast and FOIST

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Matt, I can tell you for a fact that you were indeed fast and foist! :)👍👍

[@potkosongbonsai1818]

greetings and greetings one hobby sir

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Greetings bro! Thanks for visiting 🙏🏻

[@mishosashiki6557]

🤩Very nice tree and masterful work (Video and tree) 🥇Subscribed immediately.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much 👍

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@e-nglish635]

Can we see the tree now, a year later? I guess the top of the tree has died. May be one brunch has remained.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

The whole top is doing great, and in October I guy-wired down some of the branches to start a dome-shaped apex. So yes, you can see it a year later in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4mqlIlpqs6NgJo The work on this olive starts at about 6 minutes into the video. (But I hope you watch the first half too so all my graphics animation are not wasted!). Please let me know what you think!

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Foist

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I had three first coming in together today! Chees 🌳👍🏻

[@savyamallick998]

you would not show the result

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

The result is shown at the end of the video.

[@1hayes1]

I'm not convinced by this technique. It makes bonsais that look like coiffured stumps.

[@jickydumont5411]

Mais le tronc n’est pas conique !

[@265petsar]

Good video ruined by I take it your son hoping to be seen by a football coach on your videos. Keep it Bonsai no one looks at Bonsai videos for football lessons.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks for the view

[@edinborogh]

Nigel from the bonsai zone just made wonderful comments about your channel!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Ed, yeah when I looked this morning I suddenly had a ton of notifications and dozens of new subscribers so I guessed something was up! What a nice guy Nigel is!! 😊

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Wow Dave, you never cease to impress with the high quality, and super educational videos. Wild man indeed! 👍 Was that a special bit for the dremel, or a standard one you can get at the builders supply?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jay! I appreciate it. That was a standard set of dremel bits that I ordered online, maybe from Amazon or ebay. (The bits that came with the dremel itself were very basic and more appropriate for sanding than carving.) Before my next carving this winter I want to get a "nibbler" bit to get through hardwood a lot quicker.

[@jeffdodson1675]

Hiya Dave, Terrific graphics. Great video. Please do make a video centered on the Dremel tool, it’s uses and limitations, it’s bits and their uses in bonsai. No one has done this for a Dremel and it is loooong overdue. Many thanks. Your fan, Jeff

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@jeffdodson1675 hi Jeff, thanks so much! That's a great idea. Actually in the Conclusion chat I filmed a couple minutes comparing the dremel lite to the bosch 12V tool, but decided to cut that in the editing phase partly to keep the video shorter and also it just sounded like advert for Bosch! My personal requirement is that it has to be rechargeable battery operated so that really limits the choices of dremel models. And the Bosch really is better - more torque and duration before recharge. And shares batteries with other 12V Bosch tools that I use. Maybe after I get the nibbler bit and have some experience with it I'll be in a better position to make recommendations 😉

[@teodoro261Vzla]

Nice job. Do you hace some ficus?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Yes I do.

[@edinborogh]

Yes!!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

indeed! 😁 hope it didn't disappoint!