Bonsai Professional Reacts to Beginner

Cleaning, selecting the front, and styling your first bonsai as a beginner can be a daunting task. There is so much information to quickly become overwhelmed, but you will be sure to find success if you follow along with our in-house beginner Josh as he attempts to style his mugo pine with the help of the Mirai Live community chat, in addition to bonsai professional Ryan Neil’s real-time reactions and critique of his process. Learn the common practices and mistakes to accelerate your bonsai skills to the next level.
Due to the necessity of staying home, many people around the world are attempting new creative outlets that can be done at home, such as bonsai, entirely on their own. Thankfully, technology has allowed us to peek into Josh's beginner bonsai experience as he works from home with the Mirai Live Pro members providing some guidance via a live chat. Josh, driving blind without Ryan to guide him, encounters a new experience with his tree where doubt and confusion are a part of every decision.
Now, getting to watch the work that Josh performed, Mirai's founder and bonsai professional Ryan Neil gets to react, share a laugh, and provide help to a beginner attempting to style their first tree. See the common beginner mistakes, and learn from Ryan's commentary on how to rectify these common missteps.
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[@AC-yg4uv]

Came for the bonsai. Stayed for the fork. Great job!

[@bonsaiuk]

Well done Josh. It takes a great deal of courage to go public with your second tree styling. ALWAYS remember that we all started where you are... including Ryan!! You will only get better and better. Bonsai will give you a lifetime of joy. Despite your anxiety you persevered and completed what you started which is most of the battle. The rest will come with time and patience. The main thing is that you seemed to enjoy yourself and have fun doing it. No one is laughing at you, indeed we are all remembering our first time with a big smile on our faces and for that I at least say thank you. (Mine was a Larch that I threw in the dustbin when its leaves dropped for winter because I thought it had died.) Keep this tree forever as a reminder of where it all began for you. Really well done and carry on enjoying it. Great start.

[@rosaalverson9653]

Idab in bonsai I love the process of little trees!

[@jaguardelcielo]

Agree.

[@KarIiah]

I couldn't keep in the laugh when I read about the larch, sorry, haha. We all make mistakes when starting out with bonsai!

[@invertevision4757]

I've been a part of Mirai live for 2 years now and it's by FAR the best learning platform for any bonsai practitioner no matter the level of knowledge! "What are you trying to accomplish?" -Ryan Niel.....that's all you need...wanted to come to this platform and say this was awesome to watch. Sooo many people still look towards the books and obtain the wrong or outdated info and developing the platform of Mirai live has taken so many people's practice to the next level and beyond, me being one of those ppl and for that I'm extremely grateful. There so much misguided info on KZbin and the fact you also use this platform reaches a broader and bigger audience, bonsai will be forever changed by you Ryan! I'll never have the funds to have the awesome material so these beginner streams and also the nursery streams are invaluable to someone like me. Maybe...just maybe, someday I'll at least be able to learn from you in person and see the garden you have poured you heart into! Thx for everything you and your team do (Eve, Josh, Troy, Jesus(hope that's right lol), Lonnie...even ones of the past, Kendell, Sam, etc)! Without each one of them, Mirai live wouldnt be here and I couldn't imagine my life without it! Thanks for it all!

[@rolturn]

Thank you for this video. I'm a newbie to bonsai. Hearing Ryan's explanations to Josh's decision making process and "mistakes", I learned for more from this video than I have learned from watching most professionals style a tree. Josh I thank you for your bravery.

[@Noyiz]

Enjoyed the Fork out of this video!

[@rafi_N]

Fantastic result Josh for a first tree. Way better than my own first tree.

[@sallybeck7822]

Thank you for the experience of humour, anxiety and knowledge. Chickened out wiring my mungo pine and planted it in the garden soil. You have inspired me and I shall be brave and have another crack at designing it - very many thanks.

[@o0Danny0oT]

Quite interesting this beginner series with the feedback throughout. Looking forward to more of them.

[@t3dwards13]

I'm saddened that I'm just finding this! This was fun!!! I got to laugh with and without Ryan. Josh...you're a better man than I. Well done Sir!

[@WanderingBobAK]

This was awesome. Ryan's critique after the fact was great. The grunting is on point and hilarious. After watching so many of Ryan's vids, he grunts even with smaller adjustments. Thought it was part of the Japanese training! Haha! Where do I get a good chop stick???? Hahaha!

[@ericswann1417]

Thanks so much for putting this continuation of the beginner series out!

[@kevin8360]

As a newbie myself, I know that struggle oh so well. Watch some videos... put it in to practice... rewatch the videos... realize I did it wrong... actually do it closer to right! Win!!! But I do realize that “doing it wrong” simply means it’s going to take longer to “get it right”. Loved this follow up of the beginner series.

[@jcjackson726]

I love this beginner series. Thank you so much. I love your guys humor too!

[@filthyyoda4682]

Another awesome video. As a beginner I really look to content like this for help and guidance.. well done Josh.

[@johncreet1254]

Great idea. Hope you are doing more of this type of thing.

[@travisgordon9470]

Wonderful video. It was very heartwarming, and you could feel the love of a community that looks and feels like a family.

[@brandonashby5623]

Thank you thank you thank you Ryan for all the teachings you do! There are so many bad videos online and this is a great one for beginners who need the help!

[@brandonashby5623]

Awesome job josh 👍🏻 been good and fun to see your journey over the last year

[@JAMES-dv5ns]

Ryans a cool dude and good teacher wish he was on east coast

[@johnlambe2912]

Well done josh. So much to learn here.thanks for the stream.

[@Scrilla01]

This is one of the better videos I've watched on bonsai as a beginner. More please!

[@savvaspapaloizou2600]

Very clever video guys... So much information there.. Thanks a lot Ryan.

[@curtisnt]

really good video. thank you for the uploads. learning alot.

[@dalewilson4233]

I love this Mariah channel. You guys offer us such great information. Have been rewatching every video you've made and listening to all of your podcast material also. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Had to say it three times because the odd numbers are lucky to the Japanese. ( Learned that from you also ! )

[@projcinco21]

This was super interesting and fun to watch

[@HEWfunkingKNEWit]

Thanks for making learning bonsai interesting and fun.

[@mikekin5806]

Love your teaching style Ryan. Cheers

[@BillyBobJoeSnr]

This is what I needed right now. It's been a crazy year and I'm having my own Josh experience without someone like Ryan guiding me. I'm definitely not ready to be live streaming. I've been trying to be bold but stay shohin or mame size, which may be harder option but has been a welcome retreat from reality.

[@judymagrath3771]

So much fun to watch!!

[@whollylostandgone]

Man this video was great!

[@workshoptelescope]

This is incredible Mirai content

[@workshoptelescope]

Rewatching this, it’s really nice to see Ryan and everyone at Mirai have some genuine fun with this.

[@jimzthe1]

This is exactly what I've been looking for!

[@bonsaibob8253]

Great work Josh, you should be proud of the Art you have created! Ryan said in the American Shokunin , Bonsai done well is what we shoot for Bonsai done right doesn’t exist.

[@philipfuchs777]

Love this approach. Ryan. Can you do a Dos and Don’ts for beginners. Where to place branches, which branch to cut. To see mistakes would make a lot of difference in understanding. 🙏🏻

[@dracokaiser]

I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or smack him bonsai master style 😂 oh my!!! 😂

[@gilmarriner3011]

Almost painful at times 😖 but well meant. I think we’ve all gone through this at some point and time. The comment „Bonsai is confusing „ was priceless!

[@nom_b]

That was really useful. Thanks very much to both of you. :-)

[@t3dwards13]

This was fun yet very informative!!! Btw...I have turned an old fork into a root rake, and turned old swiveling barstools and office chairs into turntables.

[@drawingfranco7533]

So glad to watch this series haha

[@newlanddesign2759]

Love this so much!! You can just see Ryan's reactions, there is no hiding it, but what a great way remove the influence of the teacher whilst keeping the professionals perspective! LOVE IT!!!

[@gutzboy1]

After watching this I realized the front of my Austrian Pine would look better as the left side! LOL Thanks Josh! I took a cue from how you styled your Mugo.

[@devon1ste]

What cool funny and helpful video

[@TejaJaensch]

Fantastic!

[@DonHawkinsPhoto]

I like the use of the fork. If that’s all you have available you use what you have. Nice job! My only question is was there too much foliage removed? Will this Mugo survive that much pruning?

[@PlantObsessed]

" That's totally Josh" New T Shirt idea?

[@DonHawkinsPhoto]

They need a tshirt with a fork on it. I’d buy one.

[@ludmilavolochen3025]

Shut up and take my money!!! Best t-shirt idea ever!

[@zacharyjohnston9555]

i 100% used a fork today!

[@tomcharles4027]

Good job josh!

[@johnllockettk9-perfection947]

Thanks!

[@andrewbetrosian2784]

I started two years ago, but what is really bad, I'm 57 now so I will not have time. Wish I had someone in person to teach me.

[@johnlambe2912]

56 now and only started 4yrs ago. It’s a great hobby and I hope you have great success in the future.

[@andrewbetrosian2784]

@@johnlambe2912 Thank you, you too

[@dalewilson4233]

61 and getting back into it for my second time after a 15-year hiatus. Last time I took this journey one thing I discovered, it's never too late ! You'll have to get better at trunk chopping just like me...😁. Do a lot of shohin type of bonsai (smaller trees). Trust me you'll have plenty of time !

[@andrewbetrosian2784]

@@dalewilson4233 The thing is I start from seed.

[@dalewilson4233]

@@andrewbetrosian2784 yes sir that does present a problem. Either way, I hope that you use faster growing varieties then, instead of slow growing Japanese maples and the like.... I would consider collecting from the wild or something. Have you ever air layered ? Well good luck, and Godspeed.

[@genatroce]

this series is exactly what I needed :) Thanks!

[@nmhansen]

When are we going to get more videos detailing the fork technique?

[@rhysbertrand8903]

Definately

[@Kwood10]

Josh is hilarious 😆

[@BenBSeattle]

Lol that's pretty funny stuff

[@brianrweda4283]

Tremendous.

[@qwertyzoion]

I'm not quite sure how we get here!

[@StephenTurnerVlogs]

Are we all having sympathy stress watching this?? 🤣🤣🤣 This was good fun though. Bonsai by committee would be just as tortuous for me.

[@PlantObsessed]

I had the same thought. Bonsai by committee. Interesting thought experiment.

[@StephenTurnerVlogs]

@@PlantObsessed yeah I guess it would. But not something I'll try 🤣

[@gilmarriner3011]

At least not here in Germany. Way too many opinions!

[@jaguardelcielo]

Bonsai Mirai is Bonsai Engineering!

[@DRBonsai]

I really like your clips. #drbonsai

[@rickyvella93]

I'm no stranger to the fork.... Have done it a few times 😅 you gotta make do sometimes right!

[@waluyobonsaichanel2454]

Joss 👍👍 gaes

[@brucedeacon28]

Very good 🍺

[@brucedeacon28]

I love all of it 😆

[@danielpersson7483]

9.00 If it was my first tree i would be very carefull aswell as i would "from a personnal wievpoint" want my first tree to survive and be a goodlooking tree until i die

[@user-zh4uo6gy4n]

lol i did a fork too

[@anchiskhampar7455]

I like my friends

[@DarthMasiah]

😄👍

[@wildboystv3013]

Ryan has a bit of a shiner it seems

[@mines2680]

Sounds like you are saying Bones eye. Sorta annoying 😂

[@arifgerrard]

im beginner..sometimes you must react my video sir..

[@waterlover]

funny video