Bonsai tree pruning | Deciding which branches to prune

For further reading about branches and pruning, I recommend the book Modern Bonsai Practice: 501 Principles of Good Bonsai Horticulture by Larry Morton. You can see it on Amazon at these links:
Modern Bonsai Practice (US) - amzn.to/3cZCTRw
Modern Bonsai Practice (UK) - amzn.to/312J5Tw
Modern Bonsai Practice (DE, in English) - amzn.to/31aMjEz
The book explains all aspects of bonsai horticulture in detail, also includes many beautiful photographs of Walter Pall's bonsai collection.
These links take you to the book on Amazon with my affiliate ID. So if you decide to purchase the book, you are also buying me a coffee without costing you any extra! Thank you.
In this video I show you some tough decisions on branches to prune and trunks to chop on bonsai trees. I explain the reasons behind each decision. Pruning deciduous trees in winter. Trunk chop, and branch pruning. Japanese Maple, Deshojo, Orange Dream, and Crab Apple bonsai.
NOTE: It is nearly spring; if the buds are already swelling on your deciduous trees, then DON'T PRUNE them now. Wait until June or even until December. First let the tree leaf out in spring.
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Music in this video - thanks to these wonderful artists:
Mokka - Sweet Home / @mokkamusic
Uniq - Art of Silence: / art-of-silence
AK - Everything Will Be Okay: / everythingwillbeokay
Flow-M - When Trees Dream: / when-trees-dream
#bonsai #bonsaitree #bonsaipruning

[@saturnynetitan]

Loved what you did with the crab apple. I really appreciate the videos. I'm well aware of the effort that goes into each and every one of these, in addition to just simply working on the trees. Cheers!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much for your encouraging words! 🌳👍🏻

[@mattbrennan647]

As a wise bonsai Master once said “You must be bold” P.C Great work, and tutorial. Thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Very well said! PC must do these kind of chops on much more expensive material than this - now that would indeed take some considerable boldness!! Cheers Matt 🌳👍🏻

[@circularpizzabox2134]

I’m on my second year of learning bonsai, and I’m still curious as to when. I’ll have that moment where I look at a tree and am just know what I want. As well when the proper time to prune is and where and how to cutback. Your videos are very helpful, thank you.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks - glad to have helped! All these things will come almost instinctively with time. One of the most important things that bonsai has taught me is patience, to try something small now and watch over the next few years as the vision gradually comes to fruition... or not! Did you see these videos - these talk about the reasons to prune, when to prune and how to do it: Part 1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCqcn1rntaKnM0 Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKvMpqmVeMmZY7c Hope these help!

[@BitterrootBonsai]

Very nice. I always appreciate how concise you are. Looks like the weather has turned for the better there. We had a very mild winter in Montana until recently it switched. In like a lamb and out like a lion. Gotten down to -25 Fahrenheit with wind chill. Hope my outdoor trees that are in the ground survive the blast.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Wow.. -25F sounds dangerously cold. I really hope your trees survive it too. Hopefully they will be ok, considering trees in the wild get through winter year on year. 🌳👍🏻

[@NoQuarter01]

Great video very helpful thx!

[@edinborogh]

Awesome video. Thanks for the great content!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you @edinborogh! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jeffhurst4744]

Like them all, and your design futures. Nice Little forest.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Jeff! Ginkgo forest coming up in this weeks video.. just putting a few words onto a thumbnail..

[@TreeVibes]

Great trees. 👍 Good choices when pruning. Will look good in future

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much! 🌳👍🏻

[@GraftingTactick]

Great tutorial 👍 so beautiful bonsai.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks @Grafting Tactick! 🌳👍🏻

[@Joker-tn2ms]

very great bonsai George

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks!

[@BobMatthews]

Beautiful video as always, very well filmed and so informative. Please make them more frequent :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Bob! appreciate the great feedback 😊

[@jarheadbonsai]

Wowza huge chops!!! I have a full sized crab apple on the ranch. Pink flowers though. Great video

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Jered! Yeah crab apple flowers are really pretty but it's a big shame they only last a week or so before the elements blow them off the tree. One thing you could try, because they root so easily, you could air layer an interesting branch or two on it, (as if you don't already have enough bonsai! 😆 ) if you do it soon when the cold weather has finished then by May or June you should have enough roots to chop. OTOH, maybe you're already overlaoded with bonsai to maintain! cheers! 🍻🍻👍

[@ialac1356]

Nice chops 😋. These videos are neat thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks, glad you liked them!

[@yohanwedage2782]

Good teaching my friend.good luck.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you so much!

[@BonsaiBoise]

Another great video! Good choice on the crabapple too. Great content mate

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Mike! appreciate your great feedback.

[@PumpkinBecki]

Oh yes! I'm all for the crab apple changes Dave 😍 🥇xx

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Rebecca! It's funny but after making these decisions I then regret not having chopped it 2 or 3 years ago. 😊

[@umeshkahsyap4446]

Tools are amazing..

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

😊👍

[@MrAcokgitra]

Verry good teknik prining ser.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks very much! 🌳😊

[@BonsaiJCan]

Enjoyed the video, not easy cuts ! 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks J! True but sometimes you've gotta do them! 😊👍

[@craigbootes9618]

Good to have a new vid of yours to watch. Definitely the right choice on the crab apple. Just getting ready for a hectic re potting season here. Keep up the good work.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Craig! Yeah it's coming up to that season, I've just seen the first buds starting to swell on some of the maples today, will need to get going pretty soon. I won't have time to film all of them so I'll have to be selective about which repots could make interesting videos. Cheers! 🌳👍🏻

[@craigbootes9618]

@@BlueSkyBonsai at the moment i cant really see the buds on mine as they are buried under snow. My daughter is looking forward to giving me a hand.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@craigbootes9618 daughter help sounds like a good plan. Same here at least she will do one repot! I'll see if I can convince her to do the talking too on that video 🤔

[@PlantCraftDIY]

Good work my friend...by doing pruning this time, your bonsai will be more beautiful👍👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you my friend! 🌳👍🏻

[@Dmoongurren]

Loved the Peter Chan shoutout... keep up the great videos

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks so much!

[@69kesh]

I like your small trees.🙏🏽

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you very much 🌳😊

[@BackGardenBonsai]

Great decision on that crab apple. the rest are looking great too!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Ian! I am comfortable with the decision to chop that trunk because it was just like a taperless tube that had been clearly bent into shape like a helter skelter! But like you say on some of your videos, I think it's good to get this on video so that in a year or two I won't forget the reasons and regret the decision!

[@DarthMasiah]

i was just about to say the same thing. 👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@DarthMasiah thank you! 👍🏻

[@koholohan3478]

Loved this video, love your trees. And name dropping Peter Chan♡

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hehehe call that a name drop? You should see my latest video, I do a whole minute name drop and a photo call with Peter Chan! 😊

[@koholohan3478]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I just watched it! Peter Chan is diamond in a rhinestone world💜 I think I'm going to plan some sort of forest. A few of the live oaks in my community push out low sucker branches that occasionally get pruned off, for the roadway. I think I'm going to just airlayer them off, and assemble a few into a forest. I also think I'm going to produce a few tree like that and do some vigilante reforestation in places that could use some life.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@koholohan3478 sounds brilliant! Oaks are probably my first love! 😍

[@wadmadhushan4434]

Good job sir.👍👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you my friend! 🌳👍

[@AlexBraunton]

Nice video Dave! Looking forward to the spring updates. Do you have many videos planned for this year? I'm so impatient!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you Alex! Yes for defo there will be spring repotting videos and you will see some of these trees again in those. Before that I have one or two short pruning videos to edit and publish. Later in the year I have some more ideas, like a "my fertilizer regime" and "my bonsai soil", these kind of videos. Let' just see if I get the time to actually do them! 🌳😁

[@judgetoogood1033]

Thank you

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

You're welcome! Thanks for your comments 👍🏻

[@jonnecleef5548]

Got a crabapple too and it has 2 very thick apex branches. I pruned one off this winter. Next one next winter.. Great tree’s you have there.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Jonne. Crabapple trees seem to be both vigorous and resilient, ideal species for bonsai!

[@jonnecleef5548]

@@BlueSkyBonsai do you also have pines? Really would like to see a video about them on your Channel (: i just bought a white pine and im looking for all the info i can get.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@jonnecleef5548 that's a good suggestion, thanks! I have only two pines, since about 2017, so not really much experience with pines TBH. I'll think on it. Cheers 👍🏻

[@cb6778]

Thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks again! Very much appreciated.

[@MyTreesinthePott]

Hi, I became aware of your channel through this video! You have a very interesting way of presenting bonsai. From now on I will probably visit you regularly, because you have my subscription! With botanical greetings from Germany

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, thanks for visiting and subscribing! Horticultural salutations from Spain 🌳👍🏻

[@MyTreesinthePott]

ok you come from spain and I was wondering how you can stand in the winter with t-shirt in the garden! 😂🙈

[@cduff4505]

I suspect, given a few years, you’ll be in love with your crabapple! I don’t know much about them, would an air layer be possible had you wanted to? Spring is near, Im excited to see your upcoming tree adventures!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks, yes maybe, that top chop was long overdue, now time to rebuild. Crabbies air layer pretty easily but the top was too scarred and contorted. I'm keeping it as a reminder so I don't regret the decision in a year! I'll slip pot into a bigger pot soon.. probably not exciting enough to video.. but other repots coming soon! Cheers

[@OddBonsai]

That was a really nice selection of bonsai trees. Is the japanese maple going to be trained to be larger than a shohin?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Yes when that last JM fattens up I will chop it at maybe 25cm height so right, it will be bigger than shohin.

[@christophenoisette3301]

Wow, very interesting works. Me impresiona lo que hiciste con el manzano. Tengo uno también y de momento no me atrevo hacer trabajos tan importantes, no te.go bastante experiencia y mi prioridad es aprender à cultivar bien. Pero estoy seguro que tomaste la buena decisión aunque parezca muy drástica. Estoy ansioso ver los resultados. Saludos desde Francia

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Gracias Christophe! Lo bueno de los manzanos es que pueden sobrevivir un corte así en invierno sin ningún problema. Disfruta la experiencia de aprender y experimentar, todavía estoy aprendiendo todos los días 😊👍

[@harshalpatel4304]

Orange dream could have been air layered to create another tree Amazing video

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Harshal! Yes I considered that but decided to go with the faster plan, straight chop!

[@Cross75777]

Really enjoyed your demeanor while I Cringed at some of your cuts.. Thank you, God Bless, be well.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Mauricio! Sometimes we've just gotta make some big cuts! 🌳👍🏻

[@Cross75777]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Regarding big Cuts, I just recently acquired an old juniper , I’d say about 40, it was already in a semi-cascade, but it looked more like A bush, but I saw the potential and I took it home. Well, what is left is about 25% of the tree, my question is regarding roots. My instinct is To not disturb the roots until she recovers from this major surgery :), am I correct? I did the same to a prior Juniper, but I changed the pot And cut back some roots. I killed that lovely specimen. Well I went back to seller and acquired another which I speak about. So, that said, am I Correct about the roots? Will a great portion of the roots die after a major cut back, if so, is it best to also cut back the roots or just leave it Alone for now? Now that the tree is cut back, I am much happier with it’s style, but the pot looks too big I think. Please share your expert advice, I am two years into this hobby and boy have I made mistakes, a costly learning curve indeed. Please let me know if I can send you some pics and see if you feel the same about the pot size, or am I just being anal. Regardless about size, the pot is very weathered, so for that reason I would like to change it. I thank you so much for taking your time. Regards, stay safe, Mauricio.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@Cross75777 you're welcome to send me a photo or two of your juniper, to [e-mail] There's two main advices I can recommend. Or four. First, for more mature trees, don't do two "major insults" to the tree in the same year. Secondly, and this one might take several more years to really appreciate, one of the toughest skills to gain in bonsai. Patience. We want the tree to look at its best as soon as possible, but sometimes that can kill a tree, by removing too much root mass at the wrong time of year, or removing too much foliage at the same time as root pruning. Two more important points: 1. Don't prune the roots in late autumn. They are storing the tree's energy over the cold dormant period, so a major root prune now would wipe out a lot of its stored energy. And 2. Don't prune the roots when you have just removed 75% of the foliage. The roots are needed to start growing back the foliage next year. If I were you, seriously I would wait until spring 2023 and repot it then. Dealing with the Wait is your challenge. Does it need wiring? Use this time to do all the wiring you need. HTH

[@bonsaipetualangamateur5303]

greetings as a hobby, keep working greetings friends from Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia 🙏👍🏼😎

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Very nice to hear from you in Banyuwangi! Greets from Madrid Spain!

[@sadoldgit313]

Just taken the brave step of a drastic prune on an evergreen azalea! Fingers crossed!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Good luck!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Give it some TLC for the next few weeks, hope it buds back nicely.

[@Kalana_Herath]

Very informative Sir. I purchase Japanese maple seeds online. I think they will germinate. I really like your japanese maple plants ..🍁🍁

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! I hope your Japanese Maple seeds gerrminate and grow successfully!

[@fifty5712]

Awesome videos. Im glad your Nebari video is hitting over 100k views! I have a question about defoliation. If I have a p. Afra, when would I defoliate? and what would be the benefit?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Than you!! Defoliation is a way of taking energy away from a tree if it is growing too vigorously. If it's not growing too vigorously, just enjoy the leaves and don't defoliate! Another reason to defoliate, if it has an infection or insect infestation, then it can help to get back the the bare branches and twigs when treating the infestation. But if the tree is already weak for any reason, don't defoliate it! Remembering that defoliation is a way of intentionally weakening the tree.

[@fifty5712]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Huh! Thank you for your comment. I was completely misunderstanding defoliaton. I thought it was to encourage a lot of bounce-back extra growth. Thanks for the info!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@fifty5712 well, I take the horticultural view: the leaves are the tree's solar panels so when we remove them, we create a temporary halt to energy production AND we force the bonsai to use its own stored energy to create new leaves. You wouldn't want to do that unless you have an already refined tree that is growing too vigorously. So some bonsai artists do it to slow the growth a bit, and try to make smaller leaves on the new flush of foliage. But in my experience that's not guaranteed, sometimes deciduous trees push out bigger leaves in order to create more glucose per leaf. A healthier way to achieve smaller leaves is to semi-defoliate, choosing to remove all the biggest leaves but leaving the smallest, without completely halting glucose/energy production. I find it always helps to consider the biology as well as the artistic side 😊

[@TheBlueBlueberry]

Good tutorial on pruning bonsai. Can you please give a link to where you buy your bonsai pots. They look good.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! I get most of my pots from here: www.laosgarden.com/es/ Hope they can deliver to your location!

[@TheBlueBlueberry]

Thank you so much for the link!

[@rizkyrijzalbonsai6990]

Mantap bos

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

terima kasih 👍

[@angelusanimalis8753]

"I am gonna leave..." - HAAH! Garderners humor! - (Sorry, I'm new here...) Question though: I have a microcarpa, and it has this bare branch in the middle above the main stem (which is held up by the thick roots below), while some other branches around it still have leaves on them. It looks dry and dead, but it's actually strong enough to not just break off easily. - If I cut that bare one, which it has been for a long time, will there be a chance for a new one to come out there? - This tree has been "neglected" (only watered, irregularly), but I've made it a goal to restore it a bit. - It needs a repotting like yesteryear, I know this, new pot, new soil, some pruning, and that would change a lot. But not sure if it I can get it to grow some more branches than three awkwardly long ones with large leaves that have never been pruned.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

So if you cut that dead branch off, it's possible that it could bud back there, but in my experience, very unlikely. Maybe you could encourage it by continually pruning all the other branches back hard so you're continually surpressing the growth habit and sending auxins back down the tree. But even then, the dead branches I've removed from my ficus retusa (which is similar to the microcarpa), have never budded back, even with frequent pruning. If you're a really keen gardener 😉 you could try to thread graft a new branch there, but I have never tried one on a ficus so can't tell you if it'll work. Good luck!

[@askgbk]

Grate video Dave! Quick question at what point is a tree to large to be classed as a bonsai and not just a potted tree. 🍻 ✌️

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers SB! I suppose if you're planning to plant the tree ulitmately in the ground then it's just a large potted tree. But if you're cultivating it and developing it with the intention of potting into a smaller pot, to look like a smaller tree, then I consider it a bonsai. Or maybe you could call it a pre-bonsai, as in the case of the "Orange Dream" in this video. 🍺🍺👍

[@KarIiah]

I usually agree on not liking the too extreme s-shapes (usually seen with the mass produced trees that had some wire slapped on them, were bent into an over exaggerated s-shape and sold as "bonsai"), but I do like your crab apple. I liked the branch you cut off, but I can see why you did it. I can also see the potential of the "new" tree! :) I just got a new tree, a field maple that somehow "spoke" to me, i just had to buy it. The only thing I don't like about the tree is that it has a couple more large scars than I'm comfortable with, many already halfway healed over. Do I have to carve them out a little for them to heal over more smoothly or just wait another decade? :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks Karliah! I've just seen your new maple on Flickr - that's a real beauty! Gorgeous. In late spring, after the first flush of leaves have hardened off, you could scrape away the callous bark on the inside of those oval scars. then the callousing will be forced to continue to the middle of the wound. (it may bleed a bit when you do that, but it's fine to do when it has already leafed out. Alternatively you could wait until December then properly flush cut those scars right off, with a small concave cutter to go right into the dead wood in the middle. Then the next callous scar should be flatter as it should grow inwards towards the centre rather than outwards. Either way, don't get too worried about it, all trees lose branches in nature at some time and scar in one way or another. Btw, do you ened to repot it in Spring? That's a beautiful pot but it will fill out with leaves from a field maple very quickly. 🌳😊

[@KarIiah]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you for the advice, I will try that next winter! I do not mine one or two scars, they can tell a story like you said, but this one has at least one too many for my liking - even though they will never go fully away, I really do like the tree the way it is. I've also asked the seller when it was last repotted and they told me that it will have to be repotted this year. Field maples are very vigorous after all, I'm thinking about upgrading the pot into a bigger one for the same reasons you listed - only problem is, I only have some ugly plastic nursery pots right now, so it might have to live for another year in that pot. I'll be moving in a month, so I'm saving up some money right now (I just couldn't resist buying that tree, haha). I'm glad you also like the pot! I really dig these colours. :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@KarIiah yep! And good luck with the move!

[@Josef_R]

5:38 Finally moved it!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Yes hahahah sometimes it's only when you get the video back to the editing table that you realize something like that is right in the way!

[@Rupert88888]

Hi Dave, thanks for the video. I was wondering what you do with the Desh Ojo cutting? I'm new to this, but I thought you could only propagate from a cutting with leafs?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Colin, great question! So I also thought the same. But last winter I did a similar cut on one of the deshojos and just left it in water as an experiment. Then in early spring I was amazed to aee the buds swell and pop out small leaves, so I knew there must still be sap flow in the cambium. So I put it in a clear yogurt pot with some fine grain soil and a few drops of rooting hormone in the water, popped it in the incubator for high humidity for six long slow months and sure enough it slowly produced roots. I think the keys were: 1. It was recent growth, a softwood cutting and 2. Time and patience. I've tried rooting various maple hardwood cuttings (with bark), zero success. HTH 🌳👍🏻

[@Rupert88888]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thanks for the reply. I will try that as an experiment. I just got some acer deshojos from the local garden centre, which I wanted to develop and it seemed like a waste giving them a trim down and throwing away the cuttings. Thanks again Dave

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@Rupert88888 I'd love to know later in the year on your cuttings success rate. I tried with two an one rooted so in a totally limited trial I could say a 50% success rate but if you're tring it on several cuttings will be interesting to know the rate with more "samples" ! Cheers!

[@JungleScene]

with the crab apple, I would seriously consider accepting the deep dark black discoloration of its scars, and systematically plan on making more large scars in other various places over the years. It could end up being half scarred material and looking really tortured, a real survivor tree of sorts. that said, you made the right decision in the long run, the taper is going to be much better.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! Yes I agree the black scars could look good, but in my opinion you need a bigger tree to take advantage of such features. On this small shohin size from the wrong angle those scars completely dominated the trunk! Anyway it was clearly a do-over.. cheers

[@mmjnice97]

My advice would be putting a cut resting glove when using a hand saw. Those cuts can be nasty!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Seems like a good idea- thanks for the tip!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

I knew it!! Well no, I didn’t, but I had a hunch! Great decisions as usual. Are you going to carve that stub on the apple tree back or do that later? And what about that little forest, will there be a part 2? Cheers man.

[@AlexBraunton]

We need some more videos from you! The people want more haha

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers BBI! I will leave that sub as-is all year carve it down to shape in December, if time allows. And if not, then, hey it can wait! 😆 Yes the mini forest, I decided to do in a separate video.. again with a bit of luck I can edit this week and show that next week. 🍻👍

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@AlexBraunton I'm also waiting eagerly for the next Boston Bonsai Idiot video 🌳👍

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

@@AlexBraunton Hey Alex! Its gonna have to wait till spring since everything is frozen solid out there, but hang in there...more crap videos will be coming ASAP!!

[@BostonBonsaiIdiot]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Don't think the superfans will overlook easter eggs like that! Can't wait, glad to see you're having a productive winter. I can't wait to get out there and start NIPPING-AND-A-CHOPPIN, DIGGIN-UP-AND-POTTIN and HOPIN-SHIT'S-NOT-ROTTIN!!

[@scirocco51]

Hi Dave, I am new into bonsai tree and I have recently bought a Dwarf Jade bonsai tree with some green leaves on it. I do not know how to prune or indeed wire it if need be. Can I send you a photo for you to give me some advice on these matters?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Francis, Dwarf Jade make lovely little bonsai, and they're really easy to care for. They need less water than trees, because Portulacaria Afra are in fact succulents, not trees. But that's okay--they can be trained to look exactly like beautiful trees. if you chop a branch off, the chop wound heals within the hour! And the cutting can be put into some dry soil for a week or two, and it will create its own roots without any water! Take a look at this picture and see if it inspires you!: pin.it/7IMlvvQ feel free to send me a photo to [e-mail].

[@RJSRanchu]

Any update on this crab apple :)

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Yes, update from this year in this pruning video where I tidy up the chop wound: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKC1m3yueMeZmM0 And this photo shows how the tree looked in August: flic.kr/p/2nChAkz

[@falkhammermuller9342]

When you've cut the trees back, where to place them best? In a sunny place that can get hot during the day? Or rather a bit in the shade, to avoid burning in the sun?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

It really depends on the species and your climate. But as a general rule this should be good: In summer - outside under a 50% shade cloth. In winter - straight back on the bench in direct sun. (Hopefully you didn't prune the roots at the same time as chopping the trunk?)

[@falkhammermuller9342]

@@BlueSkyBonsai nope, the tree took some heavy damage during a 40 °C weekend and the follow up thunderstorm also knocked it over, so I need to repot and the cracked up trunk is now half the size. We'll see if it survives.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@falkhammermuller9342 good luck! Hope it springs back ok.

[@PNWBonsai]

Often people are very reluctant to cut branches and make these major decisions. The reasoning you explain should really dispel a lot of that worry I hope! In bonsai there will always come a time in the tree's life where these big decisions are made. You gotta take risks!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I hope so too! Agreed, and sometimes it's tough when you have to cut off what you were working on for the last five years 🌳👍🏻

[@mattjohnson9226]

Nice work , I got my wife one this Mother’s Day. Can I ask you what time of year you did this

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thanks! All this work was done in winter - in January. For a complete overview of why, when and how to prune your bonsai, please take a look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCqcn1rntaKnM0

[@mattjohnson9226]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you 🙏.

[@mandrei99]

On the crabapple, why not airlayer it because the rest was also interesting.. ?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Yes you're right, I could have air layered it but would have to be quite a way up the old trunk because of that enormous chop wound that you can see at 4:13 . In end I think I was just tired of looking at that scarred curly upper trunk and wanted rid of it!

[@gayrussell7580]

If I’m starting from a cutting how thick does the trunk need to be? Can it be as big around as a finger, or larger?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, I did a video on cuttings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-ql4ibhqhqqJo a finger-width cutting is probably too wide to create roots for most species. But willows can root with wide cuttings by putting them in water. So it depends on the species.. most would need to be thinner. Maples need to be softwood cuttings, like 2mm thick.

[@JungleScene]

with your orange dream, Im wondering why you removed that lower branch if your goal is to fatten up the trunk. arent lower branches a key part of thickening trunks when in development stage? What am I missing here?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Excellent question! Yes it there as a sacrifice branch, but was becoming too thick and it was too low. If I left it another year or two it would indeed continue fattening the lowest inch of trunk, but the longer you leave it, the bigger the wound - would be massive and very obvious near the trunk base. Now I'll let the second branch grow out as the next sacrifice. Or maybe as the future first branch, depending on how it grows.

[@PremoTrapstar]

Hi Dave, a question: did that cutting in the water root succesfuly?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, yes it's sitting in a grow pot on my windowsill here in front of me in the kitchen as I have breakfast. It rooted last year but the leaves were tiny so it hardly grew at all. This spring it has popped out lovely red leaves so I will move it outdoors as soon as the weather warms up.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I just uploaded a photo to Flickr if you're interested: flic.kr/p/2ncdLJB I also took a cutting in 2020 and you can see how big that one is already, next to me on the table in this February video at about 7 1/2 minutes into the vid: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKC1m3yueMeZmM0m24s By the way: some maple cuttings root, and some don't. I have only ever been able to root softwood cuttings from maples, never hardwood. As soon as I see the first roots emerging I pot it and keep it in high humidity (clear plastic bag) for the whole first 12 months.

[@PremoTrapstar]

Thank you dave for your reply. That's nice to hear. Did you leave the cutting in the water until it produced roots or did you put it into soil? I also took cuttings in that kind of stage the last few days ago, that's why I asking.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@PremoTrapstar the best way is to have it in soil but constantly waterlogged for a few weeks. Use small granular soil to promote fine root growth. It's possible to root when in pure water but then roots grow better in darkness, and I figured it's better to have them already in the soil, than to risk breaking any of the tiny new roots when moving from water to soil/pot. I did a video on rooting cuttings - in the video I used hardwood cuttings in summer but it's a similar principle for softwood cuttings in winter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-ql4ibhqhqqJo Just takes longer to root, leaf out and form a self-sustaining tree from winter.

[@richardandrew01]

Hi Dave, I just have some questions about bonsai. Can I possibly grow maple trees in the tropics? Can I grow maples without cold, freezing temperatures? I have tried raising them but I have noticed during summers here in my place that they are suffering from burned leaves. How do I resolve this problem? Do I need to water them with cold water to prevent them from getting burned by strong sunlight? Also, can I place these trees in full sun? Thanks a lot.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Richard, You *can* grow deciduous maples in the tropics but they usually die after 6 or so years, because they need a yearly dormant period with freezing cold temperatures and without leaves. See: forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/growing-maple-in-the-tropic.18644/ But regarding leaf burn in summer: Yes they burn here too in Madrid under direct sunlight. So I keep them under a 50% semi-shade nylon sheet all summer from May through September. And water the soil 3 times a day during that time. You can see what the sheet looks like behind me in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2PHc4KodpynhdU

[@richardandrew01]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you very much for the information. By the way, can I induce dormancy by placing the plants in a refrigerator or a cooler with ice at night then placing them in partial shade every day in the morning as stated in the link? I really don't want to lose my maple trees. If this could work out, it would really be a very cool experiment :) Thanks

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@richardandrew01 yes I think it's worthwhile trying to induce dormancy, if you can create those conditions for about 3 months. It sounds difficult to me, even during daytime you would need to keep them below about 10°c. Worth a try! Water them with iced water too so the roots stay cold for the period.

[@WanderingBobAK]

Is there an update on this project?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Two updates - one last year and one this year. 2022 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKC1m3yueMeZmM0 2023 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5jPdYB-mLZ3qqc Hope you like them!

[@maybeiwasntthere]

Can you update us on it now? Please.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

In this video I did an update pruning it this year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKC1m3yueMeZmM0 And here is how it looked in March after repotting: flic.kr/p/2nbBhDJ

[@alandouthwaite6980]

You know, there's no doubt about it, You Scare the Hell out of me when you start cutting back, I know you Know what you are doing and what you will achieve...but I don't !!! I am only a couple of years into bonsai and have some nice looking trees but basically they are the original bush heavily pruned to look like a tree but all with finger thickness trunks at best. I will have to move onto the next stage but it seems cruel so I obviously have a long way to go ? Your videos are by far the best I have found along with Peter Chan of Heron Bonsai who I also find V good at passing on information but not as relaxing to watch.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you very much! One thing to keeep in mind... in bonsai, if container horticulture is king, patience is the queen! No need to rush into anything...

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

And maybe that's part of the relaxation vibe I wanted to show on the videos, we shouldn't do bonsai for easy money or fast results - we do it because it's incredibly relaxing, and slowly satisfying and rewarding in the long term. Having said that, I can't recommend filming bonsai work if relaxation is your goal!!

[@alandouthwaite6980]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you Dave, I have a 20 year old 3 ft high Box which my wife had been trying to shape into a sphere, it was a complete failure and she has given it to me to, as she puts it, to Bonsai it !!! The problem is all the leaves have grown on the outside but I have been able to select a potential tree shape. The trunk is about 1 1/4 inch thick and too tall so I need to air layer ! the question is can I go ahead and layer when only half the branches have leaves ? By the way, I have given my wife permission to shoot me if she should happen to catch me trying to film my efforts !!! 🤣

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@alandouthwaite6980 but something I do recommend, though you're not going to film it, is to take some photos along the way. It helps to remind you how straight your girdle is, or what state your layer is when you start, the dates, then later the roots in the layer packaging etc. If you're interested you can see the photos I took while air layering this English Elm: www.flickr.com/gp/davidhseymour/ES73CQg1S0 In answer to your question, for an air layer to root, you need quite a lot of leaves above it. The leaves are required to generate the glucose and auxins that are needed to grow roots on your layer. Also you probably know that boxwood grow slower than tropicals and deciduous trees, so the layer might take many months to root sufficiently... but don't give up on it!!

[@alandouthwaite6980]

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you very much, my questions are answered and I can now plan out the Box project. I spent some time today pruning three bonsais I started on last year but hadn't been able to see how I could improve them, however your videos inspired me to bite the bullet and get cutting.........it worked and with a bit of wiring they are ready for the growing season, so thanks again. The advice on photos is duly noted and I will keep you in the loop with the Box !!!🤯

[@Kakashi-hm4bq]

Can this type of bonsai...service in tropical reason? E.g. Singapore

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Deciduous trees can survive for a few years in tropical climate, but gradually they will wither away and die very slowly over 5 - 10 years. Deciduous trees need a cold winter and a 3-month dormant period every year. If you can give it a cold (

[@Kakashi-hm4bq]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thks

[@RJSRanchu]

I have a bonsai and the apex has about 8-9 shoots going all directions. Am I right to prune this hard and a dominant shoot will be come the new leader? Cut down to have 2-3 shoots at the apex? Or should I leave it as it is and a leader will form by itself?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi, I have a video here about how to create your apex: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4mqlIlpqs6NgJo I hope that answers your question.. I'll be interested to hear your feedback on that video - thanks!

[@RJSRanchu]

@@BlueSkyBonsai amazing, will watch it and give feed back!!

[@RJSRanchu]

@@BlueSkyBonsai great video! My tree isn’t old enough to have the apex yet. Still don’t have all the branches set.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@RJSRanchu ok. Even so, you might need to prune back those 8-9 shoots aggressively to avoid getting inverse taper at the top of the trunk. Without seeing your tree it's a bit difficult to advise, but, yes you might need to choose 2 or 3 shoots to keep and prune off the others?

[@RJSRanchu]

@@BlueSkyBonsai do you have a group on Facebook?

[@fancypants1]

How is it so sunny? It's eternal winter in the North East

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

I put the sun filter on my video camera hehehe. Are you in the north east of England?

[@fancypants1]

@@BlueSkyBonsai I am, Newcastle

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@fancypants1 ah so my secret is that I live in Madrid, quite good for sunlight 😉

[@bonsaipiper3773]

@@BlueSkyBonsai "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain."

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

The crapapple must go in the field for about 10 years and be styled while in ground... Than it has tapered and can Go back in pot

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! I think you make a very good recommendation. 🌳👍🏻

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

@@BlueSkyBonsai try barkcutting for callousial tapering,but first test it on a cheap practice material👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371 yes, good advice, thanks again! 🌳👍🏻

[@duck8316]

My Sageretia dropped all of its leaves due to under watering, is it possible to bring it back and do you have any recommendations?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

When sageretias dry out and drop all the leaves, they have usually had it. You *might* be able to revive it by putting a clear plastic bag over it, leaving it on a plate full of water for a few weeks to keep it at near 100% humidity. Keep watering the soil daily to give the roots freshwater and oxygen. Keep it in bright light and change the water on the plate every week so that it doesn't stagnate. Even with all this, don't raise your hopes too high - Sageretias don't usually revive after drought. Good luck! 🤞🏻

[@michaelnorman9644]

Great watching your trees but repotting a tree you have just reduced to a few buds seems strange

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Thank you! You're right, I will repot this into a bigger pot without pruning the roots. It needs to use all the energy it stored down there in winter. I only realised after filming this that it would need a bigger pot to conserve the current root mass. Thanks for spotting that!

[@kennethbarnes2297]

I’m new to bonsai and my biggest problem is having the courage to cut

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Hi Kenneth, I think that doesn't have to be a problem, and I'll tell you why. One of the biggest "skills" you need to successfully develop bonsai is patience. And thinking stoically if you don't do a chop this year, there will always be a next year. In the meantime, maybe you could take a look at this video which I hope should give some confidence pruning your bonsai: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCqcn1rntaKnM0

[@kennethbarnes2297]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you for your reply I’ve only started my new hobby just over a year ago now and already I’ve acquired 7 bonsais in total with my new trident maple as my crown jewel. I’ve recently joined a bonsai group how help out with zoom chats but I’m more of a hands on person who needs someone watching me over my shoulder guiding me for a few tries. But in professional opinion when is the best time of year to prune ?

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

@@kennethbarnes2297 in my opinion, midsummer is the best time to prune your bonsai to a good tree-like shape. Summer pruning involves cutting back a lot of foliage mass that has developed in spring. In summer, wounds heal quickly and you still have time for another flush of leaves in late summer which gives you better ramification. But if you're talking about chopping off a big branch, or a major trunk chop, then winter is a better time, while the tree is dormant (all the energy is stored in the roots and trunk base), and in winter there's no foliage on deciduous trees so your tools have easier access to the chop location. A healthy tree can easily cope with two prunings every year; summer and winter, especially trident maples, which are very vigorous, and likewise all types of elms. I never prune in spring because that's when all the sap is rising and pushing out new buds. There's no need to risk losing any sap at this low energy time, until the complete first flush of leaves has fully grown and hardened or darkened, meaning they have developed the cuticle (thin waxy surface) and are in full photosynthesis (manufacturing glucose from sunlight + carbon dioxide + water). Even then, I would only prune a healthy vigorous tree; I would leave any weak or recovering trees to grow for the rest of the year without pruning. More leaves means more photosynthesis, means more energy. HTH.

[@thegoatestofgoats]

i thought you should only prune in spring so the plant can recover and not in winter because its dormant

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

We need to consider the energy in the different parts if the tree. In spring, all the energy is surging up in the branches pushing out new buds and leaves. So if you prune off those branches in spring, you are depriving the tree of much energy. Then, it will recover slower because it also has less leaves to regenerate that energy. It's okay to prune in summer because there is loads of energy throughout the tree. When the tree is dormant in winter, all the energy is stored in the trunk base and roots, so pruning the branches doesn't rob the tree of its energy. It recovers very quickly in spring, as long as you don't prune again in spring. I explained it in more detail in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYCqcn1rntaKnM0si=WkKE641g9XM-n4Uc

[@thegoatestofgoats]

@@BlueSkyBonsai thankss that video was really helpful but you only explained when to prune and the seasons thing for deciduous trees not evergreens where can i find the video where u explain the seasons and everything for evergreens and more specifically conifers

[@finnmcguire2134]

100th comment f

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

Cheers Finn! Guess that makes my reply comment #101 !

[@markeetv8507]

YOUR GLASS OF WATER IS BLOCKING THE VIEW indeed annoying!

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

No glass of water in the next vid, promise. Beer maybe 😉