Bonsaify | Making a Bonsai Forest from Bare Root Zelkova (ASMR)

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Looks really good!!!

[@bubbaw1234]

i REALLY like the silent working format. obviously the other style hearing you talk is great, but this sets off different creative and emotional responses. Thank you!

[@TonysBonsai]

What a stunning composition. I really enjoyed just watching you create it, but I'd also love to hear you talk through your thoughts/decisions in a future video. I doubt it will be long before this is looking very good indeed. Thanks for sharing your work.

[@alexandros1973]

Fantastic work! I also really love the pot! I missed your voice though 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@bobcatbonsai]

Amazing work. The way everything highlights each other is awesome, the blue in the pot looks like a river flowing around the woods. Thank you for sharing!

[@Kykyrobloxxx]

Inspired idea using asmr with bonsai. Brilliant. Beautiful composition as well

[@surfgreen60]

I didn't think I was going to like it. I was wrong. Excellent work.

[@andrewbeattie5245]

Bloody brilliant! Thanks

[@OjaiBonsai]

Beautiful nice work

[@Deonrinaldi]

Beautiful bonsai ❤ study permit from Indonesia🙏

[@BobMatthews]

You have created such a realistic artistic scene there, hats off to you for daring to be so bold :)

[@cactsai]

Goddamn, Eric. This is stunning. I can't wait to see this in the next growing season. I hope you feature this again next year. I do have another unrelated question in my ever-expanding database of knowledge inside my skull regarding all things bonsai as I'm still pretty new to all this. I've noticed a LOT of bonsai professionals have a strip of tape around one of the handles of their tools, why is that? I first noticed it in your videos and after that a mental note was made in my head and I started seeing it in other bonsai professional's videos as well, including Japanese masters in Japan. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation but I haven't been able to figure it out.

[@Bonsaify]

Ha. Simple explanation - a lot of people, especially students, purchase the same tools as their teachers. So in group workshops it makes it easier to identify which tools belong to which person. Boon started me on the electrical tape route - but I have others that use nail polish dots on their tools. I tried tool-dip on the handles, but it just wears off, as does spray paint. Sam has black electrical tape on his - Boon used Blue and yellow together I believe.

[@cactsai]

@@Bonsaify HA! That makes SO much sense. I see this all over YT and I just couldn't wrap my head around it, but when you're working with other professionals, you need to know where your tools are. Occams's Razor for sure on this explanation lol

[@mandyhernon2238]

Missed your lovely voi0ce. Otherwise an interesting subject especially as I am planning an aspen one soon. Keep growing.xx

[@Chris-oq6kn]

Great composition.

[@albertmiranda1826]

Beautiful composition. I view my self on top of this rocks admiring the gifts of PACHAMAMA!!!

[@mm6918]

Great composition Eric! I'm not big on forests, but you've inspired me to try one. Thx!

[@Bonsaify]

When I was a younger person I thumbed my nose at forests thinking they were a cheat. But it's a fun thing to create and view, so why not!

[@hyperionhelios190]

I actually would have loved to have had you talks us through the design and build. Great piece regardless.

[@Bonsaify]

Yep, actually, I'm gonna do another video that is similar where I talk it through. Different composition, but same idea. This started out with me playing with the audio equipment; then I started thinking I might do a voiceover so I could concentrate on the composition; then it ended with me deciding I liked the audio as-is. 🤷‍♂️

[@jacques_TRIKO]

Chapeau l'artiste! Très belle composition.👍👍👏👏

[@iPheek]

I love these videos! They are so relaxing!! Looks great!

[@mikeduffer6858]

Very nice job! Love your work.

[@bobmccarlie382]

Great composition! What winter care does it get?

[@Bonsaify]

Here in SF there is no real winter. Low of 40F. If it were colder I'd either use a cold frame or greenhouse heated to 34F. Heat cables to help keep roots warm if needed and bury the pots. Protect from wind, and rodents. That said, I'd also wait to do this until closer to repotting time if I lived in a colder climate. The bare roots can be kept in a fridge until the time is right. Zelkova don't pop early in my experience.

[@BrewByMe]

Nice video !!! Those flat round rock plugs are awesome we’re did you find those ? Thanks for the video keep them coming cheers

[@Bonsaify]

If you mean the base of the first rock - it's a cast concrete circle - basically stick a few tablespoons of concrete in the bottom of a paper cup, stick the rock in and let it cure. I make them to make it easier to anchor rocks vertically. I use a special kind of concrete (UHPC) but I think mortar mix would probably work. I've also used resin but that's a lot more expensive. (although better tensile strength and no calcium leaching.)

[@victortaboada2058]

Magnificent. Was this done this time of year (mid-December 2022), and if so, how would you protect this during winter (unheated garage)? You are in San Francisco, CA, correct?

[@Bonsaify]

Yes, I did it Yesterday (Dec 11th, 2022.) In SF, you can just leave it outside. However even in the east bay where you get frost, I would protect it until March. We use an unheated greenhouse here in the city to house plants that have been transplanted until spring. It does sometimes cause them to break dormancy early, so we just keep them there until frost chances are gone.

[@victortaboada2058]

@@Bonsaify I have to say, this is just beautiful and very inspiring; you have a great eye Eric! I am going to start looking for some great rocks!

[@Josef_R]

Are all the ones on the right going to grow a lot bigger than the left ones because of all the open root area?

[@Bonsaify]

The roots for all of them will populate the entire pot. I considered planting trees on the stones, but decided that was more of a conifer thing than a deciduous one. So with the roots in the soil, they'll all spread out. It is possible that the ones on the right will have a head start, but there's nothing impeding the roots on the trees on the left from getting there either. These were pulled form a common flat and some had roots that were 2 feet long in that container. I think crowding by other trees does have some effect, but I think it's more about the light. These are actually very complex questions to answer! (e.g. designing and experiment to determine the answer would be very hard.). But, as long as you keep the tops under control, the relative size of the trunks can be kept as it is now.

[@DavidScheltema]

What sorcery is that first rock? Did you add a cement base to the rock?

[@Bonsaify]

Lol, yes, I take the stones and cast the cement base to hold them securely at the angle that I like the stone most. This makes them so much easier to use for vertical juniper plantings, but worked out nicely on this also. You can see that securing the other stones was much more involved because they didn't have bases. But, if they had bases, I wouldn't have been able to get them close enough anyway.

[@HommeTerre]

✨

[@margaretsims4344]

Nice arrangement. Where did you get the saplings from?

[@Bonsaify]

We grow (and sell! ) them from seed. www.bonsaify.com/collections/bonsai-for-sale/products/bare-root-2-year-old-zelkova-serrata

[@lilicesar8386]

🤩

[@teawavesurfer]

Hey! Thanx for useful and amazing video! Sorry if I repeat someone in comments, I'd like to clarify about stones. I'm newbee in bonsai yet, could you please advice how can I make such stones on my own? I'd be appreciated for any information

[@Bonsaify]

These are natural stones. One of them has a cast-concrete base added to make it easier to sit upright. Go for a hike and see if you can find some good stones to use!

[@teawavesurfer]

@@Bonsaify I got it, fair enough, I will follow your advise, thanx a lot! Could you please recommend which type of glue agent I can use for joining e.g. stones together or soil with stone?

[@questionablecooking7019]

Did you just puddy the base to that rock ? Thanks

[@Bonsaify]

Actually, I create cast concrete bases for some stones to make it easier to position them for plantings.

[@questionablecooking7019]

@@Bonsaify show off 🤣🤣🤣

[@pedroreyes5158]

How many trees do you use ?

[@Bonsaify]

This planting is about 30 trees.

[@hyperionhelios190]

Hopefully this little bit of cross channel advertisement doesn't bother you Eric, if it does please take my comment down. Another bonsai ASMR I really enjoy is the channel yamasibon KIWA. I have no affiliation with them, just enjoy their content and thought I would share.

[@Bonsaify]

No worries. I've seen their channel and I love the content - just so simple and down-to-earth.