Bonsaify | Wiring Juniper Cuttings to Make Mame Bonsai

Learn how to take a rooted juniper whip and wire it as the first step in creating a tiny mame bonsai.
00:00:41 The cutting was taken 4 months ago from a strong ground-grown parent Kishu Juniper tree. It was on a heat mat, and is a relatively strong shoot that already has good root growth.
00:01:16 Easiest time to wire is when you're transferring from a common flat, when there is nothing inside the soil. Eric is using aluminum wire as its brightness is easy to see on young trees. He wires in a 45 degree spiral, and will use the wire to put some movement into the shoot.
00:02:19 Eric wants to start by putting movement down as low as the first root. Dealing with small compositions means there is no space to waste! Eric wants to both add movement and a twist, to create a really interesting shape as the plant matures.
00:02:45 First and second bends, creating a 90 degree angle, to create the leverage he needs to twist and kink. The closer you can get the twists to the base, the smaller the mame that you can make. Continue making an interesting line as you go upward, even though you may end up making a jin of it later, it will still create a more interesting jin.
00:03:45 Eric will now put the wired juniper cutting into a container. He won't anchor it, but let the roots dangle and pot it with perlite and peat moss (coco coir is another option). Bury the root base to give it a bit more stability.
00:04:51 Leave the wired shoot into the container for another 1-2 years.
Are you interested in creating mame bonsai? Let us know in the comments below! Please like and share this video, and subscribe to our channel!
Music by Bensound.com

[@Bonsaify]

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[@JUSTENization]

Unbelievable that’s only a 6 years old tree. Looking so beautiful already. Envy! Great techniques! Thanks for the detailed instructions!

[@mirandusings]

Do you have a video about how you root juniper cuttings? I've had no luck with it so far.

[@Bonsaify]

Hi, no I have not done that for KZbin. But I can put it on the list of videos we're planning. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@edubb786]

What size gauge wire are you using?

[@SanjayKumar-yj2wr]

Can we propogate junipers by cuttings if so which is the best period for it & what precautions should be taken...pl reply 🙏

[@Bonsaify]

Hi! Please check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGOrg4SQn9l5aJY

[@XoshBitt]

Really love your videos... and the mame trees. I have some juniper cuttings that hopefully root so I can get on this. You made me excited to give this a go. Thanks. :)

[@Bonsaify]

Good Luck and thanks!

[@XoshBitt]

Just watched this again and saw that I commented.. haha. Well.. LOTS of juniper cuttings now. Pulling a bunch out this weekend to wire and pot to make mame. Still inspired by your content. 🙂

[@mattdemoraes]

Hi Eric - how long after wiring do you start to notice it bite in on young whips like this? I'll be starting 2 of these projects this spring so was assuming I'd be checking the wire after the first spring growth, but sounds like that's way too early?

[@Bonsaify]

Matt - Unless you're seeing really fast growth on the top you should expect it to take 6 months or longer even when the wire is initially snug. Kishu and Itoigawa can grow quickly, so check, but until you see it start to dig in a little I would leave it on. In San Francisco it can take years, but in the hotter interior valley of CA it might only take a few months.

[@sino619]

Great video! What is the mix ratio for the soil? That's interesting perlite and coco. Is that better than using bonsai inorganic soil?

[@fauxthomas649]

Hello and thank you for this video. While the there is a lot of bonsai resources out there it is rare to find something particularly focused on Mame. Would you please elaborate on why you repot the cutting in perlite and peat, the ratio and if it's particular to Mame. Are your mature trees also posted in that soil mix? Thank you in advance for any kind of reply.

[@Bonsaify]

Hi. We use perlite and coco coir soil for young plants for a number of reasons: It's granular, it's cheap, it retains nutrients well, and it allows good air penetration. Perlite does not decompose so it maintains a structure in the soil over time. This mix generally fosters faster growth than bonsai soil. We have not directly tested the perlite mix we use against normal "nursery" soil because other mixes have properties we don't like, e.g. breakdown of bark and peat over time causes poor drainage and since bonsai development takes years we don't want to have to repot just because of soil decomposition. For bonsai trees in bonsai pots - we think that the traditional 1:1:1 Akadama:Lava:Pumice is a good starting point. We have not yet tested growing mature trees in perlite. Keep in mind that while you want young plants to grow quickly, you don't really want a lot of older bonsai to do the same. Hence, when we repot into bonsai containers from growing containers we tend to switch the mix, in whole or in part. The perlite we ship our starters in can remain in the pot and will not have any detrimental effects. These techniques are not specific to mame - although for mini bonsai moisture retention can be an issue. We use the same mixes regardless of the size of the plant, it's only the size of the particles that might be different.

[@fauxthomas649]

@@Bonsaify Thank you for the answer.

[@jeffhurst4744]

Informative. Plan to try this month.

[@Bonsaify]

Wonderful!

[@janstewart2041]

Root bigger cuttings, Roger

[@fhhddvhhddyh2376]

Awesome work i just started following you thank you for all the great content

[@Bonsaify]

Welcome!

[@S-series1977]

Nice 🙂👍👍👍 video

[@mk2kayman794]

i like mame

[@Garden_Manju0458]

Super method 😅 Thanks

[@Garden_Manju0458]

Gokarna India

[@freshface2991]

Would there be any success if I used akadama as a medium for juniper cutting propagation?

[@Bonsaify]

Yes! Akadama works well for cuttings!

[@freshface2991]

@@Bonsaify and would bone meal encourage root growth for propagation?

[@Bonsaify]

@@freshface2991 We don't use it specifically. It can be a good part of a fertilizer program, but as we understand it the breakdown is slow - 4-6 months. So you should not rely on it exclusively.

[@romaldoesqueda2169]

The pot for the other tree, is that good paint on the lip to paint over an area that was chipped or broken?

[@Bonsaify]

Hi! Not quite - that's a certain style of Japanese pot where some glaze is added just to a portion of the pot. The pot is intended to look like that from the maker.

[@romaldoesqueda2169]

@@Bonsaify I see, that is very cool, thanks for the response 👍

[@k0ne100]

Hi Can you tell me what is your substrat please ?

[@Bonsaify]

Seedlings and young trees in 80% Perlite/20% coco. (approximate.). Older trees in 1:1:1 Akadama-Lava-Pumice. But in mame containers I often just use straight Aoki shohin mix, which I get from Jonas / Bonsai Tonight .com in the US.

[@k0ne100]

@@Bonsaify thank you very much

[@rizkyrijzalbonsai6990]

👍👍👍

[@jonnyamos4547]

I really love your videos - thanks 🙏

[@waterlover]

What price does that little awesome tree has?

[@Bonsaify]

NFS, but I will be selling similar. If I were selling that one it would be $400-$500. We're planning a mame juniper release for later this summer.

[@TPeterson5358]

Why is every video link a picture of your face? We’re here for the trees!

[@Bonsaify]

Oh dammit, I thought this was all about me. 😘 No, but really it's because of branding. Most SEO and YT guides recommend that you have a consistent way in which you thumbnail the videos so that people can easily recognize the source of the content.