E81. Inverting the Willows: Success or Failure?

[@mattbrennan647]

Experimenting is fun. Keep creating

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Great to see these experiments, that's how new techniques develop!!

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

I could feel you cringing at the massive mess of roots created 🤣❤️

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

And yes I have to remember that it would be very unlikely that any first experiment would be perfect with no tweaks to be made. We learned a lot about this technique and how to make it work better.

[@crazyshelly2628]

Wow! It actually kinda worked! Iadmit I was skeptical at first. I like how the first one looks withh all the branches flowing in one direction. I may have to try this with one of my willow trees. Thanks for starting!

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Worked very well! We will make some changes and reinvent some this spring!

[@percyacutt3110]

Nice windswept😀

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Will see what we think next spring 😜

[@BlueJayBonsai]

I agree with Percy. It was like an instant windswept… love the experiments Candice! 🐦💙

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

I don’t want another windswept 🤣🤣 lol but it worked that’s for sure

[@Warriori2i]

Great projects !!...Tree #1,,,,at 6:24 time frame...looks like harp strings at a angle so,,,add like a verticle uprite rebar attach loose wire coils for each secondary branche...position them to your liking ,,an leave on till branches are more harden...keep up the great filming !!!

[@sbragaglia]

Very interesting video! I have a few willows growing… I might give the upside down flipping method a go on one of them! Thanks for sharing!

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Keep me posted if you try it!

[@sbragaglia]

@@Candice.BonsaiScience sure thing! I’m at the point in which I have to convince myself to cut open a new large pot… 😏

[@akikochozu122]

I had a thought that keeping the tree upright could work with grow lights shining from below or with it sitting on a mirror with some kind of shade over the top.

[@mattbrennan647]

Abstract Picasso bonsai. Thanks, keep growing

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

A really interesting experiment which is always good to see. I could sense your frustration though...

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

More so frustrated that the flipping did work great - but then the placement I did of the primary branches looked like crap 🤣

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Felt like a wasted season

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@Candice.BonsaiScience The only way to become a true master is to experience true failure :()

[@digitalice7875]

After you have it in the pot try wrapping it with saran wrap. Start around trunk and work your way up to the top, or bottom, you can go a bit over the rim too to help contain water longer and retain moisture. Try coconut coir and pearlite and peat for soil. It holds a good amount of water. Love your idea of turning it Upside-down, it made perfect sense to me as soon as you said it. I took several large cuttings a couple weeks ago, so going to give this a try. THANKS!

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Great ideas Alice!

[@lawrencemcnally3164]

I have a willow bosaie,always in water in the summer, not that the uk is that hot,busy root system, like the dawn redwood 1👌👍

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Yes they are a thirsty tree for sure!

[@stevevaughn2040]

I GOT IT! Take tree and let the branches go up, like they want to. Then take the tree and cut it in half, graft the top to bottom upside down! You are welcome. Next experiment requires the Intl Space Station

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

🤣🤣🤣 that sounds mad scientist Frankenstein for sure!

[@robertlefler6644]

Not bad for a first try, keep on gettin it, both have potential, maybe suspend the tree in pot from wire and swivel so it can be rotated 🤔

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Great idea!

[@robertmabry4172]

Have you considered using PVC elbows to direct the growth downward? It's like wiring but doesn't bite into the branches. You wouldn't have to invert anything and you can easily take advantage of the fast growth of willow.

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

I don’t think it will work with PVC elbows since you’d have to place them over the entire branch from shoulder to tip because they are so photo growth dominant they will literally just shoot up straight to the sun right were the elbow joint ends

[@thelazybonsai]

You be crazy… flipping trees. Flipping trees? Frickin awesome test. Hmmm… gets me a thinking…

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

So watch a thinking?!?!?!

[@thelazybonsai]

@@Candice.BonsaiScience the light bulb experiment, from school… hmmm…

[@davidrogers9267]

Put the tree upside down in a 3 gal grow bag with a hole in the bottom fill with media turn right side up in 3gal plastic pot with roots down let grow, after tree limbs out, take out of pot, hang with tree upside down until limbs have grown to desired length, remove grow bag and plant right side up. The limbs will hold weeping shape but tips will need trimming to keep from growing up again.

[@bravehawk5640]

well you went from upright style willow to wind swept.....id call that progress.

[@bravehawk5640]

did you do quarter turns clockwise every so often to help all angles get light? also, maybe work on a hanging upside down pot you can take down and bottom soak weekly to give the tree a good drink besides it daily watering/misting. id maybe put a humidity tray underneath like an orchid until you finesse things. i really only see watering requirement issue here like you mentioned , and the way the branches clump and grow on one section towards the sun. i think quarter turns would help the last one.

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Next spring we will do it again with what we learned!

[@natedykstra1498]

What would the long term plan for a tree like this be? To keep the new growth "weeping", would you need to invert the tree regularly?

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

You’d need to cut off any new growth back to the part that weeped. Or wire it or invert it. Any new growth would go upright

[@crazyshelly2628]

A more current update on these inverted willows and how they are doing now that they are right side up again would be good if you still have them.

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Well they are just waking up from winter 🤣 so not much to see.

[@shmayahonickman]

Waiting for an update

[@stitISH]

what about the big huge willow trees that weep all the way down to the ground?

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

What about them?

[@keithjordan9563]

Hiya, with regards to your styling of your weeping willow, a good friend of mine here in the UK kept his tree upright and used a small amount of plasticine, not sure of the name of it where you live 🤔 to gently way down each branch to achieve the weeping effect over time, without any damage to the branch. Have you tried this before?

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Hmmm I don’t know what the material is. Can you drop a link to what the plastic stuff you mention is?

[@aaronasissoard1098]

I think the idea needs a bit of work but over all the idea is there

[@aaronasissoard1098]

What about an upside down training pot on top of another to keep the soil intact then use submerging to water it 🤔

[@hasansachybonsai]

🙏🙏..i,m from Indonesian...succes...👍

[@madhabitewari7442]

❤❤❤

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

Thanks for stopping in!

[@carl2232]

Why don't you try rapping the roots in berlap . I think it's called that may spelled it wrong. Or rap it in sacking . Then you will be able to water it then . And the sacking or berlap will help to keep it moist.

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

That’s a great idea!

[@frederickdominguez4829]

Keep trying. The 90% bends do not lo9k right. But you are right.

[@dofutofu3720]

in my opinion, it could be a great cascade

[@lireid4624]

Wrap the rootball in weed cloth then tie the bag open, once it is in pot. Water into the root bag not. Into the pot

[@thelazybonsai]

Foist

[@damontolhurst]

As far as I can tell, it's just you, so I'd recommend ditching your use of "we" in your videos and just say "I." Obviously up to how you want to present your videos and process. Just something that comes to mind.

[@Candice.BonsaiScience]

It’s not just me it is all of us here 🙃