Fundamental Bonsai Principles for developing taper and branch structure in the upper canopy

[@joegarland4885]

Watching your video Tony my eyes started to close and then I fell asleep so now I will watch your videos just before I am ready for bed, that should naturally send me off who needs sleeping pills mate. Now back to reality your never boring and your trees are not also, I like your explanations of studying trees, bonsai is never quick outcomes it takes time and sensible decisions, glad you spotted the need to reduce some of the branches coming from the same spot others will be best left for future work. Now go and enjoy your fish pie my friend. Take care

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Joe. I'm glad that I'm still keeping the energy levels up in my videos mate. Can't have you dozing off, although there's nothing wrong with a nice nap!

[@sunshinen7]

It is not boring. It is interesting to hear your thoughts. Thank you. 🤩

[@TonysBonsai]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@AndrewJohnson-el1of]

Do like me oaks Tony. Have a few in the collection. Love the shape and structure of the second one you worked on

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks, there is something special about a beautiful Oak tree

[@mandyhernon2238]

Your videos boring? Never! This is very informative for branch selection and the reasons behind them. Yes oaks are slow but much loved trees. Thank you. Keep growing xx

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Mandy

[@raymondplodzien7459]

Love oaks. Your videos are never boring.

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Raymond. Speaking of oaks I've got some in the ground to look at which should be interesting as they need some big chops I think

[@Naztalgic]

Another Master class Lesson! :) Love those Oaks!

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks. They're slowly getting there I think 🙂

[@oachkatzlsmum]

Those will be beautiful trees in the future. 🤩 I love your approach not to cut because of the development. Cut the right branch at the right time 👍 I also try to develop for the future while enjoying present state. Thanks Tony and Daddy ❤ I have enjoyed as always. Nothing boring, by the way. 😘 Have a great day 🙋‍♀️ Cheers Martina

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Martina. It's often tricky getting that balance between pruning for now and the future. It's so tempting to go for the now especially when creating bonsai videos

[@nerinat8371]

That looks really cool Tony, well done 👋

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Nerina. I really enjoy studying trees shapes and trying to work out how to proceed with the design. It's my favourite part of Bonsai

[@maryweber4176]

Lovely development on those oaks Tony, and I really like what appears to be driftwood mounted on the wall in the background.

[@TonysBonsai]

Hi Mary. Ah yes. That is indeed an old piece of juniper driftwood mounted on the wall. I think It looks great

[@fecksvloganimation6202]

No such as boring when it comes to bonsai, just love studying and imaging what it could be , exciting stuff 😀

[@TonysBonsai]

Exactly! I just love studying all trees. It's my favourite part of Bonsai. Almost like trying to crack a code or solve a puzzle

[@fecksvloganimation6202]

@TonysBonsai we have lots of bog land round here and the pine trees that grow mostly at the edges are like 30 to 40 foot bonsai , magic

[@shanewatson8581]

Deciduous trees, my favourite of all for Bonsai. Oaks are so tuff and seed so easily so we can experiment with them so much. Your furst Oak i can see that trunk chop to that lower branch but after an air layer 😂. Cheers from down under mate

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Shane. Oaks are certainly easy to acquire. As you say, they grow everywhere which I suspect is why people are so drawn to them

[@Steves_Backyard_Bonsai]

Great lesson on pruning for the future. Keep bringing in trees to work on (and fish pies to eat)!

[@TonysBonsai]

Just like the trees the fish pies will hopefully continue to keep appearing Infront of me Steve. It's like magic!

[@maryweber4176]

@@TonysBonsai Just what is a fish pie, if I may ask?

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Mary. My mum is doing a great job keeping me well fed, and she knows how much I just love her home made fish pie, so hopefully they'll keep on appearing 🙂

[@TonysBonsai]

@@maryweber4176 it's my favourite dish. It's a layer of different fish pieces usually smoked haddock, cod and prawn in a cheese sauce covered in mashed potato and baked in the oven. Absolutely lovely

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Great update on those Tony. Looking good mate 👍👍

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers mate. I've got you on the big TV with your Dremel on the go

[@Bonsaicrazy]

@@TonysBonsai wicked 👍👍👍👍

[@sueb1317]

Lovely lesson in planning and patience - really loved the explanations! Deciduous material - especially when young - gives me faster feedback on trying different development techniques. The advantage of growing from seed and cuttings is you have a lot of material to experiment with.

[@TonysBonsai]

Indeed having a good supply of young material is really handy in Bonsai. I can't imagine just trying to learn about Bonsai on established trees way too much pressure!

[@your_local_reptile6700]

My only current bonsai is a collected English cherry had lots of fun playing with it this summer big 2ft trunk chop coming this Feb can't wait got a nice new leader I have been developing. Thanks Tony

[@TonysBonsai]

Excellent! Sounds like you've got a plan for the tree which is very good. They grow like crazy, so following the chop you'll be surprised how hard you can prune them. I'll take a look at mine soon I think as it's due some work itself

[@brianbower5320]

That’s an amazing tree, I have several oak seedlings but they are nowhere as thick as yours. How old is your?

[@TonysBonsai]

I'm not certain, but I would say that they are both around 4-6 years old. They both got wired and an initial chop chop at 5 and have been grown since then in large pots I have two in the ground which have been treated the same except never dug up and they're around twice as thick

[@wshow11]

Cheers Tony! Another lovely (hot) day in the southern states of the U.S. Great movement on the oaks. How small can the leaves be reduced? And how? Just wondering. Rock on brother!

[@TonysBonsai]

Using certain techniques, the leaves can really be substantially reduced in size. I saved my dad's old oak this year and the new leaves are tiny. I'll be updating on it in the next week or two when I get back round there. I'm just waiting for the rain to stop

[@wshow11]

@@TonysBonsai Certain techniques??? lol 😂. How about just a small clue?

[@Vaasth]

I wouldn't call it a mistake even if you chose the alternative for the first tree, it's just a backdoor option, which is always handy when the original option turns out to be not ideal or maybe you get some damage on it by the weather or such

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah the option is always there for the future

[@Chris-oq6kn]

I would say u made the right choice by not trunk chopping at the lower branch because the leafs are pretty big and if u cut back that far it would look even more out of proportion

[@TonysBonsai]

Indeed, I don't really consider leaf size at this stage though. As the ramification is developed and the feed controlled, the leaf size will hopefully reduce in the future

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Well explained tony :)

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers buddy. That's what I do. Chop, bend, waffle, repeat 🤣

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Lovely video mate! I got a question for the bonsai master as I seem to struggle with the oaks. I only have one oak left in my collection. And that oak just leaft out 3 weeks ago. It was very late and the leafs are very small. I have not work on it for over 2 years now. It is full off buds. It's in akadama, pumice and lava. Is a yamadori. Collected 2years ago. Does it like more earthly mixture soil? I can't seem to get this right. Do I water to much?

[@TonysBonsai]

Sounds exactly like problems I had this spring with my dads oak tree loads of small buds that just wouldn't open. I can report back that it's now flying following the re pot. I'll be updating on it when the weather stops raining I put it into a super free draining mix, watered it well and placed it in full shade for a month or two It's now back out in full sun. If I were you I wouldn't prune your tree now for at least two or three years

[@thenaturecreater8906]

@TonysBonsai cheers mate! I will wait some years so it would gain strength again. And it will be in a heated greenhouse this winter. It was outside the last winter. And it was harsh. Almost whipped out my hole collection I dident protected true the winter. Very sad indeed. But if you don't make mistakes you don't learn I guess.

[@andrewclack4881]

Tony have you sprayed your oaks. Mine are covered in mildew.

[@TonysBonsai]

Indeed I have. All my trees need spraying this time of year for mildew. Hawthorn, oak, field maple and beech are all susceptible. I use an all round anti fungicide Fungus Clear Ultra. It normally takes two or three applications but it does a great job, and the trees really seem to appreciate the helping hand

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@kevinwilkes5969]

I'm gaining various deciduous trees, I never intended to they just keep appearing.

[@TonysBonsai]

Sounds good to me. Tons of future trees to hone your skills on

[@kevinwilkes5969]

@TonysBonsai I do love my portulacaria afras. I know they are not true bonsai but all the youtubers are in to them now and they look great.

[@wshow11]

@@kevinwilkes5969I believe that a true bonsai is in the eye of the beholder. PA's look fantastic and seem to respond well to training. Why not a bonsai?

[@jasongannon7676]

I have many boring bonzi. I have many because they are boring, and that is how I over came how boring most of my bonzi are. Now thay are no longer boring.

[@TonysBonsai]

I don't see any of my trees as boring. Most are fantastic I think 😎

[@AndrewJohnson-el1of]

Do like me oaks Tony. Have a few in the collection. Love the shape and structure of the second one you worked on

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Andrew. I've got a couple in the ground that need similar work. I'm just waiting for this rain to pass so that I can get outside