Getting Rid of Bonsai Trees and Working on my Yew

[@baldyeti]

Good call on kicking out the plants you don’t love. I keep some that’ll never by a bonsai, but I can experiment techniques and see how they react.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks, it can be quite liberating getting rid of a tree that's been bothering you for 1+ years. It's helped me; my collection, although still very 'new' in bonsai terms, is better than it was a few years ago, partly because I've made room for better trees on my bench. Having trees to experiment on sounds like a good idea. You can perform risker operations with less stress about success or failure.

[@TheCosmicDrama]

I have such a hard time parting with trees, or even plants in general. It’s like they’re a part of the family. Lol I did decide that some of my nursery stock stuff that I’ve bought that I no longer want to use for bonsai will just be planted in the ground somewhere in the yard and grown as shrubs/topiary. I feel like now that I’m about a year and a half into this journey, I now know more of what I’m interested in. For the first year I was collecting just about any new species I could find that was possible to bonsai. Time to cut back now and use the material that interests me the most.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Ha, I really do get that. After all those years of watering and care, I have become pretty attached to many plants. Definitely like pets. Nothing wrong with that attachement! But sometimes it is a relief to just give it away, or let it go to the garden in the sky... I agree, I think a lot can be learned by buying lots of different kinds of plants to start with. It's what I did and other beginners have done, and seems to be a necessary learning experience for many. It helps you determine what plants are best suited for you. And a lot of us enjoy keeping a variety of species (I think I'd categorize myself this way).

[@BackyardBonsai-v2w]

Wasn't a bad looking tree I don't think but without that one branch it surely did improve quite alot! Nice job 👍

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks 👍

[@SulamAkarBonsai]

Wonderful,, thanks for sharing ❤❤

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thanks for watching!

[@CoffeeandBonsaiwithTom]

Bravo! I love the sentiment. I really enjoy the freedom of working on a tree that I don’t value that much because it allows me to make bold often longer term decisions.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Good point, not loving a tree does take some pressure off. If I had loved this tree, not sure if I would have attempted putting the massive wire on the trunk and bending like I did, as I'd be too afraid of damaging it. It will ultimately be a better trunk once I can take that massive wire off - however, I might need to get some massive wire cutters to take it safely off!

[@dreamingofbonsai]

Interesting thoughts. I feel like if it doesn’t spark joy for a person, then maybe it can spark joy to someone else who has the capability to take care of it. Less can most certainly be more, especially if a person is starting to get overwhelmed with the amount of bonsai they have. I find the trees I grow from seed are much more difficult to part with than the ones I’ve purchased or been given. I dig that yew btw. You made a wise choice on that prune.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Yes, I agree that if it's a halfway decent tree, then someone else might appreciate it. So I'd advocate for giving the tree away or selling, before throwing it in the trash (despite what my admittedly click-baity thumbnail suggests!). Like I also say in the video, I've been having a change of heart with some trees that I've stuck in the ground. I hear you about having more of an attachment to trees that I've had for awhile or have had from a young age. I'll be truly sad when some of those trees die (although my goal is to have some of my trees outlive me).

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Thank you!

[@lisawagner6076]

Not sure what was not to like with this tree, I think it is a great tree.

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Yeah, it really is a decent tree, especially considering it came from humble $25 nursery stock. When that's taken into consideration, I'm actually almost proud of how I've transformed it. Still not sure why I don't love this tree - it might just be that it's a yew, which don't strongly appeal to me for whatever reason.

[@lisawagner6076]

@@BonsaiNorthwest maybe because we all grew up with yews in almost every yard. It is not really special.?

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

@@lisawagner6076 Ha, yep, it very well could be that - it's been quite common for me my whole life. Watching a Heron's Bonsai episode about >1000 yr old yews in English church yards helped my esteem for yew grow a bit. And some KZbin channel a couple years ago must have prompted me to buy and style this cheap yew. I've got to say, this tree hasn't given me any grief, something I'm valuing more and more with plants.

[@imcoolboi-tq6zb]

I only use nursery material to teach my children bonsai with. As for our garden proper we only allow native Yamadori to avoid not being able to replant our “trash” project or stuff that got out of hand or lack of attachment. This way earth grows stronger our garden stays uncluttered and nothing went to waste. Youngest members of bonsai clubs is a great place to gift plants you don’t want. Most of the time they are beyond happy to have something to grow.. also they have more passion to invest and you cultivate learning since most material gifted away is problematic material…

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Sounds like a good system. I've 'kicked' some of my 'trash' trees out of my grow bed, to make room for better 'trash' trees! I'm still at the stage where I am pleased with and enjoy many of the trees that I've developed from humble garden center material. However, I wonder if my bonsai 'taste' might become more refined with time, and that one day I might decide everything I've created isn't that great, and will need to start fresh with better material - it's hard to predict what I'll be thinking in 5-10 years...

[@imcoolboi-tq6zb]

@@BonsaiNorthwest it’s very true your style will emerge and evolve and your starter trees will not emulate this feel… It just happens with learning the trees and how you change and feel year to year. A story will be eventually told that’s different than the one you started. But that is also the same process as bonsai is… Starting as one form emerging as another and shedding all that wasn’t needed to make it as soon as it was possible. You’ll die with thousands of trees I bet with that mindset.

[@johnswn255]

Yew berries are the only part that are now poisonous

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

Yes, and apparently it's only the pit or seed within the red berry that is poisonous, not the outside fleshy part.

[@MARZILLI]

THREW IT AWAY? That was liberating? Give it to someone who might love it, thats liberating…

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

@@MARZILLI I suppose I might have found a home for it with some effort, but yes, definitely liberating - taking care of a plant that I didn't really want for over a decade represents a lot of wasted time and energy. To realize that I didn't need to do that anymore was liberating. It was almost deeper than simply plant care...being able to free myself from a burden (albeit small) was a real relief. I realize many might find my attitude callous or environmentally unfriendly. I'm not advocating for thoughtlessly killing plants, but rather valuing your energy and time, which is precious. I didn't mention it in the video but the schefflera in question was declining anyway, so not really a plant I'd want to give anyone anyway. I think gifting someone an unhealthy plant would have been more worse.

[@MARZILLI]

@@BonsaiNorthwest You spend your free time caring for what looks like a bunch of plants so who am I to know what that’s like… I just thought you having a love for plants that maybe you would have given it away… However, I only care for a dozen plants at a time… I didn’t mean to sound like a hater… In retrospect I totally understand… ❤️

[@BonsaiNorthwest]

@@MARZILLI No offense taken! I can see how it might seem incongruous that a "plant person" like me who enjoys caring for plants would advocate killing plants! I appreciated your comment because it made me think more deeply about why it can be liberating to get rid of plants and stuff in general - it wasn't really about the plant for me. And you're right - it is gratifying to gift plants to people (as long as they really want the plant! I never really wanted that schefflera!). So now I've come full circle... 🤔