Growing Starter Material for Bonsai | Q&A

Hi everyone! In today's Q&A, we'll discuss the best starter material for bonsai, how to work with nursery stock, starting a bonsai from a seedling, bonsai zones, and more. As always, please feel free to comment your suggestions and help out our bonsai community, as well as leave me questions for my next Q&A.
0:00 Introduction
0:45 Best material for staring a bonsai farm
2:30 How to maintain nursery stock roots
4:11 Bonsai outdoors in winter
6:04 How to start bonsai from seedling
7:41 Moving through bonsai zones
9:02 Air layering live oak tree
11:13 Planting tree in sphagnum moss
12:08 Working on mini bonsai
To stay up to date on my bonsai, which will be available for purchase later this year, please sign up for my emails at bonsaiheirloom.com.
Be a part of my bonsai community! You can also find me here:
- / bonsaiheirloom
- / bonsaiheirloom
- / bonsaiheirloom
Questions about your bonsai? Leave a comment below or you can reach out to me at [e-mail]. I'll do my best to help!
#bonsai #plants #gardening #bonsaitree #bonsaitreesforbeginners #plantcare #gardeningtips #howtobonsai #tutorial #howto #questionsandanswers #tipsforbeginners #bonsaitechniques #mapletree #nurserytrees #tree #seedlings #bonsaiforbeginners #bonsaitreecare #bonsaitreemaking #bonsaigarden #bonsaiheirloom #bonsaiplant #bonsaicollection #miltonchang #entrepreneur #bonsaimaster

[@WolfgangKeim1]

For the topic of handling the cold weather during winter I would suggest to leave the plants that are native to your region always outside. The biggest risk during cold winters is that the roots dry out. To prevent this it’s good to put the trees in a in a shady place on the ground that is safe from wind. It’s also good practice to put snow on the trees. This way, if temperatures rise, the trees will get water from the melting snow automatically. Another risk is that trees wake up from the dormancy period before winter is over and freeze again and lose their energy by leafing out too early. Therefore, you should try to keep the trees dormant by providing a constant temperature below 46°F until spring. Keeping them in a green house can therefore be risky. If the sun shines, it can get pretty warm in there. Some people also burry their bonsai pots in the ground to prevent the roots from drying out. Insulating the trees won’t really help, as the trees don’t produce heat.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you…several really good points! I tend to think burying it in the ground is not a bad idea, aside from it being a lot of work. One can assume the ground is a bit warmer than outside temperature, and that’s enough to prevent the rootball from freezing over. Thanks you SO much for being a constructive force of our community!.

[@hexr6637]

You are right a layer of snow will never hurt my Juniper Procumbens for they are shrubs bushes as a matter of fact they look beautiful outside in the winter

[@theodorsimion]

I have been growing a Boxwood in moss for the past 2 years and an Azalea for about 6 months. Both plants were hedges in my yard and I planted them in moss after uprooting to stimulate root growth. I will be repotting them in the bonsai soil mix (the mix Mr. Chang mentioned in a few of his videos) in a couple moths. I recommend using a deeper pot when planting in moss.

[@100lols]

Thank you so much for your time and energy Mr. Chang!!! It’s hard to express how grateful I am for all of this free and experience driven information. You are helping grow the hobby beautifully.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I'm so happy to hear this! Have fun with your bonsai!

[@kennethjones6045]

I live in Carson City Nevada. I've lived in cold climates for over 30 years. I grow bonsai that are very hardy. Some of the varieties are Amur Maple, Limber pine, Japanese black pine a few Japanese maples. There are others but all are very hardy. I break down my benches and place the bonsai into deep leaves and leaf mold, covering the tress up to the bottoms of the branches. The trees do freeze. Sometimes below 0 F temperatures. I have found that it's not the freeze that kills. It's freeze and thaw. Hope this helps. I also teach bonsai at a local nursery. I stay away from marginal materials. The closest I grow is the Japanese Black pine that is kinda marginal.

[@MiltonChang-ee6rq]

Thank you for the feedback...helpful!

[@hexr6637]

Mr Chang thank you for all your professional information you're a big motivation in my life to continue my bonsai Journey

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Wow, thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you are enjoying bonsai! Best wishes!

[@user-rj5ob9tf6u]

Hi; I am in eastern Canada - winters are long and cold . My trees spend them in unheated attached garage : conifers near a window , while deciduous ones ( larch, maple etc) don’t need any light when they have no leaves. I put fresh snow on each pot - when the temp goes above freezing, it melts and waters them.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for sharing! Hopefully this helps other people in similar climates.

[@ChrisMarrero75]

Thank you again. I am going try to air layer 20+ trees this spring. Chinese elm, lots of Maple, this Beautiful green Japanese Maple with super tiny leaves that my neighbor wants to cut down and I want it :) and an oak. I will keep a picture journal of it.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Sounds like a great project! Please keep me updated on your progress!

[@sagebonsai]

Here in Utah I find if you wrap your pots with some bubble wrap prevents your pots from bursting. This year I had the luxury of putting some in a cheap greenhouse but leaving door unzipped. I only had two pots that wasn't cold resistant that broke. I also hear people burying their pots or some covering them with leaves.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for sharing your experience!

[@ChannelSobari]

Thank you shering tips bonsai

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Most welcome!

[@joegarland4885]

In the U.K. we have very wet periods which do more damage to bonsai in the winter than the cold. Most of my trees, I have over 80 I leave out all winter, I do put some trees that are a bit less hardy I keep in my unheated green house, they all over winter fine, in very windy periods I take all the trees off the stands and place them on the gravel ground. A couple bits of advice never trust the rain to water your trees in the summer they may look wet but under the top soil they could be dry, believe me I know from experience, the second piece of advice is don’t mollycoddle your trees by over messing with them, do what the tree needs and leave it alone, beginners who have just one or two trees tend to want to work on them all the time ( I did in the beginning) this may be good for you but not the tree, just enjoy looking at them until they absolutely need working on.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Good point! Constant cutting would surely slow down growth…and good to know what people constantly do.

[@mikec3820]

in cold winter bonsai. i use the south wall(most sunny) put pots on the ground up next to the wall.i dont use too small of a bonsai or training pot. also try to stick with native. naturalized. or the cold hardy species. my tropicals live under grow lights all winter . im zone 6a in the husdon valley so we get huge snow fall

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Make sense! Thanks for sharing!

[@Jhon.channel]

Thank you for sharing a cool video, about your understanding and knowledge about Bonsai, you are a great Bonsai expert ❤❤

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Mini (bean) bonsai are great for the elderly to do. Especially those with arthritis. You can keep the mini in a small pot with the pot sitting on a tray of soil that has drainage. That way if the pot starts to dry the roots can go into the soil in the tray for water. Also helps the tree to get stronger and you can then cut the roots in the soil for show. Just some thoughts.

[@mikec3820]

i love mrs ohno and bonsai Q channel too lol

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

I put my trees in milk crates that are lined with half to one inch foam with landscape fabric on the bottom for drainage. I place the pot in it with soil all around the pot and cover it with leaves and place it in the microclimate(under my boxwoods). I also use old coolers and make drainage holes in them and place the trees in them covered with leaves in the microclimate and they survive. Sometimes it gets -6F/-21C and they survive. I also have a willow in my waterfall (3 tier type) that I use for and just use a bubbler on the bottom and chicken wire on the top of the fall to catch the snow and this will, 3 years now, survived the winters. Just some thoughts from the windy city.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for sharing! Do you think it is a lot easier to understand if I say bury your bonsai in 6” of sawdust or snow…compost or anything?

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

@@bonsaiheirloom Yes. I just bury them also in the ground and cover the top with leaves. For me the leaves make a good insulation. With 4 dogs, I have to put them in the lined milk crates. Some buried in the crate with soil and then leaves covering the tops. Compost, I don't know. When it does snow I also shovel some on top of the ones that do not have any in the microclimate.

[@thejuanderful]

For cold hardy plants that tolerate freezing it's important that you don't let the roots dry out before freezing. Protecting the plant from the cold wind can also be vital to ensuring your plant survives a cold snap. Some kind of protection to mimic being covered in an insulating blanket of snow is also a good idea because of the exposed nature of bonsai pots. Basically treat them as if it's several degrees colder than it actually is.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you for sharing your experience. I would also add--cover your bonsai trunk down with saw dust, snow, wood chip, soil, mulch...…anything to present the roots from freezing over.

[@shebnumi]

As for airlayering of Oaks, it can be done, but it takes them a long time to produce roots from the cut. The best way is by finding saplings already growing or for acorns.

[@MiltonChang]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@IEATCHAIR]

For my trees ( mulberry, hemlock, Japanese maple, amur maple, pine and apples) I put them in a cluster, on the floor infront of the plant bench, bury them with the leaves on my property and thats it. Havent lost a trees yet (and it has gotten down to minis 35/40 in previous years). That being said i have had pots split with this method. So i use micra or plastic.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MDMARaver]

Thank you sir! Your insights are really helpful.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you find them helpful!

[@clintonwalsh4913]

In a future, Q&A can you talk about rock plating or slab planting. I'm in the process of attempting this and I would like another perspective on it

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Sure…easier than you think…please stay tuned!

[@H-T-HUYNH2020]

Thanks for your video 🎉

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for watching!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Great Q&A session as always with some great information.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tobyg5073]

Thank you 🙏

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Any time!

[@alambonsaiofficial]

Terima kasih telah berbagi pengalaman tentang tanaman bonsai

[@arirart]

Nice bonsai👍👍

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thank you!

[@arirart]

@@bonsaiheirloom You're welcome

[@jerezindraj6723]

Hello Dr. Chang. When is your Video coming out on Specifically Bonsai Tools and on Bonsai Tool Brands? Thank you.

[@mattbrennan647]

Foisting 😊

[@ericrosado1527]

I really enjoy your videos. Thank you for providing us with such wonderful information. I live in zone 7a here in NW Arkansas what kind of plant should I start with? Thanks for your help.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Lowest temperature in Zone 7A is 5-10 F. So you do have to winterize your trees (simplest way is to cover with mulch). Since you are starting…I suggest elm, zelkova, juniper and Pine. Best of luck!

[@ericrosado1527]

@bonsaiheirloom Thnak you for the recommendations. I did plan on going with Juniper to start so I feel better about that. I love your channel and I admire the work you do. Blessings

[@stantschoepe4365]

I live in corpus christi tx , during the really hot days what should I do on taking care of them? Also what trees would be great for these temperatures?

[@trevorclark6038]

Hello I live in England the UK and it gets cold here it gets to minus 6 to 8 below and my trees freeze but I put my Tridents and Chinese Elm in my greenhouse I all so put my Azaleas in the greenhouse but everything else stay out side.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for sharing what you do! Hopefully, your advice will help others who live in similar climates!

[@williamscott791]

Have the winners for the giveaway been announced with the email and is the email coming from bonsai heirloom ?

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, all 10 winners have been contacted via email. Thank you to everyone who participated!

[@fredgrech1498]

Hi Mr Chang is there a way that we send you photos of trees and get feedback on them Regards Fred

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, feel free to email me at [e-mail] and I will do my best to help!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@amysbees6686]

Can you create bonzai from flowering trees or shrubs?

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes! I addressed this question in my last Q&A :)

[@charlesmaunder]

Someone has probably already addressed this but just in case. Zone 10 is much milder than Zones 5 and 6. You must have gotten it all turned around somehow.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I appreciate the clarification! I am here to learn from you guys too :)

[@OutsidethePot]

Good video. But bonsai becoming as popular as house plants, hum bonsai takes some work and investigation to do and people are lazy. I’m in my tree studio every day working on all sorts of things related to bonsai. Most people I know can barely remember to feed there pets. Bonsai is best done by people that are obsessed by it. Lol.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Have faith in people bro!