Bonsai Trunk Field Winter Maintenance

[@GrowingBonsai]

Do you field grow bonsai trunks too? Any tips or take-aways that were new? Recommendations for me? Leave me a comment!

[@kliether33]

I've had a few chinese elms spring up in my front yard via natural seeding and so now I am just pruning them with my electric hedge trimmer to keep them about 2ft tall. Takes about 30 seconds every 6 months. :D Eventually I will pull them and refine them into broom style trees.

[@ludwigcodjambassis8866]

@@GrowingBonsai its working with me so far...I have alnus glutinosa ( Uk, but grows everywhere) Betula pendula, Norhofagus antarctica Jus a base of cardboard (for young trees)that decompose soon I'm making shape and cutting roots in the same field, is working fast So far, but None yet in finishing

[@laddieokelley6095]

The French have an old saying: il faut souffrir pour être belle, or one must suffer to be beautiful. Jelle, I think that's what this video is about. I don't remember another video that treats field work so thoroughly. You offer a valuable overview, and probably open a few eyes of those of us who used to believe bonsai work is something that happens on a bench.

[@GrowingBonsai]

:) Thank you so much. And indeed! Sometimes things have to be ugle to be prettier later on! I am always amazed how many people think that putting a pant in the ground magically transforms it into a good trunk!

[@severalmalfunctions]

I don't know why, but I love the growing bed videos. Maybe it is because I live in a big city now and I miss the countryside.

[@GrowingBonsai]

The inner farmer waking up?

[@JaniLaaksonen91]

These growing bed videos are real inspiration juice for me! RIP spade! I made a growing bed two years ago and next spring is the first root prune for many of the trees. Friends dog dug up one juniper last spring so cleaned up its tap root that was dead below the main plane where I had put a gurdle the year before, when I had found it as a yamadori. Have you ever stepped on a tree accidentally in your growing bed? My bed is still so small that I don't need to step inside. I can still barely reach from the sides.

[@MartijnSinkeler]

I love the growing bed you have Jelle! Nice to see how things are progressing there. It’s handy to hear your tips and tricks for field growing young material. It’s really nice to have something in the ground for future bonsai. I have some back yards I can use as “growing beds” with friends. They like to have some green in their garden (and don’t really do to much with it theirselves) and I replace once and a wile one interesting trunk with a new whip or a bonsai that can use some extra growing or healing from scars. That’s how everyone benefits from it as I regularly tidy up things in their gardens as well. :)

[@alanjay5228]

By far the best bonsai video tutorials, keep up the excellent work Jelle !

[@GrowingBonsai]

Wow, thanks!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I love this kind of work from developing bonsai. Lots of great potential future material developing rapidly. 👍

[@Hollylivengood]

That beech looks so good. Can't wait to see it featured a year from now.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I doubt it will be! This is a tree that will not stay with me long-term (Unless it is one of the bloodred beeches I planted). I have much better beeches already

[@thirstforwine]

Thanks for posting this. It gave me the confidence to go out and seriously chop the trees I put in this spring, some of which had really grown. Hoping to see great results worth sharing one day

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad I could help!

[@shanejacobs2443]

Dr jelle,I have been a fan of yours since discovering you a few years ago and appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge of bonsai as seen by your study and knowledge and it sure makes bonsai a better space like you have done with the world in your profession life👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@a.wartongarden1957]

Jelle... Thanks very much for this video... I learned a lot.... When you cut the 80mm trunk above bottom-most branch... It was a "gosh! " moment... 👏👏 New Year resolution is now ' I must be bolder with the cutting back'

[@GrowingBonsai]

Ideally I should have done a few years earlier though!

[@Danonito_flavor]

just had my first season with bonsai projects on the ground and its so rewarding ! As someone else mentioned I would also apply cut paste to some trees. Maples, elms etc dont need it for sure but prunus is very susceptible to fungal issues from open wounds. Prunus are finicky in general so I give them the utmost care.

[@GrowingBonsai]

true. Just.. A lot of studies indicate that free growing trees are capable of dealing with cuts better without paste

[@BenshobbyStuff]

great video mate and youre inspiring me to plant in the ground :)

[@claudioestrada1671]

Great work Jelle! See you at The Trophy, if you plan to attend.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Absolutely will! In the afternoons I will be on stage with the demonstrators!

[@ernsttencate6699]

Ik ben jaloers ik wil ook zo'n groeiveldje. Hele leuke video. 👍👍👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

naja, gewoon doen!

[@deancoffey4991]

Great video. This is the stuff no one talks about...

[@knowfear100]

My own bonsai in the ground growing allotment is looking good and I ll be lifting and re planting a fair few of my deciduous trees this month- if in doubt go low! Thank you

[@GrowingBonsai]

Best of luck!

[@CarlBridge58]

Very informative and "awakening" almost. Y just collected two field maples and planted them in large pots. Maybe what I should do is grow them in the field in my property as they still need a bit of development. I've seen the "light", thank you ! See you soon in Belgium, The Trophy is coming up fast!

[@GrowingBonsai]

See you in Belgium! There is always more growing. Do not fall into the trap of just keeping trees in the ground!

[@nicolejordan3270]

Perfect timing! Ive been looking for how to get a few yamadori trees into better shape for taking. I can't see how the circle cutting wouldn't promote more compact roots. Thanks for the awesome videos!!!

[@kubawojciechowski6212]

Patience is a virtue. Which I do not posses :D Still, each year even some (potted) trees still surprise me with how much growth & thickening they can pump out in a single season. I wish you a successful 2025 growing season :)

[@davidsitrinovich9592]

Thank you so much for the video. Special for the needle trees and Juniperus. Have a good and lovely year

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@PhillipWaterman-f9u]

Nice job jelle keep up the good work my friend thanks

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Another interesting video. Have you observed any difference in doing this hard pruning and root lifting if you did this in late winter/early spring?

[@GrowingBonsai]

To be honest, nope. I do *think* that doing it earlier in winter results in better rooting in spring, as we have generally long mild periods and only short intermittent real frost phases!

[@rebeccahunter725]

My grow bed is currently suffering through a hot and dry early summer. I will swap you a little of your rain for some of my warmth!!

[@GrowingBonsai]

DEAL!

[@rebeccahunter725]

@@GrowingBonsai You are magic, the temperature has dropped and we have rain!!! (not much, but I am not complaining . . .)

[@LoveBonsai902]

Thanks again Jelle for a very informative video. I am at the stage of 2,3 &4yr trees grown from seedlings. I knew I had to tackle them soon, so you appeared with the tips I needed! Can’t wait to dive in & get started with my new secateurs from Xmas now! 😊 Can I also ask is it ok to start repotting deciduous bonsai already in pots? Happy New Year, may it be a successful & happy one for you 🎉

[@GrowingBonsai]

I repot yearroud, but it does not speed up things doing it now. Trees will just have open wounds longer, untill growing starts. So there is little benefit to starting early

[@LoveBonsai902]

Thanks for your reply Jelle. That’s ok I just have a lot to repot so wanted to get going on them early!!

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

This must take a lot of time to tend properly! I did plant some plum trees in the ground. I have 3 left alive so far as the others all have been run over by snow machines. I really should have fenced off that area. I did not think they would go so close to the rock pile as they never have in previous years. Hopefully you can get your spade repaired. Here it is difficult to find new handles as people just throw things out rather than repair them. Sometimes I end up making my own handles. Actually, some of the trunks you cut look thick enough to make a handle! Haha!

[@GrowingBonsai]

yeah, at times it is a handfull. I know, some of these could make a handle..

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Nice job Jelle 👊👊

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you!

[@robstanley559]

Great video thanks Jelle 👍🏻

[@lolpwndk]

Do you start the trees with them growing on a tile at all? some of the nebari you pulled out looked very good!

[@GrowingBonsai]

I have done so, but I am finding this to not really be needed with regular drastic rootwork. It does create a moisture barrier, which is not very usefull when I do not have irrigation, and we get an early dry spring. So I stopped. However, in my garden at home I still have some tiles in place.

[@MrYamadori12]

Will be doing this in my backyard lol. Hopefully I’ll get my own land in a couple of years.” 😊

[@GrowingBonsai]

fingers crossed!

[@virolfestrellado9425]

Wow great work Jelle, I've wish I have a growing field for bonsai materials. BTW, you don't look like a man with a 30yo spade 😅. I guess growing bonsai gives off stress reliever.😊 Happy new year to you Sir. Till your next video.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, it is nearer to a 40 year old spade tbh. Lets say.. my pension is nearer than my PhD :)

[@hsvfanjan17]

Great video, always love field grown bonsai videos! Around 6:00 it looks like you remove all of the Juniper's foliage, am I missing something here? I always thought they'd die without their foliage or is that different for growing in the ground? Also, RIP Jelle's shovel

[@GrowingBonsai]

Na, they are RIP too. I wanted to remove them!

[@mikec3820]

happy new years jelle! you should use the sho sugi bon burn technique on your wooden handles. that plus a little linseed oil makes the handle last forever . i have a few trees in the ground now. yew. elm and jpm. hope to plant some more this spring. juniper and holly

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hahaha, I do not know what happened there. I did the count back. Got this for my birthday from my parents in 1986. So it lasted 38 years, without any special care :)

[@Darkfire1300]

You must have started with bonsai about age 10!

[@ishamakkusu]

Great video Jelle - you're set for a lifetime with all that material! Do you worry about creating big wounds at this point of the year at all? Just thinking about a lack of healing, and wet and cold, risk of rot setting in.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I am not too worried. But to be honest, winters here have been e bit of a joke last years..

[@TheBigMeme67]

I put in 4 acer palmatum, 1 gingko, and 1 paperbark in the ground this year.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Great!

[@Chau574]

I'm wondering why you don't seem to use any wire in the really early development stage to create more movement? (Edit: I mean really close to the base.)

[@GrowingBonsai]

In the ground that does not make a lot of sense to me. It is a different route than pot-grown for me. As I am for taper, there is drastic cuts made throughout, negating wire effects.

[@marinkoruscic7024]

Dankeschön 😌

[@GrowingBonsai]

Danke dir!

[@gregoryh4601]

Sir jelle do you ever sell your Bonsai Field Trunks that has not been bonsai potted ? Thanks and ever sweet Video

[@GrowingBonsai]

I have been thinking about it. I just cannot be bothered with the whole digging posting online and sending!

[@jsnstamper]

Could you do this work on deciduous trees in large growing containers this time of year ?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Well.. I do this work now. However, if you only have a few trees, this sort of work can also wait untill after peak winter?

[@natedykstra1498]

Tell us how you really feel about your spade breaking

[@GrowingBonsai]

I was slightly annoyed, yeah!

[@nicoc357]

Frohes neues! Great vid, thank you. Would adding substrate into the ground (like pumice for example) not also improve nebari?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I very much doubt it. But give it a try and let me know!

[@adamlaughrey6368]

You can use that big oak trunk chop to replace your spade handle!

[@GrowingBonsai]

True! Great idea

[@sethdewoody8080]

If I'm understanding correctly this type of thing should only be done on deciduous trees in winter. Correct?

[@GrowingBonsai]

This drastic pruning is not good for evergreen coniferous!

[@sueb1317]

Happy 2025 Jelle! I really appreciated seeing this video. My grow area is tiny, but intensely utilized - these instructions will help maximize its potential. How cold do your winters generally get?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Normal winters go down to -5c, cold winters reach -15, -20C but the latter is once every 5-10 years

[@987654ok]

Nice video, which zone are you located in so you can prune in the middle of winter? Also do you use any sort of cut paste?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hey, I am in zone 7A. For field growing I do not use cutpaste

[@mehranaliyari9866]

Today, I brought home two maple saplings of different ages from near a riverbank. One probably is about 3 years, and the other is 5-7 years old. The older one seems to have lost its top several times but developed a strong root system. Is it possible for me to graft Japanese maple on them or not? First time uprooting a tree for bonsai. The roots of the bigger tree were more bent, but I straightened them as much as possible. Now I want to know how to do grafting. Never done it before. Is this the right time for grafting or not?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hm.. I am not sure it would take. Main question would be why you would?

[@massimiliano.giacometti]

Hi Jelle, great field growing. What about the tree at 8.30? Wouldn't you cut off the main top trunk at this stage? Thanks

[@ScottTheExperimentalist]

How old is the tree you removed with the broken spade?

[@GrowingBonsai]

These Yews are about 35, 40 years

[@ScottTheExperimentalist]

@ oh wow that’s some oldies

[@rayclark7963]

Is cutting ok if the ground is frozen?

[@GrowingBonsai]

tricky. I do do it, by my winters are mild.

[@rayclark7963]

@@GrowingBonsai Thanks

[@Bristolnick100]

Is there no danger to the roots from frost? (or is that just potted trees).

[@GrowingBonsai]

Not too much. In general, trees can take some frost. And most winters, we do not get extended periods of frost!

[@Bristolnick100]

@@GrowingBonsai Thanks Jelle!

[@Faequines_Bonsai]

What spacing do you use for your seeds and saplings and cuttings? Your grow bed looks fairly crowded, is it intentional? I'm about to start one aswell, but in a much colder climate - zone 3. Where seeds and prepared Bonsai stock will be used, so I'm trying to plan things right so they don't just die.

[@YoriichiTsugikuni4069]

Definitely use cut paste when you chop the trunk back to another living branch(Trust me I've killed quite a few trees by the wood drying up)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Interesting comment. I am not sure it is needed always. With trunks in the ground I rarely use it, and rarely have problems. But cuts however I make in early growing season when the trees are awake.

[@YoriichiTsugikuni4069]

@@GrowingBonsai Maybe it's the humidity around here? I mean we get to low 40% in March and April but other time it stays above 70%

[@nicoseb]

Demain il faudra aller acheter une nouvelle bêche pour les vingt prochaines années 😉

[@GrowingBonsai]

I did indeed :)

[@atomartin]

I hope your growing field is not some lost cemetery as it looks like

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thx.

[@page4938]

Wir kann ich es auf eine normale stimme umstellen

[@ralfbucher8658]

Sehr gutes Video und mit der Deutschen Übersetzung wird es für mich viel besser, mit Deutschem Untertitel war es sehr schwierig.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Freut mich!

[@thomaschiu435]

I was preparing a grow bed today, and my shovel also broke... 😅

[@GrowingBonsai]

Annoying!!

[@zimartiste1]

👋👌👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@aaronp3411]

If you’ve had that spade for 30 years, did you get it when you were 5? 😂

[@GrowingBonsai]

I calculated, and it was actually 40 years..

[@drfreddave9020]

You are so brutal. Poor trees.

[@GrowingBonsai]

keep that in mind when you are preparing dinner.

[@Darkfire1300]

Here, here Jelle!

[@rebeccahunter725]

Why watch a bonsai video if you are going to complain about bonsai process??

[@MrYamadori12]

@@GrowingBonsai I also wonder what his house is composed of 😅

[@ludwigcodjambassis8866]

Now I understand how you get so many plants for sample...I thought you were getting from somebody else...I have room, but for now I am just trying accomodations for seedlings cuttings, air layerings and so on...I have to urgently take my started plants to the field and clear my working areas....at least the not perennial ones...but too many are perennials in patagonia and not good for the little time of sun we have, with clear sky, an full of UV Radiation...these need a protected field...lot to do

[@GrowingBonsai]

to be honest.. I do not have any trees from my growfield on my benches! But yeah, big collection and a good network..