Japanese Maple Winter Maintenance in 5 steps (Also for other deciduous bonsai)

[@alanjay5228]

Another great video, thank you 🙏. And moving the branch before you wire it , it’s do obvious now you’ve pointed it out 😩. It’s these lovely tips that keep me coming back to your lessons. 👍

[@laddieokelley6095]

Glad to see someone else uses an oversize quality pot during the developmental stage. Here in the U.S. some people assume that an exhibited tree always looks the way it does in exhibition. My thought is that a live, healthy tree is better than one in a shallow pot, perhaps not flourishing.

[@GrowingBonsai]

A bonsai has several stages of development. And indeed, some bonsai have a pot JUST for showing. So 360 days a year they are in a slightly large pot, and only for a show they are put into a size smaller.

[@jimhorton3704]

@@laddieokelley6095 another option is to build a wooden grow box for a tree in development. You can make it specific to the requirements of that tree. This approach has become very popular in the US Pacific Northwest.

[@GrowingBonsai]

yeah, I am also using growboxes here and there. But the large shallow plastic containers work so well..

[@alandouthwaite6980]

Thanks for the most informative video I have seen regarding winter trimming. I feel ready to tackle the job and am looking forward to making a start on a job I knew needed doing but hadn't much idea what to do.

[@GrowingBonsai]

have fun!

[@JohnThurlbeck]

NIce one, Jelle! Have a very Happy New Year, and here's to many more videos in 2025! Thank you for all your ideas, advice and inspiration in 2024!👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Same to you!

[@michaelparkey1580]

So timely and helpful! It inspires me to work my maples.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Wonderful!

[@scheers100]

Thank you for all your informative and inspiring video’s in 2024! Happy new year!!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@nerinat8371]

Great explanation Jelle, love my Maples. Thanks so much

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sueb1317]

Much appreciated tutorial! Cleaning up stubs is something I always forget about - so much easier to see now. Very best wishes for 2025!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad it was helpful! Have a great 2025

[@Bonsai_Noob]

I'll have to revisit this in 6 months when we are in winter. That maple is looking nice :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

:) Enjoy summer then!

[@jeffhurst4744]

Always good advice and details on why you trim/wire Maples in this season. I learned more on this one. Happy New Year. Looking forward to followup videos on it.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad it was helpful! Let's see whether there is a follow-up on this anytime soon. I do not have one planned.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

A nice detailed explanation and I liked that you gave the warning abnout frost dangers. All the best for New year Jelle :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Have a great transition into 2025!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@GrowingBonsai Is that a bonsai joke :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Nah, just wishing you well!

[@mick681]

A great tutorial Jelle Very informative and easy to understand. Have a Happy New Year.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@stuartbaines2843]

Brave man 😮 my trees would loose many more buds so I leave this work till spring. Do some in Autumn if needed.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, if it gets really cold this can be a bit much!

[@stuartbaines2843]

@@GrowingBonsai I have been struggling with the Winter Wet 💦💦💦 You might like to know in part I think my Coir is Too finely milled.

[@jaiprakashpathak8974]

Wonderful exhibition👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks for visiting

[@dricus7378]

Alvast een gelukkig nieuwjaar en bedankt voor alle video’s van afgelopen jaar..👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thx! Goede wisseling!

[@pjqziggy]

Great stuff Jelle. I have half a dozen Maple that need attention. Thought I would trim in Spring. I'll get on that tomorrow. Gelukkig nieuwjaar!

[@GrowingBonsai]

You CAN also wait.

[@pjqziggy]

@@GrowingBonsai Just a thinning at this time. 👍

[@elgalanelgalan4651]

Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge. Happy New Year 🎉

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@randysmith1723]

Very nice! Thanks for all the education! Happy New Year to you and yours!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Have a great transition into 2025!

[@robertobreglia9224]

Thank you for this very interesting video,happy new year!👍👍🎊

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you too, for visiting!

[@jeffwatts4264]

Another great video, thanks

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Albanus35]

Hey Jelle, clean and objective.Happy new year.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@dkstott29]

Great tutorial video..👍👍😊

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@zen-da-bonsai-ko]

Indeed, a very good wiring tip 😁

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@gwenael28]

Nice video once again👍, happy new year Jelle!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Enjoy the transition into 2025!

[@dermo1981]

Happy new year Jelle! Thanks for sharing 👌

[@GrowingBonsai]

Have a great end-of-year!

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Great tips and informative video. Happy New Year Jelle!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year!

[@mattygroves]

12:41 This is a good tip about wiring with the branch already in place. It's difficult to do because one has to hold the branch in place while applying the wire. But it is worth doing when possible; it seems to hold more firmly.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, I find it leads to less obvious scarring. But I might be fooling myself there!

[@maryweber4176]

Great tip to use the drainage hole as an anchor for the guy wire.

[@GrowingBonsai]

:) I imagined this would be a new one for many :)

[@rebeccahunter725]

Another lovely video, thank you! I actually like the wiring you have done - sometimes on maples people put stronger bends and wiggles; which look uncomfortable and unnatural to my eye. You have introduces soft curves which I think will mature nicely! I am currently frustrated with my shin deshojo airlayer that is stubbornly refusing to push roots. (mid summer). I am thinking I need to recut the callus and use more rooting hormone . . .

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you! I find patience works well too. But.. Make sure the bark has not closed over the wound again!

[@goo757]

very pretty tree 🥰

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you! 🤗 You should see it in spring!

[@malsrfun2956]

Great information. Thank you! 😊

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Happy New Year Jelle!!!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Same to you!

[@johncreet1254]

Very useful post for me; thank you. I have a small maple and have been wondering if I should be doing this type of work on it now.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yes you can, as long as you can protect it from deep frost. (And even then.. It depends on how gentle you are with your trees whether is causes any real problems. Branches bend continuously.. )

[@PhillipWaterman-f9u]

Happy new year jelle hope you have a good new year thanks

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy new year to you too!!

[@rollmop99]

Glad you mentioned moving the branch, then wiring- that is what I do but no-one ever apparently mentions it! Stops the wiring being slack in the wrong areas. After all, we're actually just trying to move branches into the best places, not follow some dogma. The other thing I'm interested in, but not sure of, is frost. I currently live in a mountain area where it gets extremely cold, but it's dry. So things freeze (like rootballs and presumably the whole tree), but there are not really ever frost crystals on the surface of needles etc. I wonder if anyone has input on whether, from the tree perspective, that actually makes any difference?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I am afraid it does not make a difference. The tree just is affected by the cold. The work we do to the trees may trigger the tree into repairing and thus becoming more active. This means les frost-hardiness. Whether or not there is ice on the outside does not matter much. In fact I prefer a little ice, as protection agains dry winds.

[@rollmop99]

@@GrowingBonsai yeah, I was thinking same, and thanks for you personal input. I try to leave the snow (when it does) on the pots, in the crackpot theory that perhaps it provides insulation and prevents _even colder_ roots. But I suspect the important thing is that they either are, or are not, frozen, and not whether they are -1 or -10

[@GrowingBonsai]

@@rollmop99 The coldness matters. There are "kill temperatures", at which roots die. Often around -10C. Leaving pots on the ground and allowing them to be covered with snow will VERY effectively insulate the pot from the coldspikes. Under a few inches of snow temperature never drops much below freezing it seems.

[@rollmop99]

that's a very useful reply. I think you said you were a biologist in one of your videos- I'm guessing that some cells start to really die at given temps? Or probably some chemical I don't know, becomes dominant and stops erm, new cells being created?

[@GrowingBonsai]

@@rollmop99 I think it has to do with the concentration of chemicals in the cells. They act as an anti-freeze. But at a certain temperature the liquids do start crystallizing and break the cell walls.

[@michelkoistra7831]

Thanks for sharing

[@GrowingBonsai]

My pleasure

[@kylepurvis6231]

Happy new year Jelle, have you tried using the kelp foliage feeding on any of your trees? The research shows it has the benefit of causing shortening of internodes by interrupting auxins in the terminal buds. I noticed you have similar challenges with your maples and some long internodes thought if this works it might be worth adding the protocol. Apparently the research is from Hollands greenhouse operations. Thanks for the video, they’re really great to share with my club.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I have not tried it. In the end, short internodes is just part of the process of refinement. Over time as the tree gets to a higher development state the growth will slow down. I am not too concerned to be honest.

[@joint-heirwithchrist5241]

My trees are under leaf mulch and snow right now. It gets about -20 for a couple weeks some years more. can I keep them in a shed? I thought they needed to be grounded for the roots sake. Thanks Jelly always enjoy your tutelage.

[@GrowingBonsai]

brrrr! You could keep them in a shed if you wanted to. But do keep them near freezing or they still will wake up. I am lucky most winters with only light frosts!

[@Chris-oq6kn]

Great tips! On a maple if i have buds at the end of the branch and no buds back further along the branch and cut back say midway along the branch will that kill the branch similar to a conifer or is there any chance that brqnch may get budback at all? And if so is there a better shot at budback if i do it in the spring? Thanks and have a merry new year!🎉🎉 🦴👁🔛

[@GrowingBonsai]

you need to check. Maples only create buds at the nodes. So if you have no nodes between the base of the branch and the current growing tip, the branch will die to the base. If there are nodes it will sprout from those. You can do it now, or you can let the tree grow in spring, and then partially defoliate and prune back.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@GrowingBonsai thank u. Yea i have a few major branches and no nodes behind the tips so i guess i cant do anything to those branches for now. Whats the best way to get nodes on those bare branches u think?

[@GrowingBonsai]

You cannot create nodes. But this might be a misunderstanding of the word node. Node is the place where leaves were attached. That is where maples have dormant buds. In 1 - 2 weeks I will release a video on chasing die-back (I think that is what I am calling it). It shows in more detail.

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@GrowingBonsai great! I was wondering also have u ever cut a small branch off of the same maple and grafted it back to the trunk in a spot where u need a branch? I see alot of people like to use the thread graft approach. I collect alot of unique maples i would say and sometimes i need a branch on the trunk in an open space area.

[@renatosalmaso7375]

👏👏👏

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@edgarrousselin6075]

Hello! Thanks for this post, I was very hesitant about doing anything to my mapples during winter. I'm very new, and I have 2 mapples that I started this past summer. I was wondering the best time to air layer, the one mapple is very long and I could easily make another tree. I had read about different seasons to do that but I would like to know your opinion about a best time to get started. Thx

[@GrowingBonsai]

Welcome here! Airlayers work best if put in place when the tree has really started growing in spring.

[@edgarrousselin6075]

@GrowingBonsai I really appreciate the quick response, thank you! I subscribed and I am eager to see more content. Happy new year!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy 2025!

[@Benw3790]

Cheers Jelle! There is a lot of conflicting information about winter pruning. A lot of people in America, say to trim, immediately after leaf drop so that your deciduous trees do not bleed. I’ve done this kind of trimming right after leaf drop and even at this time of year and haven’t had any problems with “bleeding” I always leave a stub for dieback. The stubs always die back and I can clip them in spring when buds start swelling. Do you experience any problems with sap or bleeding when you cut right now?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I have no problem with sap now. In february the roots will once again start pushing fluids and then some bleeding may occur when pruning. But, even then I am not concerned. It is mostly water and the tree can easily handle things.

[@KurisuBonsai]

Audio is nice

[@GrowingBonsai]

Good to hear, thank you! Been struggling with the audio tracks

[@JustcallmeDebbieB]

Looking for info on propagating. Ty

[@GrowingBonsai]

I think this will get you going for propagation of maples in winter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKrRmYmnrdGnd80

[@professore_tv]

Quando consigli di tagliare rami di grosse dimensioni? Bisogna lasciare un moncone oppure tagliare a filo con il tronco?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I prefer big cuts in spring, as the tree is growing. I do not leave a stub at that time.

[@snox7320]

Did you do this all after leaf drop or weeks after , just wondering regards the branch cuts ...cheers .

[@GrowingBonsai]

I do this from dropping of leaves untill I am done with my trees. This sort of work I still do now as I am not done for the season.

[@joannebramwell821]

Another great video , thanks 😊, when do you perform bigger cuts? When you repot in spring or after the first flush ?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Big cuts either with a stump in winter, and cleanup over summer, or straight away in late spring / summer.

[@nicoseb]

Just a question : have you a translating audio plugin on your chanel ? I ear an AI voice in french of your audio 😅

[@GrowingBonsai]

YT offers the option of a voiceover. It is your youtube setting whether you want it or not, as far as I know!

[@nicoseb]

@@GrowingBonsai the function has disappeared 🤔 no menu aviable anymore . Maybe it was a test

[@GrowingBonsai]

I switched it off, as I was even getting emails with complaints!

[@SharleaneBailey]

I’m thinking the picture along with a journal of future plans would be beneficial. Would that be the case? I’m only saying that because I have problems with my memory and I will forget my future plans.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I do not to be honest. But then again, I can still remmeber my plans with my trees!

[@professore_tv]

Perché non è disponibile la traccia audio in italiano?

[@GrowingBonsai]

I have been getting lots of complaints about the automated translations and decided to switch them off for now.

[@zimartiste1]

Lol, your surname with this french translate is Jela....so, i prefer your real voice....you can imagine the rest of your explainations...but, thank you for your video...👋👌👍

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thx. Is it easy to get YT to use the original audio? Or should I switch translations off completely?

[@zimartiste1]

@@GrowingBonsai No, it's very easy...don't panik

[@thomassiebenburgen6464]

Hi Jelle! Is your hairdresser sick 🤣? You are in a need to contact him... Happy new year, happiness and satisfaction. Greetings from Germany, Thomas

[@GrowingBonsai]

nope