How to Bonsai a White Spruce Tree🌲(Picea Glauca)

[@bikegeist]

I wonder how many people have decided to start doing bonsai as a result of your videos. This was great.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thank you so much! 😄 I don't think Bonsai should be super complicated! 🌲✂️ It can be whenever we get into the science of the trees and horticultural knowledge but for beginners, sticking to the basics will work in making nice trees!

[@TheKippBot]

Your work is so beautiful Adam! It’s such an inspiration to get me to my local garden center or nursery and keep trying!

[@pnw_mossback]

So happy to see a video on picea! That's a great looking formal upright. Out west, we call these Alberta Spruce and theyre always a fun garden center project on the cheap around Christmas.

[@notionbonsai]

Ahh of course! Before making this video I was wondering what the difference is between the dwarf alberta and the white spruce! Turns out they're the same! 🌲

[@mick681]

Great video. I especially liked the way that you explained the two branch wiring principle. I don't think that I have ever seen anyone else explain it in this way.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks Mick! Glad it was helpful!

[@heatheryarbrough5255]

Beautiful. Your information makes me feel more confident in starting my own bonsai

[@jonathanaristone2468]

Adam, In order to show tree taper and age one can Jin all the top portion which was cut off. If its doesn't suit you later it can be altered.

[@notionbonsai]

This is an excellent idea Jonathan!! I will definitely keep this in mind when I move on to the refinement stages 😊

[@klebutbonsaiart1320]

Mantap kawan my bro😀

[@notionbonsai]

🤗

[@sharondellinger1656]

I just did my first picea, I dd pretty much the same thing you did. I wasn't sure I was correct in cutting the branches shorter, but there is no way to make a large tree with a thick trunk look right if you keep so much branch length. So I'm glad I ran across your video. Very informative.

[@notionbonsai]

Ahh nice one!! I hope it develops well for you!

[@Yurup]

Would really love to see a follow up on this in a while.

[@notionbonsai]

There will be one next spring when I give it a repot 😄 (or it may be on my instagram)

[@VoidloniXaarii]

I really appreciate your "why" insights

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks! I love to understand the whys in bonsai!

[@joegarland4885]

Hi Adam nice to see younger folk doing bonsai as I am now 80 with too many bonsai for my own good I am always interested in the videos that people put on KZbin, when I started in the early 80s there was no internet and no windows operating system or any other for that matter. So we had to learn through books and word of mouth what the basics of the art are all about. Good explanation from you into the styling art of bonsai, the only comment I would make is to have left a portion of the top of the tree to maybe make a driftwood style later on, it just gives you options. All the best. Joe. Great work though.

[@notionbonsai]

I really admire that Joe!! Thanks for that tip 😊 (also you can never have enough bonsai haha)

[@Chercher4848]

Another great video Adam. Thanks for sharing, I always learn something from you in ev video. 👍

[@michaelmott7402]

Great job on the white spruce. Explaining what you were doing wiring the branches and shaping well done keep up the great work Adam

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Michael! Thanks very much 😊

[@josephascroft4774]

Really good video, really enjoyed it

[@donaldslovey338]

Beautiful work I like that

[@mandyhernon2238]

Nice explanations and clear working. Rough weather over here, wind and rain so daily checks are required to make sure all is well. Keep growing xx

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks 🤗 Same over here at the moment Mandy! I get lucky some days that I can record!

[@natrjack965]

Great video Adam tree looks really nice 👍..

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Michael!

[@gayefanner731]

Hi Adam. New subscriber here. I somehow found you this morning n have now watched a couple of your vids. It’s so refreshing to find a knowledgeable AND articulate presenter! Thanx in advance for a weekend of binge watching in wet, wild n woolly Devon. God bless you 🙏✝️ ✌️🇷🇺☮️🇺🇦✌️

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Gaye. Welcome to the channel 😊 Thanks! Glad you enjoy!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

…and is also a wizard with the shooting and editing… 👍

[@gayefanner731]

You’re not wrong but he does have a BSc (Hons) in Media n Broadcasting plus another hugely successful KZbin channel !! ✌️

[@ArkansasBikernet]

Another great video!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Wally!

[@ronmercado3404]

Nice work.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Ron!

[@raymondplodzien7459]

I appreciate your videos so much. Great explanation and great demonstration Adam!

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you very much Raymond! Glad you like them 😄

[@duyhailuavlog]

Hello, I'm Việt Nam. Good bonsai❤🤝🤝🤝

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! Thanks 😊

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

The bent fork: an essential tool in the bonsai enthusiast’s arsenal 😀 As pointed out in other comments Adam, picea is frustrating in that it is a very flexible tree which will try to revert back to it’s original shape as soon as you remove the wire. You might unwire it, come back the next day, and it looks like you never wired it… 😮🤷 The greatest success was bending one with a severe bend by throwing a restrictive guide wire over the top/apex and cranking it down. As the tree grew the downward pressure increased giving a dramatic reshaping and the look of a low growing contorted pine rather than the traditional upright Christmas tree. 👍

[@notionbonsai]

I'll keep this in mind when I take the wire off! (Might make a cool timelapse springing back up lol) Thanks Jason!

[@philipwilliams5808]

The wire trick is exactly what I just started with an ex Christmas tree in the garden. How long will it be till it is possible to release and it won't spring back? I was thinking six months, am I being impatient? ?

[@johnrb9397]

Take one leader up and then turn it down will look more natural. Great work. Jesus bless you.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks for that tip John! I may do this in the future! Though I'm interested to see how a canopy develops without doing this. 😊 I tend to make leaders on my other trees like that

[@Raysbotanical]

Love all the information you share! Keep doing great work 👍 excited to see your collection continue ✨

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks Ray!! 😄😄

[@guysolis5843]

Good video, thanks for clarifying the whole process..

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks! Have you made many bonsai?

[@guysolis5843]

@@notionbonsai I collected some pieces when we were putting in a road in the Colorado high country and I purchased a Black Pine from a local Bonsai specialist. The squirrels attacked them, burying peanuts under the roots so I lost some at that point. I have some small Black Cherry trees I'm growing up now but thanks to your video I have more confidence for working the evergreens. Take care and thanks for responding!

[@bonsai4fun]

Hi Adam, a very nice video again. I started styling a bonsai out of a dwarf version (“Will’s Zwerg”) of a picea abies last year. It had already a very nice natural kink in the lower section of the trunk, which brought me to buy this little guy. Since the upper part of the trunk is quite straight and fairly taperless, I cut the tree head like you did but created a new leading branch to allow the tree to grow a little again, to form some taper at least in that section and to give the apex a better finish. Your video provided some nice guidelines to me for the next steps, well explained as usual. Thanks a please keep going. Cheers Dirk

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks for sharing this Dirk! 😄 Happy to help!

[@makemyclay]

I would love to see the progress on this tree as I have bought one for Christmas. Will try this out early Spring which is around September here in Australia. :)

[@notionbonsai]

I will do an update on this one soon!!

[@kuriseon]

I bought this exact tree yesterday to go and do something similar as my first shaping project. Come to find out the tree had extremely weak roots, I panicked and immediately put it back with more and new soil, and pampered it a little. Could've done a lot of things different, like using pond baskets but now it's anchored and now I anxiously wait until winter to watch it hopefully not die in the meantime...

[@scotthogbin613]

Great tree Adam, i dont have this species however would like to grow one, i know how nice they smell and working on them would be a pleasure. I will look for one after Christmas in a local nursery as they usually have them in stock. Looking forward to watching you develop this tree in future video's. 🌲

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks Scott! Let me know if you find one! 🤗

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Very nice!

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@kuriseon]

Personally, I would've kept one of the branches point upwards, pre-creating its new leader/apex- and create the triangular shape from there. But that's the beauty of different artists doing different things!

[@bharatkiri671]

Could you share the next shaping and pruning

[@andrewbeattie5245]

Thanks for the great video Adam. When you wired the bottom two branches, you had the wire coming onto the branch from the top on our right and the bottom on our left. Does the direction that you are bending the branch have any influence on where the wire comes onto the branch? Eg. should it come from above when bending a branch down and below when bending a branch up?

[@notionbonsai]

No problem Andrew! The directon in which you wire the branches is not relevant when it comes to moving the branches up and down as far as I know. Tho its good to experiment and try things out! What I do know is that the direction in which you twist the wire will determine which way the branch can be bent left to right or clockwise or anti-clockwise. Hope this helps! 😄

[@karonpowell544]

Pine trees are my favourite bonsai, could this be done with a picea daisy white ?

[@notionbonsai]

Most trees can be made into Bonsai yeah!!

[@tarian_bonsai]

Nice

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Tarian Bonsai 😊

[@Mydterm]

Hello! I was wondering if I could take a young? white spruce that’s growing out my yard and possibly place it in a pot and bonsai it?

[@aaronleslie1581]

Another cool tree!! Do you wire overtop of the needles or pull them out?

[@notionbonsai]

I try to wire through them, though if you wire over the odd one it's okay as long as you don't crush any new buds/ branches growing. The wire ontop of some may make them fall off so its up to you if you wish to take them out or not. I like to leave them so that if they do survive they continue to feed the tree 😄

[@aaronleslie1581]

@@notionbonsai awesome, I never thought to wire between them… it almost seems insane! I tried the same species of tree before out here in Canada and I think I made a few rookie moves and lost the tree, that wire tip is key man!!

[@pnw_mossback]

A note on picea glauca; they are notorious for bouncing back after wiring. From what I hear, they are best left for very long time and allowing significant bite before removal.

[@aaronleslie1581]

@@pnw_mossback awesome think you!

[@BONSAIenCORTO]

Thanks for sharing... I have a picea and I'm fighting with it the last 10 years... I wire the branches, put them down and the go up..... Its so dificult to fix it that its becoming a real fight!!!!!! Thanks for sharing.

[@notionbonsai]

Ohh thanks for this insight! I'll have to keep an eye on the branches on mine haha

[@watsup6084]

Haha i feel you. We jokingly call piceas gummy branch trees. They will spring back and you need to keep them wired for a long time. Guy wires work best to avoid wire bite.

[@shaneshac]

Thanks for the video, its start of spring here but my Picea is already growing new foliage. Can i still prune or should i wait until next spring and do that earlier?

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Shane! Picea bonsai should be pruned in the late winter or early spring before the new growth appears. This is because pruning stimulates new growth, and pruning during this time allows the tree to allocate its resources towards the new growth that will emerge in the spring. When pruning a Picea bonsai, it's important to only remove about one-third of the tree's growth at a time. You can use sharp pruning shears to make clean cuts, and make sure to cut just above a bud to encourage new growth in the desired direction. It's also important to regularly remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches throughout the year to keep the tree healthy and aesthetically pleasing. 🤗

[@shaneshac]

@@notionbonsai thanks a lot. Will wait until then to work on it. Appreciate the info 👍🏼

[@archimedessanchez3334]

those cuttings, can u plant them? and how if ever?

[@petrifiedformations]

Hi I have a white spruce about 3 feet tall in a 2 foot pot that's over 40 years old and was repotted over 25 years ago. I want to turn it into a bonsai and I'm not sure if I should trim it first or repot it. I'm from Canada and I wanted to make this my winer project. I actually have 2 pines. They are accents at the bottom of my entrance in front of my house. They have always been facing north. Thank for your time I hope you could help me.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! If it were me I'd work on the foliage of the spruce first. Reducing the unnecessary foliage and wiring. Repotting would be the second job but because its in such a big pot it may be a good idea to reduce the size of the pot slowly so that you do not remove too many roots at one time! Hope this helps!

[@petrifiedformations]

@@notionbonsai thank you for your reply. They were my dads trees and im scared i might kill them off. They haven't been touched in years. how long should or can I wait to repot it after I wire it. Whats healthier for the tree? Repot shortly after I wire or wait a season

[@janicelindegard6615]

I'm only half way through and already learned so much. Do you find the needled trees irritate your hands? I bought a picea half price today (after Christmas bargain!) and my hands are so irritated just from looking for one with a good trunk.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey nice! Some people can get an allergic reaction to the sap on some trees. I'd advise washing your hands thouroughly after working on a tree if you are succeptible to it. I'd always end up with little spikle dots on my hands when I first worked on needle junipers!!!

[@janicelindegard6615]

@@notionbonsai Thanks! I wore gloves. Medical gloves are perfect for working with plants. I get the same reaction working with tomato plants.

[@mariakellner5429]

Great demo,can this be airlayered ..? I just noticed it have a split trunk 3rd way up the tree,or if may jin it tfs

[@notionbonsai]

Hi Maria! From my research I don't think the dwarf alberta spruce will air layer - I'm not saying it won't but it may prove difficult! 🤔

[@andrewclack4881]

nice clearly explained video. by the way where do you get those large trays of putty?

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Andrew! I got this putty when I was at Herons Bonsai Nursery. The smaller tubs of it are widely available online tho! A little of it goes a long way also 😊

[@leoanastas]

Remember when wiring if you want to bend the branch down the wire should be under the branch if bending branch up it should be on the top. Also top needs a new leader so bend branch up so you can get taper in the truck..

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Leo! Thanks for the tips on wiring! Regarding the top leader branch, I am aware of this for creating taper in the trunk, however as the Spruce trees in forests I see here in Ireland don't have much taper. I have chosen not to do this with this praticular tree and instead create a canopy. Just something different!

[@leoanastas]

Cheers buddy we never stop learning about bonsai. Love your videos your explanation to things and how to do them is great for the beginner 👍

[@Wolfy459.]

That's pretty cool Adam! Do you ever bring plants from outdoors to indoors over winter? How do you make sure you don't bring insects and such in on them? I'm turning a spare room into a winter plant room. We are in western Pennsylvania (USA) winter coming and it gets cold here.

[@transcyberism1459]

Conifers and deciduous trees generally need winter dormancy to thrive long-term. To protect the roots from frost it is best to use a cold frame or unheated greenhouse rather than bring them inside because indoor temperatures will bring them out of dormancy. I have heard you can also bury the pot below the frost line as well. It is best to choose tropical or subtropical species like ficus or portulacaria if you would like to keep them indoors.

[@bonsaisn]

Xin chào bạn ❤❤❤

[@notionbonsai]

Alô!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@notionbonsai]

🙂🙂

[@tonycross4451]

I've recently done one of these but left one of the lower branches and jin and shari the thick trunk so the little trunk has sort of taken over and then that will be the main trunk.itsnhard to explain what I mean 😅

[@notionbonsai]

I know what you mean! Neat idea Tony! 🙂That little branch will thicken in no time!

[@Ad_DOOM]

in terms of heel cuttings, how large a branch can you break off to get roots from it?

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Adam. I'd recommend taking cuttings from the most recent growth from the tree as it contains the most auxin. Usually the thicker you try to root the more difficult it is. Not saying it won't root but it may take a long time!

[@wildboystv3013]

You could have cut it shorter wnd user one of the branches as the new leader to create taper and or created a jin of the old apex. For more taper. As this particular tree has no taper.

[@satvinderpawar2568]

Why didn't you put this in the bonsai pot with stones

[@notionbonsai]

I did not want to do too much to the tree at once, it has now been repotted this spring 2024 🙂

[@mrinalbapari5429]

the upper trunk has the same thickness as bottom..

[@notionbonsai]

Yeah, this tree doesn't have much taper. I'm happy enough with this as many spruce trees I see here in ireland look like this in forests. However to develop taper, I reccommend trunk chopping to a lower branch and allowing that to become the new "leader" of the tree 🤗

[@mayamaniere7892]

Parlez-vous français ? Merci

[@notionbonsai]

Je ne parle pas bien le français 😅

[@WudangPaiMan]

How does the Tree look today?

[@mikeswain1945]

Sorry Adam but for me the lack of any taper whatsoever on the trunk looks a little 'odd' for me. Still a great video though, thanks for sharing.

[@notionbonsai]

Totally understandable Mike. I also prefer trees to have taper, especially on maples! 😄 When looking at spruce forests here in Ireland, I couldn't see any with much taper either!

[@mikeswain1945]

Most of my local garden centres here in the East Midlands seem to have loads of them at the minute Adam, I know them as Alberta Spruce too. What they also have available are twin trunked ones that command a higher price but they do have really thick bases that split into two with both having really good tapers.

[@BL_Denni]

Some comments are better left as thoughts than actual comments.

[@Book20244]

Lol😂

[@notionbonsai]

🤗