How to Grow a Thick Bonsai Trunk... Answering Your Bonsai Questions!

Welcome back to another Q&A, featuring a special guest--my Shih Tzu, Lyon! Today, we cover on of my most asked questions, which is how to thicken a bonsai trunk. We'll also discuss wiring techniques, soil mix, training your bonsai, and more. Lots of information packed into this week's Q&A! I want to keep this series going, so please leave me your questions below. You can ask me anything--as broad or specific as you'd like!
0:00 Introduction
0:40 How to thicken bonsai trunk
2:26 How to start new bonsai material
3:13 How to wire branches (sparingly)
4:39 Substitute material for sandy loam
7:41 Do I grow tiny bonsai?
9:07 How to style a new tree
Videos Mentioned:
- How to Propagate Maple Bonsai from Cuttings in 5 Minutes! *EASY*: • How to Propagate Bonsa...
- My Proven Soil Mix for Bonsai: • My Proven Soil Mix for...
Exciting news coming soon! Sign up to receive updates about Bonsai Heirloom at bonsaiheirloom.com.
Questions about your bonsai? Leave a comment below or you can reach out to me at [e-mail].
#bonsai #plants #gardening #bonsaitree #bonsaitreesforbeginners #plantcare #gardeningtips #howtobonsai #tutorial #tipsforbeginners #bonsaitechniques #QandA #questions #mentor #bonsaiforbeginners #bonsaitreecare #bonsaitreemaking #bonsaigarden #bonsaiheirloom #bonsaiplant #bonsaicollection #miltonchang #entrepreneur #bonsaimaster

[@aaronleslie1581]

I got so distracted by the awesome dinosaurs in the background lol!! This is awesome loved hearing people’s questions!!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Please stay tuned for my upcoming Q&As. I'll give you a quick tour of the dinosaurs and the big bonsai behind me! :)

[@aaronleslie1581]

@@bonsaiheirloom oh man I have three sons that are going to love that video!!!

[@t3dwards13]

That's a great method of keeping mame hydrated. Some others just bury the pots in a tray of sand. Regarding growing sideways or forcing branches down, grow & clip works as well, but takes time. But I've also seen experiments of growing sideways for a raft...and even growing willows upside down, so the branches grow into a weeping form.

[@joegarland4885]

I admire your garden well earned I would imagine, thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with us.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for your continuous support, Joe!

[@gustavoaguilar4496]

Like the fact that you are from California and understand the weather here even the soil keep up the good work love the videos

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for the kind words and thank you for watching!

[@rienie13]

I love those metal dinosaurs in the back!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Haha I'm glad you noticed!

[@johnnyyooooo]

Amazing content. I always learn at least one new thing from your videos. The trees behind you are beautiful. I hope you give us a tour of your garden one day :)

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, that is coming up! Please stay tuned for my garden tour videos. In the meantime, you can watch this quick garden tour I gave in my other video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/baGmmnahZbuSjck

[@deepanjanbanerjee3491]

Always look forward to your Q&A sessions. Would be great if you could walk us through your automatic irrigation system pls. I have noticed the drip lines in the background in your videos.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for your question! I will cover this in my upcoming Q&A video since this has been asked a few times. Please stay tuned!

[@carlosnavas5050]

Thank you so much for your explanation, Ivy watching you from Guatemala City

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Thanks for watching, Carlos! I appreciate the support!

[@greasylimpet3323]

Hello Milton, thanks for sharing all this with us. I wish I'd put time into bonsai when I was younger, I've only got a few trees. I do have about 30 Portulacaria Afra cutting in pots, which I'm hopefully going to use to rectify the situation! I love Leon - he looks very well cared for!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Hi there! Keep going and I'm sure you will have many beautiful bonsai :)

[@Deyyyyyyy]

i love you vids Lolo, very helpful to me as a beginner, I have many seedling material from scavenging the neighborhood, I'm 19 yrs old and dedicated for a long year of mastering the art of bonsai.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

That's great, you're starting out young! Starting from seedlings that you find in your neighborhood is a wonderful start. I hope my videos will help you on your bonsai journey. Best wishes!

[@ShaneLovesGardening]

Another wonderful video! I would love to see a long in depth video just about POTS! I would love to know your philosophy about choosing your pots for seedlings, training, and display? How often to do you repot? And do trees ever get to a point where they will always grow in the same pot indefinitely?

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Great questions! I'll answer these in my upcoming Q&A in detail, so please stay tuned for that. I will plan on making a video all about pots! :) In the meantime, you can check out my repotting series here: kzbin.info/aero/PLOGmEXKwsKP0SKOG4swUuxRz4hHCnINvA

[@nicholascartwright2089]

Thanks so much for doing this mate!

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Hi Nicholas! I'm happy to make this content. Let me know if you have any questions for me!

[@nicholascartwright2089]

I think your style is really unique and i would love to hear you talk about how you integrate the classical japanese styles (formal upright, slanted, etc) and your own creative vision. Thanks for all the amazing videos

[@OjaiBonsai]

Great stuff keep them coming

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I definitely will! Let me know if you have any questions for me!

[@ericpetersen6236]

Great video as always. Can you talk a little about how you fertilize? I would love to understand your thought process.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Yes, definitely! I have a video coming up that's all about soil, watering, and fertilizing, so please stay tuned for that. I'll also go over this a bit in my next Q&A video. Thanks for your question!

[@matthewpedigo2149]

Thank you very much Milton for your content. I appreciate it very much. I was wondering what is your best tips for keeping yamadori alive as I have a terrible success rate with collected trees. I believe it is because lack of root development. By the way I hail from your neck of the woods and have remodeled many homes in the area. Thanks again.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Hi Matthew, thanks for this great question! I'll address this in detail in my upcoming Q&A. Please subscribe and stay tuned!

[@gwynnethguerriero6365]

I am enjoying your videos one after another. Have you ever used cotoneaster? I can not keep one alive no matter what I do. I'm looking forward to your next one on pots.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

I am not sure what went wrong. I actually do not have cotoneaster bonsai because I prefer trees with thick trunks. I have seen small cotoneaster bonsai with nice red berries. Maybe try reducing root ball over time, and make sure soil and rootball never dry out.

[@zalonut]

Hi, can you make a video from one of the big bonsai you have like in the background?

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Sure! What would you like to see me do?

[@zalonut]

a bit of history about the tree and the techniques you've done, you certainly have a lot to tell and it's exciting to listen to

[@judgetoogood1033]

Dr Chang do you use Sphagnum. Moss as opposed to peat moss. Thank You.

[@bonsaiheirloom]

They're the same origin. To avoid confusion…I use the powdery stuff.

[@9daywonda]

I have a question for you? Are you related to Charlie Chan? Leon is a European derivative of lion. Leon was a Spartan king.

[@suhaomyson]

posing for many years in the ground and then pulling the tree up into a pot is at risk of dying the tree, what will you do? Thanks

[@bonsaiheirloom]

Hi there! The key point is not to let them dry out, damage as little of roots as possible. Reduce the foliage to balance the root loss. If need be, dig over time in sections to encourage the growth of fibrous roots. Once it's out, plant in porous mix, and keep it moist by putting it in the shade to avoid water loss. Reduce big roots over time to be able to put into shallower bonsai pots, but do it over time. Hope this helps!

[@suhaomyson]

thank you very much @@bonsaiheirloom

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

🤩😏