Japanese Larch Bonsai Forest - Pruning and Shaping Ideas

In this video, I demonstrate the process of pruning and shaping a Japanese Larch Bonsai Forest while explaining my methodology and thought process.
This forest planting was inspired by Nigel Saunder's magnificent Larch Forest which can be seen on his Channel: ‪@TheBonsaiZone‬
Maintaining the health and beauty of Bonsai Forests is crucial, especially given their unique display of a group of trees in a limited space.
To begin, I introduce the tools and materials used for pruning this Bonsai Forest and provide an overview of the Pruning Process. I also explain my reasoning for removing or shortening certain branches and demonstrate various techniques for their removal.
One important aspect of Bonsai Forest pruning that I cover is the need to balance the vigor of the trees. I discuss how this can be achieved by heavily pruning the apex (stronger parts) of the trees to allow weaker and lower branches to strengthen and grow.
By following along, you will gain insight into the essential techniques and considerations for maintaining the beauty and health of Bonsai Forests.
Notion Bonsai Socials:
Instagram: / notionbonsai
Facebook: / notionbonsai
TikTok: / notionbonsai
For business inquiries, my email address can be found on the Notion Bonsai KZbin Channel About page.
TIMECODES:
00:00 - Intro.
00:39 - The History of The Forest Planting.
02:10 - The Tools Used.
02:19 - Cleaning Up The Forest Floor.
04:34 - Pruning and Shaping Decisions!
14:28 - Drastic Cuts for a Better Composition.
17:28 - Beauty Shots.
#bonsai #bonsaitrees #bonsaiforest #notionbonsai

[@dahlmasen3084]

I love how the weeds and old needles make the forest look realistic and alive, but of course they have to go for the health of the trees🌲

[@Twocat5side]

I am so lucky I found this channel

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! Welcome!!

[@DerekKnudson-wk5mj]

Have for years been drawn to Japanese culture with bonsai being one of lifes natural ways to give yourself a sense of balance . Which i view as meditation as you put yourself into something through the grace of Jesus Christ Gods only son. Balance needed serenity needed. Which some like you have lived and are so generously giving back. Ireland man, making a difference. Appreciate you. I thank you for being so thorough. Your flow on sharing is amazing.

[@notionbonsai]

🪴💖🙂 Thank you again Derek! We all need that balance in our lives 🤗

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Foist!!!

[@davidstokes925]

Adam, thanks so much for this video. Have never watched anyone work on a forest. It really looked great when you were finished!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks very much David! 😄 You should check out Nigel Saunders!! He has a lot of beautiful forests and works on them on his channel 😄

[@pip110.5]

Well done young man, it’s looking great. 👍

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Pip! 😄

[@donnadornbusch6738]

Great presentation Adam

[@sweeneyTodd-de4by]

What a fantastic video I'm totally new bonsai, love your forest

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! Welcome to the Notion Bonsai channel! Bonsai is not as hard to do as you may think 🤗

[@sweeneyTodd-de4by]

@@notionbonsai you make it look so easy

[@TheWatchpoplars]

Oh wow! I was the only person I knew who was inspired by Nigel, until I watched this video!!! I'm certainly not alone! Your forest is coming along really well!👏

[@notionbonsai]

That's awesome! Nigel's influence spreads far and wide. It's incredible how his work inspires so many. Thanks a bunch! The forest is indeed growing into something special. 🌳🌿

[@bonsaiwill]

Amazing forest!!!

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you very much Will!

[@tasanastasi7799]

Bravo !

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you! 🤗

[@StevesBackyardBonsai]

Nice work Adam!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks very much Steve!

[@theranike]

keep doing what are you doing!!!

[@notionbonsai]

🤗

[@nillysbonsai9636]

Really Smart Forest! Coming along nicely 😊

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks Sam! 🤗

[@ujteabonsai51]

Penanaman hutan besar Adam Sangat luar biasa dan sangat menginspirasi... Terimakasih sharing dan penjelasannya🙏👍

[@notionbonsai]

Terima kasih banyak!🙂 Akan ada lebih banyak video yang akan datang di Bonsai! 🌳🤗💖

[@mhennigan4374]

You're an excellent teacher. Great clarity.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! Thanks very much 😃

[@steveholmes4185]

Outstanding Video and knowledge share! Thanks!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Steve 😄

[@sbragaglia]

Very nice! The forest is definitely following the steps of Nigel’s forest!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Stefano! 🤗

[@gloriablanco7856]

Thats a lovely forest!!! 🤩

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Gloria!

[@gayefanner731]

Great video Adam, too much to comment on really! I heaved a sigh of relief when you produced the paint brush, was dreading you’d use the tweezers, yawn! Brill use of the see-through green plastic, it really helps to see what’s going on behind doesn’t it. It seems obvious but the secret of Nigel’s forests is they’re on hills, mountains even!! God bless all you do 🙏✝️. ✌️🇷🇺☮️🇺🇦✌️

[@notionbonsai]

Hi Gaye! Thank you very much! Maybe lifting them all off with tweezers could be a slow and methodical mindfulness exercise 🙂 This one definitely has a long way to go with the landscaping too!! 💖🌳🤗

[@gayefanner731]

Yep, mindfulness, but I don’t wanna watch! But I look forward to watching this forest progress🙋‍♀️

[@notionbonsai]

@@gayefanner731 Fair enough haha! 😅😅

[@VictorianGoldHuntersAU]

Sensational. Love your work buddy 👍👍

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks very much Tony! 🙂

[@bonsaindz9142]

Nice 👍

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks bonsai NDZ!

[@raymondplodzien7459]

Really coming along Adam. Great work!

[@notionbonsai]

Hi Raymond! Thank you very much! 😄

[@jballenger9240]

Hello again from Boston. Recently come to appreciate the beauty of larch forests. Nigel Saunders on The Bonsai Zone has created beautiful larch and larch containing forests you might enjoy seeing. He lives near Toronto Canada.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! Nigel's forest is fantastic! It's what inspired me to make this one!

[@juanita5691]

Very useful instructional video. I absolutely LOVE the close-up camera work too! I look forward to seeing how this forest progresses

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Janet 🙂

[@TonysBonsai]

Nice work mate. It's developing very nicely.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Tony! 🙂

[@mattbrennan647]

Nice work Adam. Looks fantastic. Thanks, keep growing

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Matt! 🤗

[@yvonneluong1753]

Very interesting video

[@notionbonsai]

🪴🤗

[@susanbigler3014]

I really liked Nigel's as well... I think yours will be great too! Another wonderful video. Thank you for the time you take and your instruction! ✂️🪴🌿

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Susan 🙂 If it's half as good as Nigel's I'll be a happy guy haha! No problem! I like to explain things how I understand them 💖😄🌳

[@AlexBraunton]

Great video Adam. A really nice composition

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Alex!

[@DavesBonsai]

Excellent Video. I look forward to an update later in the year.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Dave! I'll be posting updates on all of my trees on my Instagram 🤗

[@richardstack2853]

Nice one yet again Adam

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Richard 🙂

[@mick681]

Nice planting Adam. It will be really something in a couple of years or so.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks Mick! Here's hoping! I'm looking forward to it developing old bark on it!

[@azeemsulmani6410]

Nice Adam

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks! 🙂

[@jacktaylor6190]

It is go to see that the future of Bonsai is strong! Great work! The only forest I have is my Florida Bald Cypress. I wish I could have a Larch in south Florida, but we are too hot and humid for the American Larch, Bald Cypress Forest is a good replacement I think. Looking forward to the knowledge in that head of yours, you are never too old to learn a few new tricks from the next generation of Bonsai Professionals!

[@notionbonsai]

Aw thanks so much Jack! Maybe if you reallyyy wanted larch you could make like a reverse greenhouse that instead of keeping plants warm.. it keeps them cooler in the summer! Not sure how to go about this but just an idea haha

[@jacktaylor6190]

@@notionbonsai A good suggestion, but the electrical cost to cool an area outside would cost me a fortune. I have gotten use to only being able to have tropical species instead, but I do see ones that I would like to have but thus cannot.

[@scotthogbin613]

Great forrest planting Adam, Nigel's Larch forrest is very inspiring and I'm sure people will talk about and be inspired by yours in the future too.

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Scott! 🤗 I hope so one day! 🥰🌳🌳🌳

[@taksakabonsai5059]

Hi, i love the passion you have on a bonsai work❤❤❤ how you did branch selection cuttings and directing each branch was so wonderful. come at the first time mate, thanks so much for great sharing, greeting one hobby from Bali, Indonesia🙏🌳☕

[@notionbonsai]

Aw thanks so much Taksaka Bonsai! 💖💖 Hi from Ireland!!

[@blackjack3957]

Nice forest,, it's almost got the energy of the forest,, and Nigel is a good bonsai creator,,

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Klinik Bonsai! He sure is!

[@harrychristodoulou3782]

Adam that’s so cool and beautiful larch trees are spot on and your forest looks great. Keep up the great work and KZbin videos 👌🏼⭐️👌🏼

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you so much Harry! 🌳🙂

[@valerievarhan5527]

Did not know you can do bonsai from roses! I am excited to try it this year!

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! I hope it goes well for you!

[@valerievarhan5527]

Thank you ! Hope so too!

[@margaretsims4344]

Just found your channel. Looking forward to catching up on your videos.

[@notionbonsai]

Hope you like them Margaret 🙂

[@jarnemontesinos8319]

Very nice work with spring ahead!! Exciting season, isn't it? ;) Enjoy mate!

[@notionbonsai]

For sure Jarne! 🤗🤗🌳🙂

[@1969hornet]

I just found your channel and you've gotten a new subscriber here 😊

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks! Welcome to the channel!!

[@joegarland4885]

Great way to produce inexpensive group plantings, overtime it will mature into a worthwhile forest, the only observation I would make is to improve the soil area around the trees to create more interest. I have some mature cotoneasters which I plan-to create a grove of trees rather than a forest as part of a larger composition in a very large shallow ceramic pot so we will see how that goes. I really like your presentation style so keep them coming.

[@notionbonsai]

Hi Joe! Thank you for this advice! I'll definitely be landscaping this one in the future! That cotoneaster project sounds fun!

[@tomsbonsaidiary]

Lovely video. Been looking to create a Forest of my own this year. Seems you have passed on the inspiration, defiantly going create myself a larch forest soon

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Tom! 🤗 I'd love to see what you come up with when you put yours together!!

[@mossbackbear]

Thanks for sharing the progress pics. It makes for a much clearer picture of your vision and the motivation behind each pruning choice. Now I feel compelled to see if bare root larch is an option for me! What a great way to get such awesome specimen. Did it cost you much? Anything with a developed trunk around here is right about 300, and by the time they hit market, they're so pretty I'd feel awful doing a trunk chop. Alas, maybe some larch niwaki could be be nice.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! I'm glad you liked the pics! They were fairly cheap for what you get. I think it was £25 for 30 larch? 🙂 Ooh I bet Larch would make great Niwaki!

[@SumLameGamer]

Love the Bonsai Forest, it looks Amazing. Quick question though, how do you know that the little 'weeds' you're pulling up aren't baby tree shoots? If they were, I'd want to keep them if that were me..Keep up the great content

[@tacobonsai]

That turned out nice. Your videos are always top notch and you have some of the best projects you are working on.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Taco! 🙂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I like how that is starting to develop and the approach you took. I have a number of larch forests on the go with trees started 20 years ago. They are such a rewarding species to work with. But you know that already. I would love to show more of mine but I think the community is a little 'Larched Out'. Great content and you deserve the recognition you are getting Adam. The future of Uk Bonsai is safe :) (If you ever get a chance to pop in to Grantham you will be more than welcome to work on one of mine)

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Xavier!! I never get bored of Larches haha! Maybe you could make a video where you have them all in the one! Thanks so much Xavier! Maybe when I go to Greenwood Bonsai someday I'll pop over to Grantham🤗

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@notionbonsai Sounds like a good idea for a joint video visiting Greenwoods and then back to mine for some advice from the younger generation :)

[@Urkiadk]

So nice. And I enjoy your way of explaining the process Keep up the good work 💪

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Carsten. Thank you very much!

[@WanderingBobAK]

Initially, I would have thought to keep the front tree shorter to show a gradual "rise" in the forest (front to back) ... but your choice looks great so far. Will be watching this composition in the future.

[@notionbonsai]

Ohh thats a nice idea also! No wrong ways to do it 🙂

[@robertlefler6644]

I liked your video, a really nice planting too, but I’m curious why you mostly pruned back to one bud as opposed to two, to build ramification ?

[@notionbonsai]

Yes! This is to develop as much ramification as i can over the next few years. Larch are quite strong growers so I felt that this was ok to do so. With other species like Maple however, I would not do this as they are prone to dieback 😊

[@guysolis5843]

Interesting. I always thought the Larch was an evergreen and wouldn't lose it's foliage. Nice to know but you chose a great species, very inspirational to me. I am also taken back by a few things. One is you allow your trees to experience a full winter outdoors and, for me, I have had some bad experiences with squirrels digging up my trees. Would you say your winters are fairly mild? Here in Colorado it got down to 7 below, which is rare..Cheers and thanks for the video!

[@notionbonsai]

Yeah! It's such a joy to see the needles turn yellow and orange before dropping off! I do live in an area with relatively mild winters, so that makes it easier to keep my trees outside. However, I do take some precautions to protect them from the elements. For example, I make sure they're well-watered before the first frost, and I keep some in a little greenhouse and cold frame. I've heard that if you place a layer of chicken wire over the soil surface of pots, this prevents squirrels and other animals from digging in the soil and disturbing the roots. 🙂

[@shankill178]

Another nice video Adam. I love forests but haven’t put one together yet. Yours is already looking great. Nigel has some of the nicest forests I’ve seen so he is great inspiration for making them. Keep up the good work and I’ll look forward to seeing your next video.

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Sam! You should get one together! They are fun ones to work on! Yeah Nigel really does! His big forest is another gem!!

[@majk4ya]

Love it mate. Great job with pruning and filming. You mentioned a high Nitrogen fertilizer. Can you recommend one you can get in the UK?

[@notionbonsai]

Hi Maciej! Thanks 🙂 I don't like to advise on specific brands but all fertilisers will have an NPK value. 10:6:6 is a good ratio for spring.

[@user-kr8xp2th5v]

Приятно прошло время...

[@notionbonsai]

Спасибо, что смотрите мои видео о бонсай!

[@brianparnell2256]

I’ve just put together a Larch forest in what I think is the same size pot. 40cm ? Although I’ve put in 15 trees compared to your 7 . Perhaps I’ll regret that in the future but it’s still looking pretty decent.

[@notionbonsai]

Oh nice Brian! I may add more trees to this someday... who knows! More definitely sounds like it would create more interest! I'd love to see your one! Do you have Instagram?

[@MartinBBB]

Excellent stuff, Adam. I liked your bold pruning decisions. I have a Dawn Redwood group and I tend to spend ages hesitating over each branch..... ..and then decide to leave it on! 😁

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you Martin! I've found that once you assess the health of the tree, then strongly set your pruning guidelines... mentally? Then pruning becomes second nature 🙂

[@SumLameGamer]

What size is the oval pot you're using plz?

[@boxCatalogue]

Who taught you how to wire? It looks pretty tidy and secure. Nice work.

[@notionbonsai]

It's not as hard as you think! Wiring just takes a little patience and practice 😄

[@boxCatalogue]

Fair play.

[@judlpd]

Adam, what type of cut-paste is that and where can I get some? Guessing it's super expensive. Thanks.

[@notionbonsai]

Kikuwa cut paste! 🙂

[@michelefloro5934]

beautiful where did you find these Larch plants ? from the nursey ?

[@notionbonsai]

I ordered them bare root online 😊

[@michelefloro5934]

@@notionbonsai hi, can you tell me from which nursey and at what time of the year ?

[@opabinnier]

Happy hair.

[@notionbonsai]

😊😊

[@rdotm2457]

Where did you buy the trees?

[@notionbonsai]

I got them from a garden center online. I cant remember which one!

[@RupeshVarghese]

Hey Adam, I'm just curious, how wide is your pot?

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Rupesh! I think it is 40cm! 😄

[@RupeshVarghese]

@@notionbonsai Thats what I thought. I just ended up getting a seed tray to do my forest. We'll see now it goes.

[@steampunkvampyre]

super ! I would lose the stones though, I don't think they add anything to your planting.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks for the advice! I might remove them in the future when I go to repot the forest 😊

[@Rob1337]

Get a haircut you tree hugging hippie 😂 I’m just kidding my dude, used to have long hair myself and I am a tree hugger lol 😝 good to see some of my Irish neighbours doing bonsai too :) Scotland here

[@notionbonsai]

🤣🤣 Nice! Long hair club lol

[@puchokillit2036]

You're pruning branches with root pruning shears 😢

[@notionbonsai]

They are twig cutters 😄 Root pruning shears have bigger handles with thicker blades. 😉

[@blackjack3957]

I think that 2in1 pruning shears,, the matter is milimeters it use for,, and large handle it's increase the power, and the power point is at the curve,, more larger more power,, ,,, is my english writing good? Cause im from Indonesia hehe