Massive Shimpaku Tanuki - Arkefthos Bonsai

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Enable captions - subtitles.

[@warrenbeans8495]

You seem a follower of the Zen. Using the back ground landscape makes a more harmonious relationship.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Warren! Landscape is maturing the past 10 years and it's coming in peak aesthetic right about now. Cheers!

[@harrychristodoulou3782]

Absolutely great it looks beautiful, very good job you have done, take care and stay safe. Keep up the amazing KZbin videos 👌🏼👌🏼

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Harry for the support! Have a great autumn day down south!

[@wagnercarvalhogoncalves5992]

Ansioso para que passe os 2 anos , muito bom trabelho 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you mate! More likely a 5 year mark for some interesting development, as this is a huge tree and the live part needs to grow a lot! Cheers!

[@robertobreglia9224]

You did a great job! Very compliments my friend!👏👏👏👏🔝

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Always good to see you Roberto! Thank you!

[@johnrb9397]

Much potential. Very nice carving. Attachment looks okay 👌.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you! Yes, it is surprisingly stable, more than I expected. Cheers!

[@omni8066]

Amazing video! 🇨🇦🙏

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you! I really appreciate it!

[@jawwadhaider5908]

Super super super work ❤ 👍 Sir thank you soooo much....💕

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Really glad you like it Jawwad! Have a great Sunday!

[@ChrisVidouras]

Epic work man!! Congrats!!

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Chris!

[@pela1100]

Un trabajo muy ambisioso, ADELANTE ! Salud.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Salud Fabian! Thank you! It is very ambitious...

[@pela1100]

@@ArkefthosBonsai 💪

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Now that is what I call a big Tanuki! Puts my little elm to shame :) A great video cheers.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

It's not the size, rather the end aesthetic that matters in this game! Thank you Xavier!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@ArkefthosBonsai Apparently size always matters??? Seriously - it was a great demonstration. i tried my first one last month and really enjoyed the challenge.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Yes I saw. Usually conifers are used for tanuki but something new is always welcome!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@ArkefthosBonsai :)

[@AmandaFrancis-y7i]

Beautiful work! May I ask what product you recommend for hardening stumps to be used such as you did here?

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Amanda! I appreciate it! Any wood hardener will delay the rotting substacianly, so that you can enjoy it for many years. I used a product from "Borma Wochs". Cheers!

[@AmandaFrancis-y7i]

Thank you

[@hfestion.]

Εξαιρετική δουλειά!!! Μπράβο φίλε!

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Σε ευχαριστώ!

[@rifkolosi]

i used hammer and wood-chisel to produce the grooves, will refine them with a dremel later, fine tuning for the picked tree.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

That's definitely a way to go. Create a custom groove with the Dremel as you fasten the tree on the deadwood. I like the idea. Thank you Felix!

[@alexandros1973]

Very interesting work and great video 👌 I would love to see a follow up video of this project in the future.

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Alex! It's going to take at least 2 years of growing out the foliage before it makes sense and development and design, but definatly a tree that will be features extensively! Cheers!

[@Maples-and-cats]

Αρκουδα.πρεπει να μιλαμε για πολυ βαρος αλλα ωραιο αποτελεσμα.ευχομαι να το χαιρεσαι για πολλα χρονια!

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Χα χα χα χα είναι ελαφρύτερο από ότι φαίνεται, αλλά και πάλι... Σε ευχαριστώ!

[@watsup6084]

That is a chonky boy. Do you let the screws and nails grow in? Cool project and relaxed video

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you mate! The screws will be eventually swallowed while the tree thickens. It might take up to 10 years to completely remove any signs of them. For the nails, I will put new ones and remove the ones that bite in a lot. And keep doing that until the tree settles.

[@gloriablanco7856]

Mil gracias 😊

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

De nada Gloria!

[@steventang1002]

Beautiful job, What did you apply to the base of the wood ??

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Steven! That was wood hardener. It's resin that will go into the wood fibers and keep them from disintegrate.

[@steventang1002]

@@ArkefthosBonsai thank you, Can I buy this solution on Amazon or Ebay ?

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

@steventang1002 yes, definately. Do a search for wood hardener and you will get lots of results.

[@1969hornet]

Amazing!

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@demontalembertjean1432]

Hi !! Do you have any long roots on this Shimpaku ? I can’t see. How do you proceed to enable it to recover?

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

No long roots but many fine white tips, even high up the trunk. It should be fine, as it has relatively dense fibrous roots. In a week I'm going to water it with a root activator and in 2 weeks start feeding it with organic fertilizer. I used a very fast draining mix so that I can water it and mist the foliage many times daily, for the first few weeks. Cheers!

[@bonsaifesway432]

What did you mix with that pumice

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Zeolite. I explain everything in the captions - subtitles. Cheers!

[@steventang1002]

How do you reserve the wood ?

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Now, besides the wood hardener at the base, nothing. But in the future, I will treat the wood with lime sulfur. Cheers!

[@bonsai_life_style]

You culled use metallic flat X on bottom and put a metal rod and that cement or glue to bottom of tanuki .

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

I see your point. Never thought of reenforced concrete as a base. Might be a really good idea! Thank you!

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Now I'm reading it better I see it better. Not a concrete base. A metallic one from rebar. I was thinking of welding an H from thick rebar steel and placing it there, instead of the wood I have now. Let it rust to look good and provide some iron to the trees roots. For 3 or 4 years until the roots can support the tree adequately.

[@bonsai_life_style]

@Arkefthos Bonsai that is what I was thinking, welding rebar on on X or H profile and stick that in to wood .

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Yes I get it. That way it won't take much space into the pot and will give a pretty good base for the tree. Nice. I will try it on the next big one!

[@klaasjankoopman]

What kind of wood is it? Nice piece !

[@willen5405]

why drilling? i think growing will also split the stem beause of screws

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Yes, there is a small chance that this might happen. But, what usually happens is that the stem remains intact and it grows around the screws. It engulfs then completely in 4 or 5 years. But even the stem splits, it will create a nice feature of old age, as long as it stays alive. The first month or two are crucial for it's survival and a few months later the tree is growing fine. I used screws because that was a stop bend and the trunk was thicker than my thump, so there was a lot of force. My clump broke. Anyway the tree is growing fine, so it's probably gonna be OK. Cheers!

[@willen5405]

@@ArkefthosBonsai as an artist i was imagining to place the driftwood on a metal spoke poured into a concrete blok, i drill out a "pot"IN the wood and treat it with epoxy and plant the bonsai on top, and intertwining. :)

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Do you display you art somewhere? Maybe Instagram? As I do some myself, it could be interesting..

[@willen5405]

@@ArkefthosBonsai not realy actually some on a facebook account, or do yo mean bonsai? I always did medium in full ground. Just started small ones in pots a year ago.. not that long

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

No, I meant art, in general.

[@giovanniliotta1218]

Ciao caro. Lavoro molto armonioso e elegante. Espressione di tutto rispetto che richiama la verità naturale senza sconfinare nel rispetto dell' essenza

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Thank you Giovanni! Have a nice Sunday!

[@giovanniliotta1218]

@@ArkefthosBonsai idem. Abbiamo una passione straordinaria

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Indeed Giovanni, we have!

[@Leiopython]

石灰で白く塗ったらもっと良くなりそう

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

Yes, yes it will, but first I needed to establish the live tree onto the deadwood. Once the composition is set I will clean the deadwood and lime it. Thank you!

[@Leiopython]

@@ArkefthosBonsai 日本の文化が世界で楽しまれてる事に喜びを感じてます ありがとう

[@ArkefthosBonsai]

@Leiopython and what a beautiful culture it is!