My Dancing Dragon Schefflera and More, The Bonsai Zone, Nov 2022

I've let my "Dragon" style Schefflera (Schefflera arboricola) grow for an entire year and now it's time to prune it.
I'm also working on my "Tropical Expressions" Tiger bark Ficus from the workshop.
To see previous videos of my Schefflera arboricola bonsai, click on the playlist here...
• Schefflera Bonsai from...
To see previous videos of my Tiger bark Ficus microcarpa bonsai, click on the playlist here...
• Tropical Expressions
#TheBonsaiZone

[@HansWeberHimself]

Now it’s a dragon. I can see it.

[@BlueSkyBonsai]

That dragon shadow after pruning was fantastic! Great decision to chop the top 👍

[@janetobermann157]

Wow! I LOVE it Nigel!! The more I watch you work, the greater appreciation I have for your technique, and the patience it takes! Thanks for sharing your thought process for each decision! That is one amazing dancing dragon!! ❤

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Many thanks!

[@PolinaS-gq1te]

I've started my first bonsai during the lockdown, and i was so afraid to cut! Now my husband hides garden saw and lopers, and yells "stop bonsaiying garden trees!!"🤣🤣🤣 My eatable fig needs a big haircut, by the way, need to do it quick, before he gets home from work...

[@OddBonsai]

This pruning really brought out the dragon. I think you made the right decision. It was starting to look more like a windswept style. Great job as always Nigel!

[@potkosongbonsai1818]

Ya saya setuju dengan anda mr🙏🥰

[@Liisa3139]

I'm glad you picked up that shadow of the tree; so cool! What I have drawn from your videos, is a strong interest in the roots of my plants. I used to think that when my garden plants were growing slowly it was because of the soil not being very fertile, but now I have learned that actually new plants take about three years to root properly before they pick up good growth. Repotting houseplants has become so much more interesting too as I get to see the roots. I'm shifting from soil to ceramic gravel as the growing base. I have had good results so far. The gravel absorbs a lot of water, but at the same time it forms air pockets. I'm still experimenting, but I believe most of my plants will like that.

[@mattbrennan647]

First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap 😊

[@smathtegginmath8395]

I was going No Nigel don’t cut off the wing but boy! It sure looks good after the big chop. Loved this vid!

[@muralitemburni]

I've been following Nigel for the past 4 years...anyone notice how his magnificent hair tends to mimic the style of the tree he is working with in his videos? Today, I saw a dancing dragon in his hair...if you don't believe me, watch the video again till the end...We all love you and your bonsai Nigel...hope to meet you in person someday ❤️

[@eryndizzle]

Big cut coming up! It really looks like a dragon now!

[@rebeccahunter725]

Bonsai is the art of cutting off a big chunk of tree to tie the design together!! That shadow is spectacular, a great way to show the shape of the tree without the distraction of colour and (dare I say it) depth!

[@martinlehtonen]

I wasn't sure about the big cut at first. But after you've done it, I said to myself 'there's the dragon!' You made a good decision.

[@7puggiescyndycarruthers193]

i was hollering at you to NOT cut the tree! but… you were absolutely right. your ‘dancing shadow dragon’ is fantastic!!!!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Pruning and the dragon is looking cool.

[@dabblingwithbonsai]

The top looks like a dancer in Rio Carneval 💜 Definitely worth rooting! The Dragon looks much better now, very water-dragonish with her flow lines.. Lovely 💚💚💚

[@edwardlea8755]

Nigel, you nailed it with that 'Big cut' looks fantastic I can see the dragon emerging now.

[@marysoldeeley2218]

The dragon tree after the big cut, looks like that little red dragon in the Disney cartoon Mulan. That shadow! Wowee!! Great video Nigel!

[@ericstrees]

awesome to see the tiger bark ficus from the first workshop! exciting to see how it grows in the coming years

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

That is one cool Shef.

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Big cut for refining a cool Ficus.

[@birgittej5895]

That is a major improvement on the tree. Love it.

[@KleinBonsai]

That cut made a massive difference, wow! 🤩 The dragon certainly did pop out of the tree now! 🐉

[@balanjayf9368]

It's like watching those old videos of redwood loggers lol

[@BlueJayBonsai]

🚨 Spoiler Alert! 🚨 If you like big cuts and you can’t deny… this is the video for you to try!

[@kevinrandell5189]

😂😂🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@PolinaS-gq1te]

👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@RyanFish825]

Boy, you weren't lying! Nice throwback too 😂

[@baldyeti]

Heyoooo

[@t3dwards13]

Hahaha

[@kreativ_corals]

the shadowwww!! You are a true bonsai master!

[@liquidxskin19]

there goes the duck sprayer ahah

[@suneetsingh7745]

Awesome work Nigel ... Today u gave me the inspiration to make that big cut on my ficus ❤️🤣

[@potkosongbonsai1818]

So amazing Mr. Nigel🙏🥰👌👍

[@Dononcall]

Returning to your earlier video "roots" (pun intended) of tight shots to help visualize the pruning decisions (rather than just talking to it from a long camera angle) was greatly appreciated. Thanks

[@spudtaylor9]

I like this view in the greenhouse.

[@Tybold63]

As always you got a sharp eye for the right decisions well done on the chops.

[@alicer3423]

Hi Nigel, I thought you made a mistake when you cut the top off... until you showed the shadow. Then the beauty really showed up. Love your work.

[@Ollieslife101]

Yay

[@MaybeBonsai]

I think the top cut is a good decision, make the tree look more horizontal/dragon like! Also a massive cut on the tigerbark!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Just a thought. They have bubble wrap. Might be better to carry out the trees in the cold.

[@emmitstewart1921]

It's an idea. form it into a big bag you could slip over the tree.

[@patsfreund9164]

Fantastic work, Nigel! Loved the suspense when you were "talking yourself into" that major cut. Now, I can definitely imagine a dragon in that design. Well done!

[@martijnstronks2390]

I always love the video’s you make in winter time, because they feature all kind of tropicals. Cuts galore 🔪!

[@craft-o-matic399]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Nigel! Great improvements to both trees! Lisa

[@duncanpage1556]

That's an awesome Bonsai on top of your head, is that the Hairupsia ? lol, Have a great day enjoy your vids!

[@baldyeti]

One big chop deserves another! Hard cuts on FrankenFicus the other day for a warm up to this one, eh? Hard choices, but the end result was awesome. The shadow was pretty slick!! I was diggin that for sure.

[@tonyweeks7877]

Great vision

[@peacecosmonaut176]

Well, I can see the dragon now for the first time

[@potkosongbonsai1818]

Nice sir nice nice🤩🤩🥰

[@mattbrennan647]

“Cut me Mickey” 😂

[@murray821]

Good choice removing the top! You could make a mini dragon of that cutting and perhaps join them together in a pot later on. What I was wondering, wouldnt the tree look better without that thick areal root on the right? It looks like it’s supporting the wing but when I hold my finger in front of it to obscure the root, I think it looks more like a wing. But it’s your tree so it’s all up to you. Either way, nice tree!

[@mattbrennan647]

This is my first year having my tropicals indoors for the winter. I brought them up from Florida last spring. I was wondering what kind of work is appropriate for vigorous tropicals over winter. This video provided some answers. Any other advice on winter work? Thanks, keep growing

[@veziovignanelli2926]

Buongiorno Nigel scusa il disturbo ma i gattini dove sono grazie per le tue riprese buona giornata

[@mattbrennan647]

Can vigorous tropicals be repotted in winter?

[@BeatlePhillips]

Does anyone else try and guess just how much Nigel will prune before he starts.

[@alicer3423]

Yes I actually will say "take it off there or there" and he does. Makes me think that I might know a little. LOL

[@Omar-al-Farouk]

👍👍👍

[@TheGamb23]

Is that a 3D printed pot? Is it available somewhere to download? Looks really nice!

[@WanderingBobAK]

. I buy into this theory ... until the begin to grow. In the end ... will there ever be enough room?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Lol, so true!!

[@OldIronShops]

What is your soap and water mix

[@williamaitken7533]

I'm curious, when you display schefflera at a show, how do you go about doing that? Is it best displayed without any foliage? I find that the foliage gets so huge and unwieldy and weird that it either distracts from or totally blocks the trunk.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I defoliate and prune the tree 4 to 5 weeks before a show. At show time the leaves are growing in and are very small. At this stage you can still see the branch structure clearly also! The rest of the time, it tends to look like a giant bush!

[@williamaitken7533]

@@TheBonsaiZone Good to know! I have one that I'm starting to work on. It's nowhere near show-ready but one day it might be and I was curious how you went about doing that.

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@constantalucia-w7g]

Where are the images from december 2021 ?

[@uppergorple]

Hmm, not sure about that...

[@DanielThiele]

looks like ginseng now

[@bonsaitime621]

Thoid

[@justlucky13]

Foist

[@kevinrandell5189]

🌵🌴🌳🌲Foist 🌲🌳🌴🌵

Hello Nigel, Hello! I really like your channel I watch often, you have beautiful specimen trees, if the opportunity tells you to come and see my little French channel on Bonsai, it would make me happy. and if you want to comment don't hesitate... 😉