Spring Pruning My Larch Bonsai Forest, The Bonsai Zone, April 2019

[@NikhilYadav-tl4hb]

This is like a meditation channel

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, bonsai is a very peaceful hobby for me!

[@erikzellers2925]

I've described it to friends as "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" for adults.

[@R_H21]

I love it when you film in the greenhouse where the lighting is best (no shadows, etc). I also like the rain in the background, it reminds me of when I’m with my trees in my own greenhouse, staying dry while it rains. Very peaceful.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It is very relaxing, I sleep best when I hear rain on the roof of the house!

[@subriotech2007]

Your philosophy behind old forests resonates well with life, where experience makes a person capable of handling pressure

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Sounds very true!

[@SultanFriendlyGuest]

I love this channel to bits!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you very much, lots more coming soon!

[@vamanjoshi4053]

Hi nice to see kw club meeting in progress, lot of enthusiasm. Really motivated to see some senior members reporting. Nice update on forest spring pruning as well.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, it's a really good club, always fun and friendly!

[@ricklandaubonsai5506]

looks like a fun group. Larch seems to be a fun species to work with

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Larch trees are really nice for bonsai and look great in their fall colours! We have a great group of people in the bonsai club, I can't wait for the fall show!

[@Nhoj31neirbo47]

For me, this forest demonstrates clearly how the art of Bonsai utilizes time to miniaturize space through incremental progressive steps which enable the work to evolve endlessly. ~ I enjoyed seeing the members creations, especially the English Ivy and Ming Aralia.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks you!

[@deploribusunum3894]

The forest is looking awesome.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, i'm hoping to put it in the fall show this year, so I'll have to take extra care of it this summer!

[@BonsaiJCan]

Nice to see everyone at the club working on their nice trees.The larch forest is looking great, your detailed work, thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you J, next month at the KW bonsai society, we'll each have a Boxwood tree to style, should be fun! Hope your getting lots of time for your trees over the holiday!

[@BonsaiJCan]

That does sound like fun, boxwoods are nice. You guys certainly have a great time. Today I'm setting up my rain barrels and potting some hardy trees.

[@karelvanelderen615]

Heej Nigel, thx for the great shows of bonsai. I'm looking for a wile now, and i think it,s fantastic. I say, Nigel for President!!! Thx from the Netherlands Karel van Elderen

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you Karel, it's becoming a very popular hobby in the Netherlands. I hope you can go see a bonsai show some day, I think you'd really like it!

[@JLmedia-hpattern]

Little changes with great results, well done as always Nigel

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you very much!

[@PanyandKham]

Nice to see your larch forest going well

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, I'm looking forward to working on the planting over the summer!

[@newleafbonsai6788]

I think our buddy Nigel fertilizes his hair 😂It grows so fast!! The Larch Forest is one of my favorites . The extra soil under the pad of roots is a great idea . It looks great

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you very much, my hair is very fast growing! It will be time for a spring pruning soon! I really like the work you are doing on your KZbin channel and look forward to watching more videos! kzbin.info/door/a9LS6BH5AEcszTAb8qHFzQ

[@montymanmontyman9832]

I love what u do here sir I've been watching ur videos for a week now and I've now went out and about 5 trees and potted them hope they live I followed u to tell t soil and all thanks man love this

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Best of luck with your new trees and I hope they grow well!

[@seiyuokamihimura5082]

Lovely larches love!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hope you enjoy the video!

[@joint-heirwithchrist5241]

Hi Nigel; I'll b doing my Larch soon too. Looks like a Hornets nest at 14:27 ... I'd be "pruning" that back a bit too! :D

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, I had them in the greenhouse all last summer. They never bothered me and they would come out for a drink when I watered the trees.

[@marysoldeeley2218]

I love this forest! I love all your forests Haha! Happy Easter Nigel! To you and your family!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you Marysol, it's always nice to get together with the family!

[@JACKIELVSGOD]

Beautiful video. I want to see how you do the moss landscaping. I want to do a moss landscaping, but I don't know how it's performed.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Here is a video of me making a hill.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6bTYq15lrNkjJo

[@margaretsims4344]

Nice music very soothing and easy listening ! Your Larches are fantastic giving me some ideas the larch I have. Plus iv just started a larch forest from saplings. Do you have any Dawn Redwood I need ideas on how to look after my young dawn redwood forest which is now growing fast!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I intend on getting some Dawn Redwoods for bonsai, maybe even from seed. They are a fast growing tree and are ideal for clip and grow type training! Thanks Margaret!

[@gibbyrockerhunter]

What a happy little tune.

[@paulschaefer5241]

Have you ever tried summer pruning? It's said to have good results in redirecting the vigor of plants. The timing varies with the species but is usually done in late June or early July just as the new buds have extended and are just staring to harden. You would remove almost all of the very strong shoots up to one half of the healthy shoots where the vigor is fine but you don't want it stronger. and would remove no more than on third and possible none of the shoots you want to get stronger. This process also helps with leaf size and ramification.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The Larch's need trimming 2 to 4 times each summer, depending on the vigor of the tree. I try and balance the vigor with this summer pruning, letting the bottom branches grow out long and keeping the top growth very compact.

[@marcoreptile86]

Very nice videos! is this the correct period for pruning?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, you do have to leave green buds on every branch to continue the sap flow.

[@chizisbangarang]

Hey Nigel. I just found your channel and it is some amazing and great work. I had a question about winter feeding and watering. I would like to start a larch bonsai from a graft. But in the winter when you bring them into your basement, how often do you water and fertilize? What kind of temp do you keep in the basement? Any other care during the winter?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

My room in the basement is unheated, so it stays cool all year round. It rarely goes below freezing and is usually between O and 10 C in the winter. I check the trees for water once a week, but they rarely need watering. I don't fertilize them when they are dormant.

[@MrTributes]

larch forest is legendary, as usual ^^

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, it's a work in progress!

[@erikzellers2925]

have you ever thought of making a spooky or creepy forest - something inspired by Mirkwood, or the Bros' Grimm fairytales?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That would be really cool, I'd have to find the right trees or grow my own!

[@patsfreund9164]

What a nice group for your bonsai club, but I only saw one woman. More women members? WOW! Gingko seedlings. Good for you. Thanks for showing how you adjusted the tree placements by lifting them and placing soil beneath. Like that technique. This is a very lovely forest planting.

[@GYH.2023]

Pat Sfreund that one woman is me ! I just do not see the reason for your question or maybe I’m missing something. As I arrived to that meeting and before the capturing of this brilliant video there sat a woman member actively working on the process of repotting her azalea Bonsai. I agree it is a very nice group.

[@patsfreund9164]

@@GYH.2023 I did not expect such a reaction to a comment made on this video. I did notice that you were in the video. I was happy to see that one woman was present at the meeting, but I was curious as to the ratio of men to women in the club. Just seemed like there must be few women. If I offended you or bothered you with my question I am sorry.

[@GYH.2023]

Pat Sfreund you did not offend me.There is no need at all please to apologize. I found shared love of the art and willingness to guide whenever needed.

[@patsfreund9164]

@@GYH.2023 Thank you!

[@TheLawnSensei]

Hi Nigel, as far as I have understood the Larch don't like to be wired bur either a directional pruning? Very nice forest

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Larches are usually wired to create the branch structure, but I'm more a clip and grow person!

[@screamoXable]

Nigel, my yew lives!! I still have one solid branch and just today I noticed it’s exploded with new nodes from the main trunk. Should I let it go for a bit to see if the browned leaflets grow back out or cut them back now to help facilitate the new growth?

[@screamoXable]

I would love to send you a picture or quick video of the tree for your thoughts

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Is the brown branches are dead, I would prune them away to let the new branches get light. You can email me at.... [e-mail]

[@mattbrennan647]

The next thing on my to do list is to join a local bonsai club. Looks like good fun.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, it's always fun spending time with people interested in the same hobby!

[@kite9039]

How did you do the bumpy moss ground ? It looks amazing.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Here is a video that shows how I made the hill.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6bTYq15lrNkjJo

[@ronrobideau3555]

Nigel, have you ever had any luck with rooting larch cuttings??

[@TheBonsaiZone]

No, I've kept the cuttings alive all through the summer, but never through a winter. When i pull them up, I've never seen roots. It may be possible under ideal conditions?

[@ThriceFan16]

I'm curious, can your trees on the outside benches handle being out in rainy weather for a few days? Do you have to get them under cover when it's driving rain?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I only cover the succulents, all the other trees get a good soaking!

[@sakanason]

Did not know you were a Larch Forrest chiropractor? Straightened those babies right up!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I like it much better now!

[@elisabethserrano8264]

very nice

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you Elisabeth!

[@SultanFriendlyGuest]

Do you have a patreon? I was thinking about supporting you there ;)

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you, but your support by watching the videos is enough for me! Thanks Zoltan!

[@blueridgebonsai9155]

Nigel, as a point of reference just how tall is your tallest larch in the forest?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The tallest Larch is 25" from the root base to the top!

[@ashwarirai]

Hi sir. Ver nic buds growing and looking g8 forest....

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you Asgar, it's slowly making progress!

[@brendanstanford5612]

It's too bad your bonsai meeting place is in that drab office building. You guys should find an old timber framed building, or at least a place with windows to meet in! Here in the western U.S. many church buildings let activity groups use the church while it's not service time. You are a good sized group. I bet someone would be glad to host you. Anyway, great update!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The building we are currently in is going to be torn down next year, so we'll have to move. Hopefully we can find a nice new home!

[@brendanstanford5612]

@@TheBonsaiZone well, I guess the bonsai is all that matters. It's just that the lighting is so harsh in those old office buildings lol

[@momenta______9612]

hi nigle saunders how are you doing good job? it .I THINK THAT IT IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FOREST OF LARCH THANK YOU HAVE A NICE DAY.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you very much, things are really good here, we had a nice warm day today with full sun! It will be a busy spring!

[@momenta______9612]

cheers

[@Taylor314T5]

Is there a trick to making a hill for the planting? I can’t get my soil to mound, it just wants to level out.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

You can make a muck and use that to make hills, here is a video of me doing that.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6bTYq15lrNkjJo

[@pansepot1490]

I have read that it helps the trees to let them grow freely one season in a while. Have you ever considered pruning just the top and let the lower buds grow freely for a season to balance the overall vigour and fight the inverse taper? You talk a lot about balancing vigor but it seems to me you prune both bottom and top more or less the same so I don’t see how you achieve balance. Great forest btw, cheers!

[@entyropy3262]

I have seen a japanese video on that, the bonsai master did cut the top growth back, and would cut the bottom growth back after it has grown some more weeks/for the season. It's a really complex topic, since Bonsai is here fighting against the nature of trees development. I think the only way to efficiently get rid of/prevent reverse taper is if u cut back drastically (trunk chop) all few years, so every stage of the tree is a result of many years of growth. So any Bonsai tree requires just many years to get developed towards a certain size, while those trees in Nigels pots are more or less like sticks he tries to cultivate to look like a forrest, while the development of each of them as Bonsai is being neglected - there is imo no way around chopping the inverse taper off - not doing it now will only be a waste of time, which could have been used already for the tree to heal afterwards. It can still look quite nice, I think it's a question of which specimen you use for it. So probably it's a better idea to wait a few years, and then "judge" what he has done with his project. So far it does not look bad for being a few-sticks-in-the-pot-planting. When you watch his other projects you will see, that he can actually create rly good/natural looking Bonsais, he does definitely know what he is doing.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hello Pat, I let the lower growth grow long in the summer and keep the top pruned tightly. The trees need pruning up to 4 times each summer and this technique helps balance the growth and keeps the lower branches healthy. The spring prune keeps the overall shape of the tree in check!

[@daniellarrivee6510]

Allo Nigel You never have to go to a mixed hardwood coniferous forest ? Merci for your vidéo !!!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I have seen mixed forests in bonsai, but it is unusual. It is hard to match the scale effect of different tree species. It can be done and it will look good at times, but it is hard to keep the planting looking good all year round. The trees often need different treatment for watering, pruning and growing strategies.

[@miraztinygarden]

Awesome

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you Miraz! I like your channel, keep up the good work!

[@miraztinygarden]

@@TheBonsaiZone thank you

[@RubeneMaister]

Nigel, is that a wasp nest? In the corner of the door frame 🥶

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes it is, I had them in the greenhouse all last summer. They never bothered me and every time I would water the trees, they would all come out for a drink! I don't believe the'll come back this year, I think they find a new location each season.

[@titolounge6101]

Yo, you made the music?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I did, using MuseScore, it's a free software for composing!

[@jotchava]

I'm from KW I wish I went!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I hope you come out to the next meeting, you can buy a Boxwood tree and style it at the meeting. It should be a fun night!

[@SomewhatHonest]

All those handsome gentlemen! Haha

[@TheBonsaiZone]

We have a good range of ages in the club, it's always nice to see the club growing!

[@bonsaimoldova]

How is going your Mars project?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The Desert Rose has lost all it's leaves, the trunk is still green, but it's nor looking very good. I may have to try a different tree in the soil this spring.

[@jakehuisman5173]

Does anyone know of a bonsai club in Hamilton Ontario?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, check out Bonsai at the RBG...... bonsairbg.com/

[@dubsydabster]

When are we going to get a face reveal!?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

You'll notice my face is cleverly hidden in the thumbnail!

[@dubsydabster]

@@TheBonsaiZone Holy smokes I see you!

[@emy1111]

just wanna crawl into the moss mound and have a nap

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Moss can look so beautiful, many people at bonsai shows seem to like the moss as much as the trees!

[@sharonbuckley4591]

Hi everyone. I live on Haida Gwaii way up north off coast of B.C. Climate is mild like Vancouver and I’m starting to learn bonsai but have no availability to tools or pots other than regular cutters and home made training pots. Can anyone help with a supplier.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hopefully there is something in here.... www.victoriabonsai.bc.ca/Linkssupp.htm

[@maryshoemaker1437]

Awww thought I’d b first... second is ok!!!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Mary!

[@hollymunfordbloe4744]

Very cold; then very hot rain, then beautiful here at BLOE BONSAI CLUB AT VIRGINIA TREES DOING WELL

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Good to hear Holly, we had a beautiful sunny day here today!

[@GYH.2023]

The musical notes are talking

[@TheBonsaiZone]

The room was very noisy, so I thought it was best to make it silent and peaceful with some music!

[@evfast]

I'm thinking Astro owes you for some premium product placement... ;)

[@TheBonsaiZone]

When you see me eating the yogurt to empty it for scooping soil and saying how delicious it is, you'll know I'm getting paid!

[@evfast]

@@TheBonsaiZone I would welcome it. I believe your content has value, and compensation is well in order. Mostly though it was just me noticing the ubiquitous Astro container. I think it's been in almost every video that I can remember. :)

[@thealimirjalili]

fpist

[@thealimirjalili]

Foist I mean :D this is what happens when you type really fast.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Hello Ali, I really should be in bed! Welcome to the Foist Zone!

[@Tony-ys3yo]

N

[@TheBonsaiZone]

umber one video this weekend!