Styling A Problem Oak Bonsai Tree

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I really enjoyed seeing the full size Oaks, they have a fantastic form!!

[@notionbonsai]

It was beautiful to see them! Thanks for watching Nigel 🤗🤗🌳🌳

[@pesoverwatch9324]

Those mames are so cool, :D Realy big oak, I was surprices you could bent the thick trunks so much.

[@notionbonsai]

I was surprised too! I think if this tree had of been older it might have been harder to bend so I think we got lucky on this one!

[@lisawagner6076]

OH Adam!! Those old oak trees were spectacular!! How I would love to spend a lazy afternoon under those trees!! I only know of one area to find trees even close to those, and that's in the southern US. It has been 50 years since I have been to Texas, but my husband and I love to go to Charleston, South Carolina. They have tons of Live Oaks just dripping with moss. We love going there. We also like to go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There they have oaks that are hundreds of years old that they call "Witness Trees" because they have seen the battle of Gettysburg in 1864. I wish I found this hobby a lot sooner. I really look forward to seeing what becomes of your oak tree!! I found Attila's channel and subscribed to his too. It looks like some awesome stuff to see over there!!

[@notionbonsai]

It was a beautiful day for it too! Thanks for sharing this with me! I have never heard of a witness tree before, that is interesting! This oak tree belongs to Attila 🤗

[@lisawagner6076]

@@notionbonsai The Witness Trees were the ones that were actually on the battle fields of Gettysburg on July 1-4, 1864. So they actually have some damage from the muskets and mini balls and anything else they were firing at each other. We love anything to do with The American Civil War. We actually took a horseback ride to see some of these trees right one the battle fields. It was a wonderful experience.

[@Steves_Backyard_Bonsai]

Excellent styling on that massive oak. I appreciate that you are styling it to be like the natural oaks you featured in the segment. Great job Attila and Adam!

[@ShotokhanDragon]

Hi Adam and Atilla, I enjoy watching people style larger bonsai trees. I mean, I am a Texan, born and raised in Dallas, and I say BIGGER is always better, and that oak tree is huge. I think the two of you did a great job on it.

[@samanthalonghurst-howes1465]

You are both artists! I love watching both of your channels. I find you both so inspiring and uplifting to watch. Hope to see updates on this beautiful tree. Bless you for sharing xxx

[@ChannelSobari]

Beautyfull bonsai👍👍♥️♥️🙏

[@snylilith]

Beautifull tree! And every once in a while it's nice to see the work on a tree which does not leave a tree bare 😅

[@Carolyn2Short]

Awesome demo, guys! I live in the Sacramento Valley in northern California and have been growing native Valley Oak and Blue Oak in pots with hopes to bonsai them. Your demo is the first I’ve seen of an oak tree bonsai. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! Good luck - hope to see an update in the next year or two.

[@briangallagher3106]

I’m down in Cork, I just made an oak forest in a long pot. 7 trees. They’re small mostly about 3 years old. Looking forward to see it grow over the years

[@elisabettavisconti9690]

Grazie per le tante informazioni contenute in questo video 😊 .... saluti dall'italia

[@acer_p_bonsai]

Adam, great job with the bonsai and plant physiology terms and definitions! Smooth incorporation of some advanced terms along with the starter level approachability of your videos! 👏🏽 🪴 🍁

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Awesome Adam what a transformation mate you n Atilla make a great team mate I’ll look forward to following this tree 👊👊👊👊👊

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks very much Andy! It should develop nicely!

[@FangornBonsai]

Adam! Thank you so much again for the work on the tree! Was fun as always to having you here, and spend some time to work on trees! Looking forward for the next one!

[@notionbonsai]

Thank you so much for having me again Attila! It is a long journey to Dublin but worth it every time for some Bonsai fun!

[@randysmith1723]

I would have done it differently, and I would have made a mistake. I really didn’t think this was going to turn out the way it did, but it represented the very nature of the larger oaks you showed. Well done!!

[@nerinat8371]

Wow! The Oak looks fantastic. Well done to you both

[@marosbonsai]

You choose a very challenging tree, and it will be interesting to follow how ramification will be built. Im curious if it will create a rough bark in that box. Good job.

[@rebelliousbrands3253]

Nice transformation!

[@JamesDavis-cf4bb]

Great teacher. Great content. Thank you.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Nice one Adam Always a pleasure to watch

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks very much Jelle!

[@TraveljunkieBB]

Am new at bonsai. Your videos are so helpful! I love what you did to this oak tree!

[@BonsaiDruid-qo9lo]

I'm amazed at how much bend ye were able to get on the trunks! Quite an impressive tree design. It really inspires me to work on some more oaks

[@raymondplodzien7459]

Great team work you two! I hope to see a future update on this oak.

[@abeerali7834]

What a change! Well done!

[@notionbonsai]

🌳🙂🌳

[@donnadornbusch6738]

This was a real treat - anxious to watch the 😊progress

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks for watching Donna! 🤗🌳💖

[@aaronbradley8701]

Great job it looks amazing.

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Aaron!

[@annepahler8726]

I wish I had your imagination so I would dare to cut and wire a bonsai like you two seem to be able to. Thank you for sharing.

[@notionbonsai]

The more we learn, the more we know we are able to do by reading the condition and capabilities of a tree 🤗 Thanks so much for watching!

[@trybonsai]

You guys make a great team... really nice video, great tree and beautiful outcome...looking forward to seeing it's development in the future 🎉🎉

[@DavesBonsai]

Great work to both of you!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Dave!

[@JanetCoulby]

Beautiful

[@stormforce9521]

Fascinating, your artistic vision is brilliant.

[@notionbonsai]

Working with someone else on a tree is fun because you both share ideas that the other has not considered and it ends up better I think!

[@gayefanner731]

Very true, especially with the pairing of Adam and Attila, they really are a harmonic duet 👌

[@kuriseon]

OMG ADAM!!! These videos are getting better and BETTER

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Kuriseon! Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 I will try keep the tool part smaller haha!

[@kuriseon]

Haha I wouldn’t worry about the length of the segment, as it’s quite important. But in this video specifically, it almost felt like you used a fisheye lens for that segment 😅 It’s like leggy growth on a tree; It still works, but something looks off 😛

[@kuriseon]

Btw: I have a sycamore in development that looks similar to this oak. Weird, gnarly triple trunk that grew from a single base that refused to die when my mom cut it off a few years back. Knowing that might become something crazy like this one is SO inspiring!!

[@notionbonsai]

@@kuriseon Ohh i know what you mean now! I do use a wide lens for some shots and I think I was sitting too close to it so it looked weird 🤣🤣

[@criandobonsai]

Amazing video!! 🫡🧐🌳🌳

[@alfredomarotta6604]

Nice collaboration, turned out great.👍👍 🍃

[@crf89862]

Great instructional video and a good crossover, I follow Attila as well. I really liked the bit in the middle where you've shown the tree you're working on in the wild, never seen that in other channels I follow.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

That’s definitely some challenging material 😮

[@notionbonsai]

I know right! I feel the easy way out would have been to trunk chop but where's the fun in that 😄

[@alfgundersen1058]

So so super cool

[@calikesh6475]

Awesome!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks Cali!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I am in the middle of my oaks right now. TThey are fantastic to work with and you can go nuts with wiring. It looks like Atilla found another great tree to work on :)

[@TheMrjoehughes]

Very unusual looking beast, it’s nice, kind of like a claw shape. How do oaks air layer ? I would never waste any of the thicker branches but if air layering didn’t work I would definitely chop two away or as suggested half them and hope for a reshoot for leaders. Would almost be like a baby clump then with some huge root base underneath it and the ability to shape the new branches as you please

[@DikaBonsai23]

Very useful video bonsai my friend

[@notionbonsai]

Glad it was useful for you Mardika!

[@bejuntecoffeeshop9747]

mantap om🎉🎉

[@Tybold63]

Although I would have shaped it differently you really got good explanations on every step and technique. Well done!"

[@Akatsuki-En]

😮 amazing

[@jennifertucker107]

Very interesting.

[@notionbonsai]

🤗

[@CYPHERCOMPLETE]

Looking forward on a follow up! Nice work!

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks! Hopefully we can do an update next year!

[@bonsaisn]

That's so great

[@crittercritter2583]

Adam, you always mention to use a sharp blade. Would you please do a video on how you sharpen your tools 🙏

[@timbatrombone]

Im still very much a beginner but ive watched a lot of bonsai videos and this is the first time ive been told to use clean tools so that is one thing I will definitely do going forwards. Also if you turn adam upside down it's atilla 😂

[@howardmckeown7187]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@rowenacorner7700]

Wow what a transformation!

[@justinhill8170]

Can you show us how you keep your tools sharp?

[@MultiZNB]

🔥🔥🔥

[@HunterMatthew]

those are some unique old oaks. not like the ones around me in New England USA. those are majestic and definitely looked trained by giants like you said 😂. great video brother

[@notionbonsai]

Hey thanks so much!!

[@lupitateve5491]

Interesting.,

[@zaubergarden6900]

The middle most of the five trunks seems really unnecessary. thank you for taking us along the journey, I learned so much!

[@artfx9]

I kept an Oak indoors. It had leaves still into the Winter, but once they fell off, they never came back. Had buds for a couple years and then it just died 😢

[@gayefanner731]

Bonsais need to be outdoors in the elements, as in nature. They have enough to contend with just being trained as a bonsai ! ✌️

[@iPheek]

I did the mistake of just trunk chopping my oak I collected 3 years ago and it never pushed any growth. I still treat it as it’s alive in hopes that it comes back 😢

[@TheIrishLeprochaun]

Great video! I was wondering which forest that is in the Wicklow Mountains? I'm not too far and I'd love to have a gander at some nice trees! cheers

[@ludwigcodjambassis8866]

Thank you I have like 20 oaks to work, but only three years old There is a xomplicated matter with working the roots...I would like to know if there is a particular time to do it. Greeting from Patagonia, Chile

[@bigbrobunny]

Nice idea. The thing is, it's so hard (and worrying!) to chop right down and seems a shame when you've spent so much time growing it only to cut it off, but that's what makes good taper isn't it. I chopped a five foot Oak down to about a foot and a half a few years ago and now it looks pretty good IMHO. I've become a lot more ruthless! Takes a long time, especially with deciduous trees, but that's Bonsai.

[@notionbonsai]

Hey! I totally know what you mean! I was very tempted to chop this one down too but we wanted to try something different and see it as a challenge by working with what the tree has and giving it a natural flowy look like the ones we seen in Wicklow. Though I also have many other trees that have been trunk chopped and for sure they are a lot more traditional and are nice and chunky with taper! I agree that you have to be ruthless in Bonsai to make great trees! 🤗

[@bigbrobunny]

Those trees looked awesome btw! Decisions, decisions! There’s never a right or wrong way is there. So long as it works for you and experimentation is the way to go! Love the channel and will subscribe. Thanks for replying.

[@timeverett6983]

Adam, question, have you ever done a Metasequoia Dawn Redwood Bonsai? The species is similar to the cypress.?

[@DannyTorn]

nice vid thanks. what depth would you say is the min for a oak bonsai pot?

[@notionbonsai]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. For an oak bonsai, I'd recommend a pot depth of at least 3-4 inches. Oak trees have relatively deep roots, so providing enough depth will help them establish. Though if you want it to thicken I recommend something even deeper or plant it into the ground

[@kevinorr6880]

I'm just going to say I don't think “compactify” is a word. But, I'm open to using it from now on.

[@notionbonsai]

Maybe not a word for Bonsai, though I definitely do know that it is a word! It's primarily used in specific contexts, particularly in mathematics and physics. In theoretical physics, especially in string theory, compactification involves reducing extra dimensions to a compact size to fit within observable dimensions haha😄

[@kevinorr6880]

@@notionbonsaiyou win! You beat me down with the sheer weight of your letters! It all sounded so very scientific, how could I argue? Thank you for all of your very educational bonsai videos as well.

[@notionbonsai]

@@kevinorr6880 Don't worry I had to google if it was a word or not 🤣

[@howardmckeown7187]

@@notionbonsai Shouldn't have left that comment, Adam, you were impressing me with your intelligence, lol, great video 👍

[@gayefanner731]

I’d rather be impressed with his honesty! ✌️

[@jasonellis7856]

Could you possibly air layer one of the larger stems to create another?

[@notionbonsai]

From my experience Oaks are very tricky to air layer! (not impossible but very tricky) Personally i would rather grow a new tree as they grow so fast!!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@notionbonsai]

🤗🌳💖

[@JasonLorette]

When he cut that branch…uugh, not that brave! 😂

[@notionbonsai]

Sometimes we gotta be bold to make great things in Bonsai 😄 Oaks can for sure handle this kind of work too!

[@mattbrennan647]

Foisting 😊

[@notionbonsai]

🏆🏆🏆

[@0xChef-l2d]

fellas youre just going to have to chop that oak... mega long branching with zero taper, there is no working around that but good news it'll 100% back bud where ever you cut it

[@notionbonsai]

I appreciate your perspective and understand where you're coming from. While we have many Bonsai trees that feature the classic sumo tapered trunk, we wanted to explore a different approach with this particular tree. Our inspiration comes from the natural beauty of the trees found in the mountains of Wicklow, Ireland. These trees often have a more subtle and organic taper, reflecting the unique conditions of their environment. 😊 In Bonsai, there is a wide range of styles, and not every tree needs to adhere to the traditional, dramatic taper. Just as in nature, where not every tree exhibits such pronounced features, we believe that diversity in form can bring richness and authenticity to a Bonsai collection. By experimenting with different styles, we aim to capture the essence of the natural landscapes that inspire us and broaden our understanding and appreciation of this art form.

[@mitchlapera5898]

This is the problem when other country do bonsai, they cant wait.. That tree would be better if they trunk chop and just wait to make movements on the trunks

[@notionbonsai]

Hey Mitch, I get what you're saying. I have plenty of other trees and oaks where I've used the traditional trunk chop method. However, that doesn't mean we can't explore different approaches to create something more interesting and unique 🙂

[@gayefanner731]

Well said Adam. The pair of you are doing great things 👌

[@joanettemurch9040]

I just wanted to get going on a bonsai tree and the only way I have to design a bonsai is to use an oak that I have potted ….. I am just starting

[@HunterMatthew]

what putty stuff did you put on the open cuts?

[@notionbonsai]

The putty used here is from the japanese brand KIKUWA

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Missed it 😩😩😩😩😩

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

The truth about oaks Morphology is sad but true: The confusing appearance of the oaks branches and twigs comes from the trees Hunger for sunlight and is caused by dying back of shaded branches...So shaded twigs will die unexpected🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@HellcrushPlays]

(math)

[@smokereapergaming3861]

Don't want to sound funny, but why style that oak like that makes no sense? Oaks don't grow like that In the wild I would of just style the three in a traditional clump style,because the style you guys went with will shade out the lower branches and in a few years they will die.just my opinion 😊

[@ludwigcodjambassis8866]

Thank you I have like 20 oaks to work, but only three years old There is a xomplicated matter with working the roots...I would like to know if there is a particular time to do it. Greeting from Patagonia, Chile