My Oldest Lemon Tree Bonsai, The Bonsai Zone, Feb 2023

[@MarcBlackforestPlants]

Hi Nigel! I'm very experienced Citrus grower. The yellow leaves have nothing to do with full sun exposure, this is pure nutrient deficite. One solution is to fertilize more with your 20-20-20 or get a special citrus fertilizer with higher pH and more disolved iron. Espacially lemon trees like full sun in the summer and need good watering then. Hope you can get this lemon back to dark green leaves with those tipps. Have a nice day.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks so much!!

[@ferasi6944]

Hi Marc, what ph level do you recommend for citrus trees? Thanks

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Professor Nigel is truly the Master of Clip and Grow.

[@Mikicomi23]

Lemon tree are susceptible to iron deficiency, that cause the yellowing of the leaves. In particular if the PH of the soil is not acid enough, the roots can't pick up the iron from the soil. Try to use some organic compost in order to rise a little bit the acidity of the soil. Lemon trees love full sun! ;)

[@Liisa3139]

Yup, I think iron is needed here and the PH of the soil makes sense too.👍 Same with humans and vitamins and minerals, intake is better in the right combination.

[@mandieartym6594]

Hi Nigel. My lemon trees love the full sun here in Australia, 5 lemons on one tree this year and 3 on the other. They have flowered twice this summer. We've had a few 40°c days and 6 days straight of 38°c. Kept them sitting in a pot with a water tray underneath. Iron chelate helps with the yellowing problem and also showering with powdered seaweed meal which is a little different than the liquid version.

[@mandieartym6594]

Cheers Mandie

[@josephventre-up4od]

@@mandieartym6594 c 😊😊😊 😊😊

[@jonesr1404]

Nice to watch the process!

[@jmb.....]

Its wild going through this lemon tree playlist, almost a decade of bonsai. So much fine tuning. Compounding changes based on decisions made years and years ago. Some choices that worked and others that he regrets, but working with what hes got and knowing when enough is enough. And its comming out pretty. Its like Life maaaan. But seriously I think i might buy a bonsai.

[@togrowagarden]

My favorite tree of yours, this one got me into bonsai! mine is 5 years old now from seed. "the tree knows what its doing" this idea resonates with me the most about clip and grow, to me its so much more interesting than wiring up branches and forcing it to grow a certain way. I enjoy the push/pull of compromising with the tree, it's a more dynamic art form, sort of like a super slow mo dance that spans decades.

[@sonnysome3201]

Same here!

[@Cocinaybienestar]

same too :)

[@BonsaiArtbyPradeep]

Good 🎉🎉

[@treesbonsaiperfect8420]

nice work 🌳

[@marysoldeeley2218]

That tree is fantastic! That is a great rule for Bonsai Nigel! Stare twice, cut once!💚

[@7puggiescyndycarruthers193]

oh well done sir! love the future possibilities….

[@harishahn9039]

Have 110 years long life

[@ulapatdahon9973]

Great dress color like ur bonsai

[@Liisa3139]

A tree celebrity, wow! The zigzaggy trunk is cool and unique.

[@zimmy1958]

Thanks.

[@santoshsharmavlogs1550]

Very nice

[@syaifulazhar7514]

my favorite tree, this is what inspired me to grow lemon bonsai... From Indonesia...

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Awesome, thanks Syaiful!

[@PanyandKham]

[@bonsaimonsai]

trunk chopping is done when there is no straight section left up before branching begins, easy as that the thing is what can make clip and grow endless is, that you prune it always too high and always noticing cutting lower would be better when you're coming back, but again cutting it too high.. then someday you cut it back to what would be better 5 years ago.. thats the neverending circle :D one thing people often forget is, that you don't prune only for division, it's also for movement (eliminate one shoot, if two are sprouting). that way you eliminate too straight parts on branches without having a division. oh i just described trunk chopping technique for branching xD that lemon tree trunk is quite a beauty, even without much taper!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

This tree has been cut back very low many times over the 35 years, the upper section always seems to catch up to the thickness of the bottom section eventually.

[@Alepoudiitsa]

this is the tree that made me plant my lemmon tree from a seed to !

[@GregorySesma]

Yesss!!!! Love this tree.

[@nolesfan8900]

For some reason I never use cut paste on bigger cuts on my lemon tree. Yet I use it a lot on my other trees. Never thought about it but my cuts really heal over fast so that must be my reasoning. My bald cypresses are the only trees that heal faster and cleaner than my lemon. I’m in south Florida so the weather is great for any citrus tree. My biggest problems are the leaf miners and the swallowtail butterflies but only seasonally. Great work as always Nigel.

[@balanjayf9368]

Great job Nigel, I love the trunk on this tree!

[@arlenegurule747]

Thank You from U.S (Taos) New Mexico

[@betulaobscura]

Nice pruning!

[@masondaily5270]

The first video of yours I ever saw was of a lemon tree like 5 years ago, I immediately began to steal seeds from lemons and oranges afterwards.

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

3.4 million views. Super Cool!!!!! Now that has to be a KZbin record. Congratulations!!!!!

[@PolinaS-gq1te]

Right side now looks better than the front 🙂

[@Tybold63]

Love the almost philosophical reasoning you share with us. Maybe we have to accept that some trees may not ever get close to "show-ready" and still gives you joy to work with. That being said I really find that trunk to be awesome so I think it will be fantastic

[@54114142]

The most crucial factor for views is the thumbnail and the lemon tree video with the 3.4m views had a perfect thumbnail. I think this helped a lot. Because all your videos are great. So it can't be that. XD

[@SJKurd]

amazing

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks!!!

[@uhaneokalanijames8029]

i love the trunk on this lemon tree, it makes it "alive" if you know what i mean...lol

[@georgehelaine]

I've learned so much from watching your videos. Thank you so much for creating material that are very entertaining and interesting to watch♥️

[@amyjones2490]

I’ve been keeping my citrus underneath the canopy of a big tree in summer so it isn’t such an adjustment to winter indoors and it seems to be doing better than ever. No leaf drop from coming back inside. I was very pleased with that.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Nice!!!

[@patrickstonecrusher]

You ever put a few lemon leaves in a glass of ice water? Pretty tasty... :D

[@michaelmason4206]

I love watching your vids. You’re the abBob Ross of bonsai!

[@beth7467]

I kind of like the tree -- both pre- and post-pruning in the right-hand side view.

[@lluisasastre]

Hi Nigel, I live in Barcelona and our climate is the Mediterranean and because it is a citrus area, the color of the leaves of your lemon tree, here we would say that you have some deficit, you are wrong when you say that it does not like the sun, citrus can withstand very good the high temperatures in the sun, I have tried air layering many times and they work very well, a solution for the apex, you would have 2 bonsai Take care!!

[@mikec3820]

wow 3.4 mil. think that was one of the first videos about bonsai i watched years ago. that light leaf color just happens w the new growth on mine too. i started from seed 5 or 6 years ago. about half the size of yours here. im like dory "just keep pruning" lol

[@rogoveanudani8086]

Love your oldest lemon tree. Your video made my day !! I watchd all history of this tree and to see all the cut backs and trunk chops, i would go for another one . That skiny leader sure locks like a potential apex . Great content !

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, I'm sure I will chop it again, I'm just getting up the courage!!

[@ferasi6944]

I love the movement of the trunk in the lower section. Really awesome! If you have gathered lots of courage you might even cut below the second branch to the back. Maybe where you point 29:21 at. In this way you keep the best part of the trunk, lose the big scar at the front and get a more compact tree which I personally would like a lot. The two citrus trees you showed the days before look quite tall to me. If you reduce this one significantly to something smaller you have a difference in height in your collection. It is a matter of taste and I am curious what you will go for. 😉🍋🌳

[@baldyeti]

I always get fantastic notes when you work on your citrus trees. Thank you for always sharing. Digging the canopy structure you’ve got going on here

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Very good tutorial. Excellent!!!

[@dk2614]

Hi Nigel, when I was taking landscape design I remember one of my Professors talking about when placing a tree in the landscape there are edge of the woodland trees, understory trees and overstory. The best hope for success is following where the trees will be happiest. You have definitely come to find that your Lemon will be happiest as an understory. When I speak at my club I always talk about where in nature my tree is found. I talk about what they like and what they don't. I have kept an American Hop Hornbeam for about a number of years with relative success. They are supposed to be notoriously difficult to keep as bonsai. But I think people's trouble with it is they don't understand what the trees need. They are typically found deep in the woods in a relatively dry site. For me having that knowledge makes cultivating bonsai that much easier and more enjoyable. Plus it gives me an excuse to get more nerdy tree stuff.

[@jameswalker3416]

Do you just use shade cloth to create these zones or just find a place on your property?

[@dk2614]

@@jameswalker3416 I'm fortunate to have ample shade on the property. My previous place had half shade in the afternoon. So the morning sun was still gentle enough.

[@ogsxl]

The famous lemon tree

[@patsfreund9164]

Nigel, Here in s.e. Florida we treat citrus trees with a nutritional foliar spray at the beginning of each growing season. It is done just once each year at this time. You might want to try this with your citrus bonsai. It does make a difference with those trees that we have yard-planted. Like all the changes that you made on this little tree. Well done!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Pat!!!

[@Alepoudiitsa]

ohh my lemon tree was in the sun outside in the summer and it was fine, it love it i learen tho that i need to give it boths 20,20,20 and iron fervalizer, thos my is in big pot like 80 L

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Wonderful, thanks!!

[@truongla5614]

quá đẹp .thích cái cách làm cây mà ko dùng đến dây kim loại để uấn cây tuyệt vời

[@t3dwards13]

Love the movement of that trunk. But I'm curious if it would remain when it does thicken. Also, I wonder if you could rig up exhaust fans to the vents for the summer.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I think it will always have subtle movement to the trunk, I hope!! Yes, I have to install my shade screen too!!

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

I've got some old copper wire is that ok to use for shaping bonzi

[@sbragaglia]

Amazing! 😍 Maybe one of those liquid fertilisers made from algae might help with the yellow leaves as they contain lots or iron which makes the leaves green? Also I’ve seen an interesting new front somewhere between the current front and the current right view… what do you think Nigel?

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

I have a couple of lemon seedlings growing in 5 letter pots I was looking at making a bonzi growing over a old whiskey bottle. So I'm guessing if I take a seedling and cut if most of the roots and foliage I shouldn't kill it ? Am I a madman for thinking about growing bonzi over things like old bottles, steal toys , animal sculls ?

[@Liisa3139]

A succulent over a scull sounds cool. Makes me think about Georgia O'Keeffe and her scull in the desert paintings.

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

@@Liisa3139 thanks ,that sounds cool I'll have to look up the painting for some ideas. Just seems strange that there's not a modern or alternative stile of bonzi other than the same old traditional stile, like how there is in painting

[@Liisa3139]

@@kiwiprouddavids724 I would love to see more modern bonsai creations and Western looks.

[@vectispete9415]

Nigel do you know which video you describe your spraying treatment for bugs? Asking for a friend.

[@737ngJR]

The height should be somewhere between 6-12 times the size of the base. How thick do you want the base to be? Use it to figure how tall it should be.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

That's the trouble, I'm not sure what height or thickness I want!!

[@737ngJR]

@@TheBonsaiZone i hope the Religiosa makes a strong come back 🙂👍

[@LoukasKar]

Nigel the yellow leaves probably indicates iron deficiency! Try some chemical iron solution or powder. You'll see the difference in a couple of days.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks!!

[@michelleveronica6097]

I wonder if bonsai lemon produce flowers and fruits. Welp. It was answered on this video😊

[@michelleveronica6097]

😲 i got a ❤️ from Mr. Nigel. Your bonsai are inspirations for my trying bonsai. Though I only try clip and grow. I have a Calamansi seedling/tree about a year old. They said not to grow them for fruits since they grow very tall and quite thorny. I'm thinking of turning it to bonsai and was wondering if it would eventually flower or fruit. Now I got the answer. Next question is when to train the trunk and branches 😅 P.S. i clip and grow my ficus and they're sort of okay 😅🤣

[@williamself1224]

I planted a lemon seed and a year later I have a sapling. When do I make that first cut?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I would wait until the second year or until the trunk gets a bit woody!

[@JankyzFSX]

Hello Nigel I've got two questions: - will you use cuttings from this tree?, it's quite good material - do you prune this tree also in the mid-season, late summer? I have 6 citrus trees in my collection and mid-season pruning gives them a lot of new branches

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, I prune them after the new growth has extended and hardened off. I won't grow cuttings as I have too many trees!!

[@gerardoforesthillsbonsai]

Funny story, the first video I watch on your Channel was this tree when you did that crazy root pruning, that day I thought there is no way that tree will live and here it is 😂

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Tough love!!!

[@MaybeBonsai]

If I am one of the big branches in the apex, I would be very afraid of that little branch because some day it may take my place! I would send assassins take it out!!

[@Mannavegr]

Nice video! I think the hardest thing is to build a good crown of a bonsai, i cant seem to find good videos about it, maby you can make a video one day? Keep up the great work 🙏🏻

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Here is a video that maybe explains your goal? kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGmqmKZsr7aaq80

[@Mannavegr]

@@TheBonsaiZone thank you alot! 🙏🏻

[@granlex]

Hi Nigel. Don’t understand when you say the lemon tree does not like sun and heat when they are tropical. Im in South Florida U. S. where my lemon is in the full sun and hot🥵🤣

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It was in the greenhouse at around 50 C or 122 F, it was just too hot for it!

[@dk2614]

I'm sorry I might have missed it but was this the tree that flowered and fruited for you a couple years ago?

[@san5673]

👍👍👍. Second 😂

[@alessandromariani3015]

You said that is very old .. but how old it is? more than 20 years?

[@justlucky13]

Foist

[@michaeldescande8931]

Do you ever get fruit on it

[@williamaitken7533]

I think it's looking good! Going back and viewing the video that took off for it, you can definitely see the development, especially in the trunk. Your statement on stepping back and deciding when enough is enough and deciding to stop doing structure pruning was very poignant. I am relatively new to bonsai (3 years) and I had not considered that transition moment and being a decision I would have to make at some point.

[@Jspec1983]

Thats nonsense citrus not liking full sun 😅

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It wasn't so much the full sun, it was the extreme heat of the greenhouse that multiplied the effect.

[@venturarealestate9918]

Your hair is back to distracting. I liked it best when you had a bouqet of locks in a pony on top of your head. Nice bonsai by the way!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

😊 thank you

[@ScottSellsSoCal]

Distracted by your hair…. Omg sir

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Scott, if only everyone was exactly the same, the world would be a better place!

[@OutsidethePot]

Do you develop trees to show or do you just do it for the love of the hobby. Personally if I never took a tree to show I would not feel any regret. You are agonizing a lot.