My Premna, Osage Orange Forest and My Small Ficus religiosa, The Bonsai Zone, Aug 2023

I make some big cuts on my Premna bonsai to get it on track to become a nice looking tree.
I also prune up my Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) forest to create depth and a pleasing overall shape.
I finish off with a complete repotting of my small, but old Ficus religiosa.
To see my previous video of the Premna bonsai, click on the playlist here...
• Premna Bonsai from 2022
To see previous videos of my Osage orange tree forest, click on the playlist here...
• Osage Orange Bonsai
To see previous videos of my Ficus religiosa bonsai, click on the playlist here...
• Tiny Ficus Religiosa
#TheBonsaiZone

[@nurhasantalukdar6937]

keeping a bonsai small was the first video of you I watched 6 years ago and subscribed to your channel. This tree was one of the three trees you worked on.

[@laughin7654]

Cuts are character! Love how that prenma came out

[@carlossoares712]

love your ficus religiosa trees

[@KennetDeBondt]

Hello Nigel Some good descissions on that premna, imo. Grts Kennet

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Kennet, it's like starting over with the tree, but sometimes it's the best thing to do!!!

[@donnelly3968]

It's both painful but beautiful. Watching you cut a tree back to basically a stump, the painful part. Knowing that in many years it'll be a beautiful piece of art, beautiful. I'm new to bonsai, I started growing from seed in a kit I got. But damn, all that love and effort going in to get a tree to even grow, it's terrifying to imagine my first cuts, don't want to kill my babies over something stupid. But you've just shown me how resilient plants can be

[@bartstellink307]

What a nice ficus, can't wait to see the update.

[@dk2614]

Wow Nigel, the skill and care to keep that Ficus so small and healthy is really impressive! Not to mention consistency! Wow!

[@basicallybonsai2532]

I love my premna, it is a very forgiving species. It has always come back from my rookie mistakes that killed other trees. 😂😂 It is the right species for you to take these big risks on and I know this one will be amazing some day

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

Nice work on the FR. That is one cool pot for $6. Tree and pot together look really cool.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Tom!! 👍

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Great show Nigel! I'm always so scared to make big cuts. But you always reason the fear out of me! Much appreciated! Seeing how your trees progress helps make those cuts easier!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Marysol!!!

[@zimmy1958]

Thanks

[@NaturesCookFlavor]

A well known kind of a plant, Bonsai.

[@astounded]

Excellent work with the close up photography on Premna chopping and root work on the Ficus. Felt like I was sitting in the front row!

[@dustincrager2832]

I think the tall slant of the tree with the flat canopy gives an interesting look 😁 has potential for sure

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I hope it develops into a cool tree some day!!

[@dustincrager2832]

@TheBonsaiZone I'm sure it will!! Excited to see it's progress. Great work Nigel 😁

[@ianrowe9337]

MMmmm, thats 1 sweet little Tree .....

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

Eyesight tree wow picture cutting outside very biggest different things 🥰🥰👍

[@jamesn7156]

We have moss all over the cracks in our driveway. Seems to survive no matter what the weather is, freezing, hot, floods, drought.. I recently collected some english ivy in my back yard to try to make an english ivy bonsai one day. I think it will be the perfect candidate to add moss to that little pot I put it in.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Sounds great!

[@patsfreund9164]

WOW! Two big cuts on that tree. Premnas make beautiful bonsai. I'll look forward to seeing exactly what you do with this one over the upcoming years. Enjoy seeing how you trim that Osage orange forest.

[@skrounst]

WOO that was more savage cutting than most horror movies have these days lol. How the foliage looks on the branches reminds me of my barberry. Kind of like tufts of foliage along each branch, helps make the tree look more full. I've never heard Premna before, but heard you mention it was a tropical. I'll have to see how much space I have inside this winter to see if I can fit another tree. Thanks Nigel for supporting my tree purchase habit, as always! 😂

[@GreenhornBonsai]

Thanks, Nigel, I needed a push to root prune my Ficus religiosa trees!

[@GrimsleyAllyn21]

Really like the commentary during this one, Nigel. Great to hear your perspectives.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Many thanks!

[@growclipbonsaiforseniors1951]

The Prem and OOForest, great work. Very informative. Pulling the weeds in the forest is a never ending story. Forest looks great!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Tom, yes weeding is an on going task!!!

[@angieb6899]

Great job on the forest Nigel. 👩🏻‍🌾🪴

[@lukasmihara]

Lots of work done, and quite the big cuts on the Premna, but I think everything's heading in the right direction!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌👌

[@arindumghosh3786]

❤

[@hsvfanjan17]

Wow, talk about taper on that religiosa! Awesome tree and it's hard to believe this one is 25 years old!

[@thebonsaiarea]

nice little tree

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Fantastic and very enjoyable episode! 🐦💙

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Jay!!

[@MrEieio44]

The pot that the ficus is in is so nice.

[@Santi-us9ec]

Excelentes trabajos en una clase magistral.

[@invertevision4757]

Personally, I think that branch gave the tree character. Made it different...

[@Dave_0993_I]

I might have used the cut-off as the leader, and made the other vertical stuff shortish deadwood. Of course, it's your tree, and with Bonsai there are endless possibilities.

[@RiteOn]

On my screen, the mica pot looks purple . . . and quite nice in my opinion.

[@PolinaS-gq1te]

The base of the ficus looks like turtle shell. Nice!

[@bigjeo123]

Your ficus looks like on of my caudex succulents (Firmiana Colorata)!

[@deepanjanbanerjee3491]

Great video and love the detailed walkthrough. Would it have made sense to use a saw to remove the thick branches on the first premna? Could have been cleaner cuts …. Just curious.

[@patriciaromero5347]

I do not have any bonsai….but i enjoy very much your videos, the care you put in your plants, how you explain, the pruning (which i almost cry everytime you do a hard pruning) it is very educational. I have a small “tree” african something (sorry cannot remember the name) that i am eyeing to bonsai the heck out of it! I also love the pots and styling you do on some of the bonsai. Greetings from Peru!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thank you very much!!!

[@richardhanson8148]

I have about 30 of these here in s.w.florida. Fertilize the heck out of it Nigel! 😉 They love it in season,and heat+plenty of H2O! Great Stuff brother!👍🤝🏁

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Oh wow!

[@highwayranger4878]

Hello Nigel, I have to ask. How in the world could you not like a tropical evergreen such as the neea buxifolia? It make a beautiful mini tree.

[@highwayranger4878]

Never mind my comment. Canada is not welcoming to a tropical evergreen.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I haven't seen many here, I'm sure I'll get one some day!!!

[@johnmccauley101]

I pive yhe way tha5 you talk about each tree in a way the the simple plainsman can understand , you're not judging or harsh o the way somebody else might deal with the trees despite the fact that I know there are many Perameters around the whole idea of Bonsai!

[@TonysBonsai]

Sorry I couldn't catch more of the live stream. I'm just off now to see what I missed.

[@dk2614]

I think I mentioned before but should you ever want more Osage Orange trees they take easily from cuttings I've also had reasonable success with leaf reduction without defoliation. Just getting pot bound seemed to do the trick.

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Awesome, thanks!!

[@GoodSamaritan1972]

Awesome Nigel. What good post care did you employ after that drastic root work on this tree

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It is in the greenhouse and so far it's doing well and actually growing already!!!

[@GoodSamaritan1972]

@@TheBonsaiZone : Thank you so much Nigel. Wishing you well

[@lukasmihara]

50:15 I believe that the signs below the stamp of the pot are 鲍荷芳 which seems to be Chinese, and I think the traditional letters, which are usually only used in Taiwan and Hongkong. Unfortunaly I'm not proficient in the language, so I can't find out more though. However, it seems they make teapots etc., too 🍵 _Edit:_ Also, I just noticed on the right side of the stamp it says 中國 from top to bottom, which means China, so it's very likely from some place in China. Anyways, a beautiful pot!

[@angelsantiago6658]

Hi Nigel how you grow or keep your moss so green what’s yours secret

[@MrEieio44]

He lives in Canada

[@BonsaiMaster300]

He just scrapes it off the pavement just outside his house.

[@bartstellink307]

I asked that same question, he said he picks moss from areas that are in the sun (and are green) most of the time and on the pavement, because the "roots" (rhizoids) won't have a lot of soil on them. My experience is: You have to experiment with different kinds of moss and see which kind works the best. I recently picked up a bit in a forest (just a tiny patch because it's illegal to get stuff from the forest in my country) on a open spot in the sun. That kind is working like a charm. But that worked for me, no garantees...

[@RyanFish825]

Definitely just try to find local moss because it's adapted to your environment, then look for stuff that's sitting in a similar sunny or shady spot so it'll get about the same once in the pot. I've had great luck with keeping that in mind. Plus, yeah being in Canada is his other secret lol😂. Good luck!

[@t3dwards13]

You're gonna have to order rubber cement in bulk, or break out the lipstick from St. Tom. Lol

[@RyanFish825]

Nice work Nigel! I was wondering what came of that premna, looking good now after that drastic work. Always making progress! Booty that religiosa sure is a tiny tapered tree! Thanks Nigel!

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Thanks Ryan!!

[@RyanFish825]

@@TheBonsaiZone lol I just saw auto text got me with booty instead of boy 😂. You're very welcome sir! THANK YOU!

[@shandyarsesgasurya6861]

In indonesia this tree is very common for training a bonsai. They very fast growing and easy to make nebari

[@ricklandaubonsai5506]

What's that massive tree to the left of the osage forest before you brought it in?? Looks ancient 😮

[@RyanFish825]

That's his buckthorn, he actually just did a video on it, a stubborn species but he sure has a great specimen for sure!

[@RyanFish825]

Wow, I just checked out your channel and subscribed, you've got some nice trees sir!

[@ricklandaubonsai5506]

@@RyanFish825 hey! Thank you so much 🙏

[@ricklandaubonsai5506]

@@RyanFish825 thanks for the info too 👊

[@jasonkim3287]

Looks fantastic! Is it good timing for root pruning and repotting for Ficus religiosa?

[@TheBonsaiZone]

Yes, it is!

[@Crootcovitz]

As for 'make it work' vs 'start from scratch' dilemma, why not both? Work on the tree and take a cutting as backup. Multiply your chances. :)

[@MrEieio44]

That Premna needs a new pot…it’s called the “ wheelie bin”.😂

[@dkstott29]

I guess drastic cuts also depend on how many tree's you have. 🤔🤔 If you have 200+ trees, you might be more inclined to take very drastic measures. Whereas someone who has a very small collection might not be willing to cut it down to a "stick in a pot"

[@RyanFish825]

Definitely true, it is not easy to chop your only tree or 1 of a few, sometimes those drastic cuts are the only way to get to the final design in your mind though and they are necessary, it's only a stick in a pot for a couple weeks if you time it right, then it's back to normal and a better tree in the end. I used to be terrified of large cuts but Nigel has allowed me to borrow some of his bravery through osmosis.

[@dkstott29]

@RyanHerring825 I agree with you. 😊 Nigel has given me the confidence to make several big cuts on my tree's.❤️😊 But there still a point where I'm not willing to reduce them to sticks.

[@RyanFish825]

@@dkstott29 I totally understand! 😂

[@chasingthefish9042]

I have a small collection of jbp, crepe myrtles, ports, oaks. I totally have no problem with cutting them super hard. Obviously I don't want to kill them with that said if it dies it dies lol. I do think it depends on the type of person you are. Some are more hesitant even with big collections. some are more aggressive even with a small collection.

[@justlucky13]

Foist