Using Key principles from nature to bend the trunks of this clump-style Oak bonsai

in this video I discuss and show how I approach the wiring and then bending of the trunks of a clump style oak Bonsai to hopefully create a natural structure for the future

[@wshow11]

Cheers Tony! Have a good one, brother.

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers buddy 🙂

[@bexbrown7227]

BOOM 😊

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣🤣

[@gaiabonsaicornwall]

How wonderful to see you back making videos and doing what you love Tony. Thank for the inspiration and sharing your skills and thoughts with us. Take care.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thank you. I'm glad you're still enjoying them. I find that the creativity that they allow me to express and the Extra structure to my day is very enjoyable, so I'm just going to carry on for as long as I am able 🙂

[@Chris-oq6kn]

That BOOM moment! 😂.

[@TonysBonsai]

🤣 the boom is impossible to mess up too 🤣

[@Chris-oq6kn]

@@TonysBonsai 🤣 ur soo right🤣

[@Kriywan]

Morning guys, inspirational project again, thanks 👍❤

[@TonysBonsai]

Thank you. Something like this is very much a long term project, but i love the idea of developing good future bonsai material for others to enjoy

[@jasongannon7676]

I started about 60 red oak seedlings 2 years ago. I have not started adapting them into bonsai yet. You have given me the spark I needed to start doing so. Thank you

[@TonysBonsai]

Very nice. You have so many options with them. I'd definitely make a forest and a clump-style too.

[@jasongannon7676]

@@TonysBonsai I agree

[@thenaturecreater8906]

Great fun to see you and dad playing with trees 🌳. And having fun. Making these memories ❤

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah, nothing better than enjoying the day, and bonsai makes being present easy I find

[@thenaturecreater8906]

@@TonysBonsai I know what you need Tony.

[@thenaturecreater8906]

I know what you mean Tony. Not need 🤣

[@Naztalgic]

The way this tree sprouted naturally reminds me of how young fig trees grow they sortof spreadout like that. Well at least my fig tree does LOL! this really reminded me of that. Looks awesome

[@TonysBonsai]

Very interesting. My ficus don't seem to send out suckers but they're certainly loving being outside this summer soaking up the ray's. Hopefully your clump-style will develop into a beautiful tree like Nigel Saunders ficus clump-style

[@Naztalgic]

@@TonysBonsai Ohh man Nigel! love his videos!!! Because of him i might trunk chop my 12 foot young Redpoint Maple His is looking great

[@Mr10russ10]

I think you're right Tony, that will make a nice tree. Very natural clump 👍

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Russell. Yeah a bit of movement lower down those trunks makes quite the difference in a couple of years time

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Ray

[@AndrewJohnson-el1of]

Gonna look good that one Tony. Down in Kent we get a lot of mildew on our oak leaves bonsai and normal trees. Do you get much up where u are

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah at this time of year I have to spray everything with an all purpose antifungicide but it does work well. usually everything is clear within a couple of weeks

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That's what I love about oak, birch and hornbeam. You can cut them back to stumps and they will send out loads of vigorous growth to replace it. So versatile :)

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah they are certainly vigorous mate. In other ways they offer significant challenges in terms of bonsai, but overall I do tend to enjoy working on our native species. It never feels like we're fighting against their own nature

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Nice Tony great explanation and design mate 👍👍

[@TonysBonsai]

. cheers mate. clumps are great fun to work on everyone should have at least a couple on the go I reckon

[@johnrb9397]

Sound well Tony. Hope all is okay. Nice to see you still enjoying the trees 😊.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks John. I'm feeling good thanks. I'm in decline physically but so long as I can keep enjoying my trees I'm loving working on them as much as I can with assistance.

[@SacredDreamer]

​@@TonysBonsai, Just met you today Tony, on another of your videos,, I was like "Geez, he looks like my brother and uncles, we could be related " .. and I like your accent , so I kept listening to you show me how to grow a wide based trunk .. And I wondered if you'd had a stroke,, like my dad,, But you talk exceptionally well ,, . And then I flicked through,, and found out you'd died 😞 So, We don't even get a chance to chat - this time round. Bet you still visit to see how your trees and family are doing Sending Love on to you and yours xx

[@nerinat8371]

This was a great explanation and visually interesting.. made it much clearer to understand the concept which l find a bit difficult.. thanks Tony and dad

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Nerina. Glad it helped to clear things up a bit. It's good understanding the ideas, then the magic happens when you mix in a bit of nature doing its own thing

[@sueb1317]

Really nice instructions for shaping - I'm still struggle making natural-looking bends that don't look like a bunch of worms wriggling out of the ground. Amazing how the oak sprouted back so profusely when the top died off - makes for brilliant material to work with. Oaks make lovely clump styles - this one is off to a fantastic start.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Sue. excellent description with the worms. That's definitely the look we need to try to avoid. I think the key is the use of sharper bends which we can then allow to mellow over time. The Medusa look isn't for me

[@sueb1317]

@@TonysBonsai Haahaaaa! Medusa 😂😂- now I have a goal next time I pull out the wire!!

[@mattbrennan647]

Congrats on 7,000 subs Tony. You’ve given me a wonderful idea for the acorns you sent me which are all growing very vigorously as natural clumps. Thanks, keep growing

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Matt. I'm really happy that your oaks are doing well mate. I can see a very nice English oak clump in the planning!

[@mattbrennan647]

@@TonysBonsai Thanks Tony. I’m very excited and will cherish them always. ✌🏻

[@learnvoiceart18]

Like 98, great planting video👍👍 nice bonsai👍👍 I share it🌈

[@oachkatzlsmum]

I will try to do this with my willow, which looks similar to your oak, except from the leaves 😅 Hope it will nearly look as good as your clump style tree 😄 Enjoy your day 😘 Cheers Martina

[@TonysBonsai]

I hope so. You have nothing to lose using cuttings, but you might end up with a beautiful Bonsai

[@brianbower5320]

Another great video Tony, I have a few very young oak seedlings and I was wondering how to start them off on their bonsai journey.

[@TonysBonsai]

Sounds like you've got a nice future clump style oak tree there to me mate!

[@markw6609]

Looks good Tony, will be beautiful and natural! I transplanted an oak once, the tree died down to the ground. The next spring about 5 shoots popped up and i pruned out all but 1. Now it is a huge and beautiful shade tree.

[@TonysBonsai]

Oaks are such vigorous growers. Sounds like you've got a nice spot under that tree to enjoy the summer shaded from the sun

[@greasylimpet3323]

Lovely wiring job. It will make a nice natural clump, and it was a great idea to make it into that after the original tree died back. Your dad will be getting as creative as you soon! It's nice to see him helping you do the things you love. Best wishes as always.

[@TonysBonsai]

Yeah sometimes we have to take drastic action and just let the tree do its thing. In this occasion I was lucky and it threw up just the right amount of suckers to create a nice clump-style

[@mandyhernon2238]

I notice that there are 7 trunks so can the tree called the 7sister oak? Love that you are giving so much inspiration to me if not everyone, i found i had 6 goat willow around the garden, now got vet tape on order lolxxxx keep growing.xx

[@TonysBonsai]

Brilliant news Mandy. You're going to love that goat willow 🙂 I don't know if you've heard of it but there Is a famous section of mountains in Glencoe called the seven sisters that I've photographed many times, so I really like the idea of naming this the seven sisters oak as that's one of my favourite views in the whole UK

[@mandyhernon2238]

@TonysBonsai yes I have heard of it, but not walked it I did go up langdale pike tho. Did lots of walking in Derbyshire in my teenage years.

[@joegarland4885]

I like dynamic all these big words mateTony, your dad getting good at wiring, the oak should be an interesting setup when it is ready for a bonsai pot next year maybe I like it, glad you thought it would sucker from the the stump, most people would have dumped it but not you oh no not you, so you are rewarded with an interesting arrangement. Keep up the good work.

[@TonysBonsai]

Thanks Joe. I think we have to have an optimistic outlook in bonsai and at least hope that a tree will respond how we'd like. This one definitely followed the script 🙂 You're right about my dad's wiring too. He's never really used wire in the past, so it's great how he's really got to grips with the fundamentals

[@damonjones1291]

I like all the movement down below... reminds me of those 3-headed Dragons the one that fights Godzilla😄 love that little Oak, Cheers Tony!! 🌲👑

[@TonysBonsai]

Cheers Damon. I love spotting those little features in a tree myself

[@damonjones1291]

@@TonysBonsai yep..that's the Good part😊 I Really appreciate You, still putting videos out for Us all!!🙃 ❤ from USA

[@C1tyground5155]

I thought you was camping for a bit there tony.

[@TonysBonsai]

With 100% certainty my camping days are behind me mate. At least I hope so 🤣

[@digitaIgorilla]

More than Oak kay! 🤭 Embracing the subtle for a change of pace, Tony?

[@TonysBonsai]

Indeed, we have to mix things up from time to time. I love crazy bends, but not just for the sake of it. I always try to have purpose behind what I do in terms of why a tree might look the way it will.

[@zicada7661]

If you grow it naturally but simulate shade from all but one direction, won't you get taper and interesting shapes that way ?

[@TonysBonsai]

I think you would get a natural looking clump using that technique with the trunks predominantly alll moving in the same direction towards the light

[@tacobonsai]

my one collected oak looks to be headed in this direction. it only has the one sucker though. this will be a really cool clump after its first hard pruning.

[@Ad_DOOM]

i've got my eye on 3 oaks that are like this where the grounds team at work have chopped them back but they've fired up a load of suckers. do you think its worth the effort digging them out next collecting season or should i just stick to the good ones?

[@TonysBonsai]

I'd definitely go for at least one of them mate. Just beware that they can be really well rooted, so you'll be wanting a big breakfast that day! Another consideration is to possibly head out now and prune one of them in anticipation of collection spring 2025. I've got at least a couple that I did this to twelve months ago

[@Ad_DOOM]

@@TonysBonsai one step ahead of you. I'd pruned them down a couple of weeks ago