Winter Pruning Japanese Maple Bonsai - part 1

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

You can find part two here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fX6zlnWjhdRqhJI

[@malsrfun2956]

Gorgeous Seiryu shown at our club show this past weekend by Bjorn Bjorholm's father who started the club for his son 24 years ago. Forget all those boring junipers when a tree like that is in the room! The judge talked about the tree revealing different spaces when approached and viewed closely. ❤❤❤

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Sounds like a wonderful tree.

[@rjcmd]

very helpful, thank you. Look forward to more

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Richard 👍

[@bobcatbonsai]

Phenomenal video Jason . Great explanations not only in what you are doing, but also in how the tree normally will respond. Thank you for sharing!

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks for your kind comment. More like this to come, and a part two concerning maples by the end of the week 👍

[@zimmy1958]

Thank you very much for the tips and instruction. A 65 year old learner.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Glad to help 😃

[@Greeny22]

Really feel great when your videos start so peaceful

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you. All part of creating that serene ambience. 👍

[@TonysBonsai]

Nice trees. Looks like you've developed some really good roots too. These are going to look amazing in their spring colour

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Tony. Part two to follow later in the week with a range of other Japanese maples.

[@KennetDeBondt]

Nice work, Jason. And way better explained than in books!😊

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks.

[@phillipwaterman5721]

Bonsai phill very good video nice shape tree love acers one of my favourite trees thanks Jason

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Acers are lovely, showy bonsai trees. Graceful with beautiful colours. 👍

[@michaelmott7402]

Jason I love the ramification you are developing on the trees such a wonderful group. You always have something interesting to work on keep up the wonderful work.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Michael. What is quite nice is how the first tree is relatively young and only in my care for three years but has come on quite markedly. Similarly the Deshojo has come on quite significantly. It was quite sparse when I first bought it. 😆

[@BlueJayBonsai]

Great job, great trees and great video! Your climate is so much better for Japanese maples. I’m zone 5 and I just don’t have a heated space for trees like this over winter.. 🐦💙

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Jay. We are fortunate to have milder winters in the UK. Do you have an unheated garage, porch or outhouse that might serve. Here my trees are outside all year round, with temperatures down to about -10 Celsius max only very occasionally.

[@garyjohnson2989]

​@@TheBonsaiGardenso underneath my back porch will work in winter? zone 9 ky usa

[@guywatson-bognorregisbonsa7370]

Great video & explanation Jason. All now set for the burst of Spring growth. 👍👍

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Guy. There will be a couple more of these videos as I still have several maples, and maple group plantings to review and tidy up - when I can face stepping out into the colder weather.

[@sbragaglia]

Very nice and interesting video… and relaxing… and gorgeous maples! 😍

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks Stefano. 🙏

[@margaretsims4344]

Hi Jason. Japanese Maple are my favourite tree for bonsai. Your demonstration was very helpful, I am just off to look at my young collection of saplings grown from seed.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Happy to be able to help or inspire Margaret 🙏

[@mattbrennan647]

I’d love to be able to get some of my deciduous trees into nicer pots. Our winter temperatures have pretty much dictated the use of mica pots (BORING!!!). If my unheated garage experiment is successful a side benefit could be the ability to get some nicer pots. Fingers crossed.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Mica pots very much preferable to those cheap nasty blue Chinese pots. As you may have noticed, I break them at every possible opportunity as a bit of a running joke. These tend to be the pots that any inexpensive trees from the garden centre or super markets came in. Fingers crossed 🤞

[@nachaimut]

Amazing

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you 🙏

[@C1tyground5155]

2 very nice trees,I like these videos the camera gets right in so you can see what’s happening.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Brian. I have another six or seven trees to work through, in coming videos - I simply could not get through them in one session… 👍

[@brianparnell2256]

Great video. I’ve recently purchased a couple of Deshojo’s from Greenwood’s. This has given me an idea on what to do going forward although mine are maybe two years behind yours. Thanks

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

That’s great Brian. I have a tiny corkscrew Deshojo from Greenwood Bonsai that I will look at in an upcoming video. Being in a spiral makes for challenging pruning… So if your trees are a couple of years behind mine then you have an idea of how they might develop in the next few years. Enjoy and good luck. 👍

[@paulkinnear2472]

Hi, I'm in the west country and new to the idea of winter pruning.do you have to give the trees some.protection after pruning. Many thanks

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I tend not to as I don’t really have anywhere to put them. Others who are far more cautious may put their trees into a greenhouse or cold frame.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

A nice video Jason. My maples are all snugly sleeping in the greenhouse as of yesterday. Far too cold for me to be going out doing any more work. I like your rationale behind some of the pruning decisions. Cheers, Xav

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Xavier. I have tended to leave these on my benches come what may. And I don’t have a greenhouse 😊 A part two, and possibly three, to follow.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@TheBonsaiGarden That should keep us all occupied on the run up to Christmas. If you can find a place for a small cold frame then it is something I would recommend if you work on maples this late in Autumn. Mine are all cold framed until temps stay above freezing.

[@CarolBastings]

Thanks for your video. Personel i would first thikken rhe base thrunk in full ground before looking at the ramification. Thank you. I am a fan from the Acer famely.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thanks for your comment Carol 👍

[@mattbrennan647]

You’ve got quite a beautiful collection of Japanese Maples. So far I haven’t had much luck with them. Our winters here in Connecticut can be unpredictable and severe. I’m experimenting with overwintering some in my unheated garage. Hopefully I’ll have better luck. Yours are certainly well on their way to becoming beautiful specimens. Thanks, keep growing

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Matt. I have several more to work through - I simply didn’t have time to do them all today. 👍 We have relatively mild winters in the UK, though we expect a chilly spell later this week. Good luck with over wintering them in your garage. 👍

[@michaelmott7402]

Matt I to live in Connecticut and overwinter my trees in my garage. Just make sure you don’t leave them on the concrete floors and put them up at least a couple feet if you have the room. Also keep an eye on the water needs so that they will not dry out and they should fair well over the winter.😊

[@mattbrennan647]

@@michaelmott7402 ,, thanks Michael. I already have them up on shelving units. I’ve had them in for a few weeks now and they haven’t needed a watering yet. Thanks for your response. Good luck with your trees over the winter.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Yeah I would be careful of having pots in contact with stone or concrete over winter as any heat in the pot will bleed out into the stone. Sitting pots on wood will provide a level of insulation.

[@mattbrennan647]

@@michaelmott7402 ,, I’m in SW CT and am interested in becoming active in a bonsai club. Any suggestions? Thanks

[@BobMatthews]

Jason, that was so watchable and inspiring, a very high quality video - I loved it 👍 Can I recommend dealing with that scratchy turntable tho :)

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you kindly Bob. Let’s hope Santa can bring me something better for Christmas 😮🎅

[@greenmachinesweden]

Wonderful vid as always. So you would do hard pruning in winter as well just as long cut paste is applied? I realiced when leaf falled that I have a huge sacrificial branch to remove on my red leaf maple.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I think some people identify the larger branches to remove at this time of year, maybe attaching string, ribbon or some kind of marker but remove in late spring when they will heal quicker.

[@richardr616]

Cannot wait for more JM content. Thank you so much for your channel How long do you think it took for the moss to “damage” the bark? Think it adds so much and personally like it. Have you any Bonsai with the “Seiryu” and what are your plans for it? Again. Thank you

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

There is a part two, and a part three on my forests/group plantings to follow. The Seiryu is and was always intended as a garden tree for the “tea garden” area. I had not considered possible air-layers as I don’t have much room left for trees at the moment. I think the bark damage could have occurred over maybe two seasons.

[@richardr616]

@@TheBonsaiGarden do you feel the Seiryu would be a good candidate for Bonsai? I am always looking for me ideas

[@natrjack965]

Jason ... please can I ask you where you do get your bonsai materials from, i.e., wire ,substrate ,and what brand of tools do you use ...

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Tools - I have a variety of cheap tools that cost £10-12 from local garden centre, and a set of six steel tools that cost about £120 from Amazon. For wire I bought 500g rolls from AllThingsBonsai about £12 each. Soil - I have used KittyFriend pink moler clay cat litter bought from Pets At Home or online. It is getting increasingly difficult to get hold of. This year I am moving to Akadama, Lava and Pumice and bought 30ltr bags seperately (for my bonsai soil video) and mixed together - though they can be £30-60 a bag. Hope this helps.

[@natrjack965]

@TheBonsaiGarden thank you Jason great help 👍...

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Thank you Bruce. 👍

[@zimmy1958]

The little plastic cages in the pots what are they. Thanks

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Those are fertiliser baskets for holding fertiliser on top of the soil. Every time you water the fertiliser is dispersed into the soil, over time. They are inexpensive and available on eBay or Amazon.