Thanks so much! Could I ask you a direct question as a new subscriber? If I were to publish a bonsai book, would you want to buy it on the strength of these videos? Just considering my future projects... and I'm aware that getting people to part with money is difficult! But I think it would be competitively priced; not a hugely expensive coffee-table tome! Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Thanks so much! While you're watching my videos, you'll hopefully see the one called The 3 Keys To Bonsai Health... very important for keeping your bonsai alive forever! Also, my most recent video, the Magic Method to revive a dying bonsai, you'll see that it's not necessarily the end of your bonsai if it starts dropping its leaves. Enjoy your bonsai journey!

Thanks so much! More coming soon 👍

Thanks so much for your great comment!! Also, that's a very good suggestion. I'll have to think about it and plan something. cheers! 🌳👍

Exactly what I needed to see right now. Great video!

@@rmmc99 thanks for your comment, glad the video helped!

Thanks for the great feedback! Glad you found it helpful.

Thank you!!

Thanks Tom, glad to help!

Thanks for your kind words!

Thanks, glad you could learn from these videos!

Thanks a lot David! KZfaq is a huge mix of different videographers with many different styles and aims, I just wanted to do a straightforward series that I wish I had seen when I was a beginner. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and please feel free to recommend to anyone!! 👍

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying them!

Hi Mary, happy to hear you're finding my videos useful! Thanks!!

LOL white board action! I did wonder if that was too long in front of the whiteboard... but hey maybe my true calling is to be a teacher! Thanks again 👍

nice use of board rubber at 8.09

Thank you Nick! I really appreciate that.

Thanks Stephen, glad to help!

You're welcome, and thanks for the kind comment!

Thanks so much! 😊

Thanks so much!! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Steven! It is very gratifying to hear my videos have helped you.

Thanks so much! 😊

Thank you! 😊

Thanks for watching! Glad you found it informative.

Glad you found it useful!

Thanks mate!

Thank you! 🌳👍🏻

Thanks- glad to have helped!

Thanks 🌳👍🏻

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it 😊

Thanks Cheryl!

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks! Welcome to the hobby that will stay with you for the rest of your life!!

Thank you! Yes I'm still learning too.. maybe the day I feel like I'm not learning anything new will be time to look for a new hobby. Won't be anytime soon....

Thanks so much! So glad to help. Did you see Part 1 too? Which one was better in your opinion?

Thanks bro! 🌳👍🏻

@@BlueSkyBonsai you are doing a great job!

@@analogalien thanks again!

Thanks for watching and for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Peter! I'm glad you're finding my videos useful!

Thanks! Enjoy your Blue Holly. Bonsai is a hobby that will stay with you even if a few of your trees fall along the way!

Thanks, glad to have helped!

Thanks for your kind words! Glad you found it helpful 😊

Congrats on the willow bonsai, thanks for commenting!

Thank you Garrett, I'm sure your hinoki will be ok, but to be sure you might need to let it grow without pruning next year!

Thanks a lot! Glad you found my channel. I have to say, KZfaq is pretty slow about delivering relevant channels to the people who are actively looking for this type of content. I mean, I'm still discovering bonsai-related channels after 2 years of uploading and several more years of following other bonsai channels.

@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you too. Here's a question for you have you read the book "one straw revolution" ?

Thanks! Glad you found it useful!

Thank you so much José Antonio for your kind words. I'm sorry I didnt answer until now ... too much work and I've been trying to organize my Spanish paperwork for life after Brexit... By the way, I've got a new video coming out this evening on Winter Pruning. It's another horticultural bonsai techniques video. Just putting in the final touches now.. hope you enjoy it! Saludos

Thanks I'm glad you found them useful!

Welcome! It is a beautiful hobby and I hope the love of trees stays with you forever 🌳😊

Thanks! Above all, enjoy it!

Thanks for your comment & subbing! Very happy to hear these videos are helping.

Thanks!! Enjoy your winter pruning! 👍🏻

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your comment. Tomorrow I publish a similar video about repotting...

Thanks so much!

Thanks, I'm glad to hear you found it helpful!

Thanks, I appreciate your kind words 🙏🏻🌳

Happy to have helped! Thanks 😊👍🏻

@@BlueSkyBonsai Do you use same approach on evergreen like Juniper, Pines, Spruce, Cedar, larch, yew... etc. or cutting techniques are different?

@@newera3757 For coniferous trees, the technique is different. (Sorry I haven't done any videos yet on conifers). But broadleaf evergreens, like ficus, olive, sageretia, pyracantha, privet/ligustrum etc, the technique and timing is just the same as deciduous.

@@BlueSkyBonsai can't wait for the video when you explain how to cut them step by step from the first cut to the last

Great! Thanks for your kind words 😊 Did you also see the part 1 of this video pair? Hopefully that will also give you the confidence to shape your miniature tree!

@@BlueSkyBonsai Ye I saw it first ^^ Gonna keep watching more as well :)

Thanks and enjoy your xmas present! 🌳👍🏻

Thanks Stephanie, I appreciate your kind words! Sadly I don't have any wysterias but they are on my wishlist! Right now my benches and decks are full so I need to sell or give some of my trees away before I have the space or time to add a wysteria. Hope you enjoy yours, I'm sure you'll do fine with it, just make sure the soil doesn't dry out!

Thanks Alberto for the suggestions! In part 1 of this video I talk about why I love bonsai. Maybe I should do my favourite trees in another video 🎅👍🏻

Thanks! 😊

Thanks! If you want a laugh, this is how the tree looked 5 years ago... flic.kr/p/WqmGQM

@@BlueSkyBonsai Im impressed.... , your right Dave . Bonsai is a game of patience as well , design , planning ,etc ..Bravo.. I Need to buy more time, any videos on that 😀

Thanks so much!!

You're welcome! Thanks for watching 😊

Thanks so much for your kind words! Which did you prefer, part 1 or part 2? If I could go back and change something I would have purchased new marker pens before shooting these videos! 🌳👍🏻

@@BlueSkyBonsai Both parts were very informative tbh. I probably preferred part 2 as it showed your decision making process and explained why you pruned the branches you did. As I say, both were great vids though. Looking forward to watching further/older content.

@@andrewmaddison8492 thank you very much for your feedback!

Hi and thanks for your kind words. I will probably do a video someday on starting bonsai for beginners. But I don't get much spare time; this is just my hobby. In the meantime, please watch this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l8WmjKantrKZmXk.html - it is the horticultural basics of growing, and everyone doing bonsai should know this stuff, but it seems a lot of people don't know it. Hope that helps!

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you so much for your support and guidances. It would be of great help.

@@anubhabpaul7876 you're welcome

Congrats on the Chinese elm! They are the best type of tree to start with. I suggest a liquid fertilizer and you dilute a tiny amount in your watering can, the instructions will you tell you how much to dilute for how much water. The rule of thumb is: fertilize every 14 days in spring and autumn, but you can stop fertilizing in the two hottest months of summer and coldest two of winter. It's okay to under-fertilize but not good to over-fertilize, so if you miss one feed, don't add more to try to make up for it.

Thanks ! Glad you found it helpful. These two videos were in 2020. since then I have adopted a "virtual whiteboard" so the pens never squeak and never dry out! I hope this video will be good for your next view- The 3 keys to Bonsai Health: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l8WmjKantrKZmXk.html

Congrats on the amur! For styling, you could try broom style: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eJynesiGybOYZIU.html Or you could create a triple trunk: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hqh_h5xznKfPeX0.html (And this is how it looks now: kzfaq.infoy-ZbmA2a5sU?feature=share ) Or you could turn it into a small forest: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jrCqfpNjra25cac.html Or you could separate the trees and make three separate styles? E.g. informal upright can be created by a series of trunk chops over about ten years: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ld2jerqJt8zMfnU.html Or you can form the bends much quicker by wiring the trunk, but I don't like doing that because it usually leaves horrible wiring scars.

Terima kasih lagi!

Thanks! I have 3 ficus retusa cuttings from last year, about 30-40cm tall, and I'm not going to prune them at all until next year. Every time you prune them you slow the process of thickening the trunk, so you need to decide the right time when to slow the growth. Bonsai is a lot about waiting and patience. One thing to consider, now would be a good time to wire the trunk, if you want to, to add some movement. Consider: Peter Chan might do that, for the typical bonsai S-shape. Nigel Saunders would not; he would do many trunk chops over a long time to get the tree to naturally grow in interesting directions. Me--I'm tending towards the Nigel way, using more time and patience, and trunk chops to direct the growth. In the end you're the artist, you have to decide on your tree's future! Whatever you do, enjoy it!

Indoor bonsai are generally tropical species and they don't follow the same energy calendar. For example ficus can be pruned any time of year, and repotted any time as long as they are kept in high humidity for a few days after. But Chinese elm are not really indoor species, even though they grow ok indoors, its safest to treat them as an outdoor tree, and follow the energy calendar. Thanks for the like & sub!!

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thanks!

Hi, To start with, please watch this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l8WmjKantrKZmXk.html - it is the horticultural basics of growing, and everyone doing bonsai should know this stuff, but it seems a lot of people don't know it. Hope that helps!

Thanks Peter. Coniferous evergreens - always outdoors - I use the same calendar as for deciduous trees. Outdoor broadleaf evergreens - like olives, almost the same but you *can* still prune in early autumn if really necessary. Tropical evergreens like ficus - indoors from autumn to spring - can prune any time of year. HTH.

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you for the clarification. Can I ask if you ever done any videos on pruning Pines as I have struggled to find one that covers this ?

@@petercalbraith6226 I have not done any videos about pruning pines.. sorry!

Thanks! You *can* prune a juniper now but personally I wait until mid spring when the first new flush of growth has darkened. Have you seen any sign of new growth yet? If so, better to wait. Juniper would survive either way, but you'll lose more sap/resin if it's actively pushing out new growth at the time. The maple, yes you have probably made it perceive a very warm winter! But it's ok to do that one year. It would not be okay to do that every year - deciduous trees need a dormant period each year, or after a few years they will wither away and die after about 6 or 7 years. When it gets warmer in Spring put it outside in the sun then see how it buds out again. The remaining 8 leaves will drop eventually. Don't put it outside if it's still very cold out, because it will think winter arrived late then wait a few more months before leafing out again.

Thanks again Kelly, I'm also so happy you found my channel! 😊 congrats on your bonsai! What species is it? This is important for the "when to prune" question... if it is a deciduous tree you don't want to prune it in autumn, just let the leaves yellow and drop. But if it's a tropical evergreen like ficus or sageretia, you can safely prune these now in early autumn. The leaves and shoots at the bottom of the trunk are called "suckers", clip them off whenever you see them because you don't want a branch down there, and otherwise they will just take energy away from the rest of the tree. Low down branches, say in the first one third of the tree; usually you don't want branches that low, but you might consider keeping one or two as sacrifice branches if you want to thicken up the lower trunk to develop more of a taper on your trunk. You let them grow big for several months to fatten up the trunk below the branch, then prune them off before they'll leave too big a scar. Next summer for example. When pruning, consider the words of Mr Miyagi in the original karate kid film, "Think tree". Go online and find a few pictures of what you'd want your tree to look like in a few years' time, think of it as a 5 year project to slowly prune it in the direction of your image. Hope that helps!

@@BlueSkyBonsai you're so amazing, thank you. It's a 12 year old Chinese Elm. It's one I intend to keep indoors, I'm assuming that's ok? It gets plenty of light (and sun, when UK weather permits 😂). I thought I'd killed it about 3/4 weeks after I got it as 80% of its leaves shed. But I think it was just re acclimatising because the majority has grown back. I did wonder what the super long branches were for, and then I found out they were 'sacrifice branches' on one of your videos. Thank goodness I didn't chop them off when I was going to 😂. I was thinking that maybe I should just leave any pruning til the end of winter, just because of the recent trauma. I dont want to make it worse. Does that sound like a good idea, or will pruning help over winter? Thanks for your responses 💚🌱

@@hells_kells thank you!! Good news: Chinese elm is probably the best species in existence for bonsai. They survive well indoors or outdoors. They have small leaves so it's easy to imagine them as full-size trees. They are very resilient and nearly always bounce back after root pruning (Spring) or branch pruning (summer and winter). Because they are so resilient, you *could* prune the branches now, if it's becoming really unweildy and out of control. But if not, it's best to wait for winter. During autumn trees start to slow down leaf growth and instead pack down the sugars and store them as starch in the roots ready for winter. So winter is a perfect time to trim branches but not a good time to prune roots. (and spring is the opposite: as the sap moves up the tree again, just as it's budding out is the best time to prune the roots but not the branches).

Hi Marion, thanks! Evergreens are very varied, that's why I didn't put them in this video. Conifers - same energy calendar as deciduous. But it's less obvious when they're starting to go dormant in autumn, and starting to wake up in spring. Tropical broadleaf evergreens - no energy calendar... as long as they stay warm all year round, you can prune them any time of year. Temperate broadleaf evergreens (olive, holm oak, shrubs like laurel/bay, boxwood) can be pruned in s autumn instead of winter, since they don't throw off their leaves. Hope that helps.

@@BlueSkyBonsai dear Dave, thanks for your answer, I'll keep watching your great videos! Kind regards from Germany

Thank you, great question! What I can tell you about these bonsai tools is they have enormous amount of leverage - the very long handles compared to the small distance from the pivot to the blade. Maybe the strong leverage is the reason that they don't need a spring. Maybe for simplicity too... Springs break easier than pivots I guess. I love azaleas and gardenia, I will do a video about azaleas soon.

Glad you found it informative! Re. Indoor Chinese Privet, yes you can prun at any time of year. I have one in the kitchen windowsill and prune it about 4 or 5 times a year.

Hi Gary, I thought I had already answered your question but I see it here in my list of unanswered comments so I guess I didn't! basically Jasmine are a broadleaf evergreen, they do go through annual cycle but not as drastic as a deciduous tree in a cold climate. So Jasmine does go dormant in winter, at least mine does here. You can prune the Jasmine in summer, autumn or winter, about once a year or twice at most. Don't prune in spring because thats when all the new shoots and flowers buds are starting to form. So wait until after all the flowers have faded, then prune it back. Fertilize from spring through autumn, about once every 2-3 weeks with a liquid fertilizer diluted to the manufacturers instructions. When it gets really hot in summer, don't use fertilizer - above 35ºC / 95ºF I stop using fertilizer, because the plant just needs more water then without any salts.

Thanks Laxmi Sree! Great questions. replies below.. 😊👍

First, to transfer a plant to a bonsai pot, you can do it when you think the plant looks big enough, and ready for the small pot. But follow these two principles: 1. When a plant has smaller roots in a smaller pot, you are restricting (almost stopping) the growth of the plant. So, if you want the tree to grow bigger or the trunk to grow thicker, don't put it in a bonsai pot yet; keep it in a bigger pot. 2. from a horticultural aspect, you need to repot the plant in a way that does not seriously damage its health. Usually you do it in Spring. Cut the fat tap root in Spring of the second year of growth, keeping as much fine feeder roots as you can. In a bonsai you want all fine feeder roots. But, move it to bonsai pot after a few years only when you're happy to keep it at that size.

Next, when growing from seed, wait at least two years, and usually more than three years before pruning. You want the plant to grow strong before you start trying to prune it to any shape. The more leaves & sunlight, the more energy the plant gets for strong grrowth. The only thing I recommend to prune early, is if you want only one trunk and the plant is growing twin or multiple trunks, then choose the trunk you want to keep and remove the other unwanted trunks already in the first or second year so that all the growth and energy is confined to your one desired trunk.

@@BlueSkyBonsai thank you for your guidance

Thanks Sergy! Good question, when I published this I just ran out of time and planned to come back to the evergreens. For coniferous trees I would recommend either mid winter or mid summer, but not at the same time as root pruning. And leave a stub like in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irh_odmdqpqudmg.html For tropicals that you would keep indoors from autumn through to spring, you can prune them really any time of year.. at least I have never managed to kill a portulacaria or ficus or sageretia by pruning them. I have killed a Carmona Fukien Tea I think by pruning the roots at the same time as a large branch. So now I stick to the principle of never prune roots at the same time as a major branch - for all my trees. And for older or more special trees I will only do one major "insult" in a year. My main goal is to keep them alive and healthy forever, whereas looking like a "perfect" bonsai can always wait...

Thanks - glad to hear you're enjoying my videos! I would definitely wait until the sap is flowing in spring to do the air layer. You *can* do it when the first leaves are unfurling, but there's no major time advantage (especially if there's still a chance of frost harming the first leaves as they unfurl)... in other words, yes I would wait till the first flush of leaves has hardened.

Thanks for commenting! 🌳👍

I use approx 2/3 akadama + 1/3 kiryuzuna. If you can't get kiryu then pumice is also good, but I prefer the color of kiryu. Also here in Spain I mix in some chopped pine bark for extra water retention, but that's not necessary in cooler regions.

Thanks for the tip!

Zeolite looks excellent- I've never used it but might give it a try. As long as I can get it in granules of 2-4mm here in Spain. Akadama is my primary bonsai soil ingredient, I add other components to the mix (pumice or kiryuzuna for holding soil structure better than akadama, and pine bark for best water retention) all seived to remove the dust and get uniform granule size. Akadama is a great compromise between good water retention and structure-holding for about 2 years. But if you have severe winters where you live with many months of freezing temperatures, akadama might not be best because repeated freeze/thaw cycles can break up the akadama granules. A few frosty mornings won't cause the issue (it's not a problem here in Spain) but three months of freeze/thaw each winter could turn your akadama into a mush. Zeolite apparently holds its structure so should go well mixed with akadama. One big advantage of akadama is that it changes colour/darkness a lot when wet so you can see immediately when the soil surface is dry and needs watering. This advantage is also true of kiryu, but not for pumice. Does Zeolite change colour when wet?

No such video. Have one planned for the future but unfortunately no spare time recently...

Hehehe I thought that might add a bit of realism but I agree the squeeky pens were bad, and worse they were gradually running out through the filming so I had to press harder to get the ink to flow.. thanks for your comment and subscribing, hope you enjoy the other videos 👍

Hi! I don't have personal experience of Pohutukawa trees, but in general a young tree of only 3 years can cope with 12-16 hours a day of artificial grow lights without problem. Grow lamps are never as strong as direct sunlight anyway. In summer, 16 hours will be good and in winter you could reduce to 12 if you want. They look like very pretty trees, I've never seen them in Europe.

Thank you Jamie! Congrats on your ligustrum, the privet is a great species for bonsai. If you're keeping it indoors you can prune the longer shoots pretty much any time of year because the indoor warmth is similar to an outdoor tree in the tropics. It will be fine. The new shoots from the root base are called suckers, you want to get rid of those as soon as you see them. They are typical for any tree or shrub with a clump- or bush- growth habit. Oaks, olives and pomegranates also do it. The suckers take energy away from your tree's growth so you want to nip them in the bud, literally. Privets grow roots profusely so be prepared to repot it with root pruning every year in spring.

Brilliant m, thanks for your advice. I’ve also noticed some straggly roots growing up out of the soil at the edge of the pot, is that a sign that it may need re-potting? If so should I want until Spring?

@@jamier6477 yes, wait until spring unless you see all the leaves start to turn half yellowy, because that's the sign that it is potbound and can't supply enough water up the trunk. If you're interested you can see my privet progess here, the first few photos are potbound so you see how bad it can get and still survive fine after repotting. www.flickr.com/gp/davidhseymour/Bpq90s

Hi Adrian, good question! When each leaf has fully grown it should have a tiny bud in its stem pit at the base of the petiole, even if you can't see it. So if the leaves have hardened (not growing more) then they should have buds and you can prune down to just above those leaves. Only the first leaf on any branch stem may lack the bud. If a leaf is still tender and growing, (not yet hardened), then probably the bud is not yet developed.

Hi Celia, congrats on starting into thos wonderful journey, it will stay with you for the rest of your life even if some of your mini trees come and go. I normally give straight hortucultural answers to these questions but in this case I think it might help to think of bonsai on a meta level, what is all about underneath the branches, roots and pruning decisions. Bonsai can be an artistic expression of the continual struggle between the harsh elements of the environment and the need to grow, flower and reproduce. This is represented artistically by maintaining a balance between beautiful harmony and the visually jarring. So back to your questions: the chinese elm is very resilient and could easily take pruning 5 or 6 times a year, like you are the "harsh environmental elements", however you also need to let it grow out sometimes and let branches break out of that beautiful harmonic silhouette that you create when you prune it. So twice a year, summer and winter, is really the best regime in my opinion. You can prune back all the new growth on a *vigorous* plant or tree. If you see it is vigorous then it is also (generally speaking) in good health. If it's not doing so well, don't prune, give it some TLC and keep a close eye to avoid reinfestations. Yes, prune back branches to 2 leaves then prune back the resultant secondary branches to 2 leaves, then tertiary and so on. That's how you get beautiful ramification, a realistic looking twigginess to the tree. Back to the "balance" point. You the artist have to make the judgement, between tree size and realistic natural looking tree: that is the balance between the organism's need to grow to absorb light, against the forces of nature impeding its growth. Does that help?? I also recommend this video on essential bonsai health - this one is purely horticultural: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l8WmjKantrKZmXk.html

@@BlueSkyBonsai Thank you so much for all this wonderful information! I think now I can plan my pruning for each tree with a better understanding of how to do it safely and aesthetically. I appreciate the other video too! Thanks again! Hope you are staying healthy :)

@@celiadances2147 thanks! And enjoy your mini trees 🌳👍🏻

The only purpose of a sacrifice branch is to generate extra sugars that will help fatten the trunk below the branch. Then you chop off the sacrifice branch as soon as it appears to be getting too big at the trunk, so you want to avoid getting too big a scar when you chop it. Does that help?

Hi, I shot this particular video before I bought the RF 85/2. The first video I used the 85/2 was this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/irh_odmdqpqudmg.html It is an excellent lens for photography, and quite good for video but not brilliant. The AF is a bit slow so if you walk around while shooting then sometimes your fous can stray a bit. But, the quality is astounding so if you can shoot in manual focus then you get fantastic results. If you look at my most recent videos, nearly all the close-up filming was done on the 85/2 with camera on a tripod focussed manually. For close-up work I stop down to f/4 or even smaller aperture, otherwise only one tiny slither of the tree is in focus.... but for longer distance work - like across the garden - aperture f/2 is absolutely stunning.

Thanks yes I wish I had too, I only realized how bad it was when I was editing, it was too late to change.. tried to boost the contrast but hey. In my more recent videos I use a virtual whiteboard so there's no problems with the markers. Thanks for your comment!