Many years ago while exploring woods near where I lived as a kid I found a two foot tall juniper tree growing on top of a boulder with moss all around. It was half dead on one side and my first impression was it looked like a thousand year old tree in a fairy forest. Keep in mind I was a kid at the time. I dug the tree up and my Dad helped me and even moved the boulder and we transplanted it into my back yard and oriented it the same way on the compass. It lost an additional branch due to imperfect transplant but that just added character. Then in High School I learned about bonsai trees and realized I had one all along that grew naturally. I only trimmed it a bit here and there for artistic purposes, added some miniature figurines and eventually transplanted it into a large shallow pot (tray) my Dad and I made from slate and concrete with some holes in the bottom. We set it out in the summer and then brought it back in, in the winter to give it more protection. That was about 50 years ago in New England. Now I live in Florida and my massive bonsai tree lives with me. The tree is roughly four feet tall and about seven feet wide with a trunk that is about 42" in circumference. I have incorporated it into a 100 square foot miniature Japanese garden. It is the centerpiece of my garden which also includes a "moss meadow" and a tiny gold fish pond. Koi are way too big but I have little fancy gold fish that fit the bill nicely.

He was one of the best teacher. May his soul rest in peace.

Thank you for sharing your amazing knowledge, wisdom and experience!

It is 4:20 a.m. here and your video is a real eye opener for me. I like your matter-of-fact way of talking. If I had enough years yet to live I would doing what you said. Thank you for this video. Well done!

Really like the video.. Instead of just giving instruction you gave an understating that doesn't just apply to the growing of bonsai. Due to your method of teaching I've been able to grasp an over-powering feeling inspiration.. (not just for growing Bonsai) Thank you for all theknowledge!! hope to see many more videos of originality.

Omg this is THE best video, I don't even think the people selling fully formed Bonsai's for hundreds of dollars even do this because their trunks are SO spindly and think AND they are calling for 200.00 dollars..

I keep coming back to your videos for insightful tips, excellent!

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing. I have some young, skinny, trees I'm working with so this was very helpful.

Thank you. I love the escape roots method for thickening the tree trunk. Greetings from Florida

What an amazing idea. I recently became a bonsai enthusiast. For the past 3 weeks I have been reading and watching videos until my eyes dry out. This art fascinates me in so many ways. I will be watching more of your videos thank you for sharing. Who can I go to with questions?

Ohhh he is no more !? I had no idea !!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 He was a grt teacher .. his vdo s helped me so much . May his soul rest in peace .

He explained the tricks of Bonsai in this video with pen and board without bonsai tree and pot. Just brilliant! Thanks from India.

Thank you very much for creating these extremely informative videos, and for sharing them with us! Best Regards, Ben

Thank you for sharing the escape method. Looking forward to trying it.

The drawing is so important to us to understand. The below comments showed that you may passed away ? You are my best teacher , Thanks a million.

So glad to have found his channel. Great man, leaving legacy to mankind. He was an inspiration. Thank you sir. We are so blessed receiving the knowledge you share.

Excellent video! I occasionally travel to the Philippines for work and the Filipino people are just some of the nicest you'll ever met! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world.

Excellent tutorial. Thanks for sharing your passion!

This is actually informative. Most bonsai vids just show you and say do like this with out explaining a thing as to why or how it works. This guy literally said thick trunk needs a big root system and lots of foliage and then went on to explain how he does it. I'd grow the tree in the basin above the ground to get a dense root system then put it in the ground to let the roots escape. But I don't actually bonsai yet so I wouldn't know if this would work.

Thank you for the knowledge. I am going to try this method with my yucca elephantipes cuttings.

Just discovered this and will be using this method for my struggling Azalea here in the UK. It's getting a little bushier but the trunk and main stems are still a little long and uninteresting, so I hope this method might help it along a little more. Many thanks!

Thank you sir for your very interesting tutorial. I really appreciate it being one of the bonsai trying hard plantita

Always nice to see him..my many repeat on this video...RIP

Maraming salamat po sainyo.. ito na po ang aking bagong hobby.

Love these videos you make a lot of sense

Very nicely explained sir.. thanks for making such a good content.. love from India ❤️

The best tricks for bonsai i have learnt from this channel. Thank you

learnt so much from a single vid.brilliant man

The best teacher in bonsai of all time 😘😘😘

Salamat Po! Many thanks, good informative video.

Rest in Peace, your bonsai and the bonsai of your views will keep your spirit.

now i do understand why my bonsai so skinny, the root is like hairs and circling around. no escapes. thanks sir, really helpful

Iligan your videos have helped and inspired me so much and opened my eyes into becoming a better grower. Salamat po, Talaga

Excellent discussion. Thanks for doing this.

thanks for the information, very helpfull.

Wow! I really like this video. Thanks for sharing

fantastic information. thanks for these.

Apreciate one of the secrets being given out!

Baguhan lng mi nagbonsai .. Cge mi ug watch sa Bonsai Iligan kay pra sa amoa nindot gyud sya motudlo ug daghan ka mahibal.an about Bonsai .. RIP Sir . Salamat sa maayong blog na gibuhat nmu pra sa amoa tanan . Mabuhay ka! From Davao City

Ok, Thank you for the tutorial. Very helpful.

This is great information! Thank you for sharing

- thank you so much for sharing this method. rip sir and god bless to your family.

Loved the video...thank you so much ❤️

That was an amazing interesting teaching I enjoyed watching it

Thank you for the instructions on how to grow a thicker trunk.

Thank sir very helpful for me as a beginner

Very informative, thank you for sharing Bonsai master! I subscribed.

thank you for these videos. they are very informative :)

You are very helpful, thank you!

thank you very much for sharing, i learned a lot

Bonsai lover ako sobra but di ko alam kung paano magbunsai😂 may ginawa few yrs past already pero d umubra lol Salamat po sa info now alam ko na. Fr. Cagaysn Valley here😊

lligan I'm doing same method my plant is thinkening but very slow here weather is also hot so can u suggest what more can I do?

What a clear spoken man judging the sad comments i guess someone else is tending his garden now.

Thanks you for making this video it very useful

Thank you about this information ..... Which is better cultivation in a plastic plate or a plastic box ?

R.i.p. brother

When we yamadori a big tree,and after cut down steam,I want to grow that upper part of 6cm width stem,how can I grow both upper part and lower part to develop in bonsai.

love your videos sir

Thx for the info! Great video!

Very nice ,encouraging and enlightening

He went in to Philippines Wow Love from cebu

Thank you sa tanan video tutorials nimu sir, daghan kaau ko natun.an, dle taka malimtan even mo abot ang panahon na mahimo man kong batikan sa pag bonsai, rest in peace sir. mao diay ni ang first vid na nakita nako sa imu sir. pero to be honest wala pko ni subscribe ato. after a year nakita npud kog few vid nimu sir and na realised nako na daghan kaau kog na tun.an sa imuha. ug daghan pjud until now nawala naka. hapit na cguro nako mahurot ug tan.aw. balik2kon nlng ni nko sir. thank you tanan. ikaw man gud ang accurate ug specific kaau mo tudlo maong daghan kaau mi matun.an. its just amazing na murag makita nko sa imuha na dle lang hobby para sa imu ang bonsai but it s your life. na gina baling nlng nimu tanan sa bonsai kung unsa man imong gina bati.

I have alot to learn, it will be great.

I greatly enjoy your videos and like how you are teaching in the style that has worked for you. I come to you when i need any info. The thing that i find puts your videos about others, is how you are able to describe complex ideas, in a way that is easy to understand. Thank you :)

Thank you sir. Very useful information.

So does the basin simply sit on top of the ground or is buried? Partially buried?

Great method! Makes perfect sense

loved the presentation

Daghana explanation oi e direct to the poit bai! Lol

Thanks for sharing. Very good

Skip to 1:30 onwards, then watch it to 3 minutes. That's all you need. Good tip. Also grow onto a bed of gravel for same results.

Thanks for the tips my friend Hug from Brasil!!!

i seem to get a treasure because i can learn more from your channel,no thing is better than practicing, it is extremely good for my present work-creating bonsai.May I be your friend, Sir?

Tradução Pará o português do Brasil GRATIDÃO:. Maravilha de AULAS, nota DEZ .🙏🙌👏😍

Thank you for those good ideas. :)

Thanks Kanye very cool!

Good point sir-Daghan kaayong salamat

Great tutorial. Thanks

Thanks for sharing

Love your videos! I just recently got a couple year old golden gate ficus from a nursery, its my first bonsai. Its in great condition, lots of vibrant green leaves but the trunk is the thickness of a pencil with some bad tapering considering the tree is over a foot tall. Its currently in a small bonsai pot with the soil they supplied me. Im growing out a single sacrifice branch about 1/3 of the way up in hopes of thickening the trunk. I am in new york and it is currently winter, should I move it to a new larger pot with holes in the spring? I really want a thicker trunk. Thank you for all your videos and help!

So do you sink the plastic pot with holes at ground level of the ground with the lip of the pot with the holes sticking up a few inches above the ground?

Thank you for sharing

Thank you for this.

Wow salamat po sir

I have a small ficus ginseng,they have big root. How do i thicken the root further to make it look more gorgeous? Is it in the way i prune the leaves or using your method of managing the bottom small root growth?

Thanks for this video. I have a question regarding sacrifice branches. I am in the process of bonsai with a meyer lemon tree. The tree is about 2-3 years old. I can't plant it in the ground, so a few months back I repotted it to a much bigger pot (about 15 gallons) and performed some root slight root pruning. The tree is doing very well. The total height is about 36 +/- inches. I have never pruned any branches or the leader. I am considering doing some pruning of many of the branches towards the top, and allowing a few at the base to become sacrifice branches to enhance thickening in that area. What are your thoughts? Would you recommend just letting the tree grow at its current rate for another year or so before doing any of this? At what point would you recommend starting to cut the main trunk back to create movement? Thanks again!

salamt sir , may na tutunan talaga ako,

Thanks. For the. Video

Where can you order something like this size online? I am surprised I can’t find anything like this. Link?

tnx for this vedeo sir

Planting on the ground takes a long time. Is there a quicker method to thicken the trunk.??

Love you sir🥰🙏

Thank you for shring master

Very informative! Sad to know that he is no more.. RIP his holy soul!🙏

Thank your education sir, hope useful for me.

thanks for the video.

sir ano yung pinapahid sa. bagong putol

I have used the concept of air pruning with semi permeable growing bags. Would this work with the trees as well? It seems like a faster way to build a quality root ball.

I wish to thicken the trunks of some maple saplings I pulled from my garden. now when I put them in a big container like that should I wire and shape the tree? also the saplings trunks are about the thickness of a pencil and about 3foot tall (way to tall for my liking ) should I have them down and keep doing so or should I let them grow then once there the thickness I like cut them shorter and is there a trick to cutting them cause iv never seen a bonsai with a trunk but straight off they all taper down. sorry for all the questions. thanks and I enjoyed this video!

I have a tree in my backyard. I cut to a stump but it keeps growing foliage - I need to remove it can I make it into bonsai or would the root system be destroyed?