Birch Bonsai. Easy When You Know How!

Рет қаралды 22,296

Жыл бұрын

Betula/Birch bonsai are another difficult species despite being an easily obtainable native UK tree species.
Known for being a fast growing tree, they have a bad reputation for dying back easily. In this video I discuss how to avoid them losing branches and how to style them. It's very easy when you know how!
Featured trees include a Silver Birch (Betula pendula) imported from Poland, planted in a pot by Adam Luczak, and with me as a commission, plus a Silver Birch I collected in early 2018 planted in a pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery.
Note that information within this video safely applies to Betula pendula/Silver Birch and Betula pubescens/Downy Birch. Although it is likely that the same techniques and timing apply to US Betula natives, I can't guarantee this.
If you enjoy this video and would like to see more, please Subscribe, Like and let me know!
My bonsai books Bonsai Inspirations I and Bonsai Inspirations 2 describe these techniques in much greater detail than is possible on video and are available from bonsai4me.com/shop/#!/B4MePubl...
For all things bonsai, please visit my website Bonsai4me.com

Пікірлер: 58

@Handless_handle Жыл бұрын

Short, sharp and straight to the point!! How much experience you managed to share in just 8min 29 was amazing. Thank you Harry!

@RJ-vf7eg 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for this informative video. I was gifted about a dozen young birch a few years back and have made a birch forest and letting others grow. I wish you'd made this earlier! There are so few videos about birch bonsai. I really like them but I find mine are not heavily leafed and they also get attacked by ants. Anyhow, great to see those beautiful trees of yours. Very inspiring 😊

@jonathanaristone2468 Жыл бұрын

My Favorite Specie in Canada. Excellent information Thanks Harry.

@thekatt... 3 ай бұрын

Northern Ontario here ! 👍🇨🇦

@johnstarkey4959 Жыл бұрын

Two absolutely stunning Birch trees Harry , the Silver birch has long been my favourite tree to photograph in my landscape photography days , they have character with the beautiful gnarled trunk and in autumn they are simply stunning, great video once again Harry thank you for sharing your shills with us 🌲🌳

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Thank you John!

@BlueSkyBonsai Жыл бұрын

Superb! Packed with excellent information- thanks Harry!

@TonysBonsai Жыл бұрын

what an excellent video. Thanks!

@andersnrregren9087 Жыл бұрын

A Betula was my 1. Tree and my 1.born has silver birch as his life tree, the info in this video is so high level i got realy happy to see someone with this level of knowhow on birch

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

They are worth pursuing! Glad you enjoyed

@murphyorama Жыл бұрын

Very informative. Thanks for the video.

@thekatt... 3 ай бұрын

Thank you. You've inspired me to start a weeping white birch..Great video. Very informative. 👍🇨🇦

@dahlmasen3084 2 ай бұрын

Interesting, thank you for posting

@invivobonsai Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the advice Harry! I'm starting to grow some birch from seed so this will be an invaluable reference as I start to develop the branches.

@DavesBonsai Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the straight forwards tips on birch! Amazing trees you showed here!

@TheBonsaiGarden Жыл бұрын

Always top notch content Harry. Info packed without giving viewers a migraine 🙏

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣 thank you!

@timbaake1986 Жыл бұрын

I'm glad to see this video. Every time I have asked someone advise on birch people told me I shouldn't invest time in it because the tree is 'finnicky'. Which you also confirmed but also presented (very clearly!) the nuances and tips to MAKE it work nonetheless! Great video and thanks for the information. That silver birch is fantastic. Very natural looking!👏

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Really appreciate your comment Tim, makes the effort worthwhile! Cheers

@michaelanctil5475 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing the video! Have a blessed day.

@peterjohnson350 Жыл бұрын

Very informative video. Lovely trees.

@sanitychelle Жыл бұрын

This is looking fantastic!

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Thank you Michelle

@user-zu1ub3yz7r 5 ай бұрын

Я из России , берёза великолепна , супер !! ❤

@user-rz2fw6tg3r Жыл бұрын

멋짐니다.잘보았어요.

@bathiikumblegeduchannel Жыл бұрын

terima kasih sangat menginspirasi salam dari Indonesia.

@godongbonsai702 Жыл бұрын

Thank for inspiration.. Im from indonesia

@claudiahawkins2648 Жыл бұрын

Really interesting thank you Harry. I have saved a tree from the corner of a nursery, I think its some form of birch though the trunk is 4 inches across it is not white. The pendula branches are naturally very tight to the trunk, which makes me question it though the leaves when out are like a birch. I will treat it carefully.

@jonnytlately 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Harry great advice and video glad I watched it as I was going to do a lot of work on my birches which will have to wait till next year now which if good for the tree is good for me

@bonsai4me2 9 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@simongore29 Жыл бұрын

Hi Harry, thanks for another great video. When would be the best time to collect silver birch? If they dislike pruning in early spring is it wise to wait before collecting them?

@MrDoggy2024 Жыл бұрын

Thank you Harry, very useful video. I`m from Bulgaria. I have good trunk and a branch wich I want to use like a new leader. How close I can chop the trunk to the branch, should I left some space for dieback? Now is 1st Augst is it a good time for cuting the trunk?

@jfarrell50 Жыл бұрын

Once again you have extended my knowledge, Harry. Fantastic trees and a wealth of information. As always, thank you very much! May I ask, are you demonstrating on both days at the Bonsai Live Show in Telford? I want to make sure that I get there on the correct day if you are only demonstrating on one of the days.

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Appreciated! I’ll be demonstrating on both days at BonsaiLive on a huge yew bonsai that I’m currently carving in preparation. There will be a couple of posts concerning this later today in my social media feeds

@cesarurb Жыл бұрын

Absolutely great! Do you have a wisteria in you collection? I think it’s a very nice bonsai tree but it’s not too popular

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Not at the moment but a wonderful species!

@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Жыл бұрын

What a fantastic video - but I would expect nothing less from someone of your knowledge and experience. I love Birch and have a couple of smaller yamadori examples. I am careful with them for fear of dieback but your explanation of why this happens has helped me. One of them does have a developing hollow where the trunk has divided and I am trying to decide if I should clean out the inside and fill it with a putty or resin. if you have time to reply i would love an answer. Thank you for this video.

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Thank you 🙏 Xavier! I would suggest using cyanoacrylate/superglue to save what remaining wood there is. Don’t try to hide the dieback but embellish it. Look for my video on cyanoacrylate/saving deadwood for further information

@XaviersBonsaiRetreat Жыл бұрын

@@bonsai4me2 perfect. Just the answer i wanted and i will go and watch the video later. Thank you for replying so quickly.

@ChelsTrueblue Жыл бұрын

Top video mate, I’m wanting to collect something similar to the 2nd one myself….. have been reading the collecting yamadori article on your website, am I right in saying I can collect it autumn onwards or should I wait till spring now?

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

You can collect in October/November, but do any chopping/pruning asap

@robertobarlos4098 Жыл бұрын

Already chopped it early summer mate, I was gonna trench it but with such the dry weather we’ve had in the south I’ve just left it be and just been feeding and watering when I can…. Once again top channel and your wisdom is most appreciated 🙇🏼‍♂️

@bikeman11111 Жыл бұрын

Hello Harry. So do I understand correctly that the main problem of birch is cutting too late? Should the birch be cut earlier so that any wounds heal before winter? I'm from Poland, what time would you suggest to cut at the right time?

@kimrichardson8376 Жыл бұрын

Hi Harry, I just found your videos today and I have so many questions. Lol. I live in New Brunswick, Canada 🍁 and I’ve been attempting to create bonsai for a couple years now. Well last year a lot of my trees died because it was so cold. It can go as low as -30 with the windchill here. I have them in a greenhouse with no heat thinking they’d be ok. How should I store my bonsai during the cold Canadian winters? I don’t want to have to replace trees every year and they’d some that I absolutely love so I want to protect them properly. What should I do? Kim🇨🇦🍁

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

Welcome Kim. You really need to have a chat to your local club, those temps are way below what I have experienced. I’ve seen Canadians burying trees in the ground, in cellars, all kinds of things and I couldn’t advise!

@kimrichardson8376 Жыл бұрын

Ok thanks for replying I appreciate it. 😊 Kim🇨🇦🍁

@bjornlennartson Жыл бұрын

I had the same problem here in Norway. I lost a few trees the first year when i started out. I store my trees in a garage near a window. The garage is not heated, but the trees have survived the past three winters like this.

@kimrichardson8376 Жыл бұрын

How often do you water them? I’m worried I’ll water them to much or not enough?

@bjornlennartson Жыл бұрын

@@kimrichardson8376 i cant remember exactly, but i dont think i watered more than 5 or 6 times through the winter. I put them inside in mid november, and brought them outside early april. We didnt have the coldest winter last season. I think we only had about -20 for about a week. Other than that, it was steady between -5 to -10 in january to mid february. I live at 63° north in Norway.

@aivarpetrov7447 Жыл бұрын

Harry, is it possible to air layer a birch? Birch sap is good stuff to drink :)

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

I’ve never tried.

@aramanamu Жыл бұрын

@@bonsai4me2 they airlayer readily.

@isoldeisobelle552 Жыл бұрын

It is! ;) Very easy to tap a mature tree in early Spring and gather enough without any harm. It is high in antioxidants , magnesium, and manganese amongst other good things. I drank it often whilst staying with friends in Belarus many years ago. Be sure to seal any wounds you make upon the tree because they are liable to infection.

@danielhughes6896 Жыл бұрын

None of the large silver birch in my area have dropping branches, the lowest branches are horizontal the higher ones grow up, (the higher in the tree the more up they grow). Are their different types of birch some with dropping branches and some without. Or do you just like the style and don't care about making it look like a natural tree?

@bonsai4me2 Жыл бұрын

As I mention in the video, old birch trees around where I live grow upwards and then cascade under their own weight. Whereas in other climates, they also have the upright growth but no drop. They will also have less extension of the shoots and shorter internodes. Basically they don’t produce enough growth each year to weigh the branches downwards.

@caitlynlawrence6423 Жыл бұрын

𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔪𝔬𝔰𝔪 🏃

@bonsai9542 Жыл бұрын

Bonjour Harry j ai beaucoup apprécier la vidéo j ai pris note des conseils sur mon petit carnet .Moi je faisais la taille de structure au debourement a la première pousse bien ou pas bien