Do you have any tips on growing them from seed? I planted probably 50 and had 2 come up , but 1 died.. I love them though! Especially the rugged ones that grow on the coast.

As would I, but doubt we will. This is the natural look they get in the wild, which I think is the goal of this tree. This guy lives near where they grow wild and it is a rewiring video. He also has an undate. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLyThsJ2zKuqaZs.html

that might be a hint that its too wet or not enough air in the roots. The roots wanne escape and go to the rim for more air

Try a root maker pot on the tree as you develop the roots, provides lots of air flow and keeps everything in balance better.

theyre pieces of bamboo he makes into "chopsticks"

He has a video of how they are made and last time I checked he sold the raw bamboo material too!

@@kylepurvis6231 Thanks that is what I was hoping for!

I think this one is a Venti.

barerooting the tree would disturb the root system too much and make it less likely to survive the repot

@@CardThrone is that because it's an older/ larger tree? I do this with all my 1.5 foot high or under. Then i mix so of the orginal soil back in. About 1/4.

@@michaelbahr7267 it really depends on the species, most tropicals can be barerooted with no issue, conifers should never be (because of the beneficial mycelium and microbes) and deciduous trees are somewhere in between but its better safe than sorry and i wouldnt risk it with an old tree

@@CardThrone ok that makes more sense. I haven't done conifers yet..

@@CardThrone I had this question too. Thx for answering so clearly! I have a Monterey cypress seedling. I think it's 1.5 yrs old. Does this apply to seedlings too? It's in normal potting mix (accidently slightly salty and it seems to love it 🥴) but was planning to repot into bonsai soil. If so would mixing the old soil in with the new bonsai soil work? Or will it need the old soil around the roots completely like they did?

I understand the Japanese school prefers small pots.

Please define "correct" for me. Have you been to the Kokufu and seen all the handlebar branches and crossing trunks? Many of the nuances of bonsai have been taken as black and white, right and wrong by western cultures. To say something is "not correct" implies that there is a right and a wrong, which there isn't. This form aims to display the representation of nature in miniature, which it does. step outside, look at the pines and conifers, see how they grow. I hope you take the time to dive deeper into Mirai and their podcasts/learning format.

In other words, the "rules" of bonsai should not be taken so literally and so black and white, but infact open to interpretation as a guide. I think its almost arrogant to say the structure is incorrect and question the intentionality of Katsumi's work.

The instructor makes it a point to "break the rules..." If I remember correctly from another video he did... It gets people to talk about the tree itself... A true artist must have people talk about his work... It's really brilliant... 👍👍

@@rhysbertrand8903 a few friends went to Japan and studied a few years bonsai in well known school/nursery, and the lil that I've learned talks about the alternation of branches and back branches, no branches crossing over , no more than 2 branches in one bifurcation and so more. So non of the thousands of years that the Japanese have learned mean "no rules?" At no point I was trying to talk less of this bonsai or the artist! I'm just trying to understand the "why's" of this bonsai specially from miari. And yes , there is a right and a wrong in everything! Art,work, life....more......

Think about sport. You're 7yo learning to pitch a baseball. A coach will teach you the basics mechanics to pitch. At the end of the day there will always be those individuals that lend themselves to pitching with a dropped elbow, side arm etc but it just works. The bonsai professional teachers beginners a basic set of concepts in order to give them a foundation to build upon, and a reference point to come back to. But at the end of the day there will always be pieces that lend themselves to work against the concepts. These structural flaws you pointed out aren't obvious for a variety of reasons. Yes two branches originate from almost the same point but they have different trunk lines and pad height.