I appreciate your videos, Nigel…….. everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Don’t let anyone try and tell you how you should style your own tree one way or another. You do you! If others don’t like your opinion, they need to remember it’s just an opinion…… thank you for sharing!! Keep up the awesome work, Nigel!!

Your expertise on the development of the root system is very educational. I like the way you get into the root system and are not afraid to tackle the roots no matter how much they are matted. It never ceases to amaze me every time you work on the roots. Every root system is unique and your skills are the best in the bonsai world.

Nigel, I respect your opinions. You have more than earned the privilege to express them as you choose. One way I understand bonsai is a set of practices and techniques (the primary one being reduced scale) which allow us humans a more active experience of engaging with a tree’s natural processes. We are never giants who live hundreds of years and they are. There is the awe and a bit of envy.

I love the naturally styled maples. I have many of them. I really enjoy your videos.

Nigel, the drainage scree getting caught in the roots is I think one of the reasons a lot of bonsai practitioners wire the screen into the pot. I do agree with you on the state of most trident bonsais. While some taper is great, the exaggerated taper is unappealing to me.

The most important lesson I’ve learned regarding repotting is listen to and watch the tree. Put the calendar away. Thanks, keep growing

I have repot my trident every year without fail... they're so vigorous

I like tapered maples with ebihara type nebari. Love the way maples look like wax as they melt into the ground.

Awesome root pruning as always 👍

Great video Nigel 👊

@Nigel: Art is in the eye of the beholder, and bonsai for sure is an art form, so one can expect to find many examples of such art that one may not acquiesce. Same as you, I do not enjoy those exaggerated trees, but I do honor their makers for really outstanding, albeit "not for everyone" results.

Oh Nigel, you speaking right out of my soul. My trees are only a few years old. And if someone asks me what are my hobbies, I am ashamed to answer I have bonsay. Because they could have these "cartoonish" style in mind. I am happy that you speak about this topic

That is one cool pot for the planting of this tree. I like that back stone. Could be a nice Suiseki Stone. Almost looks like a small mountain setting on an island with the bottom contour coming in to look like a small Alcove in the mountain with water. Cool stone. Just thought it was neat.

Nothing but love from me on this video and topic....❤❤❤

Great video Nigel! My goal is to make little big trees too. Although sometimes I like to try some "off the wall" stuff. Like my Ent I created with all the Pomegranates I still have. I needed to condense them. My maples will be tribute trees to my father. I definitely want them to look like the trees I got the seeds from. My dad loves trees and forests. Mind you he was a logger, cut and skid for many years, plus hauling and mechanic. Some trees I will never get because I don't like the bonsai version of them. But everyone has different styles and tastes. Bonsai form really has changed and grown in the last even 10 years. Ever evolving....

I agree with you.. Nigel

Your vision of the way a tree should look like in nature is very wise. Natural features of a tree the way should grow in nature is the best. Bravo on your view and speaking out for this trees!!!!!!!!

Finally a video where i can say here for the comments... Great video i can't wait to dig into my trident maples. I planted a few and J. maples last year so I'm excited to see what has survived winter.

The examples for the naturally styled maples where beautiful can't wait to see where your little guy is going

Love your channel! Thank you for being a good teacher 😊

Just to be sure, I am not the same "Bonsai Bob" you guys were talking about... In fact your videos made me grow several jades. Just love them, easy to grow and when you need another one, just stick a cutting or a leaf in a bit of soil, it will go...

I agree that many of those fat trunk Trident Maples look quite unnatural. I haven't seen a really ancient specimen in nature yet though. Nonetheless, they are impressive for what they are, but I think I also prefer them to be a bit more natural. I hope yours will do well! I've also repotted mine recently and I'm looking forward to seeing what it'll turn in to 🌳

"Too much agreement kills a chat."- Elridge Cleaver

Great episode, Mr. Nigel. Have you tried propagating from root cuttings? One aspect I like about your channel is the variety of your bonsai related topics and your little experiments. I'm curious if you can do an experiment this year on propagation via root cuttings from various specimens in your collection. I accidentally grew more elms after a root pruning. I discard several elm root cuttings on a wet compost pile. Not thinking much of it, I noticed some buds sprouting one day from the pile and realized they were the discarded root cuttings. Thanks for today's episode.

Awesome

nice rootpruning it think with all this new space it haves now again it will grow realy nice 👍 ( i need an update in midsummer)😁

I agree 100% with your preference for a natural looking tree.

I bet that lower section of roots would sprout. Id try putting it on a rock and see what happens myself.

I think exaggerated tapered trunk is comparatively easy to achieve ( by letting tree grow on ground where tree grows vigorously and regular chopping of trunk ). If we grow in a small pot from begining to end we get more natural looking miniature tree but very slow growing.

❤😊

windy here too!

Thank you for this video, it is a real eye-opener and gives something to think about. More than just a repotting video.

Thank you Nigel and keep on inspiring, keep pressing forward.... I owe you a tour of my collection 🎉

👍👌👌

Very informative

I completely agree with your vision.

You have managed to articulate exactly what has always bothered me about those fat maples. And there is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion! Thanks for the inspiration as always!

Really enjoyed the video Nigel but the comments are like WOW 😮

Thanks!

I wonder if one of those thick roots would sprout another maple if you planted it. Any idea? Just a thought.

Agreed, after years of bonsai I sold off and gave away nearly every tree I owned. I'm completely restarting now and growing only natural looking trees. It's simply a matter of taste, but I do agree with you. Especially when it comes to maples, my favorite

Nice video.

I applaud your comments and totally agree with the over exaggerated trunk thickness. Bonsai should be admiring the natural beauty of nature, in true art form, not unrealistic creations.

Nigel, how is a maple leafing out in February? Am I missing something? My tridents are still dormant. Thanks!

While trunk size gives a vision of age, often times the base it isnt proportional to the height (sumo) which looks unnatural

Lol I actually enjoyed your eloquent explanation and appreciate that you've provided examples of both sides of the coin! I've nothing to complain about because I'm neutral on the subject. But even if I disagreed with you, I find it ridiculous to suddenly dislike you for stating your opinion on tree styling. Lol Another thing for people to be divided over...people need to quit that! Keep doing your thing Sir Nigel!!!

I love your work mate but sometimes you have to lay off the “cartoon” trees. Some of the pictures you showed were years of hard work and study. I agree that bonsai is art and your taste is a factor but don’t post other people’s trees and rubbish them, you’re way better than that. Love your work though mate, still a big fan!

Hi Nigel

If people are a part of nature , then a part of nature producing cars , computers and Sumo etc. ...

Do you repot your maple every year ?

This is a great video you know I never thought those maples where cartoonish until today I am new to bonsai and believe that’s how a maple should look like some times I even got discourage thinking I will never get a trunk that size. But with your explanation and pictures I realized that not all maples should look like that ! Thanks Nigel !!

I have never liked the huge trunks you showed. It is difficult to understand how such a tree could even remotely suggest a natural tree. I certainly appreciate your good advice/approach for a natural tree.

First

Always refreshing to hear Nigel's commentary on maple bonsai. I call those fat trunked highly exaggerated ones Grimms' Tales bonsai, since Walter Pall has already coined the fairytale bonsai. I can appreciate the work and dedication put into them, but consider them the least interesting ones. They just tend to all be all the same. There is room for all kinds of bonsai, personally, I hope to see more trees of a more naturalistic approach.

I'm a total beginner... I just got my first 3 trees last month (Chinese Elm, Trident Maple, Japanese Maple 'Arakawa'... and anothet nice Chinese Elm on the way 😆) so I am probably wrong... but what I've noticed is that almost everyone you ask about thickening the trunk will immediately tell you to plant the tree in the ground and leave it, and won't even cover any alternative method... and as Harry Harrington says - it's not helpful. Maybe that unhelpful idea being mainstream is what has led to the sumo style becoming mainstream?

you people should know that he doesn't hate these trees, he just really dislikes the style and that so many ones are so obsessed with it, you see them at shows 99% and bonsai beginners (and even so called pros) (first) love is this "mainstream" style. i think you should do another video with a tropical tree and talk about how bad this S-shape is, which is imo even worse and unnatural :D

Respectfully disagree on your take on those style of trees looking "grotesque" and "unrelatable". I can appreciate your love for the naturalist style in your bonsais. However you are style bashing which did make it hard to enjoy this video.

I agree... i don t like when too much different from nature

i agree with your thoughts on the cartoon looking trees. just not realistic.

Agree. There is a tendency to thicken and twist some species to the point of grotesqueness. Such shapes do not exist in nature.

Nigel attacking bonsai again 😡

If you want to be as naturalistic as possible, you have one thing on nearly all your trees, that is not natural: your branching starts much too high! Please look at trees and see how early they divide compared to their final height. You often have waaay to much trunk before branching starts. :) if you really want to overdo naturalistic style, stop being cartoonish about your trunk without dividing length, thats also grotesque :D thats one thing i also noticed very late in my styling decisions :) ...the paradox thing is, it takes many drastic and artistic styling steps and work to achieve very natural trees, sometimes you go a bit too much which "work what i have." there are two "naturalistic": 1. copy natual trees 1:1. 2: always just work with "what you have." but that method often doesn't create copies of nature trees... you may be one of the most "naturalistic styling" guys out there, but many of your trees are still far off from exact copies of nature.. think about it :D cheers mate.

3:51 I agree with you and, @user-mb2qe7on4t. Agree about the short, very thick trunk tress. That’s not what I’m looking for. The same goes for the large, plate-like, fused, solid nebari root bases seen in some bonsai specimens; not my idea of beauty.

I personally dont like sumo either... i mean.. i appreciate the work those trees take and the time... but the branches always look disproportionate...

For every art form there is someone to appreciate it. I happen to like your approach. Just looks more natural. To be fair, I am not a fan of the grotesque pines and junipers either. In nature, they are a rarity and not always healthy. I think they look better on the mountain in craggy rocks than in town in small pots. Just saying. No doubt that will trigger some negative comments!!!

"There all exact copies of each other" That's Japan and people eat it up.

They look like mushrooms 🍄

You are right, this will get a lot from the haters, but I guess that is just their way of disagreeing with someone. Often the sumo trunk tridents look like they are trying to be black pines, I am not sure what the black pines are being, though! John Naka famously said to make your bonsai look like trees, not your trees look like bonsai. I suspect that over the decades that the West has followed bonsai; these trees now represent what a "bonsai" should look like. It is a style, and certainly not to everyone's taste. Your repotting videos always give me itchy fingers and I have to restrain myself - mid-summer is not repotting season!!

you talk about wanting a more realistic style. the way a maple grows can vary considerably from one condition to another. to your credit I personally think those trees with trunks as thick at the tree is high look ugly.

I very much argee with the style of the maple. Should be free to move not to be style in a......expensive way.

I think you're overdoing your Bonsai style preaching. I appreciate and have the utmost respect for your naturalistic style but doesn't mean that you have to keep poo-pooing these trees that are made with a vision in mind that's not in line with your own.

I agree with u nigel. And when u look at exhibitions u barely ever see a broom style maple. Seems like a broom style or even natural style just doesnt make it in shows as much. It goes the same for y isnt there any varigated or reticulated maples out there. So i started making exotic maple bonsai. They will prob never get into a show but who cares they look amazing. Y are the exotic maples shunned upon at shows. Cause the tradition is to have a tree thats not so flashy? Some tridents look fine but not every maple has to have the pine look. And the fat stumpy ones to me just look like a big chop with branches , but as the say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 🦴👁🔛!