Bonsai - Working the Roots

[GabrieleColonna]

Im going start a tree by air layering, & i was planing on doing this come spring.

I have two questions:

1) I live in Niagara Falls Canada, our climate isn't as cold as people would think, we only have 1-2 months where it drop 5 below freezing. That being said, what would be a good tropical tree to do this process on.. aside from your average Ficus?

2) when is the best time to start this process of Air Layering?

Love all your videos, even started purchasing online at your store!

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@GabrieleColonna Pretty much any tropical tree will do well for you. Brazillian rain rees airlayer very quickly. Just start in the early spring as the tree's leaves start to fill in.

[RaidenTheAlmighty]

This isn't really related to the subject of your video, but it was something I was wondering about, since you are also from Florida. I'm sort of starting out with bonsai, and I've been collecting a lot of wild material. Something I have seen a ton of in my areas are the Sugar hackberry trees. I like their twigginess and the way their leaves change color. Have you ever seen, or created a hackberry bonsai?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@RaidenTheAlmighty Hackberry make great bonsai. Really great trunks and good to work with

[RaidenTheAlmighty]

@OrlandoBonsaiTV That's awesome. I had one in my yard that I dug up yesterday. It's a pretty massive stump,at least 6 or 7 inches across at the base. The surface roots are really thick too, and radiate out from the tree really well. The weird thing is, I think it's actually two or three threes that have fused together. It has two big trunks and two sapling sized trunks, and I have no idea how that will work out lol.

[kenaniahmwh]

Paul, what do you use for your nursery mix? do you mix something up yourself or do you buy it somewhere?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@kenaniahmwh Nothing special, just a basic mixture of pine bark, pearlite (if its available) and some sort of potting mix. Most of the time I just save what the nursery puts in my trees before I repot them

[badwin689]

I don't know much about bonsai but for other plants or trees you need at least 1 gallon per vertical foot of growth, so if your tree is 2 feet tall then you need a 2 gallon pot.

[xzyeee]

Thanks for your advice Orlando, will try

[Rinne13X]

can you compost those roots? 

[xzyeee]

I am trying my hand at Bonsai and I am totally loving it. However, my candidates look a bit sick and I don't know what to do. They are sending out new shoots but I think they may be getting a bit too much water because we have been getting a lot of rain lately. There is one in particular that I don't want to die because I've grown so attcahed to it. What should I do?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@xzyeee If you are getting a lot of rain your tree may be devloping a fungus which would cause teh leaves to yellow and even have irregular shapes. I would suggest aplying a systemic fungicide such as Halt which you can find at Home Depot or Lowes.

[HouseholdStudios]

So how do you distinguish feeder roots from unwanted ones?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@HouseholdStudios If you look along the roots of a plant the roots come from the plant very big and get much finer near the ends. However it take a long time for that taper to occur. So but reducing the length of the roots the finer roots will occur where you cut so that you get the feeder roots closer to the tree. I hop ethat make sense

[JoS2748]

is this video sped up or are you just really fast?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@JoS2748 No, it was all camera magic. As hard as I try I'll never be that fast

[SahanTheMighty]

Love the video! Thank you. :)

LOL @ 14:48 !!! Hahaha.

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@SahanTheMighty Thats so funny!!! I had to go back and watch it again. What can I say, bonsai I. Florida can be brutal. I was freaking dying that day! Thanks for watching :)

[borradit0]

bonsai!!!!!!!! >.<

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

That tree is around 25 years or so. It is really hard to be certain though. It is really one of my favorites from my collection these days. Very easy to care for and always changing

[pinchosalcarbon]

how old is that tree? btw looks beautiful

[jaybirrd84]

What time of the year is it when you recorded this?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@jaybirrd84 This was done mid summer. It was very hot and these tropical trees love that time of year. They are very active so that is why I can root prune like I did.

[Iggynawcio]

Great videos! Thanks for your advice.

[natava1]

Hello, I really enjoyed this video. The tree is very beautiful and I liked it in the blue pot. It looks more traditional and nice now. I live in Tampa & have been interested in Bonsai, but only purchased a couple of books, i.e. 101 & encyclopedia.

I like the blue pot. Do you want to sell it? Also, looking to purchase my first bonsai to keep inside my apt or at work. I don't find that you sell bonsai and found that interesting.

Cat litter, my Persian would truly wonder about me then. ( :

[no2religions]

Hey, nice videos. When I first started bonsai, the only videos were World of Bonsai and Expert Village :/

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@no2religions Thanks for the comment. Hopefully my videos are a step up from the other ones youve mentioned

[no2religions]

@OrlandoBonsaiTV I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise. WOB is pretty interesting, but lacks practical information.

I haven't gone through all your movies, but do you ever use cat litter as soil. That's all I use.

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@no2religions Actually I've gotten away from the fired clay mixes such as kitty little and turface. I used the small sized lava rock and have had great success with it

[no2religions]

@OrlandoBonsaiTV why the change? Does is work better? I think we have opposite needs. Here we have 8 month of rain and no sun.

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@no2religions Actually the fired clay will break down over time and block the drain holes. The nice thing about the lava is it will never break down no matter how much rain you get

[Tieball]

1. What is it about the bonsai soil mix that makes it that much better?

2. Once the trunk is right is it okay to go to a bonsai pot for branch development for most trees? Specifically American Elm and Hornbeam.

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@Tieball The benefits of the bonsai mix is that it drains very well, promotes roots splitting, and holds water. Secondly once your trunk is as big as you want it that is the perfect time to get it into a bonsai pot. You can then develop branches

[Tieball]

Thanks for putting out all these videos! I appreciate every one of them. The fit in the new pot is amazing and the new image terrific. Much better than the blue pot.

[Mr420rush]

you should of put it onto a rock that woulda been beautiful

[dkoefoed]

What's the best way to determine the difference between the feeder roots and the new roots?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@dkoefoed New roots will be white in color an will have a blunt end. Feed roots are extremely fine and will grow from the root main lines. They are hairlike roots.

[cura0006]

slow down, you almost lost it at the 7 minute mark. Holy cow. What's the big rush?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@cura0006 Geat stroke started setting. I wasn't sure I was going to make it through that video. It was over 100 degrees and no shade

[AQucsaiJr]

What do you use for nursery soil?

[sharkfin154]

yay for growth season!

[Snoekdude]

Man, I thought you were gonna snip of a finger or something! Raking roots is a top sport. :D

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@Snoekdude No way Dude! I'm a trained professional :)

[Marceeya]

@Snoekdude I agree with you and @cura0006!! He has almost sawed off a thumb before doing this stuff. Slow down honey!

[engelwyre]

That ficus is a beast!

[pandabear102409]

Wow those are some healthy roots! Look like u were brushing a girls hair haha

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@pandabear102409 A thin layer to get the base up off the pot

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@pandabear102409 I thought it looked like pasta.

[franksb4u]

You place a little bit of soil in the pot before you put the tree in right?

[kissiebooashes]

@franksb4u Yes, you should put a thin layer of soil in the pot before you put your tree in it.

[MrWthisthis100]

i bought a microcarpa 2 months ago. i didnt wanna repot it because its middle of the spring. Do i still repot?

[OrlandoBonsaiTV]

@MrWthisthis100 Absolutely, now is the time to repot!