Top Tips – Expressions of Grace Bonsai

Azalea Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:11:21 +0000

Azaleas produce incredible flower displays and last year was fantastic. Let me tell you the KEY dates and Tasks that I ALWAYS follow to ensure my Satsuki Bonsai thrive.

A few Fun Facts about Azalea Bonsai.
What about the Flowers?
When is my BEST time for pruning?
What about Cuttings?
Repot: Spring or Summer?
When do I do my Wiring?
What are the issues with pests?

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing
Xavier

Potting your collected Yamadori

Xavier Martinez — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:48:14 +0000

How much roots do I cut off a collected tree?

In Part 2 of this Bonsai Collaboration I root prune and pot my four collected field-grown trees.

Watch to see just how much root growth you can remove safely. I ended up with two Smooth Leaf Elms and two European Hornbeams.

Jelle @GrowingBonsai also pops in for a few more words of wisdom…

Topics Covered today:

Cleaning and root pruning the first tree.
Why can we prune so much root?
Into a pot.
Let’s look at the Hornbeam.
Some essential advice.
What can I do with this Elm?
A root cutting perhaps?
Another tree to pot up.
A disappointing Hornbeam.
Jelle has the last word.

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing Xavier

How to collect Yamadori

Xavier Martinez — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:30:00 +0000

Can you collect yamadori in early winter?

In today’s Bonsai Basics, I will be doing my tree collecting with lots of help from Jelle of GrowingBonsai. If you have never collected before this is just what you need to watch.

This has everything from great tips, practical advice and even a few funny moments too! You definitely don’t want to skim this video…

Thanks to Hugh of Aveland Trees for allowing me on-site, especially as he thought he was going to have to do all the digging! If anybody else is interested in visiting and is near to Bourne in Lincolnshire hit the link below: https://www.avelandtrees.co.uk/

Topics Covered Include:

What tools do I need for collecting?
Three Dig Site Options.
What tree should I collect Jelle?
A visit to Aveland Trees.
Too many branches Jelle!
Where do I start digging?
Is it the same rule for all trees?
Packing the root ball.
Hardwood cuttings challenge?
A tour of Aveland Trees.
Packing the roots with sphagnum.
A few more useful tips.

Part Two of this Bonsai Basics series will be all about root pruning and potting up your collected trees

God Bless and Happy Bonsaiing,
Xavier

Chinese Elm Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 17:18:53 +0000

In this fourth episode I look into the most popular of species for both Indoors and Outdoors Bonsai – the Chinese Elm (Ulmus Parvifolia). Also known as the ‘lacebark elm’, this species is native to eastern Asia, including China, India, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Of all the bonsai available to beginners, this is probably the species most purchased…and also, most often killed

I killed my first Chinese Elm, also my first bonsai, within the space of 3 months. I had no knowledge of how to care for this plant and no understanding that such care was needed. When it first started to shed all of its leaves I panicked and thought it must need more fertiliser – to stop the leaves falling!

When more leaves fell from the bonsai I looked at a book in hope and realised my tree probably had a root problem and must need repotting. Needless to say, I had no idea about the right soil or when the right time was to do such an operation. I pulled it out and trimmed the roots, because the book said I should, and then put it back in using a combination of topsoil and John Innes No 2 (potting mix).

Surprisingly, it seemed to ‘pick up’ over the next month and I thought I had the problem solved. I was now a Bonsai Master!!! Alas, I then noticed the tips of the new shoots were wilting and yellowing. Clearly I thought, with an air of smugness, I needed to prune this back (like the book says)…

This process of plant murder continued for about 3 months. It is probably important to mention that I made the biggest ‘common’ mistake by daily overwatering…as well as giving it more fertiliser. One week later it dropped the last of its leaves and the new shoots browned off and died. I think I ‘loved it’ to death…

But here is what happened with a dying Chinese Elm that I did take the correct action on

So if you want to learn how NOT TO kill your Chinese Elm Bonsai then I recommend watching this video

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing

Xav

Japanese Larch Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 08:54:03 +0000

Find out my KEY dates and Bonsai Care Tips for Japanese Larch.

A short and simple guide that is ideal for beginners. Pruning dates, Wiring, Potting, Disease, Fertilising and a bit of cricket too…

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing
Xavier

How to keep your Bonsai Tools Sharp

Xavier Martinez — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 17:56:33 +0000

If you want to get an edge in bonsai then you need to have a look and see how I sharpen my tools…even the difficult ones like concave cutters.

A Bonsai Basics ‘must’ for anyone wanting see how I use: grit blocks, multisharps and oilstone. If your tools fail you then your bonsai will too…

Sharpening my Bonsai Shears on an Oil Stone

Topics Covered:

What edge am I talking about?
What equipment do I need for sharpening bonsai tools?
How and why I use a grit block.
How and why I use a multisharpe.
How I use an oilstone
A bit of oil.
Sharpening difficult tools like concave cutters.

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing for 2023
Xavier

My Top 5 Trees for Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:10:05 +0000

If I were starting bonsai today what tree would I buy and why?

In this episode I am going to explain my Top 5 ‘beginner-tree’ choices in relation to several critieria. This will take into account: relative experience, indoor or outdoor, flowering, cheapest and quickest results. Then, I will follow my own advice and start a brand new tree – next episode; as part of my Bonsai Basics series.

I also explain why I chose to ignore one of the world’s most popular starter bonsai. Let me know if you agree in the comments…

Don’t I look great!

Topics Covered:

01:25 My best Flowering Option – Dwarf Azalea.
03:58 My first starter-tree Option – Japanese Larch.
05:54 My easiest to source Option – English Oak
07:52 My best indoor Option – Tigerbark Ficus.
09:23 My favourite Option – Italian Alder.

Which species do you think I should have chosen???

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing
Xavier

Japanese Maple Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:45:39 +0000

Find out my KEY dates and Bonsai Care Tips for Japanese Maple. A short and simple guide that is ideal for beginners. Pruning dates, Wiring, Potting, Disease, Fertilising and a bit of history too…

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing
Xavier

Dawn Redwood Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:34:39 +0000

Find out my KEY dates and Bonsai Care Tips for Dawn Redwood. A short and simple guide that is ideal for beginners. Pruning dates, Wiring, Potting, Disease, Fertilising and a bit of history too…

God Bless & Happy Bonsaiing
Xavier

Caring for your Chinese Elm Bonsai

Xavier Martinez — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 11:59:48 +0000

Wow – already a week has passed since my last post and still there is work to be done in the nursery! I know the last few posts have been all about Post Flush Hardened pruning but I do think it is worth covering one more popular genus – Chinese Elm.

These probably represent the most featured of trees in our world today. They can be cared for both indoors and outdoors and are mostly tolerant to ‘mistreatment’

Let me first clarify one major point. Chinese Elm are decidious trees that thrive in the outdoor environment. All of mine are kept outside and happily survive both sun and frost. Sometimes they shed their leaves and sometimes they don’t. However, whenever I have chosen to keep some inside I can’t help feeling I have chosen to ‘roll the dice’ a little. Please, don’t let me put you off having them indoors – truly they will do well…if correctly located.

Olwyn Elm sits near a window which gets the morning sun. It is a draft free and a well lit location. If their is too much direct sunlight then the tree is moved into shade. Lissy has this magnificent 3ft Elm on a large window ledge – the radiator is never turned on and the windows are kept closed to avoid temperature changes.

Both of these trees were purchased through my nursery and both had been kept outdoors until they found new parents. Lissy’s did suffer leaf drop in the first few months but the last I heard was enjoying life in the ‘country manor’

Radiator issues

Wide open window

Both of these Elms have been placed in what appear to be suitable locations. However, the radiator at the rear caused one of the bonsai to dry out too quickly (from the bottom up). This meant the owner was unware that the soil beneath the top level was bone dry and killing the tree.

The issue with a wide open window is all about temperature variations potentially upsetting the ‘micro environment’ of the tree. Not a problem when the temperature is constant but certainly something to beware of.

And now for a little bit more pruning...

In need of a haircut

Shaggy juvenile growth

The principles of pruning remain the same and all you need to be aware is that Chinese Elm can put out at least 3 flushes during the growing season.

I normally let the tree get really overgrown before I start. This tells me that it is healthy and should respond well to pruning. I also make sure to clean out all of the unwanted juvenile shoots in crotches etc…

Ready for pruning

All cleaned out

This will be left to thicken

Once the tree has been cleaned out it is much easier to see what needs to be done. Firstly I recognised that I want a new branch to grow and develop hence one of the new shoots will be left untouched. I can now clearly see the profile of the apex and where I need to remove growth.

This is all about using a ‘clip and grow’ technique. I clip back to 3 leaves knowing that new shoots will grow from the base of two of these remaining leaves.

Most of the time I try to prune back to a desired profile. It’s not quite topiary but there are some small similiarities :()

It is also okay to cut back to bare twigs – so long you can see buds you want to activate. In truth, if it is healthy, the Chinese Elm will back bud profusely the moment it recognises it has insufficient leaves. The real issue, is where it decides to push out new growth!!!

Lowest branch

Pruned back to 3 leaves

Apex

Pruned back to shape

What do you do if?

You have sparse, long and leggy growth – It is likely that your bonsai is not getting the light it needs. It is sending out longer growth to try and find the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. Warm indoor air also encourages leggy growth. SO MOVE IT

Very weak or no growth – To be a succesful bonsai indoors you need everything to be right…most of the time. This is really just a sign that the tree is slowly using up all of its stores of energy. This tends to show itself after a year or more.

The solution is to get it outside in the sun. This should be a few months not just a few days. I do keep some of my elms indoors through winter for decoration but they go straight outside once the sun starts to smile. Darren of GroBonsai explains this brilliantly in his tutorial video.

It looks dead – Scratch the bark in a few places on the branches. If the tree is alive it will be a healthy green. If brown, then that part has died. Again, the answer is to get it outside somewhere out of direct sunlight. And under no circumstances should you feed any tree that looks ill or is struggling. My immediate response is to soak it in a bowl of water until all of the air bubbles have come out (about 5 minutes).

There is an informative YouTube video demonstrating this process on the Species page. thanks to Bonsai by Design for this short tutorial.

Happy pruning and never assume the worst…unless it catches fire