Creating a Spruce Bonsai tree
Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль
Learn how to make a Spruce Bonsai (Picea abies). In this video we show you how to prune and wire a Spruce bonsai of about 5-6 years old. This kind of plant material can be purchased at plant nurseries and often has great potential for Bonsai designs. Make sure to subscribe to this channel to see the progression of this Bonsai over time!
Bonsai Empire is dedicated to share the living art of Bonsai - we created this video as a DIY tutorial to help and motivate beginners. The video is part of the online courses that we offer, for more free videos go to:
www.bonsaiempire.com/courses
Bonsai techniques explained:
- Pruning: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/s...
- Tools: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/g...
- Wiring: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/s...
- Repotting: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/b...
- Substrate: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/b...
- Bonsai care: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/b...
Chapters:
0:00 - Before and after styling
0:33 - Preparing the tree
2:36 - Choosing the front and Pruning
5:00 - Wiring branches
6:51 - Shaping the tree
8:27 - Repotting
13:30 - Aftercare and next steps
We like to thank:
Clingendael (Japanese garden), Bob van Ruitenbeek (Technical supervision and Bonsai expert) and Teunis Jan Klein.
Learn how to make a Bonsai tree with our online courses:
www.bonsaiempire.com/courses
Пікірлер: 312
This is a great hobby. Suggest you start at age 12 so that your tree will be ready to enjoy by the time you retire.
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Or, create a bonsai like in this video - you need 3 years or so to really develop it.
I'm only 11 seconds in and I immediately came to the comments to see who all else saw the snake. Is it just me?! That is a SNAKE in the plant.
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Its a slug :)
@Rexxis-Arcturus
Жыл бұрын
@@bonsaiempire omgosh! Did you know it was there when you were filming?!
@user-es7mt3tt5z
Жыл бұрын
Белка не змея, взади за стеклом!
@passionflower13
Жыл бұрын
It kind of looks like a snake 💚
@rchan7136
Жыл бұрын
Yeah exactly at 12th sec. right in the middle of the plant. You have good eyes 👍🏻
This is the weirdest thing, I never knew bonsai trees are transformed from more regular trees. I thought it was a very elaborate task of growing from seed and nurturing the tree specially for bonsai. This has been very inspirational.
@NazriB
6 ай бұрын
Lies again? Spank Bang USD SGD
@annas7892
4 ай бұрын
same here lol
@coyohti
4 ай бұрын
It's also that! Really depends on the type of tree and the final goal. For instance, if you wanted the sort of bonsai shape where the tree is leaning over as if it's been growing on a windy shoreline you'd have to start with a seedling and shape it before the trunk hardened.
@rmreagle
4 ай бұрын
@@coyohti or can't you just repot a straight tree at an angle to create this effect? I just went shopping for some nursery stock and spent most of my time analyzing the base of the tree trunks for interesting lines, but many could have more movement with a repotting at a more drastic angle and proper trimming/wiring
@stevenbarlow7088
Ай бұрын
You can buy it will need pruning , styling. You can grow from seed but obviously trees take years to mature so you don't see the fruits of labour for decades. You're only a custodian not an owner. Turning and keeping a tree healthy/ into bonsai is the art. I have a few ones I've grown from seed but I'll never see them in there glory. I get 3-4 yr old from garden centre or wild saplings from land ,start from there.
Beautiful litte Spruce! I admire your Garden so much. Such a great atmosphere to work on your trees 💚
So fast, so easy. Great work and great Idea! I love bonsai! 😃
What a lovely early result you have made it into already! Wow!
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! 😊
This was a great video! I would love to see an update of this tree, and maybe future follow ups with it as it grows.
Really love how you gave first and after look right at the beginning of video. ❤
This type of Spruce is also available as a creeper or ground cover type. So it doesn’t grow up very much but out. If you like the look of the tree cascading below the pot this is a good shortcut.
Nice to learn and see how this becomes a bonsai🌲👏
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for visiting, we'll keep you posted!
It’s an incredible demonstration. 👏🏻
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
Creating a Spruce Bonsai tree. Thanks for explanation to pruning cutting and wiring. Thanks for sharing. Good job 👍
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for visiting
Your background looks amazing. Its such a nice color of green
Thanks for the tutorial! I made my first one by following your guide. ✌️
@bonsaiempire
11 ай бұрын
Glad it helped!
So beautiful !!! You just gave me a new idea
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Nice! Glad it was helpful ;-)
Many thanks for this lesson. I wish I had started years ago. Very enjoyable.
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love these lessons even though I may never grow a bonsai. Your work is beautiful.
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much!
@AdrenalineRushMX
Жыл бұрын
why you wont grow a bonsai?
I've tried for years but I was not born with the Eye for seeing things. I can maintain a healthy plant but I just am unable to create a Bonsai. such beautiful work.
Spruce is a good starter bonsai, you can prune and do the roots at the same time. I would remove the tree earlier from the pot and take soil off the top to check the trunk line. Most nurseries bury the roots pretty deep. Thanks🎉
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Removing the top layer of soil is step 1 - otherwise we have no idea where the first surface roots begin.
@davidalvarado7944
Жыл бұрын
I DONT GET IT, IIISNT THAT WHAT HE DID?
@TheRobe-
Жыл бұрын
@@bonsaiempireI looked at my wife, “Am I getting into Bonsai trees?” My wife: “It looks like it”
@1purehavoc
Жыл бұрын
So I just started..my sprouts roots are already coming out the bottom of the pot it's in...should I move it or let it grow a bit more? It's only about 1.25in tall
Excellent tutorial. Thank you friend.
@bonsaiempire
3 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
Dit is een fijn Spar, toch? Leuk resultaat! De eerste aanpassing (tak weg knippen zodat je zicht hebt), is zeer fascinerend! Groetjes, KH.
The bonsai is wonderful
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
Nice work.
Xinh Chào bạn, chúc bạn nhiều sức khỏe thành công trong công việc, từ một cây thiên nhiên mà bạn tạo thành cây bonsai quá đẹp, tôi thật ngưỡng mộ về tài năng của bạn, 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
A very fun process, I like the process of making bonsai like this. You are so amazing
@bonsaiempire
5 ай бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
Very well done. That tree will be so much happier with the light and oxegen being able to get to those inner branches😁😁😁
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Indeed! From bush to tree :-)
@noblejennette2101
Жыл бұрын
Plants ingest co2 and expel oxygen.
Great job. Wow
@bonsaiempire
6 ай бұрын
Thank you!
I love blue spruce
Eccellente!
Very good
Thanks for the tutorial.. Its good
@bonsaiempire
11 ай бұрын
Glad you liked it!
❤Beautiful bonsai, greetings, friends, from Indonesia🙏
@bonsaiempire
Ай бұрын
Thanks for visiting
@RajaPetualangBondowoso
Ай бұрын
@@bonsaiempire ❤️🙏
Hare Krishna. Wow so beautiful plant 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Beautiful 👍
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
Mantap brather👍👍
Beautiful
@bonsaiempire
11 ай бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
Cool video!
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
Very nice to learn,👍
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
beautiful ❤
@bonsaiempire
10 ай бұрын
Thank you! 😊
Keren trimaksih sudah berbagi
This is incredible! Thanks for making this video! ❤
@bonsaiempire
8 ай бұрын
Glad you liked it!
waw its amazing
Bonsai yg keren
omg, nice work
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
Indonesia hadir.. Beauteful.... 🥰👍
nice bonsai
That slug has a sweet hiding spot.
inspiration my good
Thank you for sharing knowledge..success friend👍🙏
@FaridSultonik
Жыл бұрын
Joss
@Omar-al-Farouk
Жыл бұрын
@@FaridSultonik hehehe.. ☕☕☕
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
Bonsainya bagus sekali.
Verrie nais man!
素晴らしい仕事ですね。🤩🤩🤩
The bouncy music out of harmony with the bonsi creation.
satisfying hobby
@bonsaiempire
3 ай бұрын
You got that right!
정말 좋아요
Nice.👏
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Cheers!
Awesome
@bonsaiempire
11 ай бұрын
Thanks!
Maybe mention to mist spruce as you work on them to avoid needle drop.
Bagus kawanku
Большое спасибо
nice
Weer een fijne film, Oscar! 🌱
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Edwin!
Master bonsai mantab👍👍
@Omar-al-Farouk
Жыл бұрын
Indonesia jauh lebih mantap friend😁✌️
@FaridSultonik
Жыл бұрын
@@Omar-al-Farouk he
very nice
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Thanks
I'm fairly new to bonsai. I started a few trees from seed back in May. I keep the trees in my closet under a grow light and they seem to be doing well in there. Can I keep my trees in that setup indefinitely, all year round, or do I have to put them in colder temperatures to let them go dormant? Will I exhaust them eventually if I don't? Thanks for your time
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
It all depends on the tree species - look up the care guides here: www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species
Wow..nice Bonsai Bro..good job❤❤
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Many many thanks
That is awesome I've done that in the past or with juniphers trees and they died on me as time goes on. Ive seen times camping as a kid with relatives and friends up in the mountains one of my girl cousin boyfriend made a bonsai from a tree on a cliff side before😂😂😂
Tqvm
In my opinion and taking into account that in addition to being an art... creating a bonsai gives us a certain well-being when contemplating its achieved beauty, etc. It seems to me that in this video too many steps are taken at the same time considering that it is a living being ... it seems to me that if one decides to prune branches so drastically, the roots should not be touched, at least until the next season, in order for it to regain strength, even more so in the case of a nursery specimen... and even less wire it, having pruned it so much at both ends .. in addition to the change of original substrate.. All that stress affects the tree in some way, even if it looks pretty at least temporarily maybe! Changes are made gradually I think..
@4nn4h
11 ай бұрын
Spruce trees are quite hardy, and it depends on climate, season, and the individual tree. I would also not have done all the steps at once, but I am very cautious. If one has experience with the species and the environment is right (plus nice aftercare), the little tree should be okay :)
As a beginner I know from experience it is not easy to find the right branches. Even semi trained trees are not that easy to prune. I spend hours to decide which branch i possibly could remove or prune and often I regret it
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
I completely understand, especially with a bush like this Spruce it really is very difficult. We also really took our time to study the tree. It helps to get rid of the top layer of soil (until the first main roots appear) so at least you can see the trunk. Then remove all the dead stuff - and once you're done with that you can start to study your tree and start making decisions. Practice makes perfect and this material is cheap, so you'll learn a lot!
@abebeaku8369
Жыл бұрын
OCD?
@4nn4h
11 ай бұрын
@@abebeaku8369 eh, it's more like the nerves a sculptor gets. You're making an irreversible artistic decision, so it can be important to get it "right". There's also the fact that it is a living organism, which certainly impacts decisions for me - I don't want to impact the tree more than necessary. I find it quite meditative.
Thanks for the quick lesson with the spruce! I'm a novice at bonsai, & I am curious as to why you only use inorganics in your soil mixture. Are the only nutrients from the fertilizer?
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Hi there! Bottom line, we can control for a lot of things much better with inorganic mixes (water storage, nutrients, drainage etc). Read this article for all info: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/bonsai-care/bonsai-soil
@dewaynefanchier589
Жыл бұрын
@@bonsaiempire Thanks you! 😉 It states "In some instances adding organic soil can be advised, especially when water absorption is important." I live in the desert southwest of the United States, where the average humidity is 10-15% and temps reach 110f (43c). I have been experimenting with some different recipes for bonsai soil over the past couple of years. With mixed results across the spectrum. 🤔
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Yeah when you really need a mixture that absorbs water you'd have to include some sort of organic. Regarding your experiments, what worked best so far?
@dewaynefanchier589
Жыл бұрын
@@bonsaiempire The mixture that I have had the best results is an even mix of: Akadama Fullers Earth Volcanic Rock Miracle-Gro Cactus Mix It's too hot & dry for moss here, so I cover my soil with paver mulch, to help retain moisture.
I’ve bought a Spruce now, in December what kind of bonsai work is it possible to do? Should I wait for early spring to use wire? And when is it possible to repot it? I bought it in a small plastic pot and some roots are coming out. I’d like to start from it to realise my first bonsai but I don’t know when I should start doing this kind of work considering it’s almost winter.Hope you can help me. Thanks
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
You shouldnt do anything now, other than taking good care of your tree (www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species/spruce). Starting early spring you could wire&prune OR repot the tree.
All perfect, even with the slug trying to be undercover.. :)
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Haha yes indeed :)
Very articulate,composed n neat. Just a qt. Do we need to dress the cut areas? Tqvm
@bonsaiempire
4 ай бұрын
You could add some cutpaste to the larger wounds, yes!
Ive been looking in the shop website but did not find Lava rock and Pumice separately, in this video did you use Akadama with the Bims Lavastrat mix? If so, what size of Bims was used, 2/5 or 2/8mm? Thank you
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Hi there! Well, you'd have to use what you can source locally - Akadama and Lavastrat mix works fine indeed. Just make sure that the mix you make is not absorbing lots of water like organic matters do.
@Moicc
Жыл бұрын
@@bonsaiempire so best is to source Akadama, pumice and lava rock separatly right? Thank you
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Well, its easy to follow along our recommendation - but any well draining, inorganic mix should be fine really. In your case, if you can get lavastrat and akadama that would be a great mix!
@Moicc
Жыл бұрын
And for smaller bonsai, what lavastrat size is recomended? Up till 15-25cm pots, the 2/5mm or 3/8mm lavastrat/bims?
It's great I want to learn from you
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Always welcome
How do you thicken/age the trunk in that small pot? Is this more or less the size you're going for here?
@turvalisus
Жыл бұрын
This tree stay for a pre-pre-bonsai for many years...
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Hi Rob! Great question. If trunk thickening is what you're after, this is not the way to go. You'd need to plant the tree in a larger container and let it grow strongly. Growth = Thickening. So we, in this video, clearly choose to create a small tree without a thick trunk.
beautiful, can you suggest an inorganic bonsai mix without akadama
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Lava rock and pumice?
@bugskees146
Жыл бұрын
Lava and pumice, fir bark if you wish to add an organic
❤❤❤
Are you dutch by any chance? I noticed your slight accent and i’m in the netherlands trying to start bonsai, and i was hoping i could maybe follow some live courses if you offer those, because learning from videos has been tough for me so far
@bonsaiempire
4 ай бұрын
You might wanna try Deshima Bonsai (Teunis Jan Klein is a great teacher and also provides workshops)!
@MrVr-kw4xi
4 ай бұрын
@@bonsaiempirethank you!! I’ll look into it
May good bonsai
Did that tree on the video survived from this intense pruning and repotting the same day? Or is it still possible to do it on young specimens without too much risks ?
@bonsaiempire
7 ай бұрын
Its possible, but best is to spread out your work over time. Repot in early spring, and prune in late fall for example.
Tuyệt đẹp
Great video but wish he had focused the camera more in when pruning the bigger branches. Really get birds eye view when taking off larger branches.literally like see where he cuts.
@bonsaiempire
3 ай бұрын
Noted! Its tricky especially with these nursery materials which are FULL!
Hey. Was it not to late for the plant and this action ? I think it was in spring time. Isn't it ? Best wishes from Germany. Frank
@bonsaiempire
21 күн бұрын
No this was done in fall, which is a good time. It might be better to spread out work though - for example prune in fall and then repot in the next spring. This would be safer.
@frankfill.7954
21 күн бұрын
@@bonsaiempire Yes, i think thats a good way. You did a nice work...sorry for my bad english 🫣 i have to pratice.
👏👏👏
So beautiful! Was that a squirrel in the background at the end? 😁
@bonsaiempire
8 ай бұрын
Yes!
Trimming, wiring and cutting the roots at the same time, would that put pressure for future growth ? Thanks 🙏
@bonsaiempire
5 ай бұрын
Yes its a lot - only to be done when you dont mess with the roots all too much and the plant is super healthy. Honestly, best is to spread out work over time. Repot in spring, work on the tree in fall.
I'm new to bonsai. Seeing that did a hard cut back and trimmed the roots, I image this would kill some plants, but the spruce is hardy
are you putting gravel or soil ? it looks like small mixed stones.
@bonsaiempire
10 ай бұрын
Here is some info: www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/bonsai-care/bonsai-soil
it was a snake inside the tree at the first 13 seconds? beautiful job
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
A slug :)
great vid sir. im about to try this one but i heard that this king of shrub is hard to do bonsai thats why im kinda doing it or not. need help pls
@jmocampo281
Жыл бұрын
i live in z7a btw . need inputs pls
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Spruce has its challenges, but since it is widely available and affordable, it is great material to try out!
@jmocampo281
Жыл бұрын
so i can buy rn sir and do some wiring and pruning except for repotting since in getting colder here?
Sir i have a 3 year old plant i want to turn my plant in a bonsai but its a fruit plant could you make a video on how to turn a fruit plant into a bonsai...?
a slug was chilling right in the tree 14:22
🥹🫶 super 👍🏻
time for an update
Güzel iş
Hi as a beginner do you have a video on how to create a jade tree from a cutting..
@bonsaiempire
6 ай бұрын
Nope we dont. But you can watch a video on taking cuttings - Jade or another species, it is quite similar.
Where is this beautiful background?
13:44 What is this in the Green? Is this a snake? If seen it also in the Opening from the Video. So has anybody an Idea?
@bonsaiempire
Жыл бұрын
Its a slug :)