There are many videos on the channel and many techniques used, so we decided to put together a first compilation of 15 bonsai tips and tricks that will be great for your bonsai work. If you’d like to see a part 2, let me know in the comments 😉
Hello, bonsai friends. For this week’s video, I have prepared 15 tips and tricks that will, undoubtedly, make your life easier. Furthermore, there is one in particular, the eighth, which addresses a recurring question that many of you have. Therefore, I encourage you to read carefully and stay tuned to the channel.
When we begin working on a tree, that is to say, the bonsai, we always start by studying it. Subsequently, when we are about to do something manual, what should we do? Well, we must discover the nebari. This is because, if we don’t see it, we cannot appreciate the totality of the tree. Consequently, the nebari is super important when it comes to designing.
Moreover, when dealing with raw material like this, we often don’t know if it’s a forest, a multiple trunk, if a piece is buried, or if it’s superficial. Nor do we know if there’s a buried curve or if the roots are straight, ugly tubes. For all these reasons, you must always, always, always uncover the nebari
There is no room for the typical excuse: “this tree doesn’t have nebari”. Another common excuse is: “I saw a thin root, I’m afraid it will dry out”. This is not valid, as you need to find the nebari. Thin roots do not levitate in the pot; on the contrary, there is a part where they connect to the trunk. That’s what you need to find: thick roots, what is known as a nebari. So, go for it!
Moving on to the second tip, this one is about safety. What we can never do with a chainsaw is put the tip here on the head, that is, cut head-on, as the experts say. At most, we can insert the blade here and cut with this part. However, if we put the tip here, since it’s very hard, what will happen is that it will bounce back and you could split your forehead in half. And of course, this is not desirable. Therefore, be cautious with this.
Another tip for working with the chainsaw: if you are working with an electric one, it’s fine. But when you work with a gasoline one, what you will find is all this stained, oily residue. What happens is that there is a reservoir for the oil that lubricates the chain. This oil reduces temperature, friction, and, furthermore, extends the life of the chain26262626. It is very convenient for cutting firewood, of course.
Nevertheless, in this case, if I use it on a tree, what happens is that the chain constantly throws off oil. It doesn’t stick here; instead, it launches it. And what happens then? Well, it stains the leaves with oil. If I am working in the soil, it stains the soil and the oil can be toxic to the tree. Therefore, what I do, even if it means I have to replace the chain more frequently, is to remove the oil directly.
Now, let’s look at something simple, which is using a tensioner. First, I’m going to lean here on the jin in this way and hook it. Once I have it, I take a protective rubber band to which I’ve made a cut with scissors; that is, I’ve taken a thin slice off it. Why? Well, to insert one end of the wire through one end of the rubber band, the other through the other, and pull both out through the center. It will be difficult for you to see it here, but I will do something so you can see it.
So, this allows me to have the branch protected; the branch would go here. And I keep tightening the wire, as is always done, by pulling. It is, consequently, a comfortable way to have the branch protected and to be able to create a tensioner. Well, that’s what I’m going to do here.
This branch here has a somewhat strange profile. Therefore, I want to lower it. I’m not sure if here, I think I want to lower it here. To lower it, I need a support point that I don’t have. Consequently, perhaps I’ll use the base itself. Later, I’ll fix these others with wires. So, I’m going to explain how. Here’s the trick: a copper wire. You’ll see, you can’t even see it! Now, I’ll take a small piece of gum.
What I’m going to do here is mark the areas where I want to peel. What I normally use is chalk. However, I do this for large trees. In this case, if I mark it with chalk, I’ll get a line that’s too wide. Another solution is a marker, but of course, for a small tree, this is too much. For the ones I normally work with, this is fine. So, I’ve picked up a super fine one, like a 0.5 or 0.7, it doesn’t matter. But with this, I can easily outline. And if I stain it and then have to disguise it, it will be less serious and easier to fix.
Another detail regarding what we are seeing, and I think most of you already know it, but just in case, I’ll repeat it61616161. Besides not leaving a single gap between the tape, because otherwise we would have a weak point there , and stepping on the edge of the tape over the dotted line , the important thing is to pull with two kilojoules of power , that is, to pull hard, to pull with force5. Because if there’s no pressure, well, it’s like someone with a cough scratching their belly. So, it’s important to tension the raffia very well.
Therefore, what I do so that the raffia doesn’t lose its tape shape is, instead of pulling from here, which wrinkles it and looks ugly, I pull by grasping it from a distance. So, you see that here it does form a cord, it wrinkles, but not here. This way, I pull, you see how it gives, and that’s it. I keep putting it on, holding it there with my fingers so it doesn’t lose tension, and I repeat the operation: I grasp, pull, and so on.
Well, after the damage, I mean, the hollowing out of the trunk, the time comes to protect it. For this, raffia is usually used, but you already know that I use this, which is a cotton fabric. And well, it’s much more comfortable and gives me very good results. It breathes, it’s rigid, in short, it offers a lot of advantages.
Furthermore, it’s not a new invention; I’ve been using this for a few years now. The problem is that it’s difficult to get. But since you keep asking me for it, we will soon have it in the online store. Because yes, because that service is necessary. It’s a material that’s not too expensive and it’s very good. So, well, little by little we’re doing things.
I wanted to show you a bit how to tie it, because well, it’s the same as raffia, but raffia is usually subdivided and tied. But with this, you can’t; therefore, you have to go to the other system of “raffiaing”, which is to leave a long end. That is, suppose I want to “raffia” up to here, well, I leave about 15 cm there. I start to “raffia” here and I go up, tightening and such, now it’s just for the sample.
I would go up by stepping along the dotted line, because no gap can be left, just like with raffia. And well, I keep stepping on this tape. And what happens? Well, when I arrive, I have already wrapped up to here, and I have both ends to tie: the one I left at the beginning and the one I’m reaching with, the one that’s wrapping. And it’s that simple.
I’m going to comment, well, I already told you before that here where it is, that is, in the entire shari area, it is inevitable for it to bleed. So, with heat, it reduces a little, the wound cauterizes a bit. However, the ideal is to use this. You see? This is not pureed squid in its ink nor a product from a Chinese restaurant. This is keto, this soil, this type of earth, the rice paddy silt called keto from Japan, dissolved with water in such a way that it forms a paste So, this, well, you take it, you spread it and I don’t know why, but it doesn’t bleed at all.
I’m going to put it in water and then I’ll plant it in akadama. You can plant in akadama with a little bit of kiriu and a little bit of piche 6:4, or rather, 6:3:1 as well. In short, these are all-terrain, this is a bomb, and this way, woody ones, they grip better.
And also, this healing paste, I use this one in the form of a clay-like substance when I really want to close the cuts. Liquid ones are very good because they are very convenient, but with those, my friend, you will not be able to close a cut. I moisten, prepare the ball with one hand, place it, and with the other hand, which I have moistened with the water I put in the lid, I then stick it.
This is the slab I’m going to work with; it’s a Japanese slab, what the Japanese call “ton curama”. These are artificial slabs, but they are made of a fiber… I don’t know what they have, but they are super good. It’s a shame they don’t manufacture them anymore.
So, I’m going to tie the tree with galvanized wire, you already know that galvanized iron gives more resistance and takes up less space. And I’m going to glue it to the stone with this and this. That is, this is a superglue-type adhesive and this is the accelerator. In other words, you put the drop or the squirt, you apply the accelerator, and it becomes petrified instantly. And it’s the most convenient thing I’ve found to date
We will always have difficulties knowing what to cut and what not to. Because the theory I have explained to you about the “V” shape, leaving two branches growing from the same point, is very good from the point of view of aesthetic formation. What is the reference in my case? I always talk about a fan shape, which is somewhat similar to that of the ginkgo.
Therefore, we think of the axis of the fan from which all the “rods” emerge, which would be the central branch viewed from above, that is, the main branch. And “rods” emerge that are all in this position. They do not reach the perpendicular; they stay here. And then there is a rounded shape at the end, which would be this branch. So, the fan, let’s look at it laterally. Well, here would be the point from which all the “rods” emerge. It opens with this shape and a rounded tip. It doesn’t mean it has to be flat, because there have to be different volumes, but that’s roughly the general shape. Consequently, branches that are growing inwards, that are sticking out too much here on the sides, those are out!
Roughly speaking, this process of closing, reviewing, and sealing is slower. However, it is better so as not to forget anything, because it is not desirable to leave open cuts on a beech tree. Well, on a beech or any deciduous tree.
Okay, well, you see how my scissors cut, right? Well, it’s not that they are… they are standard scissors, that is, the ones I have on the website are not those with special professional steel and so on. But what is important is that I have a sharpening kit that, of course, makes it a pleasure to always have them sharp. It takes zero time to sharpen them because it’s a grinder that spins and a leather disc. A wonder of wonders!
I hope, in conclusion, that these tips and tricks will be very useful to you on your journey in the fascinating world of bonsai. See you next time!
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