This plant is a Gardenia.
This plant is a Gardenia. I bought it as a bonsai nursery stock for about US$300
and in this movie I'll show you how to create a bonsai using this material.
After pruning and wiring, this was the result.
Like I mentioned, I bought the plant for US$300
which is a pretty good price for the tree
because there's already a nicely developed nebari
so the roots, the surface roots.
And as you can see the trunk also has a nice shape and movement in it.
So this is definitely a plant that is something that could be a very interesting bonsai.
What the tree needs now is pruning.
You can see the shoots have extended very long
and it's fall right now so it's an okay, or a good time, to prune back all these shoots.
But during the winter I will need to protect the plant
so the aftercare for the plant is important
because I want to protect it from very low freezing temperatures.
just to make sure that the tree remains healthy
and that in early spring it will grow healthily again.
So I studied the tree and there's one branch over here which you can see
which is straight, and there's two branches emerging from the same spot
so that's one I will take away.
And after that I will shorten the length of the big branches
and then start making decisions on which branches to keep and which branches to prune.
The tools we will be using include wire, a wire cutter and a twig shear.
When pruning larger branches, we'll use a concave cutter.
All these are available at specialized bonsai nurseries or on our website.
If you're just starting out though
feel free to use any standard pruning shears instead.
We start with reducing the size of the branches
by pruning back to two or three leaves.
Any dead branches, dangling growth, or dead foliage
is carefully removed using scissors.
This basic cleaning will reveal the structure of the plant
a factor which is important when deciding on the front.
Also remove any dead branches on the interior of the tree.
Alright, that cleaned up the tree a lot.
You can see now what I was just telling you about before.
The trunk line, the nice nebari
and already quite a few branches that are well developed.
The next step is to start selecting the branches to keep and the ones to prune away.
So, one example
See this...
this one here. As you can see this one is growing upwards.
It's quite straight and thick, so that's an obvious branch to remove.
There's some new shoots underneath, so I'll keep those
but the branch will come off.
So here's a rather thick one growing upwards
It's kind of strange, so I'll remove that.
Maybe keep this one.
This will go.
The next step is pruning.
This is a creative process, not bound by strict rules
but the following guidelines will help you get started:
Ideally we want our first branches positioned at about 1/3 the height of the trunk.
Pruned branches positioned lower on the trunk.
We also remove branches that cross the trunk line
especially those blocking our view on the front of the tree.
We also prune heavy upward growth.
Finally, we remove dangling growth, to prepare for wiring.
Deciding on the design of a bonsai isn't always easy
especially when a tree is as full and overgrown as this plant.
Try to apply the pruning guidelines we just mentioned to your own trees.
And if you are interested to learn more about these techniques
consider enrolling in one of our online bonsai courses.
Here, expert teachers explain the relevant techniques, and you can ask them questions.
For a free lesson, go to: bonsaiempire.com/courses
This tree is dense and we are pruning a lot of branches.
Classic bonsai design usually starts with a main branch on the back of the tree
followed by branches on the sides of the tree.
This pattern then continues up until the apex of the tree
with branches higher on the trunk gradually reducing in length and size.
The front is the most open part of the tree
as you want to be able to see the trunk.
You can safely prune up to 1/3 of your tree's foliage.
At this point we have finished pruning the tree
and work starts on wiring the branches.
Next we wire the main branches
starting with the lower branches and slowly working our way up to the apex.
Try to wire two branches with one piece of wire.
Between these two branches make sure to wrap the wire at least once around the trunk for stability.
We aim to apply the wire at an angle of 45 degrees.
The wire should be thick enough to hold the branch in the desired shape once we bend it.
A rule of thumb is to use a wire of about 1/3 to 1/2 the thickness of the branch you are wiring.
Once you finish wiring the branches you can start shaping them
moving your way up the trunk towards the apex of the tree.
Alright, I finished wiring the entire tree, detail wiring every single branch.
And as you can see, we did a lot of pruning.
And also setting the branches really changed the appearance of the tree.
So right now there's a really nice trunk line that goes all the way up to the apex.
There's a nice tapering as well. The nebari also looks quite good.
So this tree really has some potential to become a nice little bonsai tree.
And the really nice thing about gardenia bonsai
is that they flower, and the flowers, they smell very nice.
The flowering happens in summer.
If you want the tree to flower, make sure that you don't prune it in spring.
But for now, flowering is not my priority.
My plan is to keep it safe during the winter, make sure that there's no frost.
And then in spring the tree will start growing again very strongly
because we pruned a lot of the branches.
Once those branches have elongated for a few inches
so let's say late spring, I will start pruning back again to further compact the tree.
And the more regular pruning that I'll do
the more slower branches will start growing on the interior of the tree.
And that will be nice, because it will be nice to even compact the tree a little bit more.
But for now a really nice result.
One question that I get a lot in the comments below the videos
is 'What kind of pot would you select for this tree?'
Well you have many many options. Right now I'm happy with this pot actually as it's a training pot
so it's good for the health of the tree to have it quite big as well.
But eventually we'll bring it to a smaller pot, and a bonsai pot.
For me, this would go in a glazed container
And in terms of colors there's some options
because the tree flowers, and it also grows fruits
and the flowers are white, and the fruits are a bit more orange.
So you could pick either of those colors and try to complement it in the color of the pot
but a white glaze, or maybe even an orange glaze, could work nicely.
But a glazed pot. And I think the soonest I will put this in a bonsai pot
will be one, probably two years from now.
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel
so you can see the progress of this tree over time.
[Before]
[After]
Learn how to create your own bonsai trees
by enrolling in one of our online bonsai courses.
We explain techniques like pruning, wiring and repotting
and you can ask questions to the teachers.
For the curriculums and free lessons, go to: bonsaiempire.com/courses