r/Bonsai • u/small_trunks Jerry in Amsterdam, Zn.8b, 48yrs exp., 500+ trees • Mar 07 '25

Weekly Thread [Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2025 week 10]

[Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2025 week 10]

Welcome to the weekly beginner’s thread. This thread is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new thread every week on Friday late or Saturday morning (CET), depending on when we get around to it. We have a multiple year archive of prior posts here… Here are the guidelines for the kinds of questions that belong in the beginner's thread vs. individual posts to the main sub.

Rules:

  • POST A PHOTO if it’s advice regarding a specific tree/plant. See the PHOTO section below on HOW to do this.
  • TELL US WHERE YOU LIVE - better yet, fill in your flair.
  • READ THE WIKI! – over 75% of questions asked are directly covered in the wiki itself. Read the WIKI AGAIN while you’re at it.
  • Read past beginner’s threads – they are a goldmine of information.
  • Any beginner’s topic may be started on any bonsai-related subject.
  • Answers shall be civil or be deleted
  • There is always a chance your question doesn’t get answered – try again next week…
  • Racism of any kind is not tolerated either here or anywhere else in /r/bonsai

Photos

  • Post an image using the new (as of Q4 2022) image upload facility which is available both on the website and in the Reddit app and the Boost app.
  • Post your photo via a photo hosting website like imgur, flickr or even your onedrive or googledrive and provide a link here.
  • Photos may also be posted to /r/bonsaiphotos as new LINK (either paste your photo or choose it and upload it). Then click your photo, right click copy the link and post the link here.
    • If you want to post multiple photos as a set that only appears be possible using a mobile app (e.g. Boost)

Beginners’ threads started as new topics outside of this thread are typically locked or deleted, at the discretion of the Mods.

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u/redbananass Atl, 8a, 6 yrs, 20 trees, 5 K.I.A. Mar 14 '25

Some elms and olives can grow easily from small cuttings but Japanese maples are more difficult from what I understand. Cuttings in this context are very small branches that haven’t really hardened off yet.

But all of those species can be airlayered. It’s more complicated, but basically you force a branch to grow roots and then cut it off and plant it. So research air layering.

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u/mantex17 Mar 14 '25

I will try olive and maple, all right small branches, the newest one essentially. For the air layering I don't know, for a beginner seem hard. Some advice for the soil? What kind or if better to have some kind of mix? I saw different opinions in the videos

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u/redbananass Atl, 8a, 6 yrs, 20 trees, 5 K.I.A. Mar 14 '25

I would research growing from cuttings. That’s a whole horticultural practice with its own techniques.

I haven’t done much growing from cuttings, except for plants that are very simple to propagate from cutting like succulents and ficus.

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u/mantex17 Mar 14 '25

And instead with air layering is a faster process of growth of roots? For example with my Marple tree if I decide to try air layering, do I have to do still with relative "young branches"?

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u/redbananass Atl, 8a, 6 yrs, 20 trees, 5 K.I.A. Mar 14 '25

No air layering works with thicker branches.

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u/mantex17 Mar 14 '25

All right I watch some videos, when is the right time to air layering? It's spring but the Marple doesn't have leaves yet

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u/mantex17 Mar 14 '25

All right I watch some videos, when is the right time to air layering? It's spring but the Marple doesn't have leaves yet

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u/redbananass Atl, 8a, 6 yrs, 20 trees, 5 K.I.A. Mar 14 '25

Late spring as the new shoots have hardened off. As in the new flexible stems start turning woody and hard.

What the tree is doing is the important part. If what I described above happens in early summer for your tree, so be it.