“There is an almost infinite number of possibilities when creating a bonsai forest.” – Eric Schrader
In response to many requests from our viewers, Eric provides a step-by-step “how to” guide to creating a bonsai forest. For this composition, he’s using Zelkova serrata and a medium-sized tray.
00:01:17 Because the bare root Zelkova generally will not have roots holding them together, Eric needs a lot of tie wires to anchor the trees relative to each other and to the pot. He uses standard tie-wire technique.
00:02:25 As he prepares the trees, Eric explains that when growing these Zelkova, he pulls them apart after 1-3 years and sometimes leaves clumps that have grown together.
00:04:14 While Eric would be very concerned about the nebari if he was making a broom-style bonsai, for a forest he is not concerned about the exposed roots.
00:04:37 Look for a variety of sizes of trees.
00:05:36 Eric looks at how the trees work together as he considers cutting or trimming – to create a natural scene with irregular spacing and few straight lines.
00:06:53 A clump of smaller trees is good for creating depth and breadth.
00:07:40 Trees on the outside of the composition will have a habit of seeking out available light so they spread out, while the middle trees grow larger and taller as they seek light straight up.
00:09:00 Deciding which tree/s will be the anchor of the composition.
00:10:52 Eric selects a main tree and then discusses rotating the secondary and surrounding trees to determine their placement.
00:12:05 Look at the relationship of the size of the trunks as well as the spacing of the trees.
00:12:56 Eric explains how to create a feeling of infinite depth or a more comforting hollow in the forest.
00:13:38 An individual tree that is already directional is great for either end.
00:14:05 Once he has decided on the composition, Eric removes the trees, adds soil to the bottom of the pot, and begins anchoring in the main clump.
00:15:23 Eric adds more soil to a lower tree to roughly align it to the trees around it.
00:16:03 Wiring single bareroots together to create a clump.
00:17:03 Eric wants a full forest and needs to create more depth.
00:18:12 How to create forced perspective using the trees in the back.
00:19:33 All the trees are placed, so Eric adds more soil and chops it in between the clumps. He then adds shredded live moss combined with sphagnum moss to retain moisture near the upper roots.
00:20:22 “Branch editing” to shorten and reduce crossing bits.
00:21:45 Eric explains all his trimming decisions.
Are you ready to create your own bonsai forest using bareroot Zelkova? You can pick up bundles of 2 year old bareroots from us https://www.bonsaify.com/products/bare-root-2-year-old-zelkova-serrata
We’ve also published an FAQ on working with bareroot Zelkova: https://www.bonsaify.com/blogs/news-and-more/using-bare-root-zelkova-to-create-a-bonsai-forest
Let us know your plans in the comments below! As always, thank you for watching. Please like and share this video, and subscribe to our channel!
