Excellent Video on repotting and refinement of deciduous trees
- Thread starter Adair M
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So it doesn't play if you don't have a Facebook account? Sorry about that.
Gloves? Yeah, that was one of the things that was new to me when I went to the repotting Intensive. I had never used gloves before. Thought it was kind of strange. But Boon and all the more experienced students put them on, so I did too. And I found it was nice to be able to do all the dirty work, and still have clean hands. It's now become part of my routine when I'm repotting. It's optional, of course.
One of the other students had discovered the black ones at Advance Autoparts. They are a little thicker, so they hold up a little better.
I teach classes, and when I teach repotting, I give my students a pair. They seem to appreciate them.
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
That's so relaxing to watch. It's one thing I enjoy about bonsai; there's hard work, but can be very relaxing and satisfying. I think some subtitles would help me understand Boon better, I have to replay some of the parts to make sure I get what he's saying. Polyglot here, by the way.
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Dislike
barrosinc
Masterpiece
For non facebook people
Giga
Masterpiece
I always like good bonsai videos. Great video
CWTurner
Omono
I'm inclined to say that articulated tamping tool (around 12:30) has to be the most specific tool that I've ever seen. Anybody else own/use one?
CW
CW
ColinFraser
Masterpiece
Looks like a trowel, and if you listed carefully, I believe he refers to it as such.
Edit: To be clear, I mean a bricklaying or painting trowel, not those little gardening shovels
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Andrew Robson
Shohin
Another great video that came out a day before:
Andrew Robson
Shohin
However, I really like the time that Boon devoted to his video and the active demonstration!!!
If you liked it, be sure to look into his DVDs. They are really great as well!
Cheers!
If you liked it, be sure to look into his DVDs. They are really great as well!
Cheers!
quietobserver
Omono
It played for me & I don't facebook..just ignore any feature trying to get u to sign up or log in and play it anyway.Adair M said:
I have one.
Before, I had a little Masakuni one that came as a part of a starter set, years ago.
The one Boon uses is really great for some of those really big trees/pots that he does.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Leo in N E Illinois
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Gloves - it is for safety, not vanity. Also depends on your interpretation of the risks of handling various soil components. I only repot during a short season, a few trees and feel comfortable skipping the gloves. If you are repotting many trees for days and weeks at a time, the risks of handling soil is significantly greater.
The risks are several different fungi and bacteria that can infect humans, one fungi in particular is found in peat moss and sphagnum moss. It is rare, but certain areas it is locally somewhat common. In the unlikely event a person gets infected, they will have a hard time getting a good diagnosis, as the disease is uncommon and most physicians won't recognize the symptoms. The symptoms are fairly general, low grade enough to be ignored for a long time, they include weakness, low grade fever, fatigue, cough, and unexplained lumps in arms or hands, and swelling of the lymph nodes. If you are repotting frequently, and using sphagnum and peat moss from multiple sources, it may be wise to wear gloves. The fungal infection can be cured, but it can become systemic, and the cure can be prolonged, especially if diagnosis comes months or years after infection. The symptoms resemble the symptoms of lyme's disease, minus the rash symptoms. Another reason an accurate diagnosis does not happen right away. Often doctors will guess Lyme's disease, instead of the fungal infection.
Another issue is organic soils, compost, if you are in an area where manures have been composted into the soil, if you hit a pocket of compost that has not fully gone through the high temperature cycle of composting, there may be human pathogens still in the compost. In Japan they have a custom of composting human waste into the rice fields and other areas. In Japan it is a very good idea to use gloves when handling compost. If you are lucky, the worst you run into is E. coli. But there are other more pathogenic bacteria you can encounter. Also in composted manures you might encounter hook worm, pin worms, or other parasites. Gloves keep the eggs of these nasty critters out from under your finger nails, making it less likely you will ingest them.
But as a hobby grower, especially if you use inert, inorganic media, the need for gloves is optional.
If you are a professional, with long, daily exposure to various media components, especially organic components. Gloves are an occupational necessity for safety. Dust masks are also a necessity for blending and sifting dry components of bonsai media. When mixing and sifting media more than a couple times a year, you should wear a dust mask.
Nobody really cares whether your nails are dirty or not.
The risks are several different fungi and bacteria that can infect humans, one fungi in particular is found in peat moss and sphagnum moss. It is rare, but certain areas it is locally somewhat common. In the unlikely event a person gets infected, they will have a hard time getting a good diagnosis, as the disease is uncommon and most physicians won't recognize the symptoms. The symptoms are fairly general, low grade enough to be ignored for a long time, they include weakness, low grade fever, fatigue, cough, and unexplained lumps in arms or hands, and swelling of the lymph nodes. If you are repotting frequently, and using sphagnum and peat moss from multiple sources, it may be wise to wear gloves. The fungal infection can be cured, but it can become systemic, and the cure can be prolonged, especially if diagnosis comes months or years after infection. The symptoms resemble the symptoms of lyme's disease, minus the rash symptoms. Another reason an accurate diagnosis does not happen right away. Often doctors will guess Lyme's disease, instead of the fungal infection.
Another issue is organic soils, compost, if you are in an area where manures have been composted into the soil, if you hit a pocket of compost that has not fully gone through the high temperature cycle of composting, there may be human pathogens still in the compost. In Japan they have a custom of composting human waste into the rice fields and other areas. In Japan it is a very good idea to use gloves when handling compost. If you are lucky, the worst you run into is E. coli. But there are other more pathogenic bacteria you can encounter. Also in composted manures you might encounter hook worm, pin worms, or other parasites. Gloves keep the eggs of these nasty critters out from under your finger nails, making it less likely you will ingest them.
But as a hobby grower, especially if you use inert, inorganic media, the need for gloves is optional.
If you are a professional, with long, daily exposure to various media components, especially organic components. Gloves are an occupational necessity for safety. Dust masks are also a necessity for blending and sifting dry components of bonsai media. When mixing and sifting media more than a couple times a year, you should wear a dust mask.
Nobody really cares whether your nails are dirty or not.
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Its kind of funny but thirty some years ago I was hanging out with Lenz and he was repotting trees and tending trees and collecting trees--basically doing tree stuff. After watching him do the tasks with minimal tools--mostly with just his fingers, I asked him why some bonsai people used chop-a-sticks, patty trowels, dedicated repotting scythes, wee brooms and wear little white gloves and such when repotting (I had just witnesses this at a bonsai camp get together) and he explained that this propensity pervades many arts and and often is exaggerated by students. He explained, to me a young man, that using piles of bonsai tools is, not only a distracting waste of money but often just cultural imitation and can end up being a distancing mechanism that diminishes the tactile and organic factors that are the most important. He seemed to always used the simplest and most direct methods. If he needed to settle soil it was with his fingers and hands (and water)--never a tool. He would make fun of a long water wand or fancy tools and always repeating that they just moved you farther and farther from the trees.
Lenz danced to the beat of a different drum.
But you make a valid point. Over the years, I have collected many specialized tools. But there's only a few I use on an everyday basis. Some of course, are only used when repotting. But, having those tools does make it easier! Now, does everyone need Boon's soil tamper? No. Many tweezers sold for bonsai use have something like that on the back. But when I repot, I DO use my tamper.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Why?
Because I have it. I used to use my small one. But now that I have the one with the long handle, I use it. I find it works better than either my small tamper, or the flat "spade" that is on the back side of a pair of tweezers. If I didn't have one, I would use either of those. I mean, I went without one for years. But now that I have one, I use it.
A couple of reasons the long one works well. First, it reaches across the pot. But I work on a turn table, so that's not really a big deal. The attribute I like about it the most is that you can slip it under low branches easily. My old trowel had a handle, and the trowel part dropped down at one end. So, to use it, I have to be able to get my hand over the soil and push down. With this contraption, the long metal extension can get under there easily, yet my hand is away from the pot and any low branches. It's a minor thing. But it works really well. I agree it looks rather silly. The way Boon uses it, it's a gentle tapping of the surface of the soil. Kind of like the way a conductor taps his wand on the music stand. Easier to do with the long extension.
One potting procedure that Boon teaches that I think is really helpful, is tapping the pot to settle the soil after chopsticking. It's amazing how well that works.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I like how it's used.....
I like how he chopsticks too...and the explanation of how doing it too long in one place causes it to "settle" wrong.
It's the bluntness that I like....the "no need to question" frankness of the in-depth explanation.
The repetition.....that's the discipline.
@fredman Boon Backwards...is Noob!
Sorce
I like how he chopsticks too...and the explanation of how doing it too long in one place causes it to "settle" wrong.
It's the bluntness that I like....the "no need to question" frankness of the in-depth explanation.
The repetition.....that's the discipline.
@fredman Boon Backwards...is Noob!
Sorce
