Ash Bonsai Refinement – Partial Defoliation & Crown Reshaping (Plus Field Elm First Styling)

In this video I’m working on two deciduous yamadori bonsai: an ash bonsai in refinement and a young field elm in its first styling. The ash tree, collected from the wild years ago, is now entering a more refined phase – I’m focusing on partial defoliation, crown reshaping, and improving the overall naturalistic image. In the second part of the video, I show the very first styling of a field elm bonsai. It’s still at an “ugly” stage, but I explain the design idea, heavy pruning choices, and how I expect the tree to respond in the next seasons. If you like naturalistic bonsai, European yamadori, and long-term development stories, this video is for you. 00:00 – Ash bonsai “Cliffhanger” – current state and plan 04:10 – Why I collected this ash yamadori and what I saw in it 05:40 – Naturalistic design ideas of the crown 08:10 - Refining the crown and branch structure on an ash bonsai 09:10 - Partial defoliation when and why 13:50 – Field elm bonsai – first styling overview 16:10 – Heavy pruning and creating future branch structure 18:50 – Naturalistic design ideas and accepting “imperfections.” 21:30 – More ash refinement work, wiring, and small corrections If you’re new to my channel: I work mostly with native European deciduous yamadori and naturalistic design, not textbook perfection. I try to show real-life decisions, including mistakes and compromises. If you find this helpful, consider subscribing so you don’t miss future updates on these trees. For more bonsai tips, visit my yamadori bonsai playlists ➡️    • Learn Bonsai Techniques: Step-by-Step Styl...   ➡️   • Yamadori Bonsai Hunting: Collected Wild Tr...   See history and more content on my blog here: https://belanmaros.blogspot.com 🔧 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL and TOOLS & RESOURCES I USE Affiliate disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. — QUALITY POTS I've joined my first affiliate partnership with MyPotscape — a shop specialising in high-quality Chinese bonsai pots. Worldwide free shipping. The funds go directly back into running this channel and improving the filming setup. So, if you're looking for a pot, this is a good place to start. → https://mypotscape.com/r?id=kqjgq1 #marosbonsai #bonsaitree #yamadoribonsai #bonsaiprojects #bonsai #bonsaihunter #bonsaiyamadori #yamadori #bonsaicare