16 Hours of Bonsai Madness! Moving, Weeding & Watering with BonsaiwithRomano

In this video, join me on a full day in the life as a bonsai grower! Bright and early on Saturday morning at 7 AM, I took on the massive task of moving every one of my bonsai trees off a large black damp-core plastic sheet that I had laid over a patch of cleared soil. Why, you ask? This setup helps me keep the tree roots from growing down into the ground and ensures excess water doesn’t pool under my trees—just another part of bonsai maintenance!

With over 100 trees, the first step was moving each one, and let me tell you, I quickly realized how many I actually have. After clearing the plastic sheet, it was time to tidy up the surrounding grass. To help with this, I used a tool called a hoe, introduced to me by my Malawian coworkers. It’s a versatile tool, kind of like a cross between a pick and a spade, which made grass removal surprisingly easy! But, of course, this wasn't the end of the work.

Next, I remembered my other trees on the other side of the farm. These urban Yamadori, collected when we removed an old hedge, include 17 Eugenia trees and two mystery species. If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you might remember a post in July about these unique finds. Right next to them are my 10 blood maples, acquired on a recent trip through the Garden Route, currently growing in pots in the ground to encourage strong horizontal root growth.

Once the grass was cleared, I raked up all the loose bits, loaded them onto a wheelbarrow, and added it all to my compost pile. But as I went to put my bonsai back on the newly prepped ground, I realized that the pots needed a good cleaning, too. A task that started as a quick three-hour job turned into a full two-day operation! I decided to start with the largest trees, which are well over 80 cm tall and not easy to move solo.

After cleaning up each tree, I placed it carefully back on the plastic and added a couple of my handmade worm casting fertilizer balls. If you’re interested in how I make my worm castings and worm tea, be sure to check out my other videos on the channel! This all-natural fertilizer gives the trees an extra boost at the start of each growing season.

On day two, I started early again, grabbing the garden hose to water the trees before finishing up with the remaining few hundred. My daughter joined in to help, which was much appreciated, as we grouped species together to make maintenance easier in the long run. Ficus, junipers, and pines all found their rightful spots, and I finally got to step back and see my bonsai garden looking neater than ever!

Here’s a breakdown of the work:
16 hours spent de-weeding and moving trees
3 hours clearing the ground
1 hour 20 minutes watering over two days
A total of 3 wheelbarrows of grass removed and 2.5 buckets of weeds

What was your favorite part of this bonsai journey? Let me know in the comments, and as always—happy bonsai’ing!

Gear Used to Film This Video:
DJI Mics for crystal-clear audio 🎤
Canon R50 for high-quality visuals 📸
SmallRig Tripod for steady setup 🎬

#BonsaiLife #BonsaiCare #BonsaiWithRomano #GardenMaintenance #BonsaiJourney #UrbanYamadori #BonsaiCommunity