Bonsai

Cary Grant · Jul 29, 2010

Thanks for starting this thread, Lefty. It's on my "someday dream house" list to have a space to showcase and nurture a bonsai tree. Love this.

lefty · Jul 29, 2010

Originally Posted by Journeyman

+1.

I had two Japanese juniper bonsai trees, in separate pots, that I left in the care of my neighbour while we went to visit the in-laws in Japan for a month.

When we came back, they were virtually dead and although I tried to nurse them back to health, they never recovered.

It's a hobby that can be incredibly rewarding over time, but it requires a lot of patience and a lot of practice to get it right. If you are the sort of person who wants to get the ideal result quickly, bonsai is clearly not the hobby for you...

Two years ago, I harvested a tree from the wild, cut it down to a stump and plopped it in my garden. This spring I dug it up, chopped the roots and put it into a training pot. Last week I chopped the truck again and left on two branches. I expect it to look like a tree in three years.

Sorry you lost your trees.

Originally Posted by CDFS

Wouldn't

be more reliable than any neighbor/relative?

You need to judge watering amounts each day on each tree, but that could work temporarily.

Originally Posted by A Harris

Moar pics please. This thread is awesome.

Enjoy.

lefty

HORNS · Jul 29, 2010

Originally Posted by lefty

This one is stunning. The one in the background, to the right, is as well.

lefty · Jul 29, 2010

Originally Posted by HORNS

This one is stunning. The one in the background, to the right, is as well.

There is something beautiful about a dormant bonsai tree.

And the shari on this juniper is gorgeous.

lefty

pscolari · Jul 29, 2010

Here's a great website for a nursery not far from me here in Boston. They have tons of examples of Bonsai for sale and some great info. If you are not too familiar with them, you can quickly appreciate the effort it takes to maintain and create them just like the pictures posted in the thread. Also for the upper end examples it is apparent provenance can often dictate pricing when you get into the 1000s. Much like art.

http://www.bonsaiwest.com/gallery/index_browse.html

lefty · Jul 29, 2010

Nice site.

This transition shows the skill and foresight involved:

1992

2009:

lefty

BeeZee · Jul 29, 2010

Wow, i'm inspired to attempt growing one

edinatlanta · Jul 30, 2010

The monastery just outside Atlanta has a monk who sells bonsai. I am planning on driving out there to pick up a tree.

BeeZee · Aug 2, 2010

What were your guy's first bonsai's? I've been looking at ficus's, junipers, money tree, Chinese elms, and colored maples. I like to raise one indoors inside my bedroom and one outdoors. I'm not too sure on what to get for indoors, but I do like to try out a Japanese Bloodgood Maple for outdoor. I live in San Diego, Ca btw..

edinatlanta · Aug 2, 2010

Originally Posted by BeeZee

What were your guy's first bonsai's? I've been looking at ficus's, junipers, money tree, Chinese elms, and colored maples. I like to raise one indoors inside my bedroom and one outdoors. I'm not too sure on what to get for indoors, but I do like to try out a Japanese Bloodgood Maple for outdoor. I live in San Diego, Ca btw..

Got a mini tropical jade. It is very hardy and you can train it to do just about anything. Grows indoors too.

lefty · Aug 2, 2010

Chinese Elm, which is easy enough to grow. I'd pick something tropical for inside like ficus, but tropical trees are difficult to grow.

A Bonsai nursery would have starter trees, but you could also go to regular nursery, look at the 1 or 5 gallon junipers and find a truck line you like. Bring it home and cut the roots, foliage and branches until you have a tree, then repot into a cheap plastic pot.

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HORNS · Aug 2, 2010

Originally Posted by lefty

And the shari on this juniper is gorgeous.

lefty

What's a "shari"?

lefty · Aug 2, 2010

Deadwood. Meant to replicate age and weather's effect on trees in nature. That tree looks like it could have been collected yesterday. http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATC...0Deadwood.html Bonsai4me is a very good site. lefty

HORNS · Aug 2, 2010

I see. That tree does look amazing - like it's a three thousand year-old bristlecone pine. How many years do you think it takes to achieve such a look? 20 plus years?

edinatlanta · Aug 2, 2010

Originally Posted by HORNS

I see. That tree does look amazing - like it's a three thousand year-old bristlecone pine. How many years do you think it takes to achieve such a look? 20 plus years?

Saw some bonsai this weekend that were about 80 years old that looked like that. Also some much smaller ones that were only about three years old (or had three years of work, can't remember).

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