bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Selecting material for bonsai

Leesa - great question.

I could probably write volumes on this, but let me start with a few remarks.

Know your material. You've got to know a bit about the species before picking your material. Branch structure is irrelevent on a dawn redwood because they bud from the trunk like crazy, but it's crucial on a black pine because they're the exact opposite. Know enough about the species you are buying to be able to know what to look for.
Will it bud back? Can one layer it easily? How fast will it grow? Is it a good species for bonsai in the first place? And so forth. How do you know these things? Read. Ask here. Talk to people at a club meeting. Learn the hard way by trial and error if you have to.
Don't fall into the beginner's trap of buying trees because they've "got wierd roots" or because they "look funky and all twisted-like." Messed up material doesn't make for old and rugged bonsai, it makes for poor bonsai, plain and simple.
It's been said before, repeatedly, but look at the root base. You want a good spread of roots coming from the same level all around the tree.
Look at the condition of the tree. No point in buying material that is already weak, especially if you're going to start training right away.
Try buying more than one of a given species. I try to always get at least two. They don't both have the be large expensive stock. Just two of the same species and cultivar, of any size. That way I can better separate out species characteristics and repeatable responses from the fluke occurances that happen as I work with the tree.
Be very careful about buying grafted material. Graft scars don't necessarily go away, and they can get worse if the understock swells faster or slower than the graft.
Perhaps most importantly, have a plan in mind. In general, don't buy a tree unless you know how you want to style it. Sit there, figure out where the branches will go, what you'll do with trunk line, the whole deal.

I'm sure there are a lot of other things that I forgot to mention, but this will get us started.

-Old Mister

6-Aug-2002	#2
Carl_Bergstrom Old Mister Crow Join Date: May-2002 Location: Seattle, WA. Country: USA USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 2 Posts: 3,197	Leesa - great question. I could probably write volumes on this, but let me start with a few remarks. Know your material. You've got to know a bit about the species before picking your material. Branch structure is irrelevent on a dawn redwood because they bud from the trunk like crazy, but it's crucial on a black pine because they're the exact opposite. Know enough about the species you are buying to be able to know what to look for. Will it bud back? Can one layer it easily? How fast will it grow? Is it a good species for bonsai in the first place? And so forth. How do you know these things? Read. Ask here. Talk to people at a club meeting. Learn the hard way by trial and error if you have to. Don't fall into the beginner's trap of buying trees because they've "got wierd roots" or because they "look funky and all twisted-like." Messed up material doesn't make for old and rugged bonsai, it makes for poor bonsai, plain and simple. It's been said before, repeatedly, but look at the root base. You want a good spread of roots coming from the same level all around the tree. Look at the condition of the tree. No point in buying material that is already weak, especially if you're going to start training right away. Try buying more than one of a given species. I try to always get at least two. They don't both have the be large expensive stock. Just two of the same species and cultivar, of any size. That way I can better separate out species characteristics and repeatable responses from the fluke occurances that happen as I work with the tree. Be very careful about buying grafted material. Graft scars don't necessarily go away, and they can get worse if the understock swells faster or slower than the graft. Perhaps most importantly, have a plan in mind. In general, don't buy a tree unless you know how you want to style it. Sit there, figure out where the branches will go, what you'll do with trunk line, the whole deal. I'm sure there are a lot of other things that I forgot to mention, but this will get us started. -Old Mister __________________ In love with trees