bonsaial1

When I go on a buying trip, which can be anytime, even at work. I have just a few things in my head that I look out for. They are pretty simple.

1.Will it be Chokkan or anything else. I feel that there are only two styles, chokkan(formal upright) and everthing else. When picking out chokkan stock, the trunk has to be broomstick straight and have some taper. While everything else can be adapted from all the stock thats left.

2. Trunk to working tree ratio. You can buy a twenty foot tall tree. If the tree you want is in the bottom 2 feet, will there be branches there to prune back to, to add suitable taper? If you start with 2 foot material, does the trunk taper in that 2 feet, and does it look proportional to the height of the tree.

3. First, second, back branch. If the stock does not have at least these to work with I just pass it by. The branches must also have foliage near the trunk on the branches. It is easy to remove foliage, but takes too much valuable time to grow it.

4. Overall good feeling. Does the tree talk to me? If I question any of these things I just pass it by. It may sound crazy but you will know when you reach the point in bonsai when a plant will talk to you. It does not pay to waste a lot of time on stock that will never be anything. If the tree is for practise, go for it.

Thats it. Those are the only things I keep in mind when buying stock. These ideas have changed alot in the past 5 years. I expect them to change in the next 5.

Bonsaial