rockm

"Also. RockM To call grafting foliage on a wild tree an insult seems a bit strict. If you see things that way is it any worse to collect an ancient and wild tree from what its called home for centuries or longer? To take the chance that it might die in the process?Is it an insult to Cut, wire, and bend it? We Practice bonsai here and so we are by all by nature willing to manipulate it to some degree."

Oh Bull. I make no bones about being able to collect trees. I'm making an opininated statement about how collected trees are handled. You asked if such things made better bonsai. I'm answering.

I just like to keep the genuine character (look the word up before anyone starts telling me that interspecies grafted trees are genuine examples of a given species) of a collected tree intact. I don't see old collected stock as simple building blocks for a "better" genetically engineered tree down the road. Completely removing their foliage and replacing it with completely different genetic material seems a bit over the top--to me.

Some folks don't care, or are looking to create a more perfect tree. Good for them. More power to them. May their grafts be unnoticable and the results stunning.

I think a collected tree loses a bit of its inherent character when you start futzing around with such an integral part of what it is. I like imperfections--up to a point. My limit on them is just different from others'.