Originally Posted by tachigi

We waggle our finger at the new and inexperienced and tell them their tree is a stick and has no interest your wasting your time or go plant in the ground for a couple of years then will talk. We then on the other hand talk out of the other side of our mouth and say don't try this, and don't try that, on that poor tree you'll kill it.

Originally Posted by tachigi

I fortunately didn't come to forums when I first started (if there was forums) I read books and articles. I talked to people who had been successful and those people that failed. Then I tried that technique and traveled down the path of my learning curve. If I was new to bonsai today and got the advise that is shoveled out I would throw up my hands in disgust or shoot someone the bird out of frustration and confusion. It is amazing to me that the new people press on. Which I think is a strong statement for the state of bonsai and the growing interest.

Originally Posted by tachigi

I see nothing wrong with a person trying things for the first time. With the caveat that they have done some homework on the technique they want to try.