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Old 12-Apr-2007   #10
jeremy_norbury
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Join Date: Sep-2003
Location: Amstelveen
Country: Netherlands
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Quote:
Originally Posted by _MaX_
Okay, well thanks for your advices, Hec, Jeremy and Pat. So this tree is no good for a bonsai according to you... Weird they sell it as a mallsai! I can't say they know nothing about this.. they had a 20yrs old very nice "don't remember what specie", there... but well it doesn't mean much.

So, well... I'll think about it, but I might try to demonstrate it's not a so ugly tree!! lol
But I'll concentrate on my ton of seeds now... If I ever see a good baby tree somewhere to make a bonsai (tropicals for now), I'll grab it...

Have some experiences in mind too... If something is interesting I'll post the results.

Max

Max

Great reasoning - "they sell it as mallsai therefore it's a bonsai" :-) It's an unusual house plant - let's not confuse it with bonsai.

They sell it as mallsai because it's cheap to produce and rapidly produces a bulbous trunk and many leaves. Don't be fooled into believing that mallsai are bonsai - they rarely are.

Unless you are forced to grow indoors I suggest you start with the "normal" bonsai subjects: larch, elm, hornbeam, maples, beech, pine, cotoneasters etc etc etc - all readily available and hardy. Go walk round the neighbourhood and see what people are growing in their gardens - because that's the material you should be using. You'll be able to find these trees and shrubs in local garden centers and should be able to find seedlings and small trees growing wild in local forests. The advantage is cost, availability, and primarily their suitability for bonsai. Canada is covered in suitable trees - you are lucky...

It's UGLY, by the way, because of its bulbous trunk which reverse-tapers i.e. it gets fatter going UP the tree and not fatter toward the roots. The branches are too twiggy for the trunk and the leaves are too big. These features are not something you can "correct" over time or "grow out" or change significantly - so they will always be wrong no matter what else you do. Take a look at the gallery of Thomas J - if you want to see real bonsai; http://pictures.bonsaitalk.com/show...ser=504&cat=500

If you are going to spend time at least spend it productively on a suitable subject...

Jerry
Amsterdam
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