Beginners, Enthusiam, and the Study of Species

Joanie

Zube, you are right in the regard that your soil mix makes so much difference! My problem is that where I live the soil needs more organics to keep it moist at certain, very specific times of the year... and other times, the endless days of cloudcover and mist would render that mix too retentive. It's something that I am still learning about, and is going to take some more fine tuning! The fertilizer need is harder, and at least four types of fertilizer seem to be needed.

When the trees get a little closer to their final shapes, and the fine tuning of the trees form begins, the schedules of when to pinch, prune, repot, etc. will get very confusing. So I plan to give away or sell many of the species which are not as promising, and concentrate on really understanding the ones that are.

Joanie

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zube

Well, like everything else, you will learn more as you go, and the confusion will lessen. And, contrary to the advice I was given, if they interest you, get some pines! (you might skip the JWP's, given your location)
Take care,
zube

P.S., I have about 50% hemlock bark in my azaleas. All of the fines have been screened out. It retains water well due to the bark, but will not plug up, due to the coarser particle size.

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andrew lenden

andrew lenden

Joannie and all, thought you may like this. http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATHowmanytrees.htm

kreashun

As a beginner, I have to respectfully agree with Joanie. It is paramount that a firm base be set before attempting to build upon that base. I do not doubt that it is possible for a beginner to care for and grow several species of trees, but at what expense? Are those trees truly heathly and thriving?

Anyone can look down from among high and say, "I wish I could have had more species when I started out," but it is the lessons that you have learned along the way that allow you to make such statements. When starting out, it can be a daunting task just learning the growing habits, how much to water, how much light is needed, or what type of fertilizer to use for each individual species. Most people can handle the frustration of making mistakes along the way, but it is the severity and the frequency of those mistakes that can potentially turn someone away from the art form.

I believe Joanie's original post was not meant to discourage beginners from attempting species that are typically considered for more experienced growers, but more to simply limit the number of species attempted by beginners and in turn limit the number of potential mistakes and frustrations. By having a few different species of trees and 4-5 five of each species in various stages of development, someone just starting out will have plenty to do and learn. This way experimenting will lead to limited errors along the way.

"He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying." - Friedrich Nietzsche

RonMartin(deceased)

Repotter

I couldn't agree more Ron, I made mistakes my first couple years in bonsai like many others have.
I think if beginners were to stick with trees that are native to where they live, they would have better success. That would give them a good start on what to look for about caring for trees as bonsai.

Hector

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stephenr

Jonnie's advise is very sound in my situation. I am a beginner and have entered the world of bonsai just prior to my retirement years (another old fart) and don't have the luxury of time on my side. I am limiting my species to 5 - 10 (including a couple of JBPs mainly due to the cost of advance stock here in Oz). As far as the trees needs are concerned, I group them together in the yard according to their watering, sun light and fertilising needs. This way I can better manage the trees and hopefully aviod killing them. Or so my therory goes. I purchase a minimum of 3 of each species - 2 potensai and 1 is used to learn/practice root prunning, ramifcation, grafting etc.

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TreeBay

I don't think there is any evidence that "native species" are by virtue of their nativity any better (or any worse) adapted to container culture in the grower's environment.

For instance, I live in an environment with lots of native oaks, pines, birch, redwood, and American Elm. None of these would be a particularly good choice for cultivation by a beginner, all for different reasons.

• Oaks and pines are notoriously picky about the level of moisture and adequacy of drainage.
• Redwood is a difficult species to manage foliage-wise, and you won't get a reasonable bonsai on a sapling. You'll need a decades-old trunk to support it.
• I have a few American Elms growing nearby, but they themselves are threatened by disease. Every now and then the USDA folks drop off some pamphlets about Dutch Elm disease so I can recognize the symptoms and bring in the fungicide, tear gas or chainsaws. Ulmus parvifolia is resistant to Dutch elm disease.
• Birch branches die off spontaneously in an infuriating way.

Someone else might live in an area where their native trees made excellent bonsai - however, there is no magic bullet. In some areas the imports are so successful that they threaten native shrubs (as say Tamarisk, Bamboo, etc)

Regards,

Matt

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