Cull The Herd, For The Good Of All

shibu

12 months ago I took an extended holiday (6 weeks) overseas. That necessitated some hard thinking about what I do with my collection. It was always going to be a risk, if I left them in the care of an electronically controlled watering system, that they would all be firewood when I got back. The other side of the equation was the babysitting and maintenance costs of a whole lot of trees... the good, the bad and the ugly.

For that reason I simply got rid of those trees that I assessed were too poor to keep, or unlikely ever to be worthwhile trees (admit it, we've all had some of them... trees with "potential" (They're ugly, but alive) to be "good bonsai someday" (yeah, right!)).

I gave them away, I sold them, I threw them away, I even put some of them in damp, shaded spots in the yard and left them to fend for themselves. Some survived.

The ones I wanted to keep were given into the care of a professional bonsai nurseryman.

Best decision I ever made. What I have left are the trees that WERE worth keeping. The little time I can devote to care and maintenance is spent on trees that I actually enjoy working with, rather than despairing about.

I'm not suggesting everyone do it, but it's a very cathartic process, jettisoning the trash.

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TreeBay

Good suggestion and apropos of the "How many trees" thread posted recently.

Regards,

Matt

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shibu

Today I attended a workshop. Oh, how I wish I could get the bug out of my system!

I manfully avoided buying any more stock, but I now have another master-made pot... fortunately the wife approves.

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zen

Hey you guys I, unlike some, am not to proud to beg,...or well at least ask. I f you guys are culling the herd as it were, or thinning your collections and giving trees away or selling them for alot less than you know they are worth. Let me know, I have a small collection now of less than 20 but more than 10 trees,...not really bonsai mind you but they are in some stage of training, well most are. xD Hope I don't sound too needy. Thanks, Jeremy M.C.

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RonMartin(deceased)

Well I have a few I am going to get rid of. You want to come and get them, they are yours for free.

midwestbonsai

Well shibu is in Austrailia, so I wouldnt count on getting from him.
-Paul

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ChrisM

ron, you wiiling to ship? i would pay for shipping of course. can you list what is going?

chris

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Joanie

Shibu, you are right to cull the herd. I also suggested in another thread that people should consider culling the number of species they have, but that went over rather poorly. The point of both ideas... culling the trees until only the ones with most potential remain, and culling the species until you only have as many as you can truly understand the needs and requirements of... is to narrow your focus and maximize your working time.

Joanie

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rockm

"...you are right to cull the herd. I also suggested in another thread that people should consider culling the number of species they have..."

I think both these things grind away at big collections without the bonsaiist actively pursuing either. Too many trees that you can't adequately care for? You will have some dead ones sooner or later, either through outright neglect, or just diminishing attention because the tree doesn't "do it for you" anymore...