important elements

bonsaimeister

Of the following elements on a piece of raw stock, which would you consider the most important? (Please note: these are deciduous, non-conifers)



· General character

· Root base

· Core branch structure

· Having no scars

· trunk taper

· Other (please elaborate)

__________________
"On its root I firmly commit
In its trunk I keep my soul
Through its leaves, I reflect my vision..."

- Robert Steven

Advertisement

BONSAI_OUTLAW

I voted for root base as will most other people.

exarchitect

The following 3 are non-negotiable for me:
- Trunk (taper, movement)
- No scars (graft scars)
- core branch structure

If I find material with a nice root base, I am willing to pay more, or if not, sometimes I'll buy it if it's worth the price. The reason this is negotiable for me is that I've only been at this a few years (8 or 9?) and I can't always wait for perfect material - I want to get my hands dirty and practice. As I get more experienced I am getting more and more selective about the root base.

My o.o2 cents.

Bill

pootsie

Mmmmm ... nebari!

pootsie

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

untothee

Sure Root base is important. As well as branching and taper (well all are I suppose)but I'm with general character. I believe it's the most important.
My feelings please don't attack....

untothee

Wow. Should learn to read...better, or pay attention. RAW stock sure-Root base. Commonfrigginsense concerning RAW stock.

philtaylor

Trunk taper and root base are equal to me. Both very important.

__________________
Bonsai and videogames, yin and yang.

bonsaikc

I chose general character. My second choice might be trunk taper or core branches, but nebari is easily corrected with deciduous material. Any amount of root grafting may be done, or even air layering with most species. The nebari should improve every time we repot.

As to lack of scars, Dan Robinson might take issue with this one.

__________________
Chris Johnston
"She was a critic, and lots fo critics who aren't called to do what they write about grow jealous and mean and small in their disappointment." - Stephen King, Duma Key
Sashi-no-eda.blogspot.com

TreeBay

I usually look for stock that's healthy and has some "general character" type redeeming qualities. With deciduous trees, especially, the root system can be reborn through layering, but if I'm not excited about the general character (trunk line, taper, movement, I probably wouldn't get too excited.

__________________

Want to be a seller on bonsaiAUCTIONS? Get authorized today!

bonsaiTALK: Over 100,005.36 Megabytes Served this Month!