Starting Anew

FredL

This Spring will be my second since starting over in a new location with a climate quite different from what I was used to in the past and very different native trees to work with. Last year, I collected quite alot of material very quickly and started a number of trees from seed. This Spring, I'll be doing alot of work with seedlings and material collected in the Fall a year ago as well as collecting some more trees, but much more selectively than over the past 18 months. I'll be concentrating on collecting some decent Eastern Red Cedars, Short Leaf Pines, Chickasaw Plums and Winged Elms. Most of my trees will be in grow boxes or grow beds, but I think there are a few that may be ready for styling and potting in Bonsai pots.

I'm very excited about Spring coming!

I am curious about what others without mature collections are doing this Spring and even more curious how folks with mature collections would go about starting over if they were somehow placed in that position. Also, starting from scratch without access to mature bonsai, how long they think it would take them to get to a reasonable collection of presentable (not necessarily World Class) Bonsai. And what the critical strategies to minimize the time would be.

Thanks for any replies, Fred

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Carl_Bergstrom

Hi Fred,

I can sympathize with your starting-over efforts. I started doing bonsai in California, only to leave the majority of my trees behind in a move four years later (to Atlanta). After three years there, I moved again and again left most of my trees behind. Last winter I found myself in Seattle and faced with the prospect of starting over.

I don't know that I have any particularly brilliant words of wisdom to offer. What has worked best for me is to put a number of trees of various sizes into growing beds and let them go. Some will be ready to come out in one year; others will take a lot longer than that. In the meantime, I've been having a lot of fun with accent plants, as well as with improving my eye and my technique on various modest-quality material.

All the best,
Old Mister Crow

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In love with trees

splinter

OMC,
I've been reluctant to put my young trees in the ground, partly because of the type of soil here. Whenever I have planted a tree or shrub, I always use a good quantity of cotton boll compost, peat moss, and the soil from the hole that I have dug. They've always done well, and I've never lost any of them. However, I needed to transplant one a year after I had originally planted it, and it was very difficult to dig up and move, because the soil here is mostly clay. I'm afraid I will damage roots of the young trees. When you plant your trees in growing beds, what is the depth, and what type of soil mixture do you use?

Thanks,
Marsha

Carl_Bergstrom

Marsha,

I haven't planted in clay, so I can't say how that works - but I'd imagine that your concerns are well founded. I was lucky enough to find a house that already had a couple of raised growing beds in place. The soil there is basic topsoil. They're deeper than I'd like (almost 2 feet; they were intended for vegetables, not bonsai) but I make do and sometimes put a tile below the roots to encourage horizontal spread - I'll let you know how that works in a year or two.

I've also put a number of trees in growing boxes; there I use something closer to my bonsai soil mix: crushed lava and fir bark.
This seems to work wonderfully.

All the best,
Carl / OMC

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In love with trees

Robert

Advice for starting anew, and continuing the pursuit:

Within the realm of my experience, the best thing was to join a bonsai club. Fortunately I live in an area where there are several. Not only did I learn a lot about caring for bonsai, and the many techniques of developing, improving and appreciating bonsai, I gathered a lot of material through the raffles held at each meeting, bonsai fund raising auctions, etc. and by going on organized digs in the field. I don't think there is any better way to learn and do something than to do it with others doing the same thing.
I don't know where you are located, and if it's in an area not near any clubs, I really can't give you advice.......other than follow what you already know about field digging, subscribe to "Bonsai Today" and read other publications and books about bonsai. Say a prayer and do your best, and it can't be too bad.
Robert ......in Sta.Cruz

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Robert.........in Sta.Cruz

splinter

OMC,
Thanks for your input. Your idea of putting a tile below the soil is a great idea. I believe I'll make some raised beds that are about 1 1/2 feet high. I can use a good soil mix, and discourage deep growing tap roots by putting something in the bottom, such as tiles. I appreciate your help!

Marsha

FredL

Robert, and all,

I am a huge fan of Bonsai Clubs and sure wish I could join one here! There are none within more than 100 miles. I think Tulsa, OK is the closest. I've put my name on a list of clubs here in Bella Vista as a contact for Bonsai, but was only contacted once in the past year, and then by somebody who was calling for her son because she thought he had some bonsai to sell. I've been thinking of talking to the guy who runs a local nursery about starting a Bonsai Study Group, but am doing a "gut-check" first to make sure I've got the level of commitment, not to bonsai but to a study group, before I go starting something I can't finish.

Bonsai should be popular in this area. It has a large population of retired folks, a mild 4 season climate and a number of great species to use, large areas of woodland and old fields with fencerows that are easy to get permission to collect on.

In regard to growbeds, I've been a vegetable gardner for many years and so I have a large vegetable garden and can easily devote two or three vegetable beds to bonsai material. I like the idea of planting seedlings or larger trees over something to get shallow roots spreading out widely from the tree. I've decided to try some things that will decompose over the course of a year, like several thick layers of cardboard or even several layers of newspaper. Paper takes a surprizing amount of time to decompose and I've noticed in the past it will offer a surprizingly effective barrier to the roots of vegetables for a single season. This may not work at all, but I am going to give it a try. I have about 60 Sugarberry seedlings, started last year, that I can try several different experimental approaches with.

Anyway, thanks for the responses, Fred

erubeck

So far I have used grow boxes to develop roots and thicken trunks but I am thinking of trying an area in the vegetable garden by laying down some weed mat and then eclosing it with landscape timbers about two or three high. I would fill the area with the garden dirt mixed with hadite and pine bark which will produce a well draining mix. The weed mat should prevent the roots from going deep.

Has anyone tried this? Good idea? Bad idea? Comments?

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Regards,

Ed

Leesa

Fred - I saw your post earlier this morning and had it in my mind when I visited my bonsai bench later. The first thing that came to mind is how difficult it would be to "leave behind" some of my trees. When I first got interested in bonsai about 6 or 7 years ago I belonged to a club that included quite a few older folks. One lady was talking about how fortunate she was to be able to move some of her smaller trees with her when she moved to a "senior facility" of some sort. Right then and there - I made the decision that this was a a long term undertaking and my trees were going to move with me - if at all possible. Hence - my interest in shohin and mame - not only will I be able to continue to work them in my old age - but I expect that they will move with me through my life-time!

That said - I looked at my trees this morning from the view point of "if I had to start over - what would I do different?". I would buy 1 tree for $150 instead of 3 for $50 - spend the $$ on quality not quantity. This should be OK advise for you since you already have the experience and can not only select good material - but also keep it alive. You mention that you already have some collected material and seedlings but I think everyone needs one or two more finished trees - for inspiration and also education. I think some of my best trees came from Convention Workshops, Club sales and purchases from other Club members - so I do suggest (as did Robert) that you consider driving the distance to the nearest club at least for the annual convention or perhaps quarterly. If they have a good newsletter - the membership dues will be worth it for that alone. The knowledge gained from a local club is invaluable - they have already made the mistakes that you can learn from - what grows well, what soil mixes work, etc. etc.

I think the other thing I might do differently is to be more "selective" (our word of the month) from the get-go about new trees. If you read the Midori Newsletter - John Thompson advises that you keep 12 - 4 to refine, 6 to "take to the next step" and 2 to start ( I am recounting from memory - so it may not be his exact words) . That does not seem like many trees does it? The optimum number of trees has been discussed before and the number generally falls around 25 - that seems like a good number to me. If I had to start over - and therefore was not faced with giving up some of my cherished trees - I would harden my heart and keep it under 25. I include seedlings and collected material in that count by the way.

Good luck!

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Respectfully, Lee Sanner