Which of these make for bad bonsai?

RedPine

Will,
That is only true if you apply it to suitable material.I think the Sago palm and Ponytail make for bad bonsai.Alot consider the blue star juniper and black walnut as a bad choice for good bonsai.The trees bearing foliage that will never fit with the scale of the rest of the tree, thats what I am trying to avoid.I still have a good 60+ years left in bonsai but i don't need to waste it with poor choices in stock.

"The secret to good bonsai is learning how to find good material"-W.Pall

Advertisement

Will_Heath

orn,

for every species you list that you feel is poor bonsai material, i will most likely find you an example of a quality bonsai made with it.

Some stock is easier true, however keep in mind that it takes alot more talent to turn sub-standard stock into something nice. Granted, I would not recommend some material for beginners and some stock has greater challenges than others...

In my world, I would like to believe that the masters have the talent to take the least and make it the most. After all, I can accomplish it the other way around.



Will Heath

RedPine

Will,




Can you link me to an example of a "quality" blackwalnut bonsai?

Will_Heath

They call this Bonsai? (This is literally a quality black walnut "bonsai")

Here's a nice literai start

Do some research, but I'm not here to convince you of anything. You need to make your own choice. As I said I would not recommend some material to a beginner. Nothing is impossible, it all depends on talent and skill. Plants don't make bad bonsai...

(good thing i put that "most likely" disclaimer in there, huh?)

Will

FredL

Well, nice to find something I can agree with Will on; I would not recommend Black Walnut to a beginner, either. And anybody beyond beginning already knows Black Walnut is not suitable for Bonsai.

Fred

RedPine

HeHe

Regarding the walnut link question...I knew the answer before I asked(giggle).I actually enjoyed reading the Literia
thread tho.Your efforts where not wasted-Fun stuff!

I do however think that if you start out with crap you will end up with crap,and if you don't... then you didn't have crap to start with.

Will_Heath

Fred,

Experience is based on results achieved. Btw, how are those plums doing?

Any plant is suitable for bonsai, some for mame, some for 5 man or anywhere in between. Some are more suitable than others. Anyone with any experience knows this.

You ever see Nick Lenz's posion ivy? Now who would have thought that?

Will

Will_Heath

LOL, that was a tough one orn!

Hey, I have a whole growing bed full of crap, give it a few years.

Good Luck!

Will

pootsie

Orn:

regarding the web-searches, use words that are unique to knowledgable bonsai practice and it'll help avoid 1,000,000 bonsai-boy-red-envelope-1-800-flowers ads

like, search for "nebari and blue rug" ...

or just stick around here and collect links as they appear. BTO journal is GREAT though. Go read it all, now, while it's still free!!!

pootsie

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