Boxwood Bonsai - Is This A Good Choice?

JasonG

Hello all,

I'm a pretty new bonsai enthusiast, I have a few elms and a Fukien tea ... along with some other material. I have read through Naka's Bonsai Techniques I ... I'm getting more and more addicted!

All of my trees come from a gentleman I designed a website for, that was our barter agreement . . . a website, for bonsai

In any case, I want something nice and large, so he offered this boxwood up:



I have really no idea if this is a good tree or not, he hasn't sent it yet. Should I take it? Or ask for another?

Jason

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stephentoddpope

well, i have to say kingsville boxwood are my favorate tree, cause of there little maintnence, they arent to thirsty, they grow slow, and they develope bark at a very young age, also there folage is very small, but the tree you poasted doesnt look like a kingsville boxwood, so i dont know, but the trunk on that boxwood looks like a nice start

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bonsaial1

This shrub has some very good things going for it;

1. Nice and healthy, the foliage looks good and it looks like it has become established in the growing container.
2. The trunk has some good caliper to it.
3. the trunk has some great interesting movement down low. One bad characteristic of boxwood, is the trunk gets shaded out too soon and loses some of the great growing character that the branches may develop.

The bad points;

1.The foliage is way out at the tips and will have to be chased back in. Not a problem with boxwood since they push from old wood, but just the time factor.
2. Pruning too much will possibly cause the loss of more then a few branches, OK, since 'box'wood is very dense and hard and holds up well to jinning.
3. Slow to develop good looking foliage pads.
4. needs constant pinching or looks rank in just a few short weeks.

Boxwood make nice bonsai, and I have seen some exceptional specimens. If you have a choice, find out what else there is and then make a decision.

This is a small boxwood that I pruned out a few nights ago while enjoying a beer in the backyard. It's a morris midgit, only 5" tall.

Attached Images

box610.jpg (43.0 KB, 297 views)

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JasonG

Thanks!

Anyone want to attempt a virtual?

stephentoddpope

cant say i can attempt a virtual, but when i get my pictures of hte spring show back, ill poast a pic of a friend of mines kingsville boxwood, it is an amazing specimin and probly worth about $2,500 if he would sell it

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BonsaiMon

Jason..
Barter works..
looks like it has some potential ... how long has it been in this container? Age ? It needs alot of work. Very leggy ..
May take a few years to bring the canopy down to be proportionate with the trunk. Might be good to get a shot of the rootage .. Boxwods generally have good flare with rootage.
'ere's a pic
hope this helps...

peace,
tom stoute

Attached Images

2002_1007_121337aa.jpg (44.6 KB, 271 views)

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JasonG

Thank you for the help!

I was told this tree is 30 years old, not sure how long it has been growing in the current plastic container.

The trunk, I'm told, is five inches across and the tree 26 inches tall. Sounds like a pretty big tree.

The barter cost would be $150 plus shipping, how does that compare to other bonsai dealers?

I'm excited to get a nice big tree ... but would need a lot of assistance in getting this tree to look good. So I'd be posting on here a lot

Jason

Jay

Jason, be careful. This tree needs a lot of time and work. Boxwoods are slow growers, if you are interested in a tree that will look real good in a couple of years, this may not be the one. Re-read Al's post, I would trust his info!!

The $150 price sounds more in line with the tree. I too am a novice, been doing trees for about 4 years, I would not want this tree. Boxwoods take a l o n g time to develop, if this is not a problem for you, it may be a thought. The trunk size and the nebari (as you stated, I can not see it well) are good points.

Remember, many times we do trade offs. Few of us can afford to purchase trees that have been in training for years. Plus, I personally, do not want someone elses near finished tree to call mine. I do have several trees that have been started by others, but I want to develop my trees my way. This tree will be yours, it needs lots of development and will look nothing like what is in front of us in the picture.

do the deal? Don't do the deal? those are the questions!

Jay

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Walter_Pall

Jason,


the virtual is not just wishful thinking. It is possible to do something like this with this boxwood within five years. Just cut back ruthlessly.
The deal for 150 sounds resonable to me.
There is not a Kingsville boxwood in the world that costs 2,500. Or rather that someone would pay that much for.

best regards
Walter Pall

Attached Images

boxwood2.jpg (36.8 KB, 248 views)