i will agree that i have no idea what to look for when buyin bonsai stock. but again i have a bonsai nursery fairly close that are always super helpful and will take time out and explain things like y they would pic this one or that one and just being very informative. the trees are slightly higher price than say a nursery but from the trees they have around the shop they def know what there doin. like all the trees are potted in good soil watered approprietly and also some are wired and worked on by someone who knows what there doin. not just someone using regular pruners to hack some stuff up. like i go in there about once a month to just check stuff out and just talk to the lady and gentlemen that work there. there very awesome people and it has helped so much i cant even explain. like i went in there to get some soil and other stuff cuz i was gonna attempt to repot a chinese elm i had. so i asked a few question and whatnot and there like just come in the back and ill show u how to do it. they pulled one of the slms from the shelf took me in back and showed me how to properly root prune and wire the rootball etc. instead of trying to explain it.

Good points, and good for you, I'm glad you have this resource available to you. You are however the exception and not the rule, most people do not have this kind of source for material, or the kind of skilled people willing to guide them through the process.

Not necessarily. Do a lot of reading, maybe have someone show you how it's done, get permission(!!!) and collect the right tree (as in easily collectible, say on a rock) and it shouldn't be ridiculous.

Think about it, you are going to suggest to someone just starting out who knows only what they have read in a book to go out and collect a tree? Yes you can make exceptions but for most of these individuals this is a formula for instant failure unless they have someone to guide them through the process. The methods, conditions and material available as described in most books are for the most part Alice In Wonderland compared to the realities of a real dig with real trees.

For the sake of argument let's assume they do successfully collect a tree; what now? Are they expected to sit on their collective duffs for the next three years while they wait for the tree to recover and gain enough strength to begin work on it? I don't know how many trees you have collected but in my experience with them I have found that even when you think the tree is ready to be worked it can be killed by too much too soon.

Doing bonsai from collected trees is an art in and of itself with an entire specific set of skills many intermediate growers stumble over. In short, using collected trees is a lot more than digging something out of the ground unless you are only dealing with young seedlings. In that case why go to this kind of trouble considering the consequent waiting period?

The idea of collecting trees is to obtain material worth the effort to do so. This usually means one goes after older more stunted trees and not just some Maple seedling that has sprung up in the back yard. There is a lot to this discipline that goes way beyond the novice trying to learn bonsai from a book. Yes you can make the argument of a tree growing on a rock or pocket of scree but these are exceptional events that one has to know about and have access to an area where they occur. Most collecting opportunities, especially for the novice, will only happen within walking distance from their home. Most novices will not drive any distance from home to collect a tree.

Any one suggesting that collecting trees is easy may not know what they are talking about. Collecting trees depends on two things, knowledge of what to do and a location to do it in. In the case of the novice I seriously doubt the majority of them will have either the knowledge or the location.

I would never suggest that a beginner should start out with a "real dig". I collected my first tree 6 months after my obsession started (a 50-60 year old Pine). Came right up from a rock with an intact rootball. All I'm saying is that with some common sense and a respect for nature, for some people collecting can be worthwhile a lot sooner than 5 years.

No, they get at least another 10 trees while the collected one regains its health.

Like I said, if the exceptional events aren't there, don't collect.

In general it isn't, so if in doubt don't.

I am waiting for "Bonsaial" to chime in here....

This is another subject where some have great passion. Like many such subjects, it is usually best to just let them say their piece, and keep doing what you do. Their is no right or wrong answer here, just opinions based on varied experiences.

John

thanks vance wood i am truly greatful to have someone within 15-20 miles that will take the time to help a newbie out in anyway they can. they have gone so far as to lend me there own personal books and even a few tools until i can get my own and for that i am truly greatful to have met such awesome people. also they have this trident maple that has been there ever since i started going there about 13months ago and it is so awesome for the price its in an formal upright style and maybe 25 in tall or so and the trunk is just awesome has tightly dense foliage pads. i think they want like $150 for it but in my opinion they could probably get more for it if they wanted to. anyway if its still there next time i go back its totally mine.

Go for it, $150 is a steal for a good tree like this. Be warned though, Tridents are difficult trees if you live in zone five or lower, they are tough to over winter and if you don't know what you are doing you could very well lose it.

Update; I just checked your profile; living in California you should have very little problem with it.

i have a couple other tridents that ive had since last summer and they all made it threw the winter with no protection and no problems. ya if i remember correctly it has a pretty big scar on the front but in time it will heal and if not maybe ill hollow out the trunk or something. that would also be the most expensive one to date if i get it i might be a little hesitant to do anything drastic on it tell im more confident in my ability. but from what ive put my other tridents threw im sure it would take alot to kill it.