While waiting for trees to grow...

Carl_Bergstrom

I originally posted this as a response to BonsaiAl's "Critical Eye" thread, but I think it actually is a separate topic, so I gave its own thread.

So you're taking up bonsai. And you're just getting into it, and you're really excited, and you want to post here, and learn, and impress us, and then you remember with a sigh that BonsaiAl doesn't like posts with pictures of twigs stuck into pots .

What can you do instead, other than shelling out two hundred bucks for a finished tree, collecting something before learning to do it right only to have it die on you, or waiting five years to have larger-sized material?

A few sugesstions, all of which help me be patient while I wait for my trees to grow.

• Grow some accent plantings. There have been a number of threads about accent plants here at this forum, and you'll learn a lot about growing technique and about aesthetics by practicing with accent plants. You'll also have some great plantings to accompany your trees, once they develop. And finally, you'll have stuff that you can post on here and impress us in a short time. Most of the accent plants I've posted to this forum are less than a year old; some were only a few weeks old when the picture was taken.
• Here I'll diverge from Al slightly and say go ahead, try making a few slender shohin - but try to make them look like trees, not like copies of larger bonsai you've seen elsewhere. I've posted a couple of such trees that I've done here, and you make decent plantings quite cheaply (see my instant gratification thread) and very quickly. Not masterpieces, but fun to play with. Once again, you learn a lot, and will have some trees to display and enjoy while you wait for your larger trees to develop.
• Read obsessively. There's a tremendous amount to be learned about bonsai. Lots of information is available on the web, and vastly more is available in books and especially magazines. Read, read, and read more. Oh, and of course look a lots and lots of pictures. There are few better ways to develop your eye than by doing so.
• Post your pictures of twigs in pots to the IBC gallery. Be sure to add a few Chinese figurines before taking your picture - they dig those over there at IBC.
• Try your hand at forest plantings or landscape scenes (penjing). This takes lots of practice and talent, but doesn't require as old of material. A very attractive forest planting can be made in just a year or two using material only a few years old. And it's just darn hard to do right, so start practicing now. By the time you get really good at it, your other trees will be plenty big, I can assure you of that.
• Learn how to make virtuals. Work on others' trees, your own trees, trees from magazines, full-sized trees that are growing in the wild, whatever. I cannot overstate the value of this approach in developing your aesthetic design sense and ultimately your own personal style. (I can't claim to have gotten far on the former or anywhere on the latter - but I can see that the virtuals will help me a great deal. I almost never make a virtual without learning something along the way.) If you're a good sketch artist, draw instead if you prefer, and take a look at Peter Adams' books for inspiration.
• Join a club. Clubs are not just amazing sources of knowledge - they can be amazing sources of material as well. Club members are always passing around or selling cheaply trees that they have outgrown, or visa versa. The material may be second hand, but it is not necessarily second rate. Often club members get rid of top-notch trees from their collections so that they can focus in and specialize on a particular species, for example. These can be terrific places to start.

All the best,
Old Mister Crow

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In love with trees

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Leesa

Trying to keep up with you here - I moved my comments relating to this thread from the "Critical Eye" thread:

Old Mister Crow - where were you when I needed you? Your suggestions are wonderful. It took a while for me to discover accent plants as a diversion - in fact I kind of got in to miniature orchids as a result. I liked your comments on instant gratification - it helps with the wait. And you do learn from the experience.

I have to learn how to do virtuals. I am sure there is something on this site on it.

Al's comments (and others) on bonsai pots that you have collected but may never actually even use- or actually made yourself - are inspiring. You can still buy or collect those wonderful pots NOW - but I am planning to wait a few years (maybe more) for those twigs to grow in to trees before potting them!

Great ideas! Thank you!

Leesa

Shambhala

Today I spend half an hour staring at trees in the grow box... I need to do something! Unfortunately I checked the major bookstores around my area and can't find anything by John Naka, anyone know other good reading material?

I think I am going to join a club soon, there is only so much you can learn from books and the net.

Bonsainut

Crow mag Man,
Nice article, very articulate. The IBC thing, funny.


May I add a couple.

- Grow plants from seeds cuttings and layers.

- find a person to study with. A local master and pick his brain for knowledge.

- build some decent bonsai benches

- Spruce up the bonsai display with bamboo,lanterns, and mood lights

- become a garden center junkie, know what everybody has and when it goes on sale

- start a collection of bonsai pots. You never know when you might need them

- have some local hobbyests over for a study and food and drink session.

- sell of the junk in your collection at club sales and strive for better and better quality on your benches

mintastic

If you have nothing to do with your bonsai try takeing up juggling it's a great thing to do to pass time... try a book called "juggling for the complete klutz" (thats how they spell cluts on the book)

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-william

zeb

Old Mister,

That's great! Finally we have a path to be followed to get into the wonderful world of bonsai. [Respect.]

As I studied your 'pathway' to the hobby I immediately noticed the steps that were almost identical to the ones I toke/am taking. Ofcourse there are differences, such as "Join a club" (there are no clubs here), but mainly it's just like my start.


Shambhala,

I like Herb Gustafson's books very much. Also, if you have british books there, I can recommend Peter Chan's Bonsai - The art of growing and keeping miniature trees.


Zeb

Bonsainut

Min,
I ,I ,I'm speachless...

ripsgreentree

I would say, figure out a way to start a growing bed or grow trees in five or fifteen gallon pots. This way you will see some actual growth in your trees. A tree in a fifteen gallon pot will do in two years what will take six years in a one gallon pot.
Caution... cut often to keep this material in check. The biggest problem with bedded trees or trees in fifteen gallon pots is overgrowth: you can lose a tree like this in just one growing season.

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ripsgreentree

It requires an open hand to give and to recieve.

mintastic

what are you so speachless about? I like juggling

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-william