beginner's bonsai

[Gail]

Quote: Originally Posted by keokoi Ulmus parvifolia or chinese elm is a very good tree for Bonsai. Yes they are hearty and and the leaves are pretty decent size for bonsai.. The Azaleas are a different type of bonsai artwork. You really dont touch them a whole lot but you sure do take care of them. We got rid of all of our azalea's (satsukui) so we can concetrate on Juni's and Pines.. (but don't tell Nancy that) Joe

Thanks Joe.

Have you ever seen this tree in bonsai?



THis is the Pacific Madrone, or Arbutus tree.my favorite tree. They are in my yard.and are almost impossible to grow in a pot...they have to be planted with the crown facing North.or something,.lol......but I wanted to give it a try as well.

Cedar and hemlock are also on my list of attempts.

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gail Thanks Joe. Have you ever seen this tree in bonsai? THis is the Pacific Madrone, or Arbutus tree.my favorite tree. They are in my yard.and are almost impossible to grow in a pot...they have to be planted with the crown facing North.or something,.lol......but I wanted to give it a try as well. Cedar and hemlock are also on my list of attempts.

Cedar and Hemlock are good specimans. I was gonna collect one on your Island last September I will leave it at that.

Madrones are tough to keep in a pot and do not handle the transplant that well. Also when getting and older one its hard to wire and bend. The younger branches are easier. The thing to do with these is just find them in natural form and prune to your eye.

Going for a run in my redwood forest be back in an hour..

Joe

[Gail]

Quote: Originally Posted by keokoi Cedar and Hemlock are good specimans. I was gonna collect one on your Island last September I will leave it at that. Madrones are tough to keep in a pot and do not handle the transplant that well. Also when getting and older one its hard to wire and bend. The younger branches are easier. The thing to do with these is just find them in natural form and prune to your eye. Going for a run in my redwood forest be back in an hour.. Joe

I know what you mean about their toughness.we happen to have about 10 cord of it for our woodstove THey did alot of clearing up the road from us, and no one wanted to bother with all the down Arbutus! It is such a hard wood, and the coals keep this house toasty warm.

We split it when its frozen.like butter.but once the sun hits it.like a pretzel!

[keokoi]

Gail, I would definately do the western cedar or Hemlock.. hemlock reminds me of Bald cypress because of the base. When I was up at sechelt peninsula I did some serious hiking in the backwoods. It was a maze of hemlock and cedars. As much as I wanted to I wanted to dig some out. But How the heck do I get em across the border

[xiaohuang7]

Keekoi, it was just my friend and I, usually we go 3 max. Once on a club dig, it was chaos, there were like 50 people (including some crazies that drove down from NorCal) and a caravan of 30 cars. Your pic of that juniper on the hill reminds me of... something that Harry Hirao once told me: if you can wiggle the tree, don't dig it, cause its main root system is not closeby. Also, very rougly speaking, a 3" trunk diameter = 400 to 450 years. A senior Kofukai member counted rings under a microscope.

Dwight, they do ship across state lines -- these junipers are like weeds to ranchers, they burn, bulldoze, and backhoe 'em to clear land. 2 years min to get anything like this established. There is a commercial guy, I think in Utah (?) -- he's also a forest ranger, really -- he sells freshly dug, and of course with no survival guarantee. I would not recommend him. A 50% survival rate is already considered as good as it gets. You could get one from Roy Nagatoshi, of Fuji Bonsai Nursery, located in Sylmar, California. A sprig will run you a couple hundred bucks ... but I would trade you one for a good Sakai kohak

Dubtaco/Chris, most folks in SoCal use 100% washed agricultural pumice, a small minority use the decomposed granite from around the dig site.

Nanci/Aquatori, my now friend Mapache, who helped me build my pond, is actually from a Home Depot parking lot -- I had him come tree digging once and it was like 'OMG, that guy is a backhoe.'

John

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by xiaohuang7 Keekoi, it was just my friend and I, usually we go 3 max. Once on a club dig, it was chaos, there were like 50 people (including some crazies that drove down from NorCal) and a caravan of 30 cars. Your pic of that juniper on the hill reminds me of... something that Harry Hirao once told me: if you can wiggle the tree, don't dig it, cause its main root system is not closeby. Also, very rougly speaking, a 3" trunk diameter = 400 to 450 years. A senior Kofukai member counted rings under a microscope. John

Yes this weekend is a hlf a dozen people for the dig. Harry I think Kaz and a few of my friends. When the big clubs come down there is a trick to digging.. LOL Yes, that middle pic of the tree was nice but it wiggle way too much so I knew he root system when deep in the mtn side.. Harry taught me a few trick to find trees as well.

Joe

[kingkong]

Here is one that I will use a back hoe to dig as soon as it warms up.

[keokoi]

Looks like beginner bonsai thread went to advanced bonsai


With all this digging yamadori and such... You can dig a tree out of the ground and more than likely you still have a tree in a pot. Yamadori collectors still have to keep the tree alive and then style the tree. This is where the fun part tests your patience..

Joe

[Gail]

Quote: Originally Posted by keokoi Gail, I would definately do the western cedar or Hemlock.. hemlock reminds me of Bald cypress because of the base. When I was up at sechelt peninsula I did some serious hiking in the backwoods. It was a maze of hemlock and cedars. As much as I wanted to I wanted to dig some out. But How the heck do I get em across the border

What size are you looking for Joe

[Dwight]

OK since this thread has been hijacked big time I gots a question. I know there are some yamadori sellers on the web and I know a couple in NM and they usually send their trees balled in burlap rather than potted. Would it be best to put the whole ball with the burlap loosened in a planter box or in a pot. I've put them in planter boxes for a couple of years with regular bonsai mix filling in around the burlap and had pretty good success.

BTW , to whoever started this thread......it's better than most of the bonsai forumns ! Those guys are soooooo serious.