名媛直播

tomcardno1 wrote: off topic question, how long have you been doing this for Auk?

Good question. I got interested decades ago, when I saw a bonsai for the first time (a real one). I never had a place to grow bonsai, so I only started when I was living on my own, in an apartment, 2nd floor with a small balcony. That's more than 20 years ago. I planted some seeds (I actually still have a couple of the trees that grew from them), bought books and started following a beginner's training. The balcony didn't really work out, not enough light and too small and I lost quite a few trees. Then I met my wife, got a kid, and moved to a house with a real garden and expanded my collection. This was in 2002:



We got another kid and built an extension to our house. All the inner work I did myself (floors, electricity, walls, decorating etc..) and that took me over a year. My garden was ruined by the builders, and I 'forgot' my trees. None survived (Except the seedlings I mentioned earlier). Also a large juniper survived. One day I'll post the history of that juniper - but let me say that after its initial pruning you'd probably would have felt sorry for it. After initial wiring I've let it grow since, for a couple of years, until I found that I could use the new growth to fill the empty spaces that I created after the initial butcheri... ermm... pruning.

After another few years of growth I decided to take it to the bonsai club to ask for advice. I did not consider myself a bonsai artist, nor did I consider the tree very interesting. It was in a very large garden pot (one you don't move easily), so I took it out and put the roots in a garbage bag.

We had a bonsai master visiting the club. He asked me if he could see my tree and I allowed that, of course, feeling a bit ashamed though.



What he said about my tree completely surprised me. I expected a 'nice try, but maybe you should find a new hobby', but in stead he told me how good the tree was. I was speechless... totally did not expect that.
That was 4 years ago now, and it did rekindle my enthusiasm for growing bonsai.

This year I took it to the club again for a demo for two judges.



I was quite pleased with their comments - including the flaws they mentioned and that I am aware of - as usual, I 'm going to need lots of growth to correct these flaws.

where did you learn everything you know?

In the beginning mostly books. I have quite a few.
I've done a beginners training (long time ago, when I started) and an advanced training 2 years ago.
Internet. 名媛直播 websites, movies on youtube. And forums, of course.

Now... the sad part. The juniper isn't doing well. The tips of almost all branches are dying. Only the tips that grew from new buds this year, the rest of the foliage seems intact. A few branches have little foliage left. It's not caused by insects and I'm not sure what exactly the cause can be. We have had an unexpected hot period and the sensei suggested the tree's roots got overheated. I think the the soil mixture is part of the problem, it doesn't drain well enough anymore. I have potted it over in a larger pot (without touching the roots), filled with mostly grit, for better drainage. There's nothing else I can do, but wait until next sprint and hope it recovers. If it doesn't, that will be a huge loss for me.

Wow... didnt expect that sort of write up.

thanks heaps for that, pretty inspiring stuff.

Im in NZ and it feels like it such a new thing here notch going on and very little people are into it. so this is good for me to ask questions on a forum like this.

I would really like to grow my collection and have some good trees to pass on and hopefully some pretty cool ones before that is needed haha.

have you any recommendations for trees that i could get started on? while I'm young haha.

Again, thanks Auk.

tomcardno1 wrote: Wow... didnt expect that sort of write up.

I got carried away
All I wanted to point out that it takes time. FYI, and I'm going to have to do a bit of guessing:
When I got the tree, it was probably some 25 years old. I've had it for about 15 years, so it is now 40 years old. That's a conservative guess.

I would really like to grow my collection and have some good trees to pass on and hopefully some pretty cool ones before that is needed haha.

You wrote you wanted to grow an epic tree. Now, I'm not sure what you consider an epic tree, but what I consider epic (and LB probably too) are the big ones with massive trunks, beautiful roots, well developed branches, ramification etc... Something like this:



Trying to grow something as epic as this one from your little juniper... not in this life time.
But as I wrote before, you could go for a (much) smaller size bonsai. Advantage is that it takes far less time and the results can be beautiful. Not as easy to create as you might expect though. Your juniper (the 2nd one) could be developed into something this size in a couple of years. Cascade could work, or you could make it smaller by removing the top and grow a new one out of the upper branch.

Example of a mame size bonsai (juniper, but other type):



Just an example... I'd go for something bigger Look up "Shohin size bonsai" in Google images.

have you any recommendations for trees that i could get started on? while I'm young haha.

Juniper
Larch
Deciduous trees - preferably something native, or something that you know does well in your climate.
Of course there's much more. Have a look under the species guidelines. Personally, I'd never choose for an indoor type - too hard for me (Except my jade tree, but I hardly consider that a bonsai).

Oh my! those mame are so cute/beautiful! teach me how to mame!? haha would be cool to have a little collection of those! what're the best trees for that?

tomcardno1 wrote: Oh my! those mame are so cute/beautiful! teach me how to mame!? haha would be cool to have a little collection of those! what're the best trees for that?

I think I've given you enough information to start doing your own Googling, don't you agree?

As I wrote:

I'd go for something bigger Look up "Shohin size bonsai" in Google images.

haha ok ok thanks auk