If you were going to pay $400 for one of these trees, which would you pick?

[electraus]

I’ve gotten comfortable with selecting nursery material and want to try my hand at selecting more developed, pre-bonsai type material. The trees in both of these pictures will be around the same price (~$400 when accounting for shipping and taxes). I would like to know what you all would choose and why.

To me, the hinoki is definitely interesting, but there’s something not quite right. I’m not sure if it’s that the trunks are too straight or awkwardly spaced or if it’s the very bulbous lower trunk that makes it look less like a tree, but something feels off. The kishu looks nice but the trunk is a little small and it’s rather basic. I’d love to hear what other people think.

 

[Kanorin]

Hard to tell what size that kishu juniper is, but I think it has more potential.

 

[Ben in Kzoo]

If that helps, I wouldn’t buy any, but if I had to pick, I’d go juniper. Can’t see how that hinoki can turn out good for a long time

 

[BobbyLane]

Id invest elsewhere for that price. I like the hinoko but the base makes it not worth the price. I dont know junipers but looks like a chaotic whorl of branches.

 

[Noodles]

got any other angles of the juniper? looks like it might have some interesting movement in the trunk but it's leaning straight at the camera so it's hard to tell

 

[Japonicus]

I will cast a 3rd vote for spending better elsewhere a different time.

 

[nuttiest]

I would get the hinoki and cut left branch

 

[Ben in Kzoo]

I would get the hinoki and cut left branch

And for real what would you do?

 

[nuttiest]

And for real what would you do?

Jin it

 

[sorce]

Shipping is not a good idea, cuz it's a tree, but also because you can put that toward better material. Somewhere better. Hell I could spend half that at a regular nursery and have faster material. Both em.
California may suck, may, I said may, but it's certainly not void of "local" places.

It's always worth the drive.

Sorce

 

[Ben in Kzoo]

Let’s all agree to bend down the left and the right, and keep the central one to give the middle finger

 

[Japonicus]

I would not buy the hinoki...
...but if you're so inclined to, it should be done having experience with the species.
If you haven't kept hinoki before, then go back to the plant nursery or eBay and start a few
rather than trying with $400 on the line. This one needs a bit of thinning and cutting back
to preserve interior foliage. It needs wiring, which I find more difficult and less forgiving than juniper.
Juniper can go longer between reductions, and can back bud.
Doesn't mean they should go longer between between reductions, but they can.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Between those, Kishu all day. Good price if it’s from Chikugo-en.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Neither. Not a very constructive answer I know.
they just don’t speak to me as 400$ material. Pass.

 

[Hartinez]

I don’t like either for 400. I’m assuming these are from a local nursery so nothing would need to be shipped? If I had to choose though, The juniper would be more versatile and forgiving. A better long term project.

 

[bwaynef]

I don't like the hinoki. (Silhouette could be ok, but that base...) The juniper is much better. I think it'd take a good bit of time to turn it into something, but it'll be worth it.

 

[Lorax7]

I wouldn’t buy either for that price. Save your money and shop at a show within driving distance, when a bonsai professional is going to be coming to your local club to do a workshop, or a local club auction. You’ll get more tree for the money that way.

 

[namnhi]

I don't like Junipers but between the two... I will go with Juni.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The juniper is older than it looks... though a little overgrown and leggy. I would chose it.

The hinoki has a bad base for a multi-trunk. The trunks should split at the soil level - not a quarter of the way up the trunk. It also has some other flaws that would difficult to fix.

 

[Srt8madness]

I wouldn’t buy either for that price. Save your money and shop at a show within driving distance, when a bonsai professional is going to be coming to your local club to do a workshop, or a local club auction. You’ll get more tree for the money that way.

I see a lot of comments like this. Perhaps that's good in some areas, but there aren't a glut of local bonsai sales where people are giving away great material for less than retail prices. I can't even think of one I've been able to attend in the past year. You'll grow old reading Bnut instead of working on trees if you ascribe to that method alone.