Advice For Beginners

just.wing.it

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I think I read that in a fortune cookie once :p:D
I still like my pieces of crap....they'll be nice someday...
I do agree with you though...

I think it's good to have trees in different stages of development...some growing out for a trunk, some building primary branches, some building nebari, some building ramification....and so on...

Also when you have a decent variety of trees, you will end up finding which trees you like the most....

For me, when I began bonsai, I was only interested in azaleas...
But now, while I still love azaleas and have much to learn about them, I really love Taxus! Just the way it went for me....o_O:cool::D
 

Anthony

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But if you are a beginner , two situations -

[1] Enough experience to know it is crap ?

[2] Young enough, have the time to repair the crap [ ground grow a new shape ]

Then -

[3] Health, and no defoliation, until after Health.

[4] Leave the Bonsai Master bit as driftwood goes alone ---------- wood needs 35 to 50 years to mature to durable before driftwood.
Some never become durable.

[5] If you want to driftwood, remember any cavity in contact with soil will continue to rot.
 

sorce

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You can also lose more working on a good tree than with crap!

It took Bjorn 6? Years to be allowed to touch that 200k tree.
And that's in Japan with excellent tutelage.

Proportionally....

Pending definition of "good"......

Newbs ought not touch good trees!

IMO.

Toddler steps!

Sorce
 
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But if you are a beginner , two situations -

[1] Enough experience to know it is crap ?

[2] Young enough, have the time to repair the crap [ ground grow a new shape ]

Then -

[3] Health, and no defoliation, until after Health.

[4] Leave the Bonsai Master bit as driftwood goes alone ---------- wood needs 35 to 50 years to mature to durable before driftwood.
Some never become durable.

[5] If you want to driftwood, remember any cavity in contact with soil will continue to rot.
Feeding a beginner a diatribe is no help. Pick a good tree and keep it alive for two years. One can then spend two years learning the basics.
 

Anthony

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This is from a zone that grows from seed / cutting.
Anything can be a good tree, and because of our then youth, no problems growing for years.

When you talk of beginners, you have to take age into account.
Good Day
Anthony


@twisted trees

Just wondering is this what you mean't to say ?
I didn't realise anything I wrote was that aggressive.
If so humble apologies.


Diatribe -
noun
  1. a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.
    "a diatribe against consumerism"
    synonyms: tirade, harangue, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, stream of abuse, denunciation, broadside, fulmination, condemnation, criticism, stricture, reproof, reproval, reprimand, rebuke, admonishment, admonition;
 

Anthony

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@Fonz ,

the way to stop the crap tree bit, is to find a group in reality land and get an experienced set if hands to help you.

In the beginning Bonsai is about simply learning to keep your trees healthy.
Additionally, you select 10 or 20 to experiment on -------- the expendables.

This is why when we teach down here, everyone is encouraged to have around 300 efforts.

So you learn to water, repot and shape on the expendables, whilst watering those you really
want.

After 3 to 5 years of daily repetition, you start on the others.
This is why if you are 15 to 20 years old, Bonsai is simple, but when you are 45 to 55 or older, the
approach is often to purchase semi-trained trees..
Time.

Or learn how to ground grow ------- speed.
Good Day
Anthony
 

Quince

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[4] Leave the Bonsai Master bit as driftwood goes alone ---------- wood needs 35 to 50 years to mature to durable before driftwood.
Some never become durable.
Could you please expound upon your experience with driftwood?
I have heard that mountain grown trees with small growth rings have more durable wood. Are you saying that younger stock in the driftwood style is doomed. Or that any exposed wood needs time to age before becoming durable?
 

Anthony

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@Quince,

some woods like Teak or West Indian Cedar, need at least 35 to 50 years to gain durability to
exposure to insects or the elements.
Some woods never gain durability, even after wood treatments.

Yes, if the mountain grown tree wood is mature and naturally durable.

On our side the Fustic [ Chlorophora t ] poisons it's heartwood, and is very durable.

++++++The age you ask about is when the tree has grown and is 35 to 50 years old.
The wood is inside the growing tree, not exposed.

Exposure is after that time, and only if the wood is naturally durable. """"""""""""""""""""'
___________________________________

Plus please get a good set of images and look at those driftwood Shimpkau and see
how large the driftwood is.

However -----------

Have you looked into ------- The PHOENIX GRAFT -------------------------
Good Day
Anthony
 
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This is from a zone that grows from seed / cutting.
Anything can be a good tree, and because of our then youth, no problems growing for years.

When you talk of beginners, you have to take age into account.
Good Day
Anthony


@twisted trees

Just wondering is this what you mean't to say ?
I didn't realise anything I wrote was that aggressive.
If so humble apologies.


Diatribe -
noun
  1. a forceful and bitter verbal attack against someone or something.
    "a diatribe against consumerism"
    synonyms: tirade, harangue, verbal onslaught, verbal attack, stream of abuse, denunciation, broadside, fulmination, condemnation, criticism, stricture, reproof, reproval, reprimand, rebuke, admonishment, admonition;
Thanks for the English lesson. Perhaps vebosity would have been used instead or just tmi.
 

Wilson

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I think in reference to the original post, beginners need to learn what to look for in a tree. Like @twisted trees said, a crap tree with no future as a bonsai is a waste of time/energy. I know I have ditched trees I collected or bought on sale, when I realized the lack of potential. As any trade or craft goes, new apprentices sometimes think they are going to reinvent the wheel.
 

Anthony

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tmi
too much information

Answer: This peculiar acronym expression is a funny expression of distaste. TMI stands for "too much information!" It is the same as saying "I didn't need to hear that" or "that is taboo or obnoxious for you to share that"

Hmm, and Al steps in:)
 
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