Does this have potential?

[Deep Sea Diver]

Well… it. might be best to do just that for the winter.

Thought long and hard about recommending the trunk be sawn and initial carving be done now vs next fall. Yet thought it would be better to wait to do research, take classes, join a club to build connections and study the upcoming evolutions ….also to get all the tools and materials lined up for next year as this is your first tree.

Wintering over ideas are shown in this Guide. It actually applies to all bonsai. The tree needs to come out of the winter strong, vs stressed for the tree to get most advantage for the growing year.

A couple things to know from the former owner.
1. What bonsai media is the tree potted in.
2. When was the tree last potted.
3. When was that lower branch bent?
4. Provenance of the tree

Pot - Think about getting a sturdy pot to grow the tree out in for now, vs a display pot. Round might be better for now, but square, rectangular, both are fine, as long as it is at least the depth and width discussed. Perhaps something sturdy, less expensive that one can easily drill to add drain/wire holes on the bottom… like a mica pot. Once the tree evolves a couple years down the line, This pot is to let the tree generate strength and push as many branches as possible.

Feel free to PM me along the way.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[William Dinitzen]

Well… it. might be best to do just that for the winter.

Thought long and hard about recommending the trunk be sawn and initial carving be done now vs next fall. Yet thought it would be better to wait to do research, take classes, join a club to build connections and study the upcoming evolutions ….also to get all the tools and materials lined up for next year as this is your first tree.

Wintering over ideas are shown in this Guide. It actually applies to all bonsai. The tree needs to come out of the winter strong, vs stressed for the tree to get most advantage for the growing year.

A couple things to know from the former owner.
1. What bonsai media is the tree potted in.
2. When was the tree last potted.
3. When was that lower branch bent?
4. Provenance of the tree

Pot - Think about getting a sturdy pot to grow the tree out in for now, vs a display pot. Round might be better for now, but square, rectangular, both are fine, as long as it is at least the depth and width discussed. Perhaps something sturdy, less expensive that one can easily drill to add drain/wire holes on the bottom… like a mica pot. Once the tree evolves a couple years down the line, This pot is to let the tree generate strength and push as many branches as possible.

Feel free to PM me along the way.

cheers
DSD sends

Well not totally my first tree, but my first large project. Ill read through this guide thank you and you will probably hear from me again

 

[penumbra]

FWIW, the advice to get cheaper nursery stock is rather misleading for a beginner. It's true, but it doesn't make it all that useful, or effective, for you.

It ignores the root reduction effort required that comes with nursery stock--particularly of this size. Looks to be a ten gallon nursery container-sized tree by the trunk. Someone has already done the reduction work on this tree and it is already established in an actual bonsai container. That process, from a nursery tree can take a few years (or more). Trunk chopping is another process this tree has already undergone. It has made it through both and looks relatively healthy.

$200 is not unreasonable for this tree. It's got some issues, but it's well down the road from raw stock.

I respect your views, but to my eye this is 5 tears from being a $200 tree. I would love to see a survey on this to judge the general consensus.

 

[William Dinitzen]

I respect your views, but to my eye this is 5 tears from being a $200 tree. I would love to see a survey on this to judge the general consensus.

Picked it up, obviously the tree is not anything to call home about yet, i hope to develop it as such in the future. I think quite alot of the value is in the pot (he paid about 130$) for the pot, which may mean that this was a bad investment on my part, but oh well. Im gonna make the best of what ive got now, and hopefully it turns out as a nice tree some years down the line

 

[BobbyLane]

What should i expect to get for 200? Could you give an example, since im going to the nursery on friday and i want to know what to look for.

Since youre looking for comparisons, I bought this one for £185 and then sold it for a little more, I think I kept it for a year or two cant remember

Love Yew I do!

I took the opportunity to add this Yew to my collection recently. you could say its semi trained as its had some dead wood work done to it, which im quite fond of and will add detail further down the line. however ive wired the tree and done some jins and dead branch features here n there. The...

www.bonsainut.com

This one cost just £10 as a neglected, reduced price tree at the back of a nursery. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/taxus-development.35616/ ,RRP would of been around £70 to £119. Ive bought so many yews from landscape nurseries over the years ive lost count, think this one was about £220 https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/taxus-material-2.35549/

So even though you bought this, i'd still go on a few nursery and garden centre hunts, see whats available in your area, get to know the species, have a look at them in the wild and online.
Since we're approaching Christmas you will also find substantial Spruce or Christmas tree material in many outlets for reasonable prices.