Hello! New guy here

[jprime84]

On a whim I purchased a 12 year old chinese elm bonsai from a roadside vendor a few days ago. Already having a lot of interest in landscaping around my house, I thought that it would be fun to try and get into bonsai a little bit.

Today I went to the local hardware store and purchased three plants to try my own hand at bonsai design. I have a dwarf alberta spruce, a dwarf japanese juniper, and a dwarf english boxwood. I figure that these three species should yield very different results. Worst case I kill them all and I am out $30.

I look forward to referencing this forum for help.

 

[M. Frary]

Welcome. Try to post some pictures of your trees. Also if you could fill out your location in your profile it would help if you ever have any questions.

 

[jprime84]

Thanks Mike. I plan to this weekend. I did make one mistake in that my juniper is a dwarf chinese juniper, not japanese (if that is even a thing). I am in zone 7b, and we have had our first few days in the 70s recently. Its going to be a bit colder over the next few days but I THINK we are done with frost. Right now I have all of the trees on a table in the back yard. I get mostly part sun due to the tall pines around my house. I was thinking of trying to grow these indoors, but I figure they will grow much faster out in the sun during the warmer part of the year. I may bring them in over the winter.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Welcome to Bonsai Nut! You're already hooked. Note that you don't have to start a bonsai with a "ready made" bonsai from Home Depot. You can create bonsai from any material - and may ultimately locate other material that will create better bonsai long term than that which you locate at a box store. It may even be growing in your yard right now!

 

[jprime84]

Welcome to Bonsai Nut! You're already hooked. Note that you don't have to start a bonsai with a "ready made" bonsai from Home Depot. You can create bonsai from any material - and may ultimately locate other material that will create better bonsai long term than that which you locate at a box store. It may even be growing in your yard right now!

Let me clarify. The only "out of the box" bonsai that I purchased was the chinese elm from the street vendor. The other trees I purchased were just regular nursery stock plants. I went during my lunch hour and browsed their selection of woody plants, and I selected three that I thought had a good base for bonsai as far as the structure and trunk I was able to discern. They will take quite a bit of pruning.

I do like your idea of seeing what is available around my house. I have dozens of azalea bushes back in the woods, and perhaps one of those has a nice trunk that could make a good bonsai. At any rate, it will all make more sense once I can take some pictures.

 

[Cypress187]

Very nice tree's, welcome.

 

[DougB]

Let me add my welcome as well. I am down below you in the Sandhill and there are several more from NC here. I would suggest that you join the bonsai group in Raleigh. There are workshops, discussions, and presentation often from internationally known bonsai masters. Use is the link http://www.trianglebonsai.com/ or you can pm me for further info.

 

[jprime84]

For starters, here is the Chinese Elm that I bought from the vendor.



Here is the dwarf Alberta Spruce before....


and after - i might need to cut the trunk back even more. Working on informal upright.


Dwarf Juniper and Dwarf English Boxwood before...


Juniper after, cascade style


Boxwood after, broom style. The wood is very firm, so working on getting the branches to expand some. It just wants to grow straight up.

 

[DougB]

Nice start. Remember the first thing to gain is patience (develop over years not hours) and the first to learn is to not just keep your trees alive (over years) but to have them thrive.

Looks like if the weather ever warms up I will have to take a trip to Lowes.