How should I spend my money?

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Not even ONE of you has mentioned that they should start their pot addic, er, collection NOW

 

[Grutherg_David]

Thanks everyone for the great responses! I checked out Boon's information (both websites) and the club sounds nice. There is a requirement for 9 workshops per year but I was unable to locate a price. Anyone know how much they are? I'm going to look into it further.

There is also the Valley Bonsai Society which is closer to me but obviously not as prestigious. I think I will attend at least one of both the Bay Area and Valley meetings.

My family has property up in the Sierra foothills that I can collect yamadori. Going to spend 4 days there this upcoming weekend. Hopefully I can get some good stock, or at least identify some good candidates to collect later.

Howdy Nevada county local here wondering if you got anything nice hunting up here and if you'd like to be pointed towards some good safe to harvest spots

 

[Grutherg_David]

Personal opinion: Yes Identify candidates for digging and Yes take pics from multiple angles of ones you like for future pondering. I would Not dig anything unless you have everything need and ready for aftercare. At most dig one tree that doesn't look like it would be useful to try out your aftercare. yamadori can be very fragile and it would suck to kill a nice one due to impatience.

Good luck and have fun. Looking for yamadori is half the fun!

I was wondering if you know what the standard is when it comes to using hormonal stimulants to up your harvesting success rate

 

[Jason Crump]

Howdy Nevada county local here wondering if you got anything nice hunting up here and if you'd like to be pointed towards some good safe to harvest spots

The property is up around Brownsville and I'm heading there tomorrow, so I haven't found anything yet. Have you had good success collecting?

 

[Grutherg_David]

I like this idea. Collect a couple of less promising trees to practice after care and see if i can keep them alive. Next year if all goes well collect a couple more of better quality.

Part of what I like about bonsai is that it forces you to learn patience.

And it helps chi or focus too, it's crazy how much my garden effects my concentration and self discipline

 

[Grutherg_David]

And it helps chi or focus too, it's crazy how much my garden effects my concentration and self discipline

got this yesterday in Nevada City

 

[defra]

Seriously i dont know if i even spended that amount of money in a year to bonsai lol

But id know what i would do with it
Buy some decent tools
Wire and soil and pots/collanders
A couple landscape plants
Case of beer
Can of courage

Learn as much as posible from cheap material and while doing that search for beter matterial to work on in classes !

Good luck and have fun !

 

[mattspinniken]

Subscribe to Bonsai Mirai's live feed first. Watch em all, read, etc etc. Buy some stuff to work on fromm some local nursery's and learn how to pot, learn how to water, and kill a few trees. Figure out how to keep stuff super healthy and save your big budget. Be sure you can keep that specific variety really healthy in your yard for more than a season and then start to invest some of that nice budget on good quality specimens of tried and true species.

Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it. Either way enjoy.

 

[Just another user]

Spend a little bit on seeds, and working in this.

 

[Adair M]

Thanks everyone for the great responses! I checked out Boon's information (both websites) and the club sounds nice. There is a requirement for 9 workshops per year but I was unable to locate a price. Anyone know how much they are? I'm going to look into it further.

There is also the Valley Bonsai Society which is closer to me but obviously not as prestigious. I think I will attend at least one of both the Bay Area and Valley meetings.

My family has property up in the Sierra foothills that I can collect yamadori. Going to spend 4 days there this upcoming weekend. Hopefully I can get some good stock, or at least identify some good candidates to collect later.

BIB costs $35 per year, I believe. A workshop is a half day at Boon's place working on your tree. I believe they are also $35. You can do two a day, a morning and and afternoon. You can bring your on lunch, or join the group who usually orders takeout from a Thai restaurant.

I've done the full Intesnsive series. And now when I go for an Intensive, I usually stay for a weekend of workshops.

The workshops are limited to eight people. Boon splits his time going around with each participant.

I know all the members, and they're great people. Several are experienced collectors and they bring in the trees they've collected to work on. If you join the club, I'm sure you would have no trouble getting a couple members help you with collecting up in the Sierras! You would do well to start off with experienced guys.

Boon is in Hayward. I will be there May 13,14,15 for three days of workshops. I have a scheduling conflict this year and can't go to my usual summer Intensive.

Boon is the best bonsai instructor in the US. Ryan is good, too, but he doesn't have the years of teaching experience Boon has.

To be a member of BIB, you have to attend 9 workshops a year. Easy to do. I took 4 workshops in one weekend back in January, I'm taking 6 in May, I'm sure I'll take some more in November... and I live in Georgia! The other requirement is to help work the BIB show in January each year. There are also monthly meetings, I think they're on a Wednesday night, but I've never been to one. There Boon teaches things like display, or he'll have a session on a particular type of tree or something.

Several members are also members of other clubs as well.

As an Intensive graduate, I'm an Honorary member of BIB. I don't have to do nine workshops a year. But, it seems I do anyway! Lol!!!

 

[Adair M]

Jason, if you have any more questions about BIB or studying with Boon, feel free to PM me.