Is Bonsai an Expensive Hobby?

[Wee]

It's way cheaper for me than racing karts....

Brian

 

[Ron Dennis]

I read this thread more our of curiosity thinking everyone would answer yes. Surprising this was not the case.

A couple of points which have not been mentioned: How much do your know about botany? Can you take care of trees now? Do you understand what grows in your area? What is your goal in this? If you kill a specimen tree, can you handle it as a learning curve?

The thing making bonsai expensive for me is wanting to be in the league with my bonsai friends. I am no longer satisfied with lesser trees since I now know what my friends have. Like anything else bonsai is addictive and it leads you into other art areas that can be costly, i.e., pots, tools, scrolls, display stands, suiseki, and the list goes on and on.

Yes, Smoke, you got me. I had to check out your insurance link.

 

[fore]

Or you can collect urban yamadori. You can get some really nice material for free.

 

[sikadelic]

Personally, the expense of time is what draws me to it the most. To take something boring and ugly and then turn it into something beautiful really motivates me. I wanted to find something new and artistic to do and my longtime interest in bonsai became my new hobby. Yes it is a long process, but the reward makes the time so worth it. Also, my 4 year old son finds it so interesting and what kid doesn't like digging through dirt and rocks? I can see that I will have something special to share with him too.

And the money? Well when I go broke I just stop buying stuff.

 

[macdad]

Consider this... Go to your local big box store and price a pair of wire cutters. Now, look at the price of a pair of "cheap" concave cutters. You can buy the wire cutters for $5. Concave cutters are >$20.

Whenever something is considered a Hobby, it is essentially a luxury. Businesses take advantage of our excess funds and jack up the price! That is the nature of our world

Personally, I believe it also takes a bit of creativity. There will always be the purists and elitists that say you have to buy only the best. Do a little research. You will find many options out there to save money and still enjoy the hobby.

Regardless, it is still a hobby and will cost money. You can always start slow (if you have the self control) and build your supplies and stock over time.

 

[Poink88]

Or you can collect urban yamadori. You can get some really nice material for free.

Yep, usually the materials are much better than what you can find at regular nurseries too.

 

[Poink88]

Consider this... Go to your local big box store and price a pair of wire cutters. Now, look at the price of a pair of "cheap" concave cutters. You can buy the wire cutters for $5. Concave cutters are >$20.

Whenever something is considered a Hobby, it is essentially a luxury. Businesses take advantage of our excess funds and jack up the price! That is the nature of our world

Personally, I believe it also takes a bit of creativity. There will always be the purists and elitists that say you have to buy only the best. Do a little research. You will find many options out there to save money and still enjoy the hobby.

Regardless, it is still a hobby and will cost money. You can always start slow (if you have the self control) and build your supplies and stock over time.

Attach the word bonsai on anything and the cost instantly doubles or triples. There are household tools that can perform the same task for a fraction of the cost. But sadly, there are a few cutters that you cannot substitute anything with.

 

[Dav4]

I hardly spend anything in this hobby.....now. Over 10 years ago, I was acquiring nice stock with potential...$$$.... Then, I developed an interest in quality Japanese pots as well as handmade pots from potters stateside...$$$.... A few years ago, I became interested in showing my trees and realized I needed a few good stands and slabs to compliment them...$$$.... This year...$100 for an all day workshop with Suthin, a couple hundred on some very nice handmade pots, less then 200 bucks on pre bonsai that I'll be developing over the next decade or longer...that's it.

Bonsai is like most hobbies in that there is an upfront cost to get into the hobby- tools, trees, pots...the quality of those items is up to you and your budget. After that, the amount of money you put into it is completely up to you. Time is a different story entirely. If you have a large collection, or you like big trees, the time needed to properly maintain and develop those trees will be more then that needed for smaller trees or smaller collections...and even this is variable based on what you want out of the hobby. There are those out there that are perfectly content just watering their potted trees without any meaningful styling or pruning...read this as a minimal time commitment. Now, if you want good bonsai...maybe even great bonsai...you'll be spending much more time with your trees then just when you water.

 

[Anthony]

Once you have the time -

[1] Seeds, seedlings and cuttings. Some trees dump tons of seed and seedlings in the wild,or grow so easily from pieces.

[2] Make the pots for yourself. A great deal of fun, and because of our climate, we can also use cement, which properly vibrated, and coloured, works nicely,

[3] Home made soil, takes 10 minutes to sift enough compost for all the trees and some are quiet large. Plus, we just discovered the mother lode from a dumping point at the house in Mayaro. Tons of compost. Silica gravel, is cheap or free, and the crushed red brick is free.

[4] Tools, you just need a concave, and root pruner. The rest is standard yard stuff.

However, the first pots, to use as examples of what to aim for did cost.

[5] Display tables, if you are into that kind of decoration, a slab of wood and wood tools for simple carving, low cost. Hand working usually costs little.
Power tools hmm ---------> $$$$$$$
Fortunately hand carving, whittling came first years ago.
Plus, not really into that, too decorative. Same for scrolls, use a drawing or paint for yourself.

Actually, with time, this is a zero cost hobby, more or less.
Good Day
Anthony

* Fertiliser - discovering Bonsai fertiliser looks like this 5-3-3 plus micro. You could buy a high grade 20-15 -15 and just dilute.

 

[fore]

I hardly spend anything in this hobby.....now. Over 10 years ago, I was acquiring nice stock with potential...$$$.... Then, I developed an interest in quality Japanese pots as well as handmade pots from potters stateside...$$$.... A few years ago, I became interested in showing my trees and realized I needed a few good stands and slabs to compliment them...$$$.... This year...$100 for an all day workshop with Suthin, a couple hundred on some very nice handmade pots, less then 200 bucks on pre bonsai that I'll be developing over the next decade or longer...that's it.

Bonsai is like most hobbies in that there is an upfront cost to get into the hobby- tools, trees, pots...the quality of those items is up to you and your budget. After that, the amount of money you put into it is completely up to you. Time is a different story entirely. If you have a large collection, or you like big trees, the time needed to properly maintain and develop those trees will be more then that needed for smaller trees or smaller collections...and even this is variable based on what you want out of the hobby. There are those out there that are perfectly content just watering their potted trees without any meaningful styling or pruning...read this as a minimal time commitment. Now, if you want good bonsai...maybe even great bonsai...you'll be spending much more time with your trees then just when you water.

Scary post Dave! I've spent a fair amt. on trees. But nothing in pots, stands or slabs. I'm not sure I can afford the 'rest of the hobby'!! LOL!

 

[coh]

Scary post Dave! I've spent a fair amt. on trees. But nothing in pots, stands or slabs. I'm not sure I can afford the 'rest of the hobby'!! LOL!

But you don't have to...seems to me the only reason to invest in a bunch of expensive pots and stands is if you want to show your trees in formal bonsai exhibitions. Even then you might be able to borrow a stand. If the trees are primarily for your own enjoyment you can grow them in whatever...cheap pots, home made pots, etc.

 

[srunge55]

Or you can collect urban yamadori. You can get some really nice material for free.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

In regard to urban Yamadori what type of material to you look for in the midwest? I'm in St. Louis.

Steve

 

[Dav4]

Scary post Dave! I've spent a fair amt. on trees. But nothing in pots, stands or slabs. I'm not sure I can afford the 'rest of the hobby'!! LOL!

Get back to me in ten years...

But you don't have to...seems to me the only reason to invest in a bunch of expensive pots and stands is if you want to show your trees in formal bonsai exhibitions. Even then you might be able to borrow a stand. If the trees are primarily for your own enjoyment you can grow them in whatever...cheap pots, home made pots, etc.

It's funny how things change. When I first started, any old stock would do... pots too... as long as it was cheap. After all, I had just started in the hobby, never planned on showing my trees, and the 'nice' trees were too expensive. Eventually, I started getting bored with my cheap stock, started appreciating collected trees and what they offered, and dropped a fair amount on some, though not nearly as much as you might think...still alot more then a few 1 gal procumbens and palmatums go for. And then, once I had some of those 'nice' trees, I started appreciating 'nice' pots...to me, it's a natural progression...and a well made pot is something I appreciate as much as a beautiful bonsai...and all this happened before I ever considered putting my trees in a show. I can't say the same for the stands/slabs.

 

[Ron Dennis]

Get back to me in ten years...



It's funny how things change. When I first started, any old stock would do... pots too... as long as it was cheap. After all, I had just started in the hobby, never planned on showing my trees, and the 'nice' trees were too expensive. Eventually, I started getting bored with my cheap stock, started appreciating collected trees and what they offered, and dropped a fair amount on some, though not nearly as much as you might think...still alot more then a few 1 gal procumbens and palmatums go for. And then, once I had some of those 'nice' trees, I started appreciating 'nice' pots...to me, it's a natural progression...and a well made pot is something I appreciate as much as a beautiful bonsai...and all this happened before I ever considered putting my trees in a show. I can't say the same for the stands/slabs.

This is so true. About pots, you meet Ryan (Gastronome) and suddenly you want to drop and break those pots you thought were really good looking. Nothing but the "real deal" will do even though you probably will not put a tree into your new treasure. And then you need appropriate display cases to show off you new pot collection. Did I say it can be addictive.

 

[Poink88]

It's funny how things change. When I first started, any old stock would do... pots too... as long as it was cheap. After all, I had just started in the hobby, never planned on showing my trees, and the 'nice' trees were too expensive....

I can relate.

When I started, the plan was not to spend more than a couple of hundred bucks. Well, I spent more than $200 on...
1. ... fertilizers alone
2. ... insecticides alone
3. ... wires alone
4. ... shelvings alone (several times over)
5. ... soil components alone
6. ... tools alone (several times over)
7. ... pots alone (more than all above combined actually)
8. ... trees alone (as much as I collected about half of them free, I still spent more than on pots)

FREE Big urban yamadori turned out needing EXPENSIVE big bonsai pots. .

I haven't ventured in rocks, tables, slabs, etc. yet. I however, started purchasing a couple scrolls and nice petrified wood already.

...all these and I still have NOTHING to show but stick and stumps. Madness right?

 

[JoeH]

I do it on the cheap, material from re-landscaping projects at work, found planting dishes at thrift shops, potting mix locally sourced.

 

[Tieball]

Overall....Over time.....Yes.
But do tell your spouse it was just an older used Bonsai pot no one else wanted.

 

[Jake]

I'd say that it is an ideal hobby if you have a limited budget. If you have a little land to grow in the ground, you're never more than a few months away from making use of free material- cuttings, seeds, seedlings, layers.

For the first three years I only invested in a bit of wire, some fertiliser, and then fungal and bug spray. I could have easily sold the material developed for five times the money I put in after that period. And if you enjoy it, you can't include time as an expense .

But if you have the disposal income, then you can "invest" as much as you like .

 

[Giga]

if your smart about it, not really, but in truth it is. I have yet to buy a tree over 150$ as most my tree are collected. Last week I sold a shohin crabapple I bought a home depot for .63 cents USD, for 550$ and a couple others so that has funed my pot collection and some supplies this year. Though if you want nice pots, good soil, good quality tools it's going cost a bit. I think I spend the most of wire and soil each year.

 

[Cadillactaste]

if your smart about it, not really, but in truth it is. I have yet to buy a tree over 150$ as most my tree are collected. Last week I sold a shohin crabapple I bought a home depot for .63 cents USD, for 550$ and a couple others so that has funed my pot collection and some supplies this year. Though if you want nice pots, good soil, good quality tools it's going cost a bit. I think I spend the most of wire and soil each year.

You took that crabapple to a level it wasn't when you bought it. So...well done sir!