Is cheap fall nursery stock a good idea?

[ThirdCoastBorn]

Another more pragmatic reason (that I've learned the hard way) to be cautious about nursery clearance items is the potential of introducing pests & fungi to the rest of your (better) plants. I only realized in hindsight that one reason stores put trees on clearance is sometimes because they're afflicted and had some problems spread -- now I 'quarantine' new plants by themselves for a couple weeks. Certainly someone with more experience can easily recognize the symptoms, but until that point...

Very helpful discussion for a fellow beginner, thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Vance Wood]

Another more pragmatic reason (that I've learned the hard way) to be cautious about nursery clearance items is the potential of introducing pests & fungi to the rest of your (better) plants. I only realized in hindsight that one reason stores put trees on clearance is sometimes because they're afflicted and had some problems spread -- now I 'quarantine' new plants by themselves for a couple weeks. Certainly someone with more experience can easily recognize the symptoms, but until that point...

Very helpful discussion for a fellow beginner, thanks everyone for your input.

Nurseries are not legally allowed to do this. If it is done and they are caught, they can lose their license, be fined and face jail time. I get a notice every year from the Department of Agriculture informing me of issues in the area implementing a prohibition of sales of certain trees, or the importation of certain trees, or the export of certain trees due to these issues. The department of agriculture regularly inspects nurseries and will quarantine individual trees by species or the entire nursery, prohibiting the sale of anything if you piss them off.

 

[shinmai]

It is so difficult to teach someone without experience or basic knowledge how to pick possible materiel from a garbage pile. Sometimes the garbage pile is a good place to look but if you don't know what to look for it is waste of time and monery. True; cheap does not mean good but neither does it mean bad. One of my best trees was rejected by another bonsai grower years ago, and I acquired it for less than $20.

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That is really beautiful.

 

[Cajunrider]

Nurseries are not legally allowed to do this. If it is done and they are caught, they can lose their license, be fined and face jail time. I get a notice every year from the Department of Agriculture informing me of issues in the area implementing a prohibition of sales of certain trees, or the importation of certain trees, or the export of certain trees due to these issues. The department of agriculture regularly inspects nurseries and will quarantine individual trees by species or the entire nursery, prohibiting the sale of anything if you piss them off.

I often find the trees on clearance at the big box stores to be poorly cared for but rarely diseased if ever. This is rather expected since employees at the big box stores generally don't have the expertise to really care for the trees. In most cases, they just spray some water on the trees every day and that's it.

 

[M. Frary]

It is so difficult to teach someone without experience or basic knowledge how to pick possible materiel from a garbage pile. Sometimes the garbage pile is a good place to look but if you don't know what to look for it is waste of time and monery. True; cheap does not mean good but neither does it mean bad. One of my best trees was rejected by another bonsai grower years ago, and I acquired it for less than $20.

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I was going to bring your trees up. But you beat me to it Vancd.
To all you people who think nursery stock isnt si goin you should try taking a look at Vances trees. All of his mugos are from nursery stock. They arent too shabby. In fact some are just wonderful.
It's what you do with the nursery stock that's important. The roots on most will be a mess but you're doing bonsai right? Working roots is part of the process.
And nursery stock will have an abundance of roots and will be used to being grown in a container. By the time the tops done the portion under the dirt will be too.
From what I've seen a lot of "pre bonsai" are just about as bad.
I got a juniper from Meehans that I paid $200.00 for a few years ago. The roots looked like it had been in that pot for ever. Solid mass. I had to use a saw on it.
On the other hand I bought 2 junipers from the Flower Market and the roots were beautiful.
It all depends where you get the stock from but more importantly what you do with it after it's in your possession

 

[AlainK]

Is cheap fall nursery stock a good idea?

Yes it is.