My Home Depsai

[A Random User]

Purging...Thanks!

 

[Vance Wood]

View attachment 44393
Here is one of my new Home Depsai trees...

Don't know if you caught that or not, but seeing
that it seems to be some new fad to make up
dumb sayings from where one gets their Bonsai from,
by adding "sai" to the end I thought I would join in the
fun... And Boy... it is exciting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This tree had and ice cream cone shape cost me about $25
and took me the afternoon to whack - wire - and shape ...
How's that for a lack of "Experience".
Oh... forgot to add that it's some man-made version of a
Chinese Juniper called a Blue Point. Has nice Blue foilage, and
was shaped in a point when I first got it...

Damn, I also forgot to add that the jin that has the guide wire,
will be reduced as soon as it drys out... The shari that was
begun on the trunk will be increased over the years. Or next
couple of weeks, seeing that us folks with only Theories and
no Experience, like to rush things.

Very nice initial styling, demonstrates the reason that people just getting into bonsai would be well served to shop nurseries and big box stores and choose Junipers. You have a better chance of producing a bonsai out of the shoot than you would with a Pine. The only problem is whether the tree survives the ordeal.

The tree shows a good deal of artistic ability.

 

[bonsaibp]

Very nice initial styling, demonstrates the reason that people just getting into bonsai would be well served to shop nurseries and big box stores and choose Junipers. You have a better chance of producing a bonsai out of the shoot than you would with a Pine. The only problem is whether the tree survives the ordeal.

The tree shows a good deal of artistic ability.

I agree with the tree showing artistic ability- but I wonder how much you looked into or know about the horticultural part of using this for bonsai. The reason the tree was cone shaped is because that is its natural growth habit, for everything to grow up into a point, much like an Italian cypress. You'll find yourself fighting that habit all the time. If you keep cutting when everything wants to grow up you'll weeaken the tree, if you don't eventually all the secondary branches are going to start to grow straight up.
This is from experience because I made the mistake one year of trying to use these for formal uprights in a series of beginner classes. Initially they were great- nice straight trunks, softer foliage then foemina which we use for formal uprights quite often, flexible branches that were easy to wire, etc. Over time everyone of them that lived-don't forget these were beginner classes- had all the foliage wanting to grow up into a point.
Just thought I'd share this as a reminder to people to check out the growth habits and horticultural needs before using a plant for bonsai- especially if its one that you don't see as bonsai too often.

 

[Vance Wood]

I agree with the tree showing artistic ability- but I wonder how much you looked into or know about the horticultural part of using this for bonsai. The reason the tree was cone shaped is because that is its natural growth habit, for everything to grow up into a point, much like an Italian cypress. You'll find yourself fighting that habit all the time. If you keep cutting when everything wants to grow up you'll weeaken the tree, if you don't eventually all the secondary branches are going to start to grow straight up.
This is from experience because I made the mistake one year of trying to use these for formal uprights in a series of beginner classes. Initially they were great- nice straight trunks, softer foliage then foemina which we use for formal uprights quite often, flexible branches that were easy to wire, etc. Over time everyone of them that lived-don't forget these were beginner classes- had all the foliage wanting to grow up into a point.
Just thought I'd share this as a reminder to people to check out the growth habits and horticultural needs before using a plant for bonsai- especially if its one that you don't see as bonsai too often.

That is the problem with using a tree that seems to be new to the bonsai comunity. You find yourself in the role of a pioneer and explorer on this tree. Sometimes, in the end you will find the tree not usable, or worth the time and effort to develop the tree because you cannot defeat it's natural tendencies.

I have made this observation from my attempts at using the species Sargent Juniper as opposed to Shimpakus. Regular old Sargent's Juniper is very difficult because it will revert to juvinile foliage for almost any reason and it will abandon secondary and teriary branching right at the time you think you have finally figured this tree out. This is my experience with it, that does not mean I was not doing something wrong that was cauising the problem. It seemed to be this would happen any time the tree went more than three years before being repotted.

 

[M. Frary]

How are we supposed to pronounce this? Dep sigh like Johnny Depp? Or and I think this is it . Deep sigh. As in why am I using this? Or shouldn't it be deep oh sigh. It's kind of hard learning and remembering all of this new lingo. Just asking. I like to try and stay up on all of the current slang.

 

[0soyoung]

The reason the tree was cone shaped is because that is its natural growth habit, for everything to grow up into a point, much like an Italian cypress. You'll find yourself fighting that habit all the time.

So how is this different than any other apically dominant tree? It seems that this could also be said of JBP for instance. Further, 'fighting the habit all time' seems am apt description of making and maintaining 'bonsai'.

I presume the distinction is a matter of degree. Can you elucidate?

 

[Vance Wood]

So how is this different than any other apically dominant tree? It seems that this could also be said of JBP for instance. Further, 'fighting the habit all time' seems am apt description of making and maintaining 'bonsai'.

I presume the distinction is a matter of degree. Can you elucidate?

Some trees can be convinced to do what you want them to do----others cannot. The only way to find out is try.

 

[coh]

Nice initial styling! I hope it survives and thrives.

I find the naming of junipers confusing...is this closely related to something like the "Blue Alps" juniper in the following thread (which seems to be doing pretty well). Foliage looks very similar...

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12193-Juniperus-squamata-Blue-Alps

Chris

 

[Vance Wood]

Nice initial styling! I hope it survives and thrives.

I find the naming of junipers confusing...is this closely related to something like the "Blue Alps" juniper in the following thread (which seems to be doing pretty well). Foliage looks very similar...

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12193-Juniperus-squamata-Blue-Alps

Chris

It is difficult to tell you how all of this comes about. Most Junipers we are familiar with in bonsai are species and sub-species that for the most part exist naturally. However; a good percentage of the other Junipers are what we call cultivars (notice the similarity to cultivate). These are trees that would not exist outside the cultivation of man through cutting culture, or by grafting; in bonsai you might run into air-layering.

Most of these cultivars are found items: Trees that are crosses between a couple of different species,growing in the woods, trees that are genetic anomolies, and sometimes trees that are called witches brooms, which are wierd areas of growth on a normal tree the reproduce to kind through cuttings and grafts. In all cases they would not exist to kind without the intervention of human care.

 

[Vance Wood]

View attachment 44411View attachment 44412
Thought I'd post a pick of another Blue Point Juniper
that this along with one other tree managed to survive
my early days of Bonsai...

Was bored recently and picked it up and started re-styling a
tree that had so many things going wrong...

It is about 7o percent adult foilage, and I have had no problem
styling these, any more than any other Chinese juniper. I will
admit that they are a little harder trying to balance out the energy
of the tree... but nothing to difficult that some more attention
pruning the top cannot resolve.

The pot clearly doesn't fit the tree... just thought I would mention
this before I get post suggesting a different pot. The pot that it
was in broke and was all I had at the time that was that size.

Also, the second pic would be the front... sorry mixed them up
when posting...

Thanks for posting the tree. Am I still free to crituque what I like and what I think needs to be fixed?

 

[Vance Wood]

Vance, my posting of the second tree was not because of what you
had said necessarily... But more to address the Blue Point's comings and
shortfalls...

Seeing that there was mention of this variety not being necessarily
so good for Bonsai, because of it always wanting to grow straight up,
and easily wanting to resort back to juvenile foliage...

Which from my experience, and from the second tree posted, I have found
these not to be the case... But this is just my experience.

If I listed every reason why one should not do Mugo Pines I wouldn't do Mugo Pine. If you believe the critiques to be wrong prove it. I only mentioned what I mentioned as a side bar that in fact there are trees that are untrainable, obviously you know better. A lot of times, and I have to be careful not to offend anyone, I have found that those kinds of statements usually come from the minds of those who have given up on the tree. Of course if you quit working on a tree it will revert to it's natural tendencies.

 

[lordy]

View attachment 44393
Here is one of my new Home Depsai trees...

Don't know if you caught that or not, but seeing
that it seems to be some new fad to make up
dumb sayings from where one gets their Bonsai from,
by adding "sai" to the end I thought I would join in the
fun... And Boy... it is exciting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This tree had and ice cream cone shape cost me about $25
and took me the afternoon to whack - wire - and shape ...
How's that for a lack of "Experience".
Oh... forgot to add that it's some man-made version of a
Chinese Juniper called a Blue Point. Has nice Blue foilage, and
was shaped in a point when I first got it...

Damn, I also forgot to add that the jin that has the guide wire,
will be reduced as soon as it drys out... The shari that was
begun on the trunk will be increased over the years. Or next
couple of weeks, seeing that us folks with only Theories and
no Experience, like to rush things.

For someone who seems to want everyone to believe you have been doing this for a while, you exhibit some dichotomies that I cant resolve.
Don't know if you caught that or not, but seeing
that it seems to be some new fad to make up
dumb sayings from where one gets their Bonsai from,
by adding "sai" to the end I thought I would join in the
fun. Dont know if everyone caught it?? How could we miss it? But thanks for pointing it out just in case. Now we know YOU get it. The suffix "...sai" has been added to various prefixes such as MALL, & POTEN, etc. for decades. I remember all this from long-gone websites such as BTalk. And you are just now getting this. Odd for someone who thinks he should be in the upper crust of US bonsai masters.
Another term I have seen you misuse more than once lately is "guide wire". Not correct.
Another is the misspelled truncation of "picture", which you refer to as "pick".
I am far from someone without fault, and that is why I dont blow smoke all the time. If you are going to toot your own horn, you ought to know the correct terminology. I get that your feelings were hurt in Saratoga Springs, but please spare us the look down your nose at the rest of us mere mortals. Please, you need to give these people some credit. We may have been born at night, but not last night. Exactly who are you trying to impress?

 

[edprocoat]

Nice little Juni's ! I would have went with "Hodepadori" though.....

ed

 

[drew33998]

Talk about splitting hairs. I like both trees, no matter what you call them. Good work.

 

[Paradox]

Other than the exchange with Lordy....

THIS is the kind of thread we need more of!!!

Sawgrass, do you have a pic of the tree in the first post as it looked when you bought it by chance?

The tree you posted as the example. The top styling is very nice, and I think I can see what you were going for, but that trunk would probably drive me nuts.

 

[Paradox]

Yes I meant the second tree.

Thanks for posting these. Now we are really getting somewhere!
I am getting good ideas for a couple of junipers I have.

 

[M. Frary]

I was just being silly...
I hope to god, I didn't just coin a new phrase fo
A home depot special...

Sorry I was just being silly too. I really like what you've done with this tree. I almost got one from the Home Depot near me and now wishing I did. I guess they will have them again next year. I was thinking formal upright for the ones I saw.