Newbie here

[RainbowBonsai]

Hey all. I'm dipping my toes into bonsai, although maybe not in a strictly traditional way. Just learning as much as possible at the moment from YouTube and these forums, but am overwhelmed with the volume if information, some of which seems to contradict.

Can you all point my in the right direction for a book or resource to give me a broard overview? I realize the answer will likely be, "It depends."


Cliff notes about my self. I grew up helping in the garden in different parts of the US. NM in the plains, foothills, and the mountains. NC/VA coastal areas, and now Florida. Tampa Bay (9b) to be specific.

I previously grew, with the intent to fully grow in my yard, 2 Jacarandas, 2 Rainbow eucalyptus, and a ton of other little odds and ends. Of course one hurricane took out both Rainbows, and another took out one of the Jacarandas. That's what I get for living in a neighborhood that floods often.


Moving forward I have 2 Rainbows I plan to bonsai. They are about 10" tall and frail little guys at the moment. I also have two 3' tall Loblollys and a handful of Desert Roses that I plan to vary.


The plan:

It may be a pipe dream, but I'm thinking about growing the Rainbows as 3'-4' tall brooms, but with thick trunks. I'm envisioning air layering when they get tall, and repeating that process until I reach my desired trunk thickness.

The Loblollys I think I will try a windswept and the other as "growing on rock" as if on the side of a cliff. These I also what to max out at 3'-4'.

The Desert rose I am straight up going to experiment as these thing seem nearly impossible to screw up.





Any guidance? Thanks for the great resource here guys, I really hope to not turn into an askhole.

 

[Cajunrider]

Welcome to the site. Best of luck to you.
PS: Don't be too sure about the desert rose. They can die just as easy as others.

 

[rockm]

Hey all. I'm dipping my toes into bonsai, although maybe not in a strictly traditional way. Just learning as much as possible at the moment from YouTube and these forums, but am overwhelmed with the volume if information, some of which seems to contradict.

Can you all point my in the right direction for a book or resource to give me a broard overview? I realize the answer will likely be, "It depends."


Cliff notes about my self. I grew up helping in the garden in different parts of the US. NM in the plains, foothills, and the mountains. NC/VA coastal areas, and now Florida. Tampa Bay (9b) to be specific.

I previously grew, with the intent to fully grow in my yard, 2 Jacarandas, 2 Rainbow eucalyptus, and a ton of other little odds and ends. Of course one hurricane took out both Rainbows, and another took out one of the Jacarandas. That's what I get for living in a neighborhood that floods often.


Moving forward I have 2 Rainbows I plan to bonsai. They are about 10" tall and frail little guys at the moment. I also have two 3' tall Loblollys and a handful of Desert Roses that I plan to vary.


The plan:

It may be a pipe dream, but I'm thinking about growing the Rainbows as 3'-4' tall brooms, but with thick trunks. I'm envisioning air layering when they get tall, and repeating that process until I reach my desired trunk thickness.

The Loblollys I think I will try a windswept and the other as "growing on rock" as if on the side of a cliff. These I also what to max out at 3'-4'.

The Desert rose I am straight up going to experiment as these thing seem nearly impossible to screw up.





Any guidance? Thanks for the great resource here guys, I really hope to not turn into an askhole.

I admire you for looking outside the box and for being a pioneer.

That said, You've chosen species that are going to make your job more difficult. Eucalyptus, loblolly pine and desert rose are not common bonsai subjects, so you're probably not going to get a lot of specific care and cultivation advice. Doesn't mean they can't be used, but your path to a developed bonsai from them will be a challenge. For instance desert rose (adenium) is not a tree. It is a succulent and regular bonsai cultivation techniques won't be as effective (or possibly useless) with them.

Loblolly pine is OK as far as it goes. But for the next ten years you'll simply be growing pines, not bonsai-ing anything if you're starting with seedlings...

Eucalyptus are notorious for not liking their roots messed with, although our Ozzie members can likely give you pointers, since they have been using their native Eucs for a while as bonsai material.

FWIW, in Fla. you are in prime ficus, schefflera and bald cypress territory. All of those make excellent bonsai, but also are forgiving and less fraught with issues as developing bonsai. They grow quickly are more forgiving with beginner mistakes. FWIW, you will make thousands of mistakes as you learn in the next few years, some of those mistake will cost a tree its life. Using hardier, more sustainable species like the three I mentioned tend to minimize those mistake-fueled deaths.

You might take a spin through this website--one of the top tropical bonsai nurseries in Fla. and the U.S. Lots of things to look at and consider.

Bonsai Trees, Pots, and Supplies - Wigert's Bonsai

We are your source for beautiful one-of-a-kind pre-bonsai trees, finished bonsai trees, bonsai pots and bonsai supplies - shipped directly to you!

www.wigertsbonsai.com

Pre-Bonsai Trees - Wigert's Bonsai

www.wigertsbonsai.com

 

[Cajunrider]

I've been working on my Rainbow eucalyptus for a while now. Progress is slow and the leaves just don't want to reduce. The tree also will drop branches easily. As soon as I train a branch, the tree wants to drop it and sprout another the branch right next to it on the trunk.
Air layering rainbow eucalyptus is easy, I have done that many times. You can see some of the work in the link below.

CJR rainbow eucalyptus

How big are we talking? For what it's worth, my trees are still growing and sucking up the water more than most of my other trees.

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Welcome to BonsaiNut!

I wish yo the best on your new endeavor.

My thoughts for new folks is to be patient and focus of horticulture first. Find out as much as possible on each new tree you buy.

Last, try to get more than one of each species to start with. This speeds learning.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

I'm also a beginner with just half a year leg up on you. First, I'll start with the best advice I've been given: find local enthusiasts and learn from them. Seek out lessons if you can, most clubs offer them in some capacity. Find out what species people grow in your area (@rockm gave you good starting list) and learn about local substrates (soil) used. When in doubt, copy from those around you.

I've also bought a TON of books on bonsai, some good, others not so much. The two I highly recommend are The Foundations of Bonsai by Harry Harrington and Principles of Bonsai Design by David de Groot (this one is a mega classic for design). both are on sale on Stone Lantern at the moment. I also really like their juniper book.

I agree with DSD on focusing on horticulture first. You can't style an unhealthy tree. I've been reading Botany for Gardeners, and it's a fascinating book for learning first principles.

I also have a Bonsai Mirai sub. This is not as straightforward as other sources, and I'm often drinking from the fire hose, but there's a ton of great information in lecture form on there. Makes me feel like I'm taking a college class. Mirai is based in Oregon, so the climate is quite a lot different, but they do have a tropicals expert who is based in Florida.

 

[pandacular]

I realize the answer will likely be, "It depends."

It's good to realize this early. I would take any piece of advice that doesn't have some sort of "it depends" baked into it with a grain of salt.

 

[RainbowBonsai]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I did find a Bonsai store near me that offers monthly classes. They're a few months out on lead time though. It's definitely like drinking from a water hose. I find a lot of information that actually seems intuitive, but of course I have to consider some of the information is likely plant and location specific to the person giving it.

 

[Michael P]

You will have to drive across the state to see it, but the Jim Smith Collection at Heathcote Botanical Garden is well worth the trip. My visit: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/visit-to-jim-smith-bonsai-collection.56577/

 

[LooselyWired]

Welcome to BN. This is one of the best resources you can hope to find. The community here is helpful in every aspect. Use the forum search and you will find many of your questions answered before you even ask.

 

[Shibui]

I've been working on my Rainbow eucalyptus for a while now. Progress is slow and the leaves just don't want to reduce. The tree also will drop branches easily. As soon as I train a branch, the tree wants to drop it and sprout another the branch right next to it on the trunk.

Although Rainbow euc is not an Aussie species this experience is very much like my experiences with our local species.
As for Eucalyptus being notorious for not liking root work, root pruning during cold weather will certainly prove the myth but we have discovered that most Aussie plants do much better when root pruned or repotted in warmer weather, even if that means the trees are in active growth at the time. Goes against all we are taught about repotting for bonsai but seems to work.
Mastering branch growth is another thing altogether but we do have more and more good Eucalypt bonsai each year to show that bonsai euc is possible.

 

[Cajunrider]

Although Rainbow euc is not an Aussie species this experience is very much like my experiences with our local species.
As for Eucalyptus being notorious for not liking root work, root pruning during cold weather will certainly prove the myth but we have discovered that most Aussie plants do much better when root pruned or repotted in warmer weather, even if that means the trees are in active growth at the time. Goes against all we are taught about repotting for bonsai but seems to work.
Mastering branch growth is another thing altogether but we do have more and more good Eucalypt bonsai each year to show that bonsai euc is possible.

I am going to make mine happen. Even if the leaves don't reduce, I will at least have a nice-looking bonsai every spring. When the leaves first come out in the spring, the tree is gorgeous.