Pre Bonsai Stock

[riprap]

"The first thing that I would do is I’d point out some realities. And one of the most sinister realities, in a way, is that in nature 99% of all seeds that sprout die before they’re 20 years old. If you could get the person that you’re confronting to grasp that concept, and go with it, right away it directs them very positively in the right direction: You start with big, old material. Start with something that’s a survivor. [...]"

There's a logical fallacy here. The high mortality of young plants in the wild results from some falling on infertile ground, some being preyed upon or succumbing to disease, failing to have roots down far enough for the first hot summer, being shaded out by their siblings, and on and on. There is not some inbred mechanism in plants that means 99% will simply die under whatever conditions they find themselves. In informed horticulture, the survival rate can be much, much higher. It is up to the grower to educate him/herself as to what the plants in his/her care need.

That said, there are ample reasons to choose "big/old" material. But "nature red in tooth and claw [and branch]" is not the driving force.

 

[grog]

I thoroughly enjoyed Grouper's excerpt from his interview, and not just as it relates to bonsai. Good stuff.