The Age Group Thread

[It's Kev]

Just for pure curiosity. I saw the thread about involving the younger crowd. I didn't know it was a problem. My parents had bonsai when I was a kid, and my mom always makes a plan to have some sort of garden even when we are just renting places. I thought everyone starts to grow things as soon as they get married and settle down. I got engaged recently, and my fiance wants to grow flowers, and since the bonsai bug bit again, i could persuade her into getting flowering trees and shrubs that i can make bonsai from. That way she can have something nice, and I wont have to plant little petunias and crap, so we both win.

But anyway, lets do a quick survey of the age groups of everyone here, how old are you?
I've had 30 birthdays and 30 Christmasses

 

[Anthony]

Retired and later to be 54. [ started work at 17 from school, served my 33 and 1/3 and was let off for good behaviour. ]
My parents always had vegetables growing and what we call seasonings..
Chinese food always has lots of veggies, bright and colourful.
English is mashed, starchy and meaty. Not too fond of that. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good B-b-q.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Giga]

I just turned 32, I started this at 16

 

[MrBeto]

I'm 40, and I just started ! I guess it's a little late to get started but I'll do my best.

 

[Wilson]

36 and still struggle balancing the hobby,family, travel, etc.

 

[cockroach]

Just turned 35. Started when I was 29.

 

[AZbonsai]

I'm 40, and I just started ! I guess it's a little late to get started but I'll do my best.

I am 53 and have been doing bonsai for about 7 months. I have always been a gardner and interested in different gardening techniques...hydroponics, aquaponics, square foot etc. I just kind of stumbled on bonsai and got hooked.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I'll be 24 next week!

 

[aml1014]

I'm 22 and started when I just turned 18. Sadly life has gotten pretty real for me pretty damn fast and I'm debating on cutting back on the hobby a bit and try to focus on more important things, I actually think a lot about what @Anthony said in my garden thread. It's best to get your life steady first and have a home of your own before going nuts like I did. I'm well over 300 right now, I want to aim to get down to the 75 tree range this year.

Aaron

 

[CamdenJim]

I grew up on a farm in very rural Alabama as one of the first crop of baby-boomers, so I'm 70 years young and have been doing bonsai now for almost six years.
The farm-boy background probably influenced me more than I realized at the time, because in 49 years of marriage I've always had something growing. African violets, flowers in pots and beds, vegetables, orchids, etc. Now it's vegetables, herbs, and bonsai.

 

[Giga]

I'm 22 and started when I just turned 18. Sadly life has gotten pretty real for me pretty damn fast and I'm debating on cutting back on the hobby a bit and try to focus on more important things, I actually think a lot about what @Anthony said in my garden thread. It's best to get your life steady first and have a home of your own before going nuts like I did. I'm well over 300 right now, I want to aim to get down to the 75 tree range this year.

Aaron

This is true, I've been in bonsai a long time but only had a couple tree's till about 6 years ago when we bought our first house( and got out of the navy) and and I had a good back yard to get things rolling. Now I have around 60'ish tree's but they are all well past sapling stage so they all require a fair amount of work and I don't plan on getting much past that number.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm 40, and I just started ! I guess it's a little late to get started but I'll do my best.

To late is when one is pushing up daisies! I'm 45...been doing bonsai just shy of 4 years.

 

[AZbonsai]

One very important aspect of bonsai that many older enthusiasts can bring to bare on the endeavor......disposable income

 

[Lobaeux]

42 and retired, been practicing Bonsai since I retired four years ago. I need a LOT more practice! I've got 8 trees, I need more. Really excited at getting my first flowering one next week.

Okay, only partially retired, I still fly as an airline captain.

 

[Dav4]

I'm 22 and started when I just turned 18. Sadly life has gotten pretty real for me pretty damn fast and I'm debating on cutting back on the hobby a bit and try to focus on more important things, I actually think a lot about what @Anthony said in my garden thread. It's best to get your life steady first and have a home of your own before going nuts like I did. I'm well over 300 right now, I want to aim to get down to the 75 tree range this year.

Aaron

Regardless of age or life "stability", the fastest way to burn out in this hobby is to have to have too many trees to adequately maintain. I have less then 300 trees by a factor of 3, own my own house and yard ( on a fairly steep incline, though, which increases the daily maintenance exponentially) and an understanding spouse, and I still can barely hang on sometimes. While I have a fair number of developed trees, I have many more projects that I hope to cultivate over the next decade or too, so they don't require to much attention. STILL, they need to be watered and fed and treated for pests and winterized and summarized... and this all comes at a cost. I feel for your predicament, by the way, as I understand how addictive this sport can be. I'll be on the wrong side of 50 in a few years, but plan on doing this until I can't.

 

[Paradox]

Started 6 years ago.

I wouldn't have been able to start if I hadn't had a long term job and a house with a yard.

I also feel I have too many trees at somewhere between 50 and 60 trees. I'm always looking to see which ones I'd be willing to give up just to thin the herd, but it's hard to do because I love them all, even the crappy ones.

Proud of myself this weekend. Went to MABS and only bought one tiny Cotoneaster.

 

[Anthony]

It takes 1 to 3 years to get a trunk of say 3 inches, planted in a colander on a tile if need be. You should be able to
train 6 branches for that time as well.

So even if you are 90, you will have trees to enjoy.
Be positive folks.
This is no longer -------Stone Age Bonsai.

Plus target trees that can grow faster than normal, and some even have very refined qualities.

No yard, grow Mame' , still a challenge and a real pleasure.

Oh yes and Seed, Cutting ---------------------Yeah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Day
Anthony

* And doh tell meh nah nonsense about yuh is in the North------------ use the spring growth effectively.

 

[It's Kev]

My mom bought my dad an acacia bonsai for his birthday when I was 8 or 9. Sadly, things didn't go so well for my dad's side, but it would've been great if I could have some of the trees they had back then.

 

[miker]

I'm 32, and I first had an interest in bonsai at around 12 years old, with the purchase of one of those diy bonsai kits at the local mall. I successfully germinated the Japanese white pine seeds, which the cat got a hold of not long after.

I forsee enjoying the hobby even more now that I am in the north, as temperate trees are my real passion. I do miss the tropical and subtropical trees I had to leave behind in Florida, though. I really wanted a black olive (Bucida spp.) when I saw one in the greenhouse of a local nursery last month, but I just cannot keep a collection of tropical bonsai healthy anymore. Next on the acquisition list, American beech.