The bonsai heresy thread
- Thread starter Lorax7
- Start date
PaulH
Omono
Crossing wires sometimes results in a better,stronger wiring job. Cheap chemical fertilizer works just as well as expensive "bonsai" fertilizer.
Unwinding wire when removing it, rather than cutting it off.
Putting trees back into the sun after repotting rather than setting them in shade or partial shade.
Wiring deciduous trees when the shoots are still soft.
Putting trees back into the sun after repotting rather than setting them in shade or partial shade.
Wiring deciduous trees when the shoots are still soft.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Didn't you forget the biggest one of all - grafting ume onto JBP (or whatever it was)?
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Barerooting junipers in early summer.
Wires_Guy_wires
Imperial Masterpiece
Repotting mugo in spring, collecting oak before spring, collecting wild trees in summer, not getting the land owners permission to dig up a tree (but the owner is my dad, so that's alright), using regular gardening wire, using plastic pots, design. Mail ordering trees instead of hand picking them. Not having patience. Talking as if I've been doing bonsai for over 2 years, calling trees 'plants'.
You could say I'm quite a heretic, depending on who's asking.
You could say I'm quite a heretic, depending on who's asking.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
Not wiring trees into pots.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Pinching junipers.
The right way.
The right way.
The heresy that inspired this thread (which I didn’t realize was heresy until I said it in another thread):
Bare rooting a healthy inexpensive deciduous nursery tree in late spring or even summer to get it settled into a pot with bonsai soil mix sooner rather than later
Bare rooting a healthy inexpensive deciduous nursery tree in late spring or even summer to get it settled into a pot with bonsai soil mix sooner rather than later
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
@Lorax7 ,
just be aware that bare rooting can slow a tree down for 2 or 3 months
and if you are in an area with temperatures over 100 deg.F.
The roots can shut down.
So if possible just let the tree get healthy.
No wiring or clipping, if possible.
Be gentle.
Good Day
Anthony
* And yes on our side we did run bare rooting against the other
repotting technique. The bare rooted was much slower.
just be aware that bare rooting can slow a tree down for 2 or 3 months
and if you are in an area with temperatures over 100 deg.F.
The roots can shut down.
So if possible just let the tree get healthy.
No wiring or clipping, if possible.
Be gentle.
Good Day
Anthony
* And yes on our side we did run bare rooting against the other
repotting technique. The bare rooted was much slower.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I would just say there is no such thing in heresy in bonsai - because there is no hard and fast rule that is "100% best" in all situations.
However most rules are based on what is best in 95% of the cases... and there is a big difference between breaking the rule because you know what you are doing and have a reason for doing it, versus breaking the rule through ignorance. If your tree survives the experience, in the first case it was an example of skill, in the second it was an example of luck.
However most rules are based on what is best in 95% of the cases... and there is a big difference between breaking the rule because you know what you are doing and have a reason for doing it, versus breaking the rule through ignorance. If your tree survives the experience, in the first case it was an example of skill, in the second it was an example of luck.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
I am not disagreeing with you but there are times when you have two ways to go: Leave the tree alone and hope it gets healthy, which means you believe the reason for trees decline is because of your lack of care. Or you need to take drastic action because something is wrong with the roots from the nature of the soil to an infection. Either way the tree will do one of two things--live or die.
Anthony
Imperial Masterpiece
No sweat Vance,
you have the experience to back up your thoughts.
Thanks.
Anthony
you have the experience to back up your thoughts.
Thanks.
Anthony
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
I appreciate your thoughts.
Paulpash
Masterpiece
Grow trees in concrete - saves wiring it in - inspired by Anthony!
Grow trees from seed in mame pots if you feel you can live forever.
Graft two tanuki together for that instant, finished bonsai look.
Water your trees with Gatorade for added nutrients and carbs.
Grow trees from seed in mame pots if you feel you can live forever.
Graft two tanuki together for that instant, finished bonsai look.
Water your trees with Gatorade for added nutrients and carbs.
I gotta ask, Anthony.
Why not? We get wind where I live. And if the wind blows soon after repotting, the trunk can move. If the trunk moves, the roots will move. If the roots move, the new tiny feeder roots can get damaged. Which can slow recovery, or perhaps damage the tree permanently.
Wiring in is easy. (Well, SOME skill is required - especially for large collected material that may not have a good root system. Which makes it DOUBLY important to do it right!). It secures the tree in firmly, winds won’t bother it, nor will a bird which lands on it.
Nigel Saunders doesn’t wire his in, but he grows in a greenhouse (no winds or birds).
Nigel’s videos are a cringe fest for me.
He would rather stack rocks around the nebari and haul that to his greenhouse. Very limiting in situations where the center of mass of the tree is not directly over the nebari. I can’t ever imagine a situation where his approach would be better than wiring in a tree. It’s not precise or long term. Maybe you don’t have wind in all cases but when you go to wire the tree, where will all that stress from handling it end up? The root system will undergo a lot of stress. This is probably why Nigel doesn’t seem fond of wiring lol
twisted trees
Omono
I transplanted about 400 larch after the buds opened and didn't lose one.
twisted trees
Omono
One hard and fast rule, wayer your trees.
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