Silentrunning
Chumono
I guess everyone is telling me - if you have absolutely nothing else to do.....
Why not Eastern Red Cedar
- Thread starter Silentrunning
- Start date
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
That Sulfur treatment watered into the soil I speak about on occasion breaks that cycle in one season here.
Grimmy
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Actually, I did mention if you have a lot of them they would be a great learning tool for growing potted plants... Also, they don't look horrible as that picture shows you so you could learn and have some nice looking little stock along the way
Grimmy
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Take a closer look around. There are some species in Carolina and Virginia that can make excellent bonsai and aren't nearly as much of a pain as ERC, AND they're easier to collect AND less disease-ridden.
To name a few--Hornbeam, blueberry, honeysuckle, bittersweet, escaped wisteria, blackhaw, tupelo, hawthorn, boxwood (landscapes around old houses or plantations can be a gold mine for old shrubs like that), any kind of elm, including American Elm (no, you don't have to worry much about Dutch elm disease).
GGB
Masterpiece
Sorce,
One of the things that make humans different than other species of animal on this Earth is our ability to share information and progress with our knowledge and technology. The wheel does not have to get reinvented by every one of us.
Many before you and me have tried ERC and EWP, and Dwarf Alberta Spruce, and each one has thumped their chest and stated that THEY will be the one to crack the code!
All have failed. Oh, maybe they’ve made a couple trees that aren’t totally embarrassing, but no one has created a Masterpiece.
So, it’s far wiser to spend your time doing something that has a much greater probability of a positive outcome. Unless, of course, you are overrun with hot dogs and need to grow some firewood for a weenie roast!
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
The OP is 73, starting Bonsai, I am pretty certain although he has a love for plants does not expect to ever have a masterpiece but simply enjoy the experience. We both know understanding how plants work potted is a large part of that experience, win or fail.
He probably could as you or I spend 2000.00USD or more on a plant but that does not seem to be his goal. Perhaps, putting it into perspective, he just wants to experience Bonsai, not in competition, but as a peaceful hobby...
All that being said I am pretty certain it would be a bit of learning along with a fair shares of grinning if he tried ERC...
Grimmy
John in Toledo
Mame
Ahhh, but when that one accidental moment negates the wheel entirely, we all will know what it takes to make the unknown known. I'm glad someone is willing to keep trying. It may not be wise to spend all our time solving the seemingly unsolvable puzzles, but perhaps spending some portion of time on it has value in and of itself?
I'm also very happy that we have wheels. Thank you, gentlemen, for sharing as much as do so that I don't have to reinvent wheels when it is exactly a wheel that I want.
Also, I'm a big fan of the weenie roast. I'll be using the pile of easy to grow trees that have died at my hands to make fires for a while though. Nothing as exciting as the eastern redwood cedar. I moght need to find a way to get some mesquite in my dead pile, though
You don’t have to spend $2000 to have a decent bonsai to mess with.
$50 on a shimpaku would be far more rewarding.
Here is one I took from being rather raw stock to being worthy of showing in a National Show in 3 years:
Before: June 2014
Now:
Granted, it was a bit more than $50, I paid that price to get the trunk caliper. But the foliage behaves nicely on shimpaku. ERC, not so much.
Silentrunning
Chumono
Grim, you pretty much hit the nail on the head describing me. If by some miracle I start a good tree I will probably never live to see it become a prize winner. That will be up to someone else. I started in bonsai because it gives me an excuse to be out in the fresh air and gives me exercise. The frosting on the cake is the people I meet and the beauty I see. Some people stop growing at retirement. I never want to stop learning, ever. Someday I may purchase an established bonsai, but that is not my goal. My goal is to die at 98 with calluses on my hands.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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I essentially agree with Rock M (Mark) and with Adair about the traits of Juniper virginiana. The biggest issue for me is they cedar-apple rust. J. virginiana is very prone to getting the cedar-apple rust, and I love my crabapples and flowering quinces. Can't have one with the other. So I gave up on ERC.
But I have many trees I never expect to become winners, I just grow them for my amusement. That's okay. I also start many trees fully intending to pass them along when the come comes. I'm starting a number of trees from seed, and really don't expect to see them become show quality bonsai, I'm already 63. While I have every intention of living to 110, and still be able to sling around 2 hand size bonsai, I know the odds of getting there are slim. I simple enjoy growing stuff.
So charge forth with the eastern red cedar. Keep in mind many junipers are better subjects, and the ERC will be a constant reservoir of cedar apple rust (not a problem if you don't have any Malus or Chaenomeles or Amelanchier) But if you got ERC, enjoy them for what they are. I have had several over my 30+ years of dabbling with bonsai.
But I have many trees I never expect to become winners, I just grow them for my amusement. That's okay. I also start many trees fully intending to pass them along when the come comes. I'm starting a number of trees from seed, and really don't expect to see them become show quality bonsai, I'm already 63. While I have every intention of living to 110, and still be able to sling around 2 hand size bonsai, I know the odds of getting there are slim. I simple enjoy growing stuff.
So charge forth with the eastern red cedar. Keep in mind many junipers are better subjects, and the ERC will be a constant reservoir of cedar apple rust (not a problem if you don't have any Malus or Chaenomeles or Amelanchier) But if you got ERC, enjoy them for what they are. I have had several over my 30+ years of dabbling with bonsai.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I must say....
These plants bring me such joy that I don't mind this fun path to unknown futures!
No other plant has proven so death defying.
No other plant displays the beautiful electric blue In winter like this one has.....for me.
Bonsai or not, seeing a healthy plant you are growing in that state is rewarding enough to add excellent energy to other "more worthy" bonsai subjects.
I'll keep this plant around if just to practice wiring!
But on the timeline in my head......
With how we know bonsai information has been "becoming" to say the least, as it is still changing today.........
It's the very fact that I believe these old guys gave up on these a long time ago for good reason....
That I continue with them today.
I will note when they piss me off.
I thought that rocked one was going to kick it, but it is greening up!
And don't let them talk bad about Birds nest spruce either! Hacked and basketed last summer or early fall..wintered on the ground.
Sorce
These plants bring me such joy that I don't mind this fun path to unknown futures!
No other plant has proven so death defying.
No other plant displays the beautiful electric blue In winter like this one has.....for me.
Bonsai or not, seeing a healthy plant you are growing in that state is rewarding enough to add excellent energy to other "more worthy" bonsai subjects.
I'll keep this plant around if just to practice wiring!
But on the timeline in my head......
With how we know bonsai information has been "becoming" to say the least, as it is still changing today.........
It's the very fact that I believe these old guys gave up on these a long time ago for good reason....
That I continue with them today.
I will note when they piss me off.
I thought that rocked one was going to kick it, but it is greening up!
And don't let them talk bad about Birds nest spruce either! Hacked and basketed last summer or early fall..wintered on the ground.
Sorce
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
He had it at our club show last year.
It's pretty cool.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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And in praise of Eastern Red Cedar, they are capable of living a long time, like so long a bristle cone pine might notice them. The tree in the image is reputed to be 800 years old. I'm certain it is over 200 years old, I think a more realistic guess would be 400 to 600, but some university tenured dude was telling me it was 800 years old. Granted he was drunk, but who am I to argue with him, after all he has a PhD and tenure. It is old enough that it has only mature foliage, no scale foliage. Definitely J. virginiana
6 foot tall nephew for scale, LaRue Pine Hills unit of Shawnee National Forest, southern Illinois. One lane gravel road at the bottom of the cliff.
This is a second ancient J. virginiana on the same bluff, a little further back away from the cliff.
6 foot tall nephew for scale, LaRue Pine Hills unit of Shawnee National Forest, southern Illinois. One lane gravel road at the bottom of the cliff.
This is a second ancient J. virginiana on the same bluff, a little further back away from the cliff.
TN_Jim
Omono
It was just a matter of time..
ERC, don’t listen to em’ baby
ERC, don’t listen to em’ baby
TN_Jim
Omono
Grim, you pretty much hit the nail on the head describing me. If by some miracle I start a good tree I will probably never live to see it become a prize winner. That will be up to someone else. I started in bonsai because it gives me an excuse to be out in the fresh air and gives me exercise. The frosting on the cake is the people I meet and the beauty I see. Some people stop growing at retirement. I never want to stop learning, ever. Someday I may purchase an established bonsai, but that is not my goal. My goal is to die at 98 with calluses on my hands.
I guess I am thinking hard about abundant a pioneer tree that that grows like corn, may die while i'm new to learning, about how to wire it, collect it for free, learn how to keep it alive, and have some sharp ugly leaves and branches in my hand, possibly for many years. This species is like wildfire around my area, and I understand it is not ideal. Ideal form, biological understanding, and common reason is good..rethinking collecting it again..good. Also, the skeletal system and brain typically
stops growing by late 20's.
Vinnie Charity
Shohin
I have this pretty nice Eastern Red Cedar that I dug up in my yard earlier this Spring that looks fairly promising.
December 2017
In these two pics it has some rust, but I got rid of if by watering the whole tree, putting it in full sun, haven't seen it come back, and it's been many months now.
April 2018
Here, it has recovered nicely and is starting to grow more scale foliage. I'll get some more recent pics on here soon.
July 2018
It's a split trunk, which is not preferred, but I may jin that second trunk. I'm just looking forward to seeing what I can do with it. Lots of branches to work with, and it was free. Won't make a good bonsai, but it will still be fun to play around with...
-Vin
December 2017
In these two pics it has some rust, but I got rid of if by watering the whole tree, putting it in full sun, haven't seen it come back, and it's been many months now.
April 2018
Here, it has recovered nicely and is starting to grow more scale foliage. I'll get some more recent pics on here soon.
July 2018
It's a split trunk, which is not preferred, but I may jin that second trunk. I'm just looking forward to seeing what I can do with it. Lots of branches to work with, and it was free. Won't make a good bonsai, but it will still be fun to play around with...
-Vin
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Silentrunning
Chumono
I hate to say it but picture #3 looks like you have the beginning of apple Cedar rust on your tree.
You say it’s “pretty nice”. What about it is nice? There’s no caliper in the trunks, there are no branches, it’s leggy... well, I guess the outer tips are green! That’s something.
I’m not trying to be a jerk, but it’s a stick in a pot. A twin trunk stick, but still a stick. That’s becoming a bush!
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I have a cultivar of ERC which I believe is Grey Owl....which I think can make good bonsai.....at least mine should.
