A friend I hadn’t seen for a while stopped by the other day and was telling me he was involved in bosai as a new hobby. I guess about 3 years into it now. I showed him a tree I had in progress for about the past 12 years. I had a hunch what his reaction would be but I waited for it anyway. He informed me that I had a nice little tree but not a true bonsai.He is caught up in that style where you bring it home, wire it up, trim it and call it a bonsai. He had some very nice examples that within a couple of years would be nice trees.
I admire that aspect and still use it on occassion but now I prefer to develop a tree with no time frame in mind. This year was the first year my tree stated exhibiting some real character. Still very much immature but going along perfectly to suit me. It slightly bothered me that he was unable to grasp that aspect.
I lost my entire collection about 20 years ago and have since just kept a couple of pets around that I usually end up giving away so only had the one tree as an example.
Need more information. What do you do to yours, if you don’t wire it up and trim it? DO you have photos, of yours, or his? I’ve had interest in bonsai off and on over the years (starting with the TV series New Horizons in Bonsai when it was new) and have several books on the subject, but haven’t put much time into actually growing them. Had one ginkgo that I grew for several years (hoping to build a thick, short trunk) but it eventually died.
I like to develop a good trunk and lower branches as well. This takes some time that I don’t mind waiting on. The trees with good potential from the nursery can be fun to play with and shape. Even more fun can be collecting wild specimens where it is legal.
I had several from wild privet in my old collection that I highly prized after about 15 years training. The trunk developed a lot of character fairly quickly.
Darren: Ginkos are really, really easy to grow given proper care. Must’ve been mistreating it. I typically grew all my starter bonsai in nothing but marbles with twice a day watering/fertilizing. Its really easy to create anaerobic conditions that create root-rot, so to speak. Just saying…the linked articles explain about soil, etc…
HoneybadgerDC - yeah, privets are quick and easy to make attractive with their proclicivity for backbudding. Good job!
Not so much mistreating it but neglecting it. Acting as a sole caretaker of an elderly grandparent spiraling in for a close, so I had other priorities at the time.
