What are your bonsai goals for 2024?

[MHBonsai]

Figured out my water PH is 8.5+...so addressing that this year is my top priority. I'm having some big nutrient uptake issues with several trees.

Volunteering more with local clubs.

Avoid buying any more 40+ year project tree stumps....shooting for 5 years or less to get show-worthy.

Start a million cool kusamono.

Build some stands.

Have a blast!

 

[BonjourBonsai]

1. Focus on the 5 trees I have that are farthest along.
2. Focus on only the maples, juniper, pitch pines, and mugos (but also take care of the Beech, JBPs and boxwoods) that I already have.
3. If 2 conflicts with 1, see 1.
4. Stop using plastic food containers and invest in some nice, appropriate pots (a black plastic carryout container fried the roots of my best acer palmatum. Luckily, it is scrappy and sent out its reserve leaves and recovered. It needs evaporation to cool off.)
5. No more trees until I can take care of what I already have.
6. Feed the trees regularly.
7. Enjoy the journey with the trees.

 

[PaulH]

1. Have a tree or two selected for display at the Pacific Bonsai Expo.
2. Get back out collecting in the mountains now that my hip replacement has recovered.
3.Work on refinement and ramification on my best deciduous trees.
4. Replace my deteriorating bonsai benches.

 

[Calnicky]

The main thing is getting through another year healthy.

Bonsai-wise. Id like to find a nice American hornbeam to play with. Other than that try to get my collection more under control and moving forward.
Too many trees and not enough time. Need to clone myself or retire already.......sigh

RETIRE ALREADY! It's really great if you have an absorbing hobby. (And can continue to afford said hobby on retirement income. )

 

[Calnicky]

I will work on my bonsai practice EVERY day. I will do at least one thing on a tree every day, even if it's only studying a tree. This way I will always move forward with my trees. No stagnating!

 

[River's Edge]

Kaizen + Carpe Diem = continuous improvement while enjoying the journey!

 

[pandacular]

Stop using plastic food containers and invest in some nice, appropriate pots (a black plastic carryout container fried the roots of my best acer palmatum. Luckily, it is scrappy and sent out its reserve leaves and recovered. It needs evaporation to cool off.)

Most nurseries will let you have nursery containers for free, especially if they know you.

 

[Fi5ch]

Stop planting seeds/cuttings/seedlings and work towards a goal of fewer trees, but higher quality

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I just want to have fun doing it.
Everything else doesn't matter guys.

 

[MSU JBoots]

The primary goal with a 2 week old newborn on top of my toddler now is to just keep things alive. Secondary I want to repot a few more things to get almost all my trees in the same soil to help me with watering. Some are still in organic dirt from the nursery. My tertiary goal is to push a couple trees from development towards refinement. Lastly, I hope to take another workshop at the state show again this spring! Preferably one where you bring your own tree.

 

[MSU JBoots]

I have a few different sets of goals. The first set are related to education and engagement. I am taking quite a few classes with a number of different teachers, and I have a goal of establishing a “main” teacher once I get a feel for the teachers in Portland (sadly, I don’t think Seattle has the same caliber of public teachers). I will also begin volunteering at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, starting with being a teaching assistant in their expanded classes, as well as being a docent. Long term, I would like to volunteer working on the trees.

In terms of my garden, I would like to figure out some sort of automatic watering system, at least for when I’m traveling. I have a ton of pumice, so maybe I’ll get it sifted and sorted.

Some of my trees have individual goals, but most of them are still in quite early development. The primary goal is to get most of them repotted into bonsai soil.

I’m seriously impressed. There’s diving in head first into the hobby and then there’s complete immersion. It seems you’re doing the latter and I’m a bit jealous. I just don’t have the time for all that. I just want to join the local club in the not too distant future.

 

[Paradox]

RETIRE ALREADY! It's really great if you have an absorbing hobby. (And can continue to afford said hobby on retirement income. )

Cant. Need 2.5 more years until I can get my full retirement

 

[dbonsaiw]

I'd like to have a clearer direction for more of my trees - after 3 years, "just let it grow another season" is starting to bother me.

 

[BonsaiPoppie]

1. Focus on the 5 trees I have that are farthest along.
2. Focus on only the maples, juniper, pitch pines, and mugos (but also take care of the Beech, JBPs and boxwoods) that I already have.
3. If 2 conflicts with 1, see 1.
4. Stop using plastic food containers and invest in some nice, appropriate pots (a black plastic carryout container fried the roots of my best acer palmatum. Luckily, it is scrappy and sent out its reserve leaves and recovered. It needs evaporation to cool off.)
5. No more trees until I can take care of what I already have.
6. Feed the trees regularly.
7. Enjoy the journey with the trees.

I have flunked #5 more times than I can remember.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I have flunked #5 more times than I can remember.

LOL. Mee too. I can't seem to develop a tree to my liking, so I am making up for it in volume.

 

[BonsaiPoppie]

Stop planting seeds/cuttings/seedlings and work towards a goal of fewer trees, but higher quality

That really worked for me, NOT!

 

[tigerscott79]

Hoping to find souce of few dawn redwood cultivars "jack frost" and "silhouette " and maybe to learn how to root and graft though ik grafting some trees do not result into good specimens but maybe airlayering perhaps. Sadly both cultivars are either never in stock or massive 5 gallon ones way out price range especially of shipped .amd ofc to learn amd gleam as much knowledge as I go from group memebers.

 

[dmwphoto]

1. Learn as much as possible
2. apply what I learn
3. have fun!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Build a greenhouse so I can avoid the spring bonsai shuffle and sell off a couple of my big trees that now weigh more than I feel comfortable lugging around. Anyone want to buy a big wisteria?

 

[vesper818]

My goal is to not buy any more seeds or plants, and work to refine and define the collection. The problem with growing mame bonsai, even on an apartment balcony, is there's always room for 1 more.