species... one of each? specialize in one and its cultivars?

barrosinc

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When I started I thought I love acers, now I have really got fond of flowering species too...
I want to have so many acers, azaleas, caliandras, crabapples, cherry, maybe a cascade juniper, elms and so on!

What do you have and want? does having too many varieties make you not specialize enough on one special variety?
 
I have several different types. Pines, junipers, spruce, boxwood, holly, maples, elm, birch, Eurynomous, azalea, quince, ficus, brazilian rain tree (Yeah....Im nuts). Among the pines there are at least 3 different categories that need to be treated differently. Some things are common to several types but there are important differences too.

Yes it can get overwhelming keeping up with what each one needs and the seasonality of the things you need to for each of them. My advice would be to start with a few types (3-5) and try to learn then before adding more.
 
I like variety.

My list (that I can remember/recall):
Boxwood (Japanese)
Yaupon Holly
Cedar Elm
Ume
Apricot
Crabapple
Plum
Korean Hornbeam
American Hornbeam
Trident Maple
Campeche/Logwood/Bloodwood
Ficus Nerifolia/Salicaria/Willow leaf
Ginseng ficus (grafted w/ Green Isle foliage)
Fukien Tea
Barbados Cherry
Bald Cypress
Montezuma Cypress
Japanese Quince
Torulosa/Hollywood Juniper
Shimpaku Juniper
Red Maple
Neea Buxifolia
TX Persimmon
TX Ebony
Agarita
Buttonwood
Tintillo
Azalea (various)
Japanese Ligustrum/Privet
Chinese Ligustrum/Privet
Pomegranate
Live Oak
Pomegranate
TX Sage
Guayabacon (Muleta)
Japanese Black Pine
Brazilian Rain Tree
Olive
Cat's Claw acacia
Crape Myrtle
Kingsville boxwood
Pear
Pyracantha
Bougainvillae
Itoigawa Shimpaku Juniper
...and some unknown trees/shrubs. :)
 
Variety is the spice of life -- and it is healthier, too.

Monoculture (all of one -- or even two -- Genera or species) tempts fate in the way of insect pests or disease -- especially disease.

Variety also is good for the brain; you actually learn some botany, taxonomy, botany, etc. by working with many different trees with many different needs. If you collect, you get a bit of ecology thrown in for good measure as you learn which trees grow where and how they differ under different conditions.

At last count I am working with -- or have worked with -- more than 45 different Genera and 60 different species. Currently, since I have culled my collection significantly (either involuntarily or otherwise) I have bonsai of 25 different species of plant and I suspect that number will be smaller by this time next year.
 
I have a variety but I also attempt to specialize in one area. Pines are my passion but I love to have variety to show.
 
I currently have 4 kinds of pines,4 kinds of juniper,6 kinds of elms, hinoki cypress,2 kinds of boxwood, barberry, white spruce, hornbeams and hawthorn.
A little variety is good to keep me busy. Different trees require work at different times so there is always something to do.
 
The longer you work at bonsai, the more likely it is that you will find a specie or genus that speaks to you, something you enjoy more than the others. Mine is Malus. You'll limit your potential if you start with only one, not only your potential pool of plants to work on, but also your potential to learn and grow in the hobby.
 
These are always interesting threads. I work with a relatively large variety as well, though not as many as Dario and still probably fewer than the number of concave cutters, Chinese or otherwise, that he has ;)

Maples - Trident and Japanese (green leaf, red leaf, cork bark, ao kanzashi, kotohime, shishigashira, chisio improved, katsura, coral bark)

Hornbeams - Korean and American

Elms - Cedar, Chinese cork barks (standard, Seiju, Yatsubusa), American, Zelkova

Pines - JBP and Ponderosa

Oak - Willow and Cork

Juniper (Shimpaku, Kishu, Itoigawa), Bald Cypress, Wisteria, Yew, Boxwood, Spruce (Engelmann), Boulevard Cypress

Other species that I've started (mostly in the ground) over the last year or two from seedlings (mostly from Brent) just to play around with to make shohin out of: Stewartia, Prunus (crab apples, ume, flowering cherry, flowering pear), Flowering quince (too numerous to name), Styrax, Cedar (Atlas)

I've dabbled in other species, but recently gave up beech and azaleas, as they would inexplicably die on me (thankfully on the azaleas, I started off with relatively inexpensive stock). I've had bouts of verticillium wilt problems on a few japanese maples, so I don't think I'm going to push any further into them.

Over time, I can see myself further whittling down my collection and really focusing on tridents, elms, japanese black pine, hornbeams, bald cypress, yew, junipers, and spruce, as these are species that even I have a hard time killing. And then of course, some of the other species as more one- or two-offs. I like the variety and having different tasks over the course of the year like someone else mentioned.
 
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I have:
1 chinese elm (where it all started, my wife gave it to me as a gift)
2 japanese maples, 1 large stump ready to start working branches and improving nebari. The other one is quite small but already working it.
2 azaleas in nursery pots to be worked in spring.
1 wisteria in bonsai pot.
4 japanese maples relatively young in the ground getting thick.


Looking for crabapple, trident and bougainvillea. for now.
 
Since people are listing, here is a more detailed list of my forest (trying to picture my bench to get them all)

Pines: mugo (7), scots (1), JBP (3), JWP(2), pitch pine (5)
Juniper: Shimpaku (1), pro nana (3), San Jose (2), J. chininsis-blue pfizer(2)
Spruce (1)
Ilex: (2)
Boxwood: (5)
Quince (2)
Smoke tree (1) - forgot this one in the previous post
Azalea: Satsuki (1), Chinzan (2), Karume (1)
Chinese elm (1)
Maple: Japanese maple (2), Trident (1 maybe 2 -jury is still out on whether 1 will live/is alive)
Birch (2)
Eurynomous - burning bush(3)
Hinkoi (1) - also forgot this one before
Brazilian rain tree (2)
Ficus (2)
Dawn Redwood (1)
Nippon Chrysanthimum (1)-experiment based on a ABS article I saw

......I still think Im nuts.

In any case the number you should get is the number you think you can handle while still being able to work on them as needed time wise and what you have space for. Dont forget about winter storage space if that applies to your area
 
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I have a good mix of trees which helps to have different things to do and learn. I think Stan's comment rings very true even among this forum. I don't have enough time in bonsai to fall for one species yet, but I will say deciduous trees are more rewarding for me lately. Probably because they are faster than pines.
 
I prefer JBP to all other species.

But I do have a couple tridents, zelkova, shimpaku, Japanese maple, a JWP and a quince.

But mostly JBP.
 
I've got mostly junipers and oaks. But I also have coast redwoods, lodgepole pines, Japanese maples, Trident maples, flowering apricots, Black pines, elms, a flowering pear, a norway spruce forest, a liguidambar forest, a European hornbeam forest, a zelkova forest, a satsuki azalea, a wild plum, a styrax, some boxwoods, a Washington hawthorn forest, a California laurel, some privets, an incense cedar, a California buckeye, a Western white pine, a wisteria, a Dawn redwood, and some olives.
 
I try to get one or two of everything. I like to learn how to cultivate each. It keeps it challenging. I think I Would be bored specializing in one or two.
 
Sounds like everyone here gets bitten buy the bonsai mosquito of having bazilliones of trees! LOL
 
The more the merrier. It's a veritable bonsai party going on up in here!
 
I like to grow trees that seem to do well in my area , and that can stand our winters.
Currently, Trident maples , Cork bark elms , Kingsville boxwood, Amur maples.
I have had in the past a lot of varieties much like everyone else, but they did not do well in my area and I don't want to have to baby those types of plants again.
I like to travel in the winter and when I do I plant mine in the ground pot and all and leave them for the winter.
 
I love trees of all shapes and sizes, bonsai included. I've unconsciously migrated toward keeping more evergreens as bonsai- mostly junipers, pines and yew. I would say that the majority of long time experienced hobbyists seem to dedicate most of their efforts with a few given species. Look at Smoke with his tridents, Adair with his JBP, BVF with his JBP and Junipers, Mach5 with his Japanese maples, Johng with his swamp cypress, etc. Still, I know these guys mess around with and are certainly good at producing quality bonsai specimens with other species. As Jkl pointed out, variety can be good and too much of one thing can be bad. I'm branching out into maples and hopefully bald cypress at the moment. It's all good.
 
I definitely prefer native trees. Perhaps one reason Japanese species are preferred is because the cultivars have been selectively bred for longer. I know my strobus will never have the power of a jbp, but you can't blame a guy for trying. I mostly do one of each unless elms volunteer or ficus clone easily.
 
I'm bored and it looked like everyone was having so much fun here so I wanted to join.
I'm almost a tropical bigot, due to zone envy.
I just can't grow a lot of different conifers and deciduous trees in Florida, so I don't try.
I also gave away my only Juniper.
I have a natural affinity for Ficus Salicaria.
I have more Salicaria than any other tree in my collection.
I pay more attention to my Salicaria cuttings in marinara cups than a lot of my other trees.
I have:

Ficus Salicaria
Ficus Salicaria '89'
Ficus Exotica
Ficus Microcarpa Retusa 'Kinmen'
Ficus Microcarpa Retusa
Pink Pixie Bougainvillea
Purple Bougainvillea
Portulicaria Afra
Lantana Camara
Brazillian Rain Tree
Jaboticaba
Buttonwood
Fukien Tea (hate)
Simpson Stopper
Ilex Vomitoria 'Schillings'
Japanese Black Pine
Crepe Myrtle
Bald Cypress
Chinese Tallow (not really working)
Chinese Elm
Southern Hackberry
American Hornbeam
Florida Elm (Ulmus Americana)
Florida Maple (Acer Rubrum)

I managed to start every sentence with I, thats cool.

And the trees I tend to at Heathcote's Jim Smith Bonsai Gallery (lots of repeats):

Ficus Salicaria
Ficus Salicaria '89'
Ficus Exotica
Ficus Microcarpa
Ficus Microcarpa Retusa 'Kinmen'
Ficus Microcarpa 'Nitida'
Ficus Natalensis
Ficus Religiosa
Ficus Benjimina
Green Island Ficus
Baobab
Gumbo Limbo
Portulicaria Afra
Brazillian Rain Tree
Neea Buxifolia
Spanish Stopper
Simpson Stopper
Surinam Cherry
Buttonwood
Jaboticaba
Red Bougainvillea
Purple Bougainvillea
Southern Hackberry
Crepe Myrtle
Pink Tabebuia
Schefflera Arboricola
Wrightia Religiosa
 
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