Randy knight

[Dav4]

I got a small cascade needle juniper. I really wanted to get a rocky man juniper but I don't think it will do well in Alabama. the gentleman at golden arrow will send you pictures if you tell him what you are interested in and has a few on his website. I don't have the tree in my hands yet but from what everybody says I want be disappointed. My brother is a Arborist in Atlanta and gives Bonsai away at conventions and to special customers. He is the one that got me addicted to Bonsai a couple of years ago. He has always purchased the trees to give away from Mike at Full Moon in Marietta. Mike is always willing to help me with stuff. I came to your auction a month ago or so and I wish you did more of them. You probably already know about New England bonsai as well. If you haven't they have some awesome trees. I only wish growing them from seed is as easy as it looks in the Pine from seed article in Bonsai Today Masters' Series Pines book.

Hah! Mike lives about 5 minutes from me, and all of my nicer trees are probably from New England Bonsai...I'm from MA and lived about 20 miles from NEBG for a decade...probably a good thing I live 1000 miles away now. If you haven't already reached out to Brian Van Fleet, do so. He's down sizing his collection at the moment and the stuff not making the cut is pretty good and priced to sell. Have fun with your new trees. By the way, RMJs will do ok down here, but I think shimpaku, san jose, and Hollywood junipers are bit more bullet proof. Cut your teeth on the easy stuff, then get yourself that killer RMJ. Good luck.

 

[JoeR]

I also would love to have a collected/imported juniper or pine. Haven't found anything yet though.

I do strongly believe that I could handle a small collected juniper, similar to the one that Eric had displayed at the cup. When he bought it, not how it looks now obviously. Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Is it unreasonable to believe so?

 

[johng]

I also would love to have a collected/imported juniper or pine. Haven't found anything yet though.

I do strongly believe that I could handle a small collected juniper, similar to the one that Eric had displayed at the cup. When he bought it, not how it looks now obviously. Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Is it unreasonable to believe so?

Perhaps the question is how would you feel if you killed a 100 year old juniper? Because it is highly likely!

 

[wireme]

I also would love to have a collected/imported juniper or pine. Haven't found anything yet though.

I do strongly believe that I could handle a small collected juniper, similar to the one that Eric had displayed at the cup. When he bought it, not how it looks now obviously. Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Is it unreasonable to believe so?

If you live in the right climate and can find one established and healthy with mountain soil removed in good substrate and you don't overwork it they seem pretty tough.

 

[LanceMac10]

I also would love to have a collected/imported juniper or pine. Haven't found anything yet though.

I do strongly believe that I could handle a small collected juniper, similar to the one that Eric had displayed at the cup. When he bought it, not how it looks now obviously. Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Is it unreasonable to believe so?

You describe characteristics every hobbyist is looking for, the sellar knows this and you'll pay thru the nose.
Taking care of a collected specimen is a lot different than whacking away on a garden juniper!!
Five years later I'm finally over killing stuff I bought that was more than I could chew!!!

 

[Adair M]

I do strongly believe that I could handle a small collected juniper, similar to the one that Eric had displayed at the cup. When he bought it, not how it looks now obviously. Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Is it unreasonable to believe so?

I know Eric's tree. He showed it at the BIB show last January.

That tree is a California Juniper. With Kishu Shimpaku grafted on for the foliage. The grafts are probably 10 years old.

That trunk? Maybe 400 years old. That's the only way to get "ribbon" deadwood.

California Juniper won't last 3 years in Alabama. At least, not with its native foliage. Too much fungus and humidity. With Kishu grafted foliage? It might live. Better to graft on Shimpaku roots as well as foliage. Shimpaku roots and foliage, California trunk.

Don't laugh. It's done.

I'm grafting on Kishu on a Western Juniper so that it will live in Georgia.

 

[JoeR]

Perhaps the question is how would you feel if you killed a 100 year old juniper? Because it is highly likely!

So you have never killed an old tree?

I think that buying a tree like this pushes you to have more patience when working or styling a tree. It pushes you to research more. Find help. Work hard to find a good soil mix and ferilizer without haphazardly applying anything you get your hands on.

How else would learn how to treat such trees without actually doing it?

 

[JoeR]

I know Eric's tree. He showed it at the BIB show last January.

That tree is a California Juniper. With Kishu Shimpaku grafted on for the foliage. The grafts are probably 10 years old.

That trunk? Maybe 400 years old. That's the only way to get "ribbon" deadwood.

California Juniper won't last 3 years in Alabama. At least, not with its native foliage. Too much fungus and humidity. With Kishu grafted foliage? It might live. Better to graft on Shimpaku roots as well as foliage. Shimpaku roots and foliage, California trunk.

Don't laugh. It's done.

I'm grafting on Kishu on a Western Juniper so that it will live in Georgia.

Not similar to his tree in species but more of shape/size. I am in NC btw. I want something that I can graft myself with kishu or shimpaku.

I have come to terms already that I won't find what I am looking for. A compromise I have settled on is making a Phoenix graft on some wood I collected while I was in MT.

 

[wireme]

I have come to terms already that I won't find what I am looking for.

Why is that? The thread has mostly been about how to find what you're looking for no?

 

[JoeR]

Why is that? The thread has mostly been about how to find what you're looking for no?

It has been a help yes, but I have yet to find that special tree for the *right* price.

The *right* price is one that doesn't bring forth an expression of shock or horror from my family. They think it's insane that I spend the amount I do for 'just trees', even though I have never spent a large amount on a tree. "Why don't you just find one in the woods and dig it" up is favored especially.

 

[Geo]

Depends on your disposable income ,I suppose. But if there is a margin for this: well, time for some tough love (ie. gaining respect for your avocation). People are always mentioning (tongue in cheek,often) the "wife's displeasure" or indeed the "husbands comment" ad nauseum. After all, how much do they spend on shoes, or trout hooks or computer games or ....?

 

[Adair M]

Want to do something like Eric's tree at a reasonable cost?

How does this tree look to you?


This tree can be "produced" at a reasonable cost. If you know how.

This is Kishu juniper grafted onto either SanJose or Procumbens trunk. (Nobody knows which.) Twenty years ago.

You could probably find an old juniper in someone's landscape. Dig it, graft it, and style it. Easy peasy!

 

[Djtommy]

Not a 1,000 year old mass of deadwood but something small and elegant with nice lines and some deadwood.

Good thing about deadwood is, you can not kill it.

 

[JoeR]

Want to do something like Eric's tree at a reasonable cost?

How does this tree look to you?
View attachment 83275

This tree can be "produced" at a reasonable cost. If you know how.

This is Kishu juniper grafted onto either SanJose or Procumbens trunk. (Nobody knows which.) Twenty years ago.

You could probably find an old juniper in someone's landscape. Dig it, graft it, and style it. Easy peasy!

Reasonable cost, not so reasonable amount of time!

Misread your comment. At first I thought you said it would take 20 years to make, sorry.

I actually saw a really nice thick trunked juniper (parsonii, I believe) at a nursery near me that I could use. Knew I should have bought it at only$15.Maybe I will give that a shot!

 

[Adair M]

That could work.

 

[Dav4]

It's time or money, Joe...you have to pay with one or the other.

 

[Paradox]

It's time or money, Joe...you have to pay with one or the other.

This. "Special trees" dont come cheap. There is no bargain basement masterpiece or near masterpiece.

 

[sorce]

Phoenix graft on some wood I collected while I was in MT

Isn't that a Billings graft?
Phoenix is in Az! Lol

Seriously. Don't, or at least, try not to, take that route.
If you always wanted a dog, would you buy a rat and glue hair on its tail?
Buy a chinchilla and feed it a lot?
Trap a black bear and feed it biscuits?

Here it is,.....ahem.......

"(insert pet name of choice), you know I love you, I understand that we need to pay the mortgage. I love you soooo much, you know I won't let you down. I need to spend more time with you and the kids, I know all these cheap little trees take up more of my time than one nice one would.
They are not like you, pretty off the shelf!
If I buy this one nice tree I have been looking at, I must leave it alone for years before I work on it. I'll find the elusive satisfaction I am looking for in this hobby, and have more time to spend with you."

Either that, or deal crack on the side!
Cuz it's still gonna be no!

Lol

Sorce

 

[johng]

So you have never killed an old tree?
How else would learn how to treat such trees without actually doing it?

Sure, I've killed lots of trees...but no old Pines or Junipers from the mountains simply because I have watched folks in this region kill dozens of them trying to grow them in the hot and humid Southeast over the years. Many of those folks succumbed to the notion that they were smarter than the trees...only to end up with dead trees, and hopefully a troubled conscious, before they realized that maybe they weren't so smart. I would like to think I am smart enough to recognize that a tree that has spent its life growing in the mtns is going to struggle mightily in our climate.

You are far better off developing something that will thrive in your area... I also find Adair's easy-peezy comment just as ludicrous...if its sooo easy don't you think he, and everyone else, should have a backyard full of collected/ dug junipers that have been grafted with shimpaku and ready to go to into a national level exhibition?? If you care to take note...trees like that are even more rare than those collected from the mountains...easy-peazy right!!

 

[JoeR]

So, to sum it all up...

I have no self respect if I create a Phoenix graft,

A murderer if I buy an Imported or collected kishu/shimpaku juniper,

Or doomed to spend a very long time to create the rarest of all junipers.



So we are back where we started.

Shohin size kishu or shimpaku.