Critique my young bonsai!

[Saddler]

Be aware of loving your trees to death. Most, if not all that are new to Bonsai kill some of their first trees with too much attention. I’ve done it. A lot. Get as many trees as reasonable. Gives you something to do. If you kill a couple, and you probably will, it will be less discouraging with trees to move on with. And you can use the knowledge you have learned along the way to replace them with better trees.

 

[Saddler]

Take a look at one of my first attempts at wiring and the path since then. https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/m...onsai-attempt-san-jose-juniper-i-think.27236/

 

[Cable]

I’ll never do it again I promise! Don’t shun me?

 

[Lorax7]

I’ll never do it again I promise! Don’t shun me?

 

[Cypress187]

kill some of their first trees with too much attention

Guilty.

 

[Potawatomi13]

What do you think?

You're Hot!

 

[saucyintruder]

There's something in both of them, they could improve with proper care. I hope the juniper recovers, it's a good lmearning material.

What did you use for potting medium?

I used the soil mixture I made for my succulent plants- cactus soil, perlite, coarse sand and orchid mix of bark and charcoal. Do you think that will be ok for a year or so?

 

[saucyintruder]

I should add that I’m super broke right now and about to start a new job so in a few months I’ll be better able to buy proper bonsai supplies and a few good books. I’ll post an updoot if these bois survive!

 

[just.wing.it]

I used the soil mixture I made for my succulent plants- cactus soil, perlite, coarse sand and orchid mix of bark and charcoal. Do you think that will be ok for a year or so?

Thats probabaly not too bad of a mix, just be careful to not over-water...
That pine bark can stay wet for some time...

 

[saucyintruder]

just be careful to not over-water...
That pine bark can stay wet for some time...

Ok thank you I will definitely keep that in mind. Thankfully, growing succulents has taught me some patience re watering and I was unexpectedly gifted a moisture meter. Hopefully this will do for a year while the trees recover.

 

[Cable]

I should add that I’m super broke right now and about to start a new job so in a few months I’ll be better able to buy proper bonsai supplies and a few good books. I’ll post an updoot if these bois survive!

“Updoot”. That’s so Canadian! Lol

 

[just.wing.it]

moisture meter.

Oh, hey cool...
I haven't used one before...
Well...I used to use a bamboo skewer stuck in the soil of certain trees to see when the the stick dried...its a good method as well...primitive moisture meter

 

[saucyintruder]

Should I water before the soil dries out completely or wait until it is dry?

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hi Saucy, my experience-- little as it is -- is with deciduous, so I can't answer your watering question. I wanted to say hi and welcome you to this great bonsai site. When you have some spare time, cruise through the different areas of the site; there's lots of good info here.

 

[just.wing.it]

Should I water before the soil dries out completely or wait until it is dry?

I try to wait until the top inch or so....excuse me, 2.5cm?....is dry before watering.
Alas, my work schedule makes my watering more of a timed scheduled thing, than accurate care, as it should be.....That's one reason why I like to use mostly inorganic substrates, which can "make over-watering impossible"...I agree with this notion as long as the container is one that doesn't hold a bunch water...

For example...

(Poor picture, but its the only one have at the moment) This juniper is in a heavy freeze proof flower pot from Home Depot, or an equivalent...its round and tapered like a funnel....and it has 4 one inch....sorry, 2.5cm?....drainage holes.
It drains like a champ!
I have a few of my trees in the exact same pots... Obviously this is a training pot...and once the trees are ready for true bonsai pots, they'll have a suitable rootball to do so.

 

[Clicio]

Should I water before the soil dries out completely or wait until it is dry?

IF it drains well, water when the soil feels /looks dry. I don't wait till the bottom soil is completely dry, but...
I am in a tropical country and things here can get hot very fast!

 

[just.wing.it]

IF it drains well, water when the soil feels /looks dry. I don't wait till the bottom soil is completely dry, but...
I am in a tropical country and things here can get hot very fast!

Yeah...sometimes when I come home from work in the evening, if its been 101°F (...umm, 40°C ??) and very humid, the soil may look moist....but I still water....simply to flush and cool the root system...those pots can get very hot in the afternoon sun.

Edit....oh wait...40°c is a little high...not that we don't get there...but I meant 38...lol!
Is it Centigrade or Celsius???
I learned Centigrade in Thermodynamics...along with Kelvin, Rankin, and Fahrenheit...

 

[saucyintruder]

I wanted to say hi and welcome you to this great bonsai site. When you have some spare time, cruise through the different areas of the site; there's lots of good info here.

Thank you I certainly will, this place is amazing.

 

[AlainK]

I used the soil mixture I made for my succulent plants- cactus soil, perlite, coarse sand and orchid mix of bark and charcoal. Do you think that will be ok for a year or so?

I should think so, yes.

As others said, the soil should not be soaked. For a tree in training, I'd say that's OK.

 

[saucyintruder]

That's one reason why I like to use mostly inorganic substrates, which can "make over-watering impossible"...I agree with this notion as long as the container is one that doesn't hold a bunch water...

sorry but what is an inorganic substrate in the context of bonsai? I googled it and I apparently need a chemistry lesson lol