How have you or your trees progressed this year? What have you learned?

Anthony · Sep 16, 2017

Learnt that watering in the evening does allow the tree to restore itself to harmony over night.

Learnt from watching the fustic as we try for shallower pots.

If you only water twice in the morning, the tree uses the water to restore harmony, and then wilts at around
2.00 p.m in dry weather.
Then attempts to self defoliate.
Good Day
Anthony

sikadelic · Sep 16, 2017

I'm not really with my progress over the last couple of years, as well as my trees, to be honest. I have had a lot of things pulling at my time over the last 2 growing seasons. Packing up and preparing to move last year and then looking for a place, buying, moving in, starting a new job and being away for training, etc this year.

I haven't been as dedicated to trimming and wiring as I should have been. I haven't been active here on the boards as much or reading a lot of the educational blogs and sites that I usually visited. I have just kinda stalled out lately. I did repot a couple of my trees this Spring and collected what will be an awesome boxwood at some point so I do have some things to be happy about.

I say all that to say, I haven't lost interest. I am really excited to get back to work next year now that I have all those stressful things behind me. A couple seasons of unchecked growth is never a bad thing in my book when you have trees like mine. Here's to next year!

Carol 83 · Sep 17, 2017

I learned how stupid I was last year when I was scared to put my trees outside for the summer. This year I dread having to bring them in. I learned I can repot, prune, and even get a few cuttings to root. I learned it's better to buy a few better trees, than a bunch of crappy ones. I learned how generous and kind people here can be with their advice, time and material. I learned petty arguments aside, this is a pretty great community, and I'm not crazy for really liking little trees.

sorce · Sep 18, 2017

I learned that I learned so much this year I'd run out of ink if I tried to type it all!

Observation.

There is more to learn from any tree, than There is in any book.

Sorce

Giga · Sep 18, 2017

I learned I need more wire...

IrishCrow · Sep 18, 2017

I learned how to keep my plants happy for the most part.
I learned how tedious junipers are.
I learned how to replant a large tree (with help of course)
I learned that when you ask a question you will get at least 5 different answers lol.
And lastly i learned that after a year and a half of practicing bonsai that i still absolutely love it!

tstrum · Sep 18, 2017

I've learned how hard it is to keep my trees happy and vigorous. And that until I can, all techniques and styling are irrelevant. I must adapt to the trees and not the other way around. I must learn to act on "tree" time and not my frantic running around time perception. Unfortunately, I think year 3 will look like year 2 until I can get watering, soil mixture, light, pest/disease control right enough to allow forward movement in my trees and not backward.

Haha as pessimistic as that sounds, I'm unphased in my love for this hobby. Just have to work that much harder

M. Frary · Sep 18, 2017

Learned about elastic trees.

tstrum · Sep 18, 2017

M. Frary said:
Learned about elastic trees.

I'm considering making the switch to plastic trees, anything living that I get tend to die haha

Bon Sai · Sep 18, 2017

I learned how to make an air layer and in fact had one success (among several failures).

Here is the succesful one (common olive tree).

I planted it half a month ago and it has since sprouted new shoots directly from both trunks.

I plan to make air layers on much thicker branches on the same tree, next springtime. I like this tree especially for it's bark and other features.

Oh, and hello, it's my first post.

makarovnik · Sep 18, 2017

Patience
and patience
and more patience

I probably didn't learn enough patience because now I cant wait until next spring

plant_dr · Sep 18, 2017

Bon Sai said:
I learned how to make an air layer and in fact had one success (among several failures).

Here is the succesful one (common olive tree).

I planted it half a month ago and it has since sprouted new shoots directly from both trunks.

I plan to make air layers on much thicker branches on the same tree, next springtime. I like this tree especially for it's bark and other features.

Oh, and hello, it's my first post.

Welcome to crazy!

pitchpine · Sep 19, 2017

I've learned that keeping deciduous species alive is not my forte.

In the last year I lost: two American elms and a horse chestnut that I collected this spring before bud break; a native striped maple that I acquired as nursery stock in fall 2015 and transplanted this spring; a poncirus trifoliata that I'd had for several years, and a young oak seedling.

I suspect that some of these succumbed to too much moisture in the soil mix, and others from too little. So guess you could say I learned that I've got a lot to learn about soil mix/watering for deciduous species!

Laura

thumblessprimate1 · Sep 19, 2017

Had a few casualties this year. From what's survived, trunks and surface roots are improving. I too have stopped taking a lot of cuttings and growing seedlings for bonsai. Moved on to more developed material that I developed or collected. But then I find myself returning to cuttings because I could use them for root and branch grafts. Funny huh? Maples, Elm, and Hackberry; I'll have some more interesting trunks and surface root pictures to show you each year.

Carol 83 · Sep 19, 2017

We went to a Fall festival/Craft Fair last weekend, and there was a guy with a bonsai stand. I looked at all of his overpriced sticks in pots, and walked away empty handed. I did comment to the people we were with that a tree he labeled as a Brazilian rain tree, was no such thing. I think my husband was pretty surprised I wasn't even tempted to buy anything. But he MAY not be aware that I just purchased a nice bougie from @milehigh_7

. Lesson learned, quit buying crap.

milehigh_7 · Sep 19, 2017

Bon Sai said:
I learned how to make an air layer and in fact had one success (among several failures).

Here is the succesful one (common olive tree).
I planted it half a month ago and it has since sprouted new shoots directly from both trunks.

I plan to make air layers on much thicker branches on the same tree, next springtime. I like this tree especially for it's bark and other features.

Oh, and hello, it's my first post.

Welcome and nice work!!!

chicago1980 · Sep 22, 2017

Sun
Water
Soil
Buy the best tree you can
There are few masters
How to clean deadwood
Have patience
Fungicides are necessary in my area
Defeating spider mites takes time & effort
Early observation
Have a routine
Focusing on one species was the best strategy for me to Excel.
I rather have 5 trees than 50 at this point.
Have confidence because people in bonsai are opinionated.
Bonsai is a composition of more than a tree and pot, to me it's important to create a proper place to display each tree individually & together.

Paradox · Sep 22, 2017

I've learned that I still have A LOT to learn

wlambeth · Sep 22, 2017

I've learned I have too many damn plants!

RKatzin · Sep 22, 2017

GrimLore said:
I learned -

View attachment 160828

Grimmy

Thanks, that really sums it up for my learning experience this season! I have about a dozen Japanese Maples that I am growing for stock. My plan was to set airlayers on them all this year. First I'll clear an area down by the pond that looks just right. It's overgrown with willows and I cleaned the whole area and set out pallets for my Maples. A lovely array.
I live out here in the forest and I've never had but a handful of incidents with critters. What I didn't know was that the deer had a habit of browsing those willows. What I learned is that if you cut away all the willows and set out an array of Maples they will browse those with equal pleasure. First they defoliated them all, then they started nibbling the twigs, then I moved all my Maples. I've let them grow freely the rest of the season and I'll pick up this project next spring, sans the deer effect.

How have you or your trees progressed this year? What have you learned?

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