Hello. I’ve always greatly appreciated bonsai, but have only recently begun thinking about it more seriously. I don’t have any trees yet, and I’m operating on a slim budget, but I’m trying to learn as much as I can before I start. I currently live in an apartment in Virginia and have an empty balcony that I hope to populate with bonsai. The name foe might seem contentious or combative but I’m far more amiable and easygoing than the name implies. I’m here to learn, share my journey, and maybe make a few stupid jokes along the way.
Interests: I’m fascinated by most tree species but have a particular appreciation for junipers and I’m very fond of the cascading and windswept bonsai designs. I like unconventional stuff, trees that look gnarly, ugly, and twisted, like they’ve had a messed up life and suffered through trauma or something. Makes em more relatable, for me at least. I love seeing bonsai that started as a half-dead tree stump and I’m very interested in the concept of air layering.
Plans/Questions: I do not want to start from seed or a store-bought bonsai. I'm trying to start from seedlings, cuttings, air layering, etc. It’s currently late summer here in Virginia, and I wish my interest in bonsai had peeked several months earlier so I could have taken cuts or dug up seedlings at a more ideal time. Here are the things I’m considering for the upcoming weeks.
I need a juniper. I could buy a seedling from a nursery… but I’m broke and I’d really like to start with a thick trunk (I know, typical American looking for fast results). There is a common juniper nearby that I would like to try air layering. I understand that junipers are not ideal for this process, and this is not the ideal time of year. Is this an absolutely stupid endeavor or should I go for it?
I would also like to try air layering or cutting a clone from a full grown nearby eastern redbud that has some sentimental value to me. Same question- Is that feasible?
I was looking at the Mosser Lee Airlayer Grow Kit as a cheap all-in-one purchase for my air layering needs. Any opinions on this product?
There’s a sweetgum seedling about chest high that I’ve had my eyes on and I’m also looking at some smaller oak and maple seedlings.
Thanks to anyone who has bothered to read this post. I look forward to our future conversations and I’m excited to finally start goofing around with tiny trees.
Interests: I’m fascinated by most tree species but have a particular appreciation for junipers and I’m very fond of the cascading and windswept bonsai designs. I like unconventional stuff, trees that look gnarly, ugly, and twisted, like they’ve had a messed up life and suffered through trauma or something. Makes em more relatable, for me at least. I love seeing bonsai that started as a half-dead tree stump and I’m very interested in the concept of air layering.
Plans/Questions: I do not want to start from seed or a store-bought bonsai. I'm trying to start from seedlings, cuttings, air layering, etc. It’s currently late summer here in Virginia, and I wish my interest in bonsai had peeked several months earlier so I could have taken cuts or dug up seedlings at a more ideal time. Here are the things I’m considering for the upcoming weeks.
I need a juniper. I could buy a seedling from a nursery… but I’m broke and I’d really like to start with a thick trunk (I know, typical American looking for fast results). There is a common juniper nearby that I would like to try air layering. I understand that junipers are not ideal for this process, and this is not the ideal time of year. Is this an absolutely stupid endeavor or should I go for it?
I would also like to try air layering or cutting a clone from a full grown nearby eastern redbud that has some sentimental value to me. Same question- Is that feasible?
I was looking at the Mosser Lee Airlayer Grow Kit as a cheap all-in-one purchase for my air layering needs. Any opinions on this product?
There’s a sweetgum seedling about chest high that I’ve had my eyes on and I’m also looking at some smaller oak and maple seedlings.
Thanks to anyone who has bothered to read this post. I look forward to our future conversations and I’m excited to finally start goofing around with tiny trees.