JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
hot damn!
Big purchase of 2017
- Thread starter _#1_
- Start date
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
I bought one tree this year. It's a big tree. It's a big project. Should be challenging, but fun as i will likely use techniques i haven't done before..
I decided to gamble. In 5-10 years i'll either be pleased or disgusted. I bet a few of you in the know can guess where it came from....
I decided to gamble. In 5-10 years i'll either be pleased or disgusted. I bet a few of you in the know can guess where it came from....
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
the suspense is killing me...
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
Euro. Hornbeam?
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Duh, Lowe’s
Wait...GG?
thumblessprimate1
Masterpiece
He could take it back for a replacement under warranty. Looks damaged.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
well done sir. I knew it going in too, ordered with crossed fingers, but still cursed when I saw it. lol.
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
There was some damage, fortunately not to anything i'll end up using on the tree. But it was by FAR the shittiest packaging job one could ever imagine. I have some more pics at home and will have to start a thread.
CamdenJim
Shohin
My *big* purchase for 2017: shohin Chinese Hackberry
Looks like I have some detail work to do.
Looks like I have some detail work to do.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
My feelings about the tree exactly. Nice proportions, tremendous character, big diameter at the soil, but extreme taper and dense branching.
However, I'm not letting myself get attached to it. It is unproven material in my climate. I am not optimistic it can handle the climate --not the cold, but the moisture. Hope it does. Won't be extremely heartbroken if it doesn't. I bought it to see if the species was viable here. If it is, that's terrific. I plan on getting another. If not, well, at least I know...
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I can't imagine charging the premium that place lays on trees and then obviously skimping on shipping and any afterthought for the customer. That double cardboard box shipping container is just effing pathetic, and to me, is a middle finger to the buyer...
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
Yea the double box was pretty horrendous, literally resting on the top of the tree which is why it poked through and snapped a portion off. Over the years I've had a few exchanges with the owner and saw some trees but never purchased until now. I have seen a wide range of prices on varying material, but nothing like the ones posted on the out of date website.
I knew going in that this would more than likely be shipped poorly, but like i said, i was willing to roll the dice. Knowing that I was basically buying a trunk helped alleviate some concerns. I would NOT buy something more finished from them. It's a shame they can't get their act together with shipping. Every other seller in the country that ships can do it right, why they can't is beyond me.
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
Maybe you should offer the sellers name and open him up to remarks from potential customers especially if you offer the link to the site. As an addendum, if you have already done that pleas forgive me.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
It's because they're not willing to pay the money it takes to properly package it. Hell, the effin UPS store can do a vastly better job. Costly?, yeah, but add it on to the price, fer chrissakes. It's the cost of doing business. Someone pays a high price for a piece of quality material, only to have it busted to pieces in the mail because the shipper is a skinflint or just doesn't give a crap about ensuring their product arrives safely?
A word to the vendor--I can get a lot of material that's exponentially better for a third the price that's shipped without issue from a number of places. That place has some species that aren't all that common around these parts, BUT, I won't order from them because of this kind of piss poor concern for the end product when it arrives at the customer's door.
FWIW, this has come up before-- "GG"
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
No worries Vance. It's the Growing Grounds, which has been discussed here on Bnut.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
It will be interesting to see if it goes deciduous on you in your climate. If it behaves like one of our various species of live oaks, you just want to watch the roots and keep it in a very open, rocky soil mixture. And don't touch new growth until it has elongated and hardened.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I've heard the species goes completely deciduous (as in drops ALL of its leaves) in colder weather--like below 25 F. The issue is not the cold-the species is hardy to zone 7--which is my zone here. However, Zone 7 in NM and Zone 7 in Virginia are not the same place. We get a lot of rain and snow here in the winter and are vastly more humid in the summer. NM mostly has an arid cold in the winter and a dry heat in the summer.
It's planted in pumice which drains like mad. I've got it under deep mulch cover under an overhang of my back deck to keep most of the rain and snow off of it.
Mine is not all that happy at this point. It was relatively active this past summer, pushing two foot extension growth on some branches, while other branches died back. I fertilized the hell out of it to help it build some strength for the winter. Some of its leaves also developed a fungal problem and dropped, while others grew strongly. There was a photo here not long ago of another one of these that got sold in New Jersey or Pennsylvania (can't remember which) and that tree also had the same fungal issue-- only worse. I have a feeling that problem is from too much humidity. The trees were also homed in Dallas, Texas after collection. Dallas is also extremely humid...
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
PICKUP ONLY!
I still want to see the whole tree.
The funny thing is I was supposed to be in the area of the nursery last year and planned to go in person. I was against mail order at that time but then my trip got cancelled. I would not be discouraged so I decided i'd consider mail order even though i knew what I knew. I'm sure most folks will think I'm crazy(and they aren't wrong!), but once in a while you just have to go for it.
I was intent on getting a big deciduous tree that will be a big project to try new things on over the next few years as a lot of my focus in the past few years has been conifers. I think i got what I was looking for. Whether it was a good decision or a dumpster fire will be determined during that time! Sure looks like a dumpster fire in it's current state!
Here's a pic.
