Finally getting in to Bonsai after YEARS of interest. My first tree (Nursery Stock)

[FreeFlyer]

First post here. I've been interested in Bonsai for many many years. There was always some excuse or reason not to start...No more I say. After many YouTube videos of professionals (Peter Chan at Herons, and Bonsai Mirai mainly), and lurking here for about a month, I decided to start looking for several trees to get me started. I went to Home Depot, got a box wood and two junipers at the beginning. COVID and all haha. Those were repotted in smaller (non bonsai) pots and shaped. Will they live, did I do too much on my first three trees? Should I have even been pruning them that much after repotting? I still don't know, and frankly don't care. They scratched an itch, and infected me with even more itches haha. After another week, I found a local nursery who specializes part of their business in Bonsai. Man I'm thrilled I went. A very knowledgeable and patient guy in his 20's spent close to 30-45 min with me looking at their stock. After going back and forth on what to pick, I settled on the Metasequoia Glyptostroboides below. I believe this is also called a Dawn Redwood...correct me please if I am wrong. Anyway, I was able to repot this beautiful tree in a true bonsai pot, with a correct soil mixture, and I'm extremely happy with the way it looks now (Side note, I wish I would have placed it more off center...it looked good before I wired it in, and then...boom top dead center). I haven't done any pruning or shaping, as I was advised to wait three weeks before even thinking about any of that. The shape of this dawn redwood seems to be uncommon compared to other examples I've found online, and I kind of love that. Wish me luck, and If anyone reading this had a dawn redwood, please introduce yourself. I'm going to need help! haha

Thanks for reading,
Taylor

 

[FreeFlyer]

A little bit about me: I'm from TX originally, I'm ofter described as weird as F by my wife (In a loving way), Ive been into auto racing, backcountry skiing, and now my real obsession for the last several years is paragliding. To be at 7-8000ft with no motors and the wind in your, face flying a glorified tarp is spiritual and very addicting. I've been in thermals to cloud base with some of the most beautiful soaring birds (hawks, bald eagles, etc). English is my first language, and I write like I'm a third grader...sorry in advance

 

[AZbonsai]

Welcome! Looks like you are off to a great start! There are a lot of knowledgeable folks here who are willing to help. Not sure if that is a permanent spot indoors for your tree but they pretty much all need to be outside.

 

[FreeFlyer]

Welcome! Looks like you are off to a great start! There are a lot of knowledgeable folks here who are willing to help. Not sure if that is a permanent spot indoors for your tree but they pretty much all need to be outside.

Thanks! The living room shot was me trying to take a pretty picture of the room after my wife decided to repaint every room in our house with her COVID break. We're getting an April frost week here. temps are dropping into the low 30's for the week. I plan to keep all of my trees in the back yard. I've already converted a discarded waist high table to a bonsai area on the south side of our house.

Question for midwesterners. Do any of you use green houses? Particularly in winter months? I have no garage, and my home office is going to be the only other best option. It is all windows on ESW sides.

 

[Dzhokar]

That's a nice tree. Share the others? Even if you don't think they look like much, I'm always interested to see what people choose from nursery stock.

 

[FreeFlyer]

Flame away

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wiring! Please go to Mirai live stream on wiring. No genuine offense intended but is much needed.

 

[Dzhokar]

I like 'em!
The second tree's wiring looks much better than the other two. But practice makes perfect!
Mirai does have a good wiring tutorial but it might be more in depth than a novice can take in all at once. I've watched it several times and it sinks in a little more each time.
There's a couple of my crappy wiring attempts lol. But I get better each time. That's the 3rd wiring job on the juniper.

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• Dzhokar
• Apr 7, 2020

blue rug

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• Dzhokar
• Apr 7, 2020

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Leave em out all year!

Or not!

Sorce

 

[Lazylightningny]

Flame away

Hey there. Nothing to flame.

Take a look at some of the soil threads before you proceed any further.

 

[Carol 83]

After another week, I found a local nursery who specializes part of their business in Bonsai.

Welcome, I see you're from St.Louis. If you don't mind sharing, where is there a nursery that specializes part of their business in bonsai? The only bonsai nursery near me, closed last year.

 

[Michael P]

Nice start! And you are right, that is an unusual form for a dawn redwood. For horticultural information for St. Louis, you can't do better than the Missouri Botanical Garden, Plant Finder.

 

[William N. Valavanis]

Interesting Dawn Redwood! What cultivar did the label say? I should check out our Home Depot.
Bill

 

[LanceMac10]

Interesting Dawn Redwood! What cultivar did the label say? I should check out our Home Depot.
Bill

....no need, read again, Redwood came from landscape nursery.

 

[LanceMac10]

Wiring! Please go to Mirai live stream on wiring. No genuine offense intended but is much needed.

Maybe you could show us YOUR work? OOPPS!!!!

 

[FreeFlyer]

Wiring! Please go to Mirai live stream on wiring. No genuine offense intended but is much needed.

HA I'm laughing with ya. There was a reason I didn't start my posting with those trees. O well, like I said, it was still fun doing them, and I bought them to mess around with. gotta start somewhere...It would have helped to have actual bonsai wire too. The stuff I was using was MUCH to rigid and difficult to bend.

Welcome, I see you're from St.Louis. If you don't mind sharing, where is there a nursery that specializes part of their business in bonsai? The only bonsai nursery near me, closed last year.

I believe I know the place that shut down, I just can't think of the name. Timberwinds Nursery in Ellisville, MO is the place I went to. The guy helping me mentioned the closing of a place in Il and said they had purchased the remainder of their inventory.

I was up until 3AM last night watching the Mirai on soil. I'll get to the wiring one soon enough, but it's got to live and be healthy for wiring to matter! I feel like I'm understanding the concepts being given to me in these videos. I am a noob, but I tend to pickup on most things I dive into rather quickly.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@FreeFlyer
That dawn redwood is very cool, quite different than the usual. thank you for sharing the nursery information. @Carol 83 - that nursery is less than 2 miles from the nursing home my folks are at. I will definitely let you know the next time I'm in town to visit the folks and check out that nursery.

Maybe we can coordinate a BNut meet up at the nursery. I'll let you all know when I'm coming down. Of course, you don't need to wait for me to travel.

Half of my dawn redwood forest, rehabbing in separate pots for the time being

 

[Kanorin]

@FreeFlyer Just finding this thread a few months late, but fellow St. Louisan here. Welcome! I like that weeping dawn redwood, I'll have to see if they have any more of them.

@Carol 83 I've been to this nursery a few times - it's definitely worth a visit. I was there last fall and they had around 30-50 pre-bonsai starter type plants and I was there again this spring and that number had easily doubled or tripled. They also have a fantastic selection of (mostly grafted, but a few young ungrafted seedlings) Japanese Maples as well as some bonsai soil blends, etc. Ask for Mike or MJ - I think they are both members of the local club.

Since Cass closed, Timber Winds has become the new workshop site for the Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis and has started upping its bonsai game. Unfortunately, all but the first workshop had to be cancelled due to COVID, but some day we'll be back at it I'm sure.

@Leo in N E Illinois and those above, count me in for a St. Louis nut meet up if the occasion occurs!

 

[FreeFlyer]

@FreeFlyer Just finding this thread a few months late, but fellow St. Louisan here. Welcome! I like that weeping dawn redwood, I'll have to see if they have any more of them.

Thanks! I plan to join the BSGSTL soon. They only accept checks or cash, and it's been a challenge to join up during the PANDEMIC. For now I'm devouring the Mirai Live videos nightly. I joined at the base level, and I'm learning a lot from them.

 

[j evans]

Welcome, interesting trees, I like em.