First anniversary. The financial report

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,332
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
So I have been into bonsai for a year and It's been a pleasure to work with little trees.
My bonsai corner has grown: (1st pic is november 2020, the rest from yesterday)



Screenshot_20201029-120606 (2).jpg JMK_0594 (2).jpg

JMK_0602 (3).jpg

This has meant a lot of horticultural work, but also money.
I will try to explain to any one planning to begin their journey, what can they expect to have to pay.
My collection is large (+30 trees), but it's low quality, meaning I have bought only regular nurserie stock. So I have spent in nursery plants about 500 € (about 580$)
Pots can be very expensive, but I have choosed to use only plastic and cheap chinese pots, and I have spent about 250€ (290$).
Also, you need soil, so I have bought four 16lt akadama sacks, 2 16lt lava sacks, about 120€ (140$)
Tools must be functional and durable. There are some tool kits very expensive, but I choose a cheap chinese kit on about 50€ (60$). When you don't know what the future of your hobby is gonna be, you can begin with one of these cheap kits. Anyway I have no complain about my tools.
You have to use benches for your trees. I used some I had, but had to buy 4 ikea tables (100€) .
About watering, I bought a RO system (60€) and a pump (20€). Anyway I have almost not used it, because rainwater collected has been almost enough.
I have used regular commercial fertilizers (about 50€) and also regular funghi and insect killers (25€)
This is my personal experience, your's will be different, depending on the place you are and the size of your collection.
PD: The big chinese elm was a gift









 
Last edited:

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
You have a spouse or significant other? If so, these kinds of spending records can be a BIG problem--evidence that you have some kind of mental problem and you are throwing alot of cash away on tiny trees 😁 .

Even if you don't have a spouse, keeping track of what you spend on bonsai can actually put you off of bonsai. I know if I had records of all my bonsai expenses in the last two and a half decades, I'd need a hefty dose of some kind of sedative...

BTW, the majority of the trees you have in the pic will probably be dead in the coming four years or so...that's the way it works at first. Don't keep track of spending... 😁
 

Eckhoffw

Masterpiece
Messages
2,934
Reaction score
4,743
Location
St. Paul Mn.
USDA Zone
4b
Yeah, I seem to be just getting better deluding myself. if I wasn’t buying or working on plants I’d be spending my money in other ways. “Like, if I went out tonight it would easily cost more than that plant I just purchased”.
 

bluesky

Mame
Messages
117
Reaction score
371
Location
Spain
Impressive! That's a very nice collection.
I see you're in the Canaries, not in La Palma I hope? have you been affected by the ash clouds?
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,332
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Impressive! That's a very nice collection.
I see you're in the Canaries, not in La Palma I hope? have you been affected by the ash clouds?
Nope, La Palma is about 250 km from my home. By the way, I think that volcanic ash could be helpful to bonsais
 

Grovic

Mame
Messages
237
Reaction score
283
Location
Bloomfield Hills, MI
USDA Zone
6a
So I have been into bonsai for a year and It's been a pleasure to work with little trees.
My bonsai corner has grown: (1st pic is november 2020, the rest from yesterday)



This has meant a lot of horticultural work, but also money.
I will try to explain to any one planning to begin their journey, what can they expect to have to pay.
My collection is large (+30 trees), but it's low quality, meaning I have bought only regular nurserie stock. So I have spent in nursery plants about 500 € (about 580$)
Pots can be very expensive, but I have choosed to use only plastic and cheap chinese pots, and I have spent about 250€ (290$).
Also, you need soil, so I have bought four 16lt akadama sacks, 2 16lt lava sacks, about 120€ (140$)
Tools must be functional and durable. There are some tool kits very expensive, but I choose a cheap chinese kit on about 50€ (60$). When you don't know what the future of your hobby is gonna be, you can begin with one of these cheap kits. Anyway I have no complain about my tools.
You have to use benches for your trees. I used some I had, but had to buy 4 ikea tables (100€) .
About watering, I bought a RO system (60€) and a pump (20€). Anyway I have almost not used it, because rainwater collected has been almost enough.
I have used regular commercial fertilizers (about 50€) and also regular funghi and insect killers (25€)
This is my personal experience, your's will be different, depending on the place you are and the size of your collection.
PD: The big chinese elm was a gift









Nice, you have a good artistic eye, I have enjoyed your compositions, the one with the bridge is brilliant:

1636563023604.png

580 for that many plants seems pretty reasonable to me, I watch David Cortizas's videos and I'm amazed at the quality vs price of the trees, pretty good deals!
 

Shogun610

Masterpiece
Messages
3,615
Reaction score
6,220
Location
Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6B
You have a spouse or significant other? If so, these kinds of spending records can be a BIG problem--evidence that you have some kind of mental problem and you are throwing alot of cash away on tiny trees 😁 .

Even if you don't have a spouse, keeping track of what you spend on bonsai can actually put you off of bonsai. I know if I had records of all my bonsai expenses in the last two and a half decades, I'd need a hefty dose of some kind of sedative...

BTW, the majority of the trees you have in the pic will probably be dead in the coming four years or so...that's the way it works at first. Don't keep track of spending... 😁
…..record scratch……. Hold up , what do you mean dead in four years or so? Are you saying that all our trees will be dead in 4 years? What do you mean by this ?!?!
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,332
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
…..record scratch……. Hold up , what do you mean dead in four years or so? Are you saying that all our trees will be dead in 4 years? What do you mean by this ?!?!
I guess he means that is the mean time a beginner declines in the bonsai hobby or maybe he means I will kill all the trees in that time because of my inexperience.
Anyway I like to beat expectations, so we will see....
 

Shogun610

Masterpiece
Messages
3,615
Reaction score
6,220
Location
Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6B
I guess he means that is the mean time a beginner declines in the bonsai hobby or maybe he means I will kill all the trees in that time because of my inexperience.
Anyway I like to beat expectations, so we will see....
Yeah very discouraging, I mean everyone has to start some how or some way. I’ll pull for you , you got this.
 

Fidur

Chumono
Messages
757
Reaction score
3,332
Location
Canary Islands , Spain. Europe
USDA Zone
12
Are you sure that's all?
I think you at least forgot to mention the work/turntable and the scroll you also bought. 😜
You have a good eye!. I thought I shouldn't include those as they are not compulsory.....but I also forgot to mention all the decorative accessories I use in my trees.
Anyway: stool/turntable 30€ , scroll 5€, decorations (I will keep for me this, as I sometimes feel a bit ashamed to be a kid) 😂
 

rockm

Spuds Moyogi
Messages
14,182
Reaction score
22,180
Location
Fairfax Va.
USDA Zone
7
…..record scratch……. Hold up , what do you mean dead in four years or so? Are you saying that all our trees will be dead in 4 years? What do you mean by this ?!?!
If you're a beginner at this less than a year, it's a pretty good bet you'll be killing a lot, possibly most, of the trees you get initially for years. If you're not, you're probably not doing things right (being too timid)...
 

Shogun610

Masterpiece
Messages
3,615
Reaction score
6,220
Location
Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6B
If you're a beginner at this less than a year, it's a pretty good bet you'll be killing a lot, possibly most, of the trees you get initially for years. If you're not, you're probably not doing things right (being too timid)...
Oh I killed I think 10 trees already. But that’s it. I know more may die but I know vastly more now than when I started. All my pure nursery stock are dead except 1 that I purchased in year one, but they sucked anyway.
 

Shogun610

Masterpiece
Messages
3,615
Reaction score
6,220
Location
Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6B
Anyway you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. If you don’t kill a tree then great , if you do.. then you learn but all in all of you kill or survive and survive you’re being to careful then whatever… certainly don’t seek approval from members whom discourage or tell you what the mantra is supposed to be. There’s too much contention in this forum , we should be working together and not against each other or shitting on each other. I’m taking a few days off of this forum. Peace
 
Top Bottom