Help me choose a tree! (Pretty Please)

[HamburgerTrain]

I'm as green as they come, first of may as we say in the circus. I currently have a few nursery plants, some collected large shrubs, and some tiny pines that I wired up. I'm wanting to pick up some trees that are further along so I have some stuff to work on vs having plants in pots that I'm mostly just watering and fertilizing.

#1 for your consideration is this deciduous Azalea. Not a whole lot of branches yet, I like the size of the trunk and think it has nice base flare. Has some inverse taper at the top of the trunk. I think this one was around $200

 

[HamburgerTrain]

#2 Larch, comes with pot. $40 I like this tree and the pot, but not together. I think it looks like a stick in a pot, so would need to get potted in something smaller or be put in a larger container to grow out some more. I don't think this one is as far along as I want. However It is a species that I'm interested in and for $40 it's way further along than any of the larch I have seen at the local nursery labeled as pre-bonsai. So maybe I get this one additionally to have for later.

 

[HamburgerTrain]

#3 Crabapple! I want one of these really, really bad. This one I think he said was $285? I look at this one and don't think the trunk needs to be developed any more and it looks to have some good branches on it. I like the shape, I like the second trunk.
I'm not sure if this one is right for me though. It already has a bit of work done on it and might not be the best starter tree.

 

[HamburgerTrain]

#4 is another tree I'm really interested in. It's a tiny olive. I don't think it would keep me super busy, but I think it wouldn't take too much to develop into an interesting mame.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Get the crab, and find a couple cheap junipers or boxwoods at Lowe’s. That way you don’t love any single one of them to death. The crab is the best, and is a decent tree. Enjoy that one without working on it, and work on the others for practice.

 

[Shogun610]

Out of these 4. Crab apple , easy. You can find the other species pretty commonly at bonsai nurseries or even online in auctions or eBay. But not a crab apple for that price and that developed.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

By the way...none of these are particularly well-developed. The azalea is a disaster, the larch is overpriced, and the olive is pretty small.

 

[Mikecheck123]

If you're as green as they come, you should get a Chinese elm. Best beginner tree.. Takes tons of abuse.

 

[HamburgerTrain]

By the way...none of these are particularly well-developed. The azalea is a disaster, the larch is overpriced, and the olive is pretty small.

The azalea comment made me snort, thanks for that. I just collected 7 mature boxwoods from somebody the other day and a larger azalea, might go back for it's brother in the spring.
I had a reluctance with junipers until I looked at a few with phoenix grafts today, now I'm onboard.
Looks like crab it is, just put my least favorite synth for sale on craigslist.
I guess I just needed somebody with experience to give me permission. I wasn't sure if that was too much money for a beginner to spend on a tree.
Thanks Brian Van Fleet, I enjoy reading your progression threads.

-Ham

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Money is relative, so only you can decide if $200 is too much to risk losing. I’d say the crab is worth $200 because it flowers/fruits and has some age. It also needs some work, but can take some abuse. Take lots of photos and start a progression thread! Good luck.

 

[Moridin]

Easy pick on the crab for the reasons Brian said

 

[HamburgerTrain]

Money is relative, so only you can decide if $200 is too much to risk losing. I’d say the crab is worth $200 because it flowers/fruits and has some age. It also needs some work, but can take some abuse. Take lots of photos and start a progression thread! Good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement. Probably a better short term investment than buying a bunch of sticks that I can't do anything with.

 

[Potawatomi13]

AND Crab apple is overpriced but is best of 4 trees. Unless rolling in money see if can get better price from seller. Larch has more interesting movement than most young sticks by that name but would go for lower price also. If buying Crab beware of leaf mildew.

 

[HamburgerTrain]

AND Crab apple is overpriced but is best of 4 trees. Unless rolling in money see if can get better price from seller. Larch has more interesting movement than most young sticks by that name but would go for lower price also. If buying Crab beware of leaf mildew.

Turns out they wanted more for the crab. i think ill just go buy a shimpaku from the nursery and go take some lessons from the dude that was selling the olive. He's a long time member of the local club here.
I'll probably be able to pick out my own tree when the right one comes along after I learn some stuff. I was getting serious grampa vibes from him. He was super patient and guided me through his garden explaining all the trees and methods to achieve those forms. Being new I don't know what questions to ask because I don't know what I don't know. He could tell I was out of my element and filled in the gaps while leaving negative space for me to quietly just observe.
I really appreciate everyone's help. Entry into this world is humbling, I feel like a goofy baby tripping around breaking stuff trying to pretend I'm a grownup. I need to be more patient with my children.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I wouldn’t want to learn what that guy is teaching. Find someone who has trees you admire and go ask him/her about those trees...where they cam from, how they got to this level of development, etc.; then you’ll start learning what you need to know.

 

[sorce]

None worth a putting a synth for sale.

Don't know anything is.

Sorce

 

[Shogun610]

Turns out they wanted more for the crab. i think ill just go buy a shimpaku from the nursery and go take some lessons from the dude that was selling the olive. He's a long time member of the local club here.
I'll probably be able to pick out my own tree when the right one comes along after I learn some stuff. I was getting serious grampa vibes from him. He was super patient and guided me through his garden explaining all the trees and methods to achieve those forms. Being new I don't know what questions to ask because I don't know what I don't know. He could tell I was out of my element and filled in the gaps while leaving negative space for me to quietly just observe.
I really appreciate everyone's help. Entry into this world is humbling, I feel like a goofy baby tripping around breaking stuff trying to pretend I'm a grownup. I need to be more patient with my children.

Ouch.. yeah don’t waste your time there .. try eBay or another nursery

 

[HamburgerTrain]

None worth a putting a synth for sale.

Don't know anything is.

Sorce

Don't worry just a cheap sampler/groovebox I picked up in a trade for a guitar pedal i didn't want. I would never part with my monosynth or eurorack. Mainly because I built them myself. I get all my hobby money horse-trading instruments, or building stuff and selling it.

 

[sorce]

built them myself

I found some dude on YouTube that made a synth out of like a hundred Gameboys!

That's dope.

Sorce

 

[HamburgerTrain]

I found some dude on YouTube that made a synth out of like a hundred Gameboys!

That's dope.

Sorce

Furby Organ!