How many trees can you handle?

barrosinc

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Easy question... as tree collection starts growing it seems that it will soon get out of hands.

How many can you handle without help?? (good to note if you are have a job not in bonsai, work in bonsai, retired)
 

JudyB

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I used to have more than I could deal with properly. Didn't have any die or anything, but couldn't work them as they needed to be worked to progress into anything as good as I aspire to. That was probably 75-90 trees, not actually sure. Now I have 1 or 2 less than I can properly care for and work correctly, that's 45 I think. But all my trees are better now, and better for the lesser quantity.

For me Quality beats Quantity.

Have a job....
 

Skinnygoomba

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I have two, and they're well above my ability at this point, but do not consume much time.

Judy, 45 is certainly something to aspire to!
 

coh

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I'll let you know when I get down to that number. Right now, with all the projects in pots and in the ground...I have too many. I'm attempting to rectify the situation, but it's not easy.

Chris
 

sbarnhardt

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Good question! I'm still new to this game, but every time I turn around, it seems my tree count is growing. "Everything" I have at this point is a "work in progress" "learning" kind of thing. If I counted each of the JBP seedlings I've got going in with all the rest, I"d have something near 35, with the most of the rest of them seedlings, cuttings, etc. too.

However, I am retired and have time to spend on it so no foul from that end.
 

johng

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Funny you should post this question

I just recently counted..

~120 trees in bonsai containers - Most are in a semi-formal display garden (with 2-300 trees and shrubs on its own)
500+ trees in nursery containers - I have a separate nursery for the trees I am growing out.
~150 in the ground

250-300 seedlings and cuttings from this season...that is more than typical....found a local source of trident seed and took a bunch of shimpaku cuttings this season.

I am a teacher so I have most of my summer off to deal with trees... I spend 4-6 hrs working on trees or carrying for the garden and nursery every day. 1-3 hours on work days...more than 1 hour just to water daily.

I have more than what most people want to care for...most days I enjoy it...I am not one that can sit still for more than a couple minutes without something to keep me busy. My wife is a huge help!! She waters and pulls weeds mainly but without her I would never have time to properly care for so much. My biggest complaint is how closely we are tied to the garden...hard to just take off for a couple day when the desire arrives.

John
 

barrosinc

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I was thinking ten or so non finished bonsai.
But woah!


52127787.jpg
 

dick benbow

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This time next year should be able to tell you my opinion. I keep over 100 trees alive but can't honestly say they are maintained to the max.

I'm in the process of downsizing my home and hope to get down to two dozen, but it seems to rid myself of the numbers is akin to putting up for adoption your own kids :(

Had to smile ( well, ok then, flat out laugh) about the working full time. I'm retired now and have far more irons in the fire NOW, then when I had an occupation to put bread on the table with. Seriously, I'm active in three hobby clubs, travel as a speaker for Koi, maintain a big garden and landscape and mow over an acre.

I love display so when I mention 2 dozen trees (hoped for number) will also have an equal amount of kusamono.....
 

Adair M

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Be careful what you wish for... you may get it!

Back in the day, I had over 200 trees. I wanted one of everything, in every style.

What I found is I had too many to care for properly.

I now have about a dozen here at home and a few I keep at Boon's.

And consider this:

Finished trees are a lot more work than works in progress! That's right, they are. They still need wiring, and they have a lot more ramification, so more wiring. They probably need watering more often. Again, more dense foliage, requires more frequent watering, especially if they are kept in shallow display pots. More frequent trimming, defolioations, etc. Since they're in smaller pots, more frequent repotting. And, these are the trees you will be showing. So, add show prep (mossing, pot cleaning, detail wiring, etc.) I'll not even mention finding stands, and accent plants... oops, just did. You need to really pay attention to the finished trees because a little neglect can negate years of hard work getting ramification, balance, and proportion just right.
 

RKatzin

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I can't say as I have not yet plumbed the depth of my ablities. I am in the process of upsizing from a 2 acre parcel to 40 acres. Here I'm down a bit, because I've curtailed new stuff until we get the new place set up. Then we will be doing hundreds. I still managed to pick up a dozen maples this spring.

Normally I'd gather 300-500 Japanese Maple seedlings in the spring but not this year. So I'll throw out a guess at 150 Japanese Maples in cultivation and at least 100 other trees in ground or in pots and boxes. I should say that many containers, some of them have multiple trees, one planting has 29 trees. You heard of 29 Palms? Well this is 29 Palmatums. LOL

I abandon my tile contracting about five years ago to turn my full attention to bonsai culture. I am 62 and that trade was taking it's toll, what? yeah I got thing nice ringtone all the time now. I am focused on raising good pre-bonsai stock and only have about 20 trees that I am learning my skills on. I had said ten, but thought for a bit and upgraded that count. Another ten years and I want to be doing nothing but snippin and clippin while someone else digs the trenches and mixes my soil for me.LOL
 
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coh

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I just recently counted..

~120 trees in bonsai containers - Most are in a semi-formal display garden (with 2-300 trees and shrubs on its own)
500+ trees in nursery containers - I have a separate nursery for the trees I am growing out.
~150 in the ground

250-300 seedlings and cuttings from this season...that is more than typical....found a local source of trident seed and took a bunch of shimpaku cuttings this season.

I am a teacher so I have most of my summer off to deal with trees... I spend 4-6 hrs working on trees or carrying for the garden and nursery every day. 1-3 hours on work days...more than 1 hour just to water daily.

I have more than what most people want to care for...most days I enjoy it...I am not one that can sit still for more than a couple minutes without something to keep me busy. My wife is a huge help!! She waters and pulls weeds mainly but without her I would never have time to properly care for so much. My biggest complaint is how closely we are tied to the garden...hard to just take off for a couple day when the desire arrives.

John
All I can say is...WOW!

I'm wondering if you've been at this level for a while now, or if the number just keeps steadily growing with no end in sight?

Chris
 

M. Frary

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Right now I have 61 total. Only 19 in bonsai pots. The rest are in training. But..... I have around 45 more earmarked for collection from the wild next year. I figure 150 to 200 should be my limit.
 

lordy

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I'm just a lightweight compared to J.Kirby. I just sold about a dozen, and now must have 30 or so in pots, another 10 in grow boxes, and maybe another 20+ in the ground. Next year I hope it becomes less work than this year because I wont need to repot everything again like I did this year.
 

Dav4

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100 plus potted...40 in bonsai pots...less then 10 being within a 2 or three year period of being show worthy...I'm still not spending enough time with them.
 

garywood

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Easy question... as tree collection starts growing it seems that it will soon get out of hands.

How many can you handle without help?? (good to note if you are have a job not in bonsai, work in bonsai, retired)

I can easily handle two small trees or one medium tree but larger trees I need help with ;)
 

october

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Finished trees are a lot more work than works in progress! That's right, they are. They still need wiring, and they have a lot more ramification, so more wiring. They probably need watering more often. Again, more dense foliage, requires more frequent watering, especially if they are kept in shallow display pots. More frequent trimming, defolioations, etc. Since they're in smaller pots, more frequent repotting. And, these are the trees you will be showing. So, add show prep (mossing, pot cleaning, detail wiring, etc.) I'll not even mention finding stands, and accent plants... oops, just did. You need to really pay attention to the finished trees because a little neglect can negate years of hard work getting ramification, balance, and proportion just right.

Adair is absolutely right about this.

I have around 18 trees.

Rob
 

jkd2572

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As many as you have room. For me that's 75 feet of benches. Sometimes I get rid of trees to make room,but that's all the space I have. I have big trees to so that causes space problems.
 

Adair M

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I'm just a lightweight compared to J.Kirby.

We're ALL lightweights compared to J. Kirby!

And I mean bonsai. Nothing said about anyone's waistline. That's about the only place John and I are equals! LOL!!!
 

devenomized

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I'm new, but I've purchased what I believe are easy to take care of trees or rather easier than others. I have mostly Nerifolias, an elm, a neea, and a boxwood. The easiest is the boxwood and the neea. The Nerifolias are challenging for me because i still need to get the watering right. I also have one sick Nerifolia with mealy bugs. I'm hoping he will do better outside.

I will sign up for a bonsai class this fall to learn more about how to take care of them. I have a total of 10 and about half of them are older trees.

Be careful what you wish for... you may get it!

Back in the day, I had over 200 trees. I wanted one of everything, in every style.

What I found is I had too many to care for properly.

I now have about a dozen here at home and a few I keep at Boon's.

And consider this:

Finished trees are a lot more work than works in progress! That's right, they are. They still need wiring, and they have a lot more ramification, so more wiring. They probably need watering more often. Again, more dense foliage, requires more frequent watering, especially if they are kept in shallow display pots. More frequent trimming, defolioations, etc. Since they're in smaller pots, more frequent repotting. And, these are the trees you will be showing. So, add show prep (mossing, pot cleaning, detail wiring, etc.) I'll not even mention finding stands, and accent plants... oops, just did. You need to really pay attention to the finished trees because a little neglect can negate years of hard work getting ramification, balance, and proportion just right.
 
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