Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Also
@Smoke had a great suggestion. The exact number is not important, but he suggested getting 25 or so inexpensive one gallon size junipers, or trident maples or what ever species of tree you want to learn. Lets assume junipers. Go through and pick a front, and wire a design into each of them. Then when time is right, transplant each of them into a inexpensive bonsai pot. (plastic bonsai pot is okay, this is an exercise). Then for 2 or 3 years follow up with pruning and re-wiring when needed. Keep them numbered so you know which one was your first and last. You will probably see a difference between number one and number 25. This is the sort of practice one needs to gain confidence. Just do it.
Most of us, do this exercise one or two trees a year over the course of many years. If you want to learn bonsai in less time, do this exercise 25 trees at a time. An repeat as often as you feel necessary until you feel confident.
What to do with all those practice trees? Obviously the best one or two from each group you keep. The rest you can sell, give away, or compost. The beauty of picking up nursery stock, is it is mass produced stock. It really does not matter how you dispose of the no longer wanted stock. You can also plant unwanted stock in a grow out bed, and let time perhaps develop new and more interesting character. I have a juniper that for 15 years has been kicking around my back yard, in a plastic bonsai pot. Every 2 or 3 years I will jin (that is strip bark off a branch to kill the branch, create a deadwood feature, or cut off straight boring branches, then return the tree to the yard, and forget about it. Its is finally starting to get interesting. Lots of deadwood stubs that used to be straight boring branches, lots of twists and turns. It might finally look good in a bonsai pot.
@Smoke had a great suggestion. The exact number is not important, but he suggested getting 25 or so inexpensive one gallon size junipers, or trident maples or what ever species of tree you want to learn. Lets assume junipers. Go through and pick a front, and wire a design into each of them. Then when time is right, transplant each of them into a inexpensive bonsai pot. (plastic bonsai pot is okay, this is an exercise). Then for 2 or 3 years follow up with pruning and re-wiring when needed. Keep them numbered so you know which one was your first and last. You will probably see a difference between number one and number 25. This is the sort of practice one needs to gain confidence. Just do it.
Most of us, do this exercise one or two trees a year over the course of many years. If you want to learn bonsai in less time, do this exercise 25 trees at a time. An repeat as often as you feel necessary until you feel confident.
What to do with all those practice trees? Obviously the best one or two from each group you keep. The rest you can sell, give away, or compost. The beauty of picking up nursery stock, is it is mass produced stock. It really does not matter how you dispose of the no longer wanted stock. You can also plant unwanted stock in a grow out bed, and let time perhaps develop new and more interesting character. I have a juniper that for 15 years has been kicking around my back yard, in a plastic bonsai pot. Every 2 or 3 years I will jin (that is strip bark off a branch to kill the branch, create a deadwood feature, or cut off straight boring branches, then return the tree to the yard, and forget about it. Its is finally starting to get interesting. Lots of deadwood stubs that used to be straight boring branches, lots of twists and turns. It might finally look good in a bonsai pot.