my first post... full of doubts... want to start japanese maple project.

[barrosinc]

Hi guys!
I am new around here, and have been reading tons of threads but still can´t find all my answers. Here's a little background.

Well A while ago... almost a year I received my first bonsai as a gift from my wife. I had always been a huge fan of bonsais but never really gotten into it. I have an 8 year old chinese elm which I have been taking care of, but I think I realised it is a mallsai as it has got wire damage on the trunk, but that's not really the point. I want to start thinking about some long term projects.

From what I have been looking at I would really like to aim to a really nice japanese maple, they are my favorite.

i really want to aim in this direction (I know this is very very old and it will take years):

But I want to start trying to learn the techniques to get to this point skipping a few years from the learning curve by asking here even though I will have a lot of trial and error.

So basically I wanted to know, or get pointed in the right direction, on how to pick a japanese maple from a non-bonsai nursery. And after that kind of a step by step process for it. It is so confusing on planting in 5 gallon pot, ground growing, small pot growth... etc.

Second of all I was given a basic scissors tool. And really do not want to but twice, so I thought what can I get for lets say 300 dollars in 5 or 6 tools that will last a lifetime.

Also I was told that many bonsai with awesome nebari have been grafted in some way that I do not know how, like those with tons of roots in the air like

And third, I just bought the John Naka techniques and Bonsai with japanese maples

Some small tips are very welcome!!

Thanks a lot!

 

[bonsaibp]

Welcome. It would be helpful for people giving advice if you would fill out your location in your profile. Care etc. would be much different in zone 9 then zone 6.
For tools I'd suggest a good shears for working on the tops of the trees, another for the roots ARS shears are great for this, a branch cutter a wire cutter made for bonsai( many will disagree but when you cut a branch with regular dikes you'll understand why). Personally I wouldn't buy anything other then Japanese bonsai tools.Anything but the least expensive will last a lifetime with proper care. Anything else you can make do with other things or acquire along the way. I always tell newcomers to spend their money on trees rather then a ton of tools.

 

[bonsai barry]

Welcome to this forum. You sound as if you are ready to invest a part of your life to raising bonsai. I noticed that you mentioned that you wanted to buy your maple from a nonbonsai nursery. If that is the case, be careful about buying one where the graft near the base of the tree is obvious; that is a fault that is difficult to correct, short of layering the trunk which is something you may not want to deal with on your first tree.

Have fun.

 

[barrosinc]

Welcome. It would be helpful for people giving advice if you would fill out your location in your profile. Care etc. would be much different in zone 9 then zone 6.

Done deal! I am from Santiago, Chile.

 

[bonsaibp]

Santiago Chile- is a very cool place. I was there, in Concepcion and in Puente Arenas in 1998 as a guest of an artist/ businessman who wanted to teach his wife about bonsai. Awesome people there. I spent a little time going through some nurseries there and there was not a lot of material other then small stuff but that has probably changed- bonsai has grown by leaps and bounds there. The native Nire - were awesome little trees, I always wished I could get them to grow here.
I would look into some of the local bonsai clubs- they could really lessen the learning curve.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

My advice for new enthusiasts:

(1) Try to join a club, or go to an exhibit where they are giving demos. Second best: buy some DVDs, and watch YouTube videos. Nothing beats being there first hand and listening to someone talk about what they are doing as they are doing it. Books are difficult to learn from - they are best used as reference materials once you know a little bit about what you are doing. You will learn more in a one-day seminar than one month of reading.

(2) Before you start thinking "bonsai" you need to think "horticulture". You must first learn how to keep trees alive - and not even alive but THRIVING while you do all sorts of stressful things to them. The best bonsai artist in the world is no good if his trees die. Therefore don't worry about the quality of your starting material - use it as training material to learn how to repot, or wire, or air-layer, or graft. Nothing will make you sadder then spending a lot of money as a beginner to buy a tree you cannot maintain - or one you kill.

(3) To paraphrase John Naka - always look to nature as your guide. Do not try to make your trees look like bonsai. Make them look like trees in nature. Bonsai is about capturing a piece of nature in a small place. You are successful when your tree "feels" like a bonsai - not looks like one.

Welcome to Bonsai Nut!

 

[dick benbow]

The late Peter Adams loved his japanese maples and had some great books on the topic. You might try finding a copy at a used book store.

 

[CHUCHIN]

The late Peter Adams loved his japanese maples and had some great books on the topic. You might try finding a copy at a used book store.

RIP Peter Adams...

My two cents is to also pick up older issues of Bonsai Today...Subscribe to bonsai focus... Live on bonsai nut...attend shows...talk to people...Take formal training...workshops...seminars...It goes on...Theres a lot to learn...

and always remember you are always a student to the art...It keeps you humble. I been doing bonsai for over 15 years and still learning about the art everysingle day. I expect this will be the case even 20 years from now...

Good luck and welcome to the greatest culture on earth!!!

 

[barrosinc]

Santiago Chile- is a very cool place. I was there, in Concepcion and in Puente Arenas in 1998 as a guest of an artist/ businessman who wanted to teach his wife about bonsai. Awesome people there. I spent a little time going through some nurseries there and there was not a lot of material other then small stuff but that has probably changed- bonsai has grown by leaps and bounds there. The native Nire - were awesome little trees, I always wished I could get them to grow here.
I would look into some of the local bonsai clubs- they could really lessen the learning curve.

Awesome Chile experience!!! That is amazing. I had been having troubles to find a club.

My advice for new enthusiasts:

(1) Try to join a club, or go to an exhibit where they are giving demos. Second best: buy some DVDs, and watch YouTube videos. Nothing beats being there first hand and listening to someone talk about what they are doing as they are doing it. Books are difficult to learn from - they are best used as reference materials once you know a little bit about what you are doing. You will learn more in a one-day seminar than one month of reading.

(2) Before you start thinking "bonsai" you need to think "horticulture". You must first learn how to keep trees alive - and not even alive but THRIVING while you do all sorts of stressful things to them. The best bonsai artist in the world is no good if his trees die. Therefore don't worry about the quality of your starting material - use it as training material to learn how to repot, or wire, or air-layer, or graft. Nothing will make you sadder then spending a lot of money as a beginner to buy a tree you cannot maintain - or one you kill.

(3) To paraphrase John Naka - always look to nature as your guide. Do not try to make your trees look like bonsai. Make them look like trees in nature. Bonsai is about capturing a piece of nature in a small place. You are successful when your tree "feels" like a bonsai - not looks like one.

Welcome to Bonsai Nut!

Thanks!!! I actually just got into a 10hour class. That afterwards turns into a workshop for past students.

The late Peter Adams loved his japanese maples and had some great books on the topic. You might try finding a copy at a used book store.

I bought the book I posted from Peter Adams, I looked at his plate trick on the view inside from amazon. I love the step by step illustrations.

RIP Peter Adams...

My two cents is to also pick up older issues of Bonsai Today...Subscribe to bonsai focus... Live on bonsai nut...attend shows...talk to people...Take formal training...workshops...seminars...It goes on...Theres a lot to learn...

and always remember you are always a student to the art...It keeps you humble. I been doing bonsai for over 15 years and still learning about the art everysingle day. I expect this will be the case even 20 years from now...

Good luck and welcome to the greatest culture on earth!!!

Thanks Chuchun, I will check out Bonsai Focus.



Any ideas on a 300 dollar 5 tool kit?

 

[bonsaibp]

This may be a place to start
http://www.bonsaichile.cl/kyoto

or here
http://www.chilebonsai.cl/
or here if you don't already have this info.

http://www.vivebonsai.cl/bonsai-trayectoria.html
For tools -why buy a kit? most often they have stuff you don't need or use. I'd get individual tools.

 

[barrosinc]

This may be a place to start
http://www.bonsaichile.cl/kyoto

or here
http://www.chilebonsai.cl/
or here if you don't already have this info.

http://www.vivebonsai.cl/bonsai-trayectoria.html
For tools -why buy a kit? most often they have stuff you don't need or use. I'd get individual tools.

Second link is where I bought my bonsai from

I meant I need a basic set of tools. I have a bit over 300.
I would need:
trimming sheers 180mm
knob cutter
concave branch cutter
rake
wire cutter

maybe
grafting knife
root cutter

 

[bonsaibp]

Second link is where I bought my bonsai from

I meant I need a basic set of tools. I have a bit over 300.
I would need:
trimming sheers 180mm
knob cutter
concave branch cutter
rake
wire cutter

maybe
grafting knife
root cutter

Forget the rake -use a chopstick, you don't really need a branch cutter and a knob cutter-the branch cutter will do. Unless for grafting a regular pocketknife will do everything you'd use the grafting knife for. A root cutter does come in handy.
This place is a Joshua Roth reseller which are good quality for a reasonable price-just stay away from the Joshy versions
http://www.bonsaimorrovelho.com.br/home/

 

[twisted trees]

Hi guys!
I am new around here, and have been reading tons of threads but still can´t find all my answers. Here's a little background.

Well A while ago... almost a year I received my first bonsai as a gift from my wife. I had always been a huge fan of bonsais but never really gotten into it. I have an 8 year old chinese elm which I have been taking care of, but I think I realised it is a mallsai as it has got wire damage on the trunk, but that's not really the point. I want to start thinking about some long term projects.

From what I have been looking at I would really like to aim to a really nice japanese maple, they are my favorite.

i really want to aim in this direction (I know this is very very old and it will take years):

But I want to start trying to learn the techniques to get to this point skipping a few years from the learning curve by asking here even though I will have a lot of trial and error.

So basically I wanted to know, or get pointed in the right direction, on how to pick a japanese maple from a non-bonsai nursery. And after that kind of a step by step process for it. It is so confusing on planting in 5 gallon pot, ground growing, small pot growth... etc.

Second of all I was given a basic scissors tool. And really do not want to but twice, so I thought what can I get for lets say 300 dollars in 5 or 6 tools that will last a lifetime.

Also I was told that many bonsai with awesome nebari have been grafted in some way that I do not know how, like those with tons of roots in the air like

And third, I just bought the John Naka techniques and Bonsai with japanese maples

Some small tips are very welcome!!

Thanks a lot!

You left out that you want world peace. It sounds like you want to take bonsai by the balls but want to skip steps along the way. The only way to do that is to buy a tree that looks like you want and pay a real bonsai artist to care for it. There is no easy path. All my original trees are dead. Dead. Dead. Take your baby steps. Learn how to water a tree. Learn how to wire a tree. Learn how to re-pot a tree without killing it. Learn which soils to put it in. Study, study, study really good trees. Find a club and join. Find some classes and take them. Stare at your tree for hours and days and years and find joy and contentment in what you have achieved. That is bonsai.

 

[Poink88]

You left out that you want world peace. It sounds like you want to take bonsai by the balls but want to skip steps along the way. The only way to do that is to buy a tree that looks like you want and pay a real bonsai artist to care for it. There is no easy path. All my original trees are dead. Dead. Dead. Take your baby steps. Learn how to water a tree. Learn how to wire a tree. Learn how to re-pot a tree without killing it. Learn which soils to put it in. Study, study, study really good trees. Find a club and join. Find some classes and take them. Stare at your tree for hours and days and years and find joy and contentment in what you have achieved. That is bonsai.

Sound very negative. If all your original trees died, maybe you did lots of things wrong. You can share those to help avoid them but do not automatically assume others will commit the same mistakes.

To barrosinc, bonsai are just potted trees...as long as you understand the basics learn the proper time to do things and what to avoid, you will be fine. You got some good books, read those (then repeat) and start piecing the info together. Ask questions here as needed but be patient, sometimes the person who may help you could be busy.

If you kill a tree or 2, that is fine too. Most of us went through that.

Not sure about getting tool supplies there so I cannot help much. There is a tool thread recently that may help you, check it out.
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?13946-Too-good-to-be-true

Good luck!

 

[twisted trees]

Sound very negative.

Perhaps I'm a bit cynical tonight.

If all your original trees died, maybe you did lots of things wrong. You can share those to help avoid them but do not automatically assume others will commit the same mistakes.

Gee, I thought I did, "Take your baby steps. Learn how to water a tree. Learn how to wire a tree. Learn how to re-pot a tree without killing it. Learn which soils to put it in. Study, study, study really good trees. Find a club and join. Find some classes and take them. Stare at your tree for hours and days and years and find joy and contentment in what you have achieved. That is bonsai."

 

[barrosinc]

Thanks for the reply, no ofense taken.
I do want to skip some steps on the learning curve... but not important ones like trying to keep a plant alive. But I do not want to kill a plant with things that are easily tipped off... like don not cut this branch in this direction or do not prune roots when it is too hot... etc.

For tools I think I will get a good concave branch cutter, trimming sheers and wire cutter, the rest probably just use bonsaibp said or use a cheap ebay tool.

 

[small trees]

One thought, not necessarily completely related: Buy a lot of seedlings of bonsai-suitable species that will grow fairly quickly. In a couple years, you'll have plenty of trees to experiment with. Also, $10 nursery trees are a cheap way to get something you can practice techniques on without worrying about killing it.

 

[barrosinc]

One thought, not necessarily completely related: Buy a lot of seedlings of bonsai-suitable species that will grow fairly quickly. In a couple years, you'll have plenty of trees to experiment with. Also, $10 nursery trees are a cheap way to get something you can practice techniques on without worrying about killing it.

I have been looking for these a lot!! But only find 2,5m trees.
I do have seeds, and I am waiting for winterand spring to see if they grow.

 

[twisted trees]

I do want to skip some steps on the learning curve...

What steps were you thinking of skipping?

 

[barrosinc]

What steps were you thinking of skipping?

I actually meant that I would like to advance quickly on the learning curve by reading and getting answers here.