so i just got into bonsai, i know a fair amount about trees and shrubs due to landscaping. have been researching and reading on bonsai for a month or two now. i went to my local bonsai nursery and spent 3 hours looking and talking to them to see what i can do for wintering and other things. so i ended up getting a japanese maple, and then i started reading on these forums and people seem to be taking a faster route of planting in the ground to develope good trunk sizes before planting in a real bonsai pot and turning them into bonsai. so i went and picked up a rodie, and 2 azaleas one flowers white and the other red. so i guess my question is...should i wire my maple this winter? let it keep growing in the bonsai pot and not prune? or slowly prune to keep the trunk going? open to suggestions and what not. next thing in question is do you guys think i still should put the azaleas and rhodie in the ground for a year or two before repotting into a bonsai pot?
maple
wasnt anticipating such a sunny day the day i brought her home so the tips got a tiny bit burnt so i moved her to a place where shes behinde my porch railing so still gets part sun but not totally direct.
white flowering azalea
red flowering azalea
(thats the railing on my south facing porch i was referring to when talking about my maple)
and finally the rhodie
(will post the other two pics on a new post since can only do 12 per)
although im a bit worried the leaves and flowers are going to be to large for a bonsai on this rhodie. but hey i got them for 3 bucks a piece so cant beat it. also picked up some root powder just to see if i can get a jap maple cutting off of one of my landscaping trees this spring and see if that takes hold.
so throw at me whatcha think and suggestions and basically anything and everything. thanks guys in advanced
maple
wasnt anticipating such a sunny day the day i brought her home so the tips got a tiny bit burnt so i moved her to a place where shes behinde my porch railing so still gets part sun but not totally direct.
white flowering azalea
red flowering azalea
(thats the railing on my south facing porch i was referring to when talking about my maple)
and finally the rhodie
(will post the other two pics on a new post since can only do 12 per)
although im a bit worried the leaves and flowers are going to be to large for a bonsai on this rhodie. but hey i got them for 3 bucks a piece so cant beat it. also picked up some root powder just to see if i can get a jap maple cutting off of one of my landscaping trees this spring and see if that takes hold.
so throw at me whatcha think and suggestions and basically anything and everything. thanks guys in advanced