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StoneArcher

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Greetings,

As the title suggests, I am new to bonsai. In fact, I have not done a thing yet; other than scour the internet on writings. I have read through the FAQ; despite the posts suggesting that no one would read them anyway... I did read through all the links in the FAQ (both of them) Wikipedia and the Evergreen Gardenworks one. Which I actually read both before finding this community.

I would like to say thanks to everyone who has posted here! I have read quite a lot of great advice.

Alright I am just going to pull the trigger: What I am looking for is: What is the fastest growing plant that I can hack on? I know... I know... Roll eyes here... Ok, I am not just grabbing bonsai because I think that it looks neat, or its easy or I am bored or something like that. I actually don't even plan on working on anything permanent for quite some time. I just want to get a bit of practice at pruning, training, etc.

A bit of a backlog: I grew up on a small tree farm in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I've always loved trees and nature. I have grown trees for speed, for quality, on plantation and natural growth. I am by no means an authority on any of it. Like I said; it was a small farm. I now live in an apartment in the Green Bay area, so space is limited. I have plenty of plants, my largest are Umbrella Plant (schefflera arboricola) ~5' high, two Kumquat trees ~ 3 - 4' high each. The rest are common house plants; spider plants, various others, etc..

I am thinking of bonsai with the Umbrella plant. Not yet though. I did however hack back all the main branches recently, only because it was getting lop-sided and growing out too far. In my reading I read that a common beginner plant is actually the Umbrella plant, so that's my reasoning for that specimen. I don't want to kill it though, since it is actually my daughter's tree (she also is a part of every decision in that tree.). I am trying to propagate most of the clippings for future use. The trunk is about 1.5 inches in diameter, if memory serves. I also read that I could have actually fully defoliated the tree, so I could cut the trunk to about two feet to promote thicker trunk. I fear that I pruned the tree much like a tree farmer would... I left a few branches off the main branches with leaves on them. Thinking that a branch has to have a leaf on it to survive. I did cut two branches to about four or five inches long leafless to see what would happen though.

The style of bonsai that I like the most are informal upright and formal upright. Forest style is probably my favorite scene. I actually bought the Kumquat trees because they looked like mini full grown trees.

I was thinking about a lilac or a tag alder or some other fast growing native species that is not necessarily a tree, but a woody bush. Just to learn some technique or unlearn any tree pruning from my past. I want to plant a maple or crab apple or something for now, knowing that it will take a few years to even be ready to see any clippers. But in the meantime cut my teeth on something somewhat sacrificial. Knowing full well that the quick grower will never hold its salt in the bonsai world; but will provide me some tactical feedback to branch selection, pinching, wiring, root work, etc..

Ok, I probably wrote enough. I sincerely hope that I did not offend anyone or the art of bonsai when asking what a quick grower would be. Please know full well that I am taking my time, and i know full well that this is a lifelong journey. I make wine, so I am familiar with the "no immediate gratification" style of hobby.

Thank you.
 
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There is no reason that you can't get something that develops fast and might turn into something good someday as well. I would recommend some type of ficus like the willow leaf ficus. However with the tropicals you'll have to figure out the indoor setup for the winters which has it's own set of skills/equipment. Good speed of development and you have something to play with all winter long. Once you get them healthy enough you could trim and style once a month if oyu felt like it. Get some local elms and pines for leaving outside and you won't regret it in a few years.
 

fourteener

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I think a chinese elm would be good. If you like the busy work of trimming it's growth 2-3 times per year. It is a tree that uses the classic clip and grow method. Boxwood is another tree that requires some good pruning. It has the added benefit of growing some really interesting bark. Enjoy!!
 

coppice

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You are not telling where you're living now. With that said and northern michigan heritage.

I'd recommend some alder and tamarack. Both litter ditches all over the northern frontier of MI, WI, NY, NH, VT, ME, and are perceived as nusence brush. Making it fairly easy to get property owner permission for big enough stumps to hasten development.

Dat's where I'd start.
 

StoneArcher

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Excellent info guys!

I like the willow, because like stated when its healthy I can trim and care for it every month or so. I do bring in all the plants for winter as it is now, so bringing them in and out is not a big deal. Yes, we rearrange our apartment twice a year! I look forward to having some trees out on the porch all winter long!

Busy work is exactly what I am looking for! I guess I assumed that fast and good were mutually exclusive in bonsai.

I am in the Green Bay, WI area. 20 minutes north actually, but should suffice to know what species will and will not be thriving here. I will take that as a nudge to fill out my profile ;)

I still have a couple hundred acres of family land that I have access to for grabbing something native when the time calls. Various land, from hardwood ridges to swampland. Speaking of swampland, I don't seem to see a ton of swamp-ish species like Cedar or Birch. Just curious as why, if anyone knows.

So; Starting species is not set in stone yet, so if anyone can think of something heavy on the busywork let me know. But, For the long haul I think that I am going to plant a Red Maple, White Pine and a Blue Spruce, maybe an Elm or a Beech or an Ironwood. I love Ironwood bark (On the full size trees anyway). Maybe an apple of some sort, I also always loved Scotch Pines... Ok... So it seems I may be undecided on the long haul species so far. I am so excited! I have some rather large colorful tubs we use for large pots that I can reclaim for planting multiple different species in to get them started. I really like the Boxwood idea too. I was just looking at some of those at Home Depot the other day.

My favorite part of having plants: is caring for them. Don't get me wrong; I like the way they look and/or smell, but trimming off the unwanted parts, watering, etc is where it's at for me.

Thanks again guys!
 

tim

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And another obsessive bonsai-ist is born! Welcome and enjoy it !
 

cmeg1

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Consider air layering,I am just getting into it and have yet to see if the layers are successful,but I like the fact that you can take your time and pick interesting varieties from a nursery and layer it.Read Bonsai4me.com's article he posted in may on air layering for bonsai.
 

Duhend

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I would second the idea of a Chinese Elm, mine sat inside all winter and has exploded this spring. Very hardy, and lots of trimming and watering. I've had to water twice a day sometimes. I'm ready for some color this fall and work that spring will bring.
 

StoneArcher

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I had no idea that Chinese elm was a fast mover. I like that. I am firing up the ol google machine to see where one acquires one and typical care and style.
 

M. Frary

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Look around and see if you can find some Siberian Elms. They are somewhat of a nuisance tree here in the lower peninsula but they take being dug up. They take to cutting almost all of their roots cut off and grow like mad.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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If you can winter trees outside on the ground or an un-heated garage, (where the temperatures stay below 38 F) then I would recommend Scotts pine, P sylvestris, Larch, any of the junipers, any of the local elms you see in your landscape, hornbeam (ironwood), beech, black willow, weeping willow and just about any tree you recognize as fast growing that is locally used as landscape material. This list will tolerate very cold temps, Wisconsin winter temps. As long as they are out of the wind and out of the sun. Best burried in snow for sub-zero, but they can pull through in other settings. Unheated garages are a great wintering spot.

I would avoid American White pine because it is a problem species, you will be able to grow it quite well, but it will frustrate you, and never become the bonsai you think it should. Catalpa, magnolia, and redbud are trees that only look good when they have flowers, the rest of the time the leaves are too large.

If you have a cool zone for winter, but not very cold. The Trident Maple - you can't beat it for fast growth, and lots of good traits for champion bonsai. Some of the best bonsai in the world are trident maples. They need a 3 month cool rest below 40 F, but they will not survive a northern wisconsin winter. They are zone 6 hardy, you are in either zone 4 or zone 5, depending on how much 'Lake Effect' you get. Tridents will not survive long term if kept too warm in winter too. Similarly Japanese Black Pine, it is fully hardy in zone 6 maybe 5b, but you are just a bit north of its hardiness range.

Any of the tropicals & tender sub-tropicals can be summered outdoors and wintered on the windowsill or under light set ups. I recommend any, and all Ficus species. Remember with Ficus, when the temperatures drop below 60 F, they slow growth, and will go dormant, so bring them inside in the fall early if you want them to grow over the winter. Ficus will tolerate right down to 32 F without loosing branches, but they will need prolonged period of heat to "wake them up" after such a chill. The sky is the limit on the choice of tropicals, but Ficus do perform well.

Some sub-tropicals will do okay if left out to get a chill, then bring in before their hardiness limit. Serrisa is one that does better if left out until just before a frost. Rosemary, oregano, majoram, and lavender herbs are all interesting herbs that get woody, that can be run outdoors until a few light frosts, them brought in for the winter. They grow fast enough, you will have to pinch them and trim them, and the clippings can go to the kitchem. "Eat your Bonsai" don't tell the wife, she will think you are nuts.

How about an odd ball suggestion? but I'm having fun with it so far, try the Gnome Chrysanthemums, they are the series of hybrids that the Japanese use for those amazing cascading displays, and they train them into tree like forms, much like bonsai. They grow very fast, need weekly attention to look good. They can be trained to any shape you like. They are dwarfs, with somewhat smaller leaves, smaller flowers which will be more in proportion, and the best part, they become woody shrubs. Its not 'true wood' but they become woody much as rosemary or sage does. Easy to propagate from cuttings. Bonsai Mary's website has a page or two dedicated to them. This fall I will take a photo or two of mine, and let you know how my experiment with them worked out. Over winter them indoors in a south window or under lights. They can be winter hardy in the ground, but the woody stems that are becoming tree like tend to die back to the ground below 23 F. So to keep the above ground wood, treat them as tender subtropicals. King's Mum's in California is the only commercial source of cuttings for these I know of. If you like fiddling with something, these are a good choice.
 
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Paradox

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Welcome to BNut
I think some of the responders did not read the whole first post.

He said he "lives in an apartment and space is limited"
I would guess that being in an apartment, he has no garage or outdoor space where he can winter trees properly.

As you know, anything that grows outdoors in most if not all of the continental U.S requires a dormancy period. Scotch pine and boxwood need winter dormancy. Yes they survive in the ground all winter long with few issues, but once you put them in a pot, things change.

They must be kept cold (<40 deg F for 2-3 months) but protected from the harsh winter winds. So unless you can provide them with some kind of protection on your porch, they might not be a great idea right now. Driving them out to your family farm to spend the winter unattended would probably not work that well either unless you can check on them regularly.

Conversely, depending on the construction an apartment balcony could get pretty hot in the summer with heat radiating off the surfaces.

If that is the case, you might be better off if you look to indoor and/or tropical plants to use for bonsai. There are lots of good tropical trees you could probably grow. I dont grow them myself but there are people here that can advise you better.
 
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StoneArcher

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Air layering the Umbrella Plant? Good idea! I will try to get a picture of it on here tonight. I took some of the branches that I clipped, stuffed them in some of my beer brewing bottles, filled with water and set aside. Two are above my cupboards, and two are on the wine making stand. They were about the diameter of 1 - 1.5 centimeters. I took some and stuffed them into the soil, some were about the same diameter some were just twigs. None are wilting quite yet. But it's only been a couple of days.

I have never air layered before. Never even heard of it until reading around on here. I should giv'er a whirl though. I may take a picture of the Umbrella Tree and post in another thread seeking advice. I think that my Kumquats are grafted; So, maybe someday I will try to air layer one of those too. Just for the status of being "non grafted" Kumquats.
 

StoneArcher

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Holy smokes Leo. Blow my mind... Now I have to google a bunch of new species!

So as stated by Paradox, I don't have some of the auxiliary necessities required for off site stowage. Bringing to the family farm would be cumbersome at best since it is two hours away and the only vehicle I have is a VW Jetta. We do however go up there almost every weekend though in the winter to ski and summer to hike and mild rock climbing. But, it is IMHO too much out of my sight for me to do.

Our porch is east facing. It is ground level, not too bad for the reflecting heat since it is always windy here. Not too windy, just enough to be a pain while riding a bike but perfect for always having a nice breeze through the place. We are on the south side of the building, so we do get a bit of south sun on the porch and in the kids room. The kids wouldn't mind having a plant or two in their room at all.

I really like some of the suggestions that were tossed out about species. Some for the long haul and some for the quick hackery. I am going to look around for some of the Siberian Elms, we are not too heavy on the Elms of any sort in my stomping grounds, but I will check. I like the willow, willows are all fast movers if I am not mistaken, right?

So after I got the ol' google machine a-humming; I see that I am just going to have to grab a few for the long haul. It's ridiculous to think that one can just have a couple... They are all so different. I gotta figure out where in the world we want to live, so I can get on to buying a house for all this...

Thanks for the heads up on White Pine! My father loved this one White, and I was actually thinking of climbing it and air layering a branch to get going for the long haul. But I am glad you advised me of better. I am sure it would make a fine tree, just not one for bonsai.

So, Leo. You gave me more options than I can shake a stick at, but what would you say are the fastest growing on that list? I am leaning toward something tropical. Arial roots look awesome to me as well.

I went to Home Depot last night to check out some of the Boxwood and Yew and to check out some others. None were in the price range that I was willing to pay. So I picked up some ivy, not bonsai, but I need to green up my office and I love vines.

Next time I go to our rock climbing spot, I am going to check out some crack growing pines. If my memory serves I believe that the place is littered with pines in cracks. After googling around, it seems that they may be older than heck. I am not going to be too eager to start ripping out trees until I am sure of what I am doing though.


You fellas are just fueling me up! It's hard to concentrate on work with all this excitement!
 

DougB

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Remember

2 things of great importance.

First join a local bonsai club. Their mentoring is invaluable to your success.

Second you will probably purchase something on line. BE VERY CAREFUL of the vendor you select. Read every review you can. There are good reliable on-line vendors and some you are just dishonest crooks.

Welcome and good luck.:)
 

Eric Group

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I think a chinese elm would be good. If you like the busy work of trimming it's growth 2-3 times per year. It is a tree that uses the classic clip and grow method. Boxwood is another tree that requires some good pruning. It has the added benefit of growing some really interesting bark. Enjoy!!

Elm is exactly what I recommend when people ask for a good beginner tree!

They grow fast so you can fix errors in a hurry, they are pliable and easy to wire when young, they have clear, simple growth patterns and once you know what you are doing,you can make a BEAUTIFUL tree from Elms!

Agree 100% with you fourteener about the elms... Boxwoods are ok too, but they are not as hearty and tend to really lend themselves well to only basic styles... A little more brittle and harder to wire IMO as well...
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Yeah, the sky is the limit. Too many options to choose from.

For plants that winter inside an apartment, tropicals and subtropicals, you really can't beat Ficus. Just about all species and cultivars can work. Green Island, Tiger Bark, Benjamina and Willowleaf Ficus are all widely available, cheap and really good material because there are a wide range of styles they can be shaped to. Two sub-tropicals I have kept going for many years, are Pomegranate and Gardenia. Pomegranate is relatively quick growing, gardenia is a bit slower. East & south windows and east balcony in summer are perfect for both, and all the Ficus species. Pomegranate & Ficus are more forgiving of accidental droughts caused by long weekends and watering errors by the neighbor kid when on vacation. Nashia, Bahama berry is one that works well indoors, but it is a "I dry, I die" plant, quote from Bonsai Mary. Bahama Berry will not forgive a hard dry out.

Herbs with woody stems, rosemary, lavender and the Gnome type Chrysanthemums are good winter indoor options. The Gnome Mums are very fast growing, lots to do regularly.
 

Bill S

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Ficus, CHinese elms, and Serrissa are aggressive growers, and are fairly easy to work with. If you go Serrissa toss any info you get that says treat them like a tropical, they aren't, but easy to grow, and forgiving, the others too.
 
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