New to the world of bonsai! First azalea

[coppice]

Two words for ya "Natures Way" bonsai in Harrisburg.
http://www.natureswaybonsai.com/

This is a link to sales of R fastigiatum?

 

[coppice]

I figured as much! I've killed my share of plants and even a cacti or two.

Other than an azalea what would be a good beginner tree to bonsai?

There are contorted Elm and Quince that are at home in your zone. And tend to stay tiny at twice their size.

I am a chump for trees that bloom.

 

[Lauren Shisler]

There are contorted Elm and Quince that are at home in your zone. And tend to stay tiny at twice their size.

I am a chump for trees that bloom.

I went to my local nursery that was next to my college, they had two quince that were already in bloom probably 1-1 1/2ft tall. I considered picking one up to try. But I hadn't heard much of them being used for bonsai.

I'm such a sucker for anything that blooms, even if the bloom only stays for a few weeks, it's totally worth it.

 

[Alain]

I figured as much! I've killed my share of plants and even a cacti or two.

Other than an azalea what would be a good beginner tree to bonsai?

As @sorce said elms and junipers.
Also ficus (not the ones sell as 'ficus ginseng' unless you find them cute, I find them ugly. But you could find retusa with potential easily) if you don't mind having them inside during the winter.

There are contorted Elm and Quince that are at home in your zone. And tend to stay tiny at twice their size.

I don't know these two but in a general way I'll be reticent with 'contorted' species. Frequently these species are really hard - to impossible - to shape because if they are contorted it's for a reason and they don't give a dam of the wiring.

 

[Lauren Shisler]

@Alain ive seen ficus used all around, I'm not appealed to them either. I wouldn't mind having any of my potential trees indoors if they didn't require a dormancy period.

There's too many choices. I'm going to end up with ten trees..

 

[Alain]

@Alain
There's too many choices. I'm going to end up with ten trees..

That's all?

 

[f1pt4]

Since you already have experience with Cacti, maybe get into succulents. Portucalaria Afra. Keep em indoors. Tough to kill. Can be shaped into bonsai's.

You think 10 trees is a lot. wait till you REALLY get into this obsession!

 

[M. Frary]

Clubbing baby seals is easy.

 

[rockm]

This is a link to sales of R fastigiatum?

No. It's a link to a great bonsai nursery pretty near you. Worth a trip just to look around. FWIW, quince (both kinds, Japanese and Chinese) are used extensively in bonsai.

 

[Lauren Shisler]

Hmm, I may have to go back today and grab one of the two. They were pretty far along and already flowering.

As a rule of thumb should pruning be done before or after bloom?

 

[f1pt4]

Hmm, I may have to go back today and grab one of the two. They were pretty far along and already flowering.

As a rule of thumb should pruning be done before or after bloom?

Azaleas? After.

 

[sorce]

Clubbing baby seals is easy.

Being rather thourogh....

This post just makes me hungry!

We club seal pups in a lot of threads!
But this one too?

Poor seals!

Sorce

 

[coppice]

No. It's a link to a great bonsai nursery pretty near you. Worth a trip just to look around. FWIW, quince (both kinds, Japanese and Chinese) are used extensively in bonsai.

Really. Who'd a thunk it.

 

[coppice]

Harrisburg is about 200 miles away. They don't have R fastigiatum, and this is helpful to me how?