milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
While I may hold the record for the being the person to stay a newbie for the longest period of time, I would like to tell you all where I currently find myself in my bonsai life.
After much detective work and a little luck, I have made contact with an officer from a local (YES LOCAL!!!!!) bonsai club here in Vegas. I had done many web searches and came up with disconnected phone numbers, not functioning websites and bad information. However I came across someone who had some valid contact info.
I will be finishing my masters next month and then I will have much more time for everything. I am very excited about this development.
Up until last summer, my attempts at bonsai had been on a patio that was more like an oven in the middle of summer and were not very successful. However, we purchased a new house and I recently completed a shaded growing area in the back yard complete with an automatic watering system.
I have been trying to narrow down what species will survive here and this year I am trying about 15 new species and adding additional trees to the ones that have done well thus far. My graduation also means I will be able to try my hand at collecting local species and also some junipers from nearby hills.
I am following the sage advice of many hot weather growers such as Al Kepler and many others. I am trying to follow Al's feeding program as well.
This fall, I will do something that I know will make Harry proud.
I intend to go to my new club and ask for help in selecting some much more advanced stock. I will then have several years experience with several different species and I should be able to make a better choice.
It may not seem like the best road to everyone but for me learning to keep things alive in Vegas was a prerequisite to buying better stock. Currently I have nothing in bonsai pots but I am growing trunks for several more years with the stock that I currently have.
After much detective work and a little luck, I have made contact with an officer from a local (YES LOCAL!!!!!) bonsai club here in Vegas. I had done many web searches and came up with disconnected phone numbers, not functioning websites and bad information. However I came across someone who had some valid contact info.
I will be finishing my masters next month and then I will have much more time for everything. I am very excited about this development.
Up until last summer, my attempts at bonsai had been on a patio that was more like an oven in the middle of summer and were not very successful. However, we purchased a new house and I recently completed a shaded growing area in the back yard complete with an automatic watering system.
I have been trying to narrow down what species will survive here and this year I am trying about 15 new species and adding additional trees to the ones that have done well thus far. My graduation also means I will be able to try my hand at collecting local species and also some junipers from nearby hills.
I am following the sage advice of many hot weather growers such as Al Kepler and many others. I am trying to follow Al's feeding program as well.
This fall, I will do something that I know will make Harry proud.
I intend to go to my new club and ask for help in selecting some much more advanced stock. I will then have several years experience with several different species and I should be able to make a better choice.It may not seem like the best road to everyone but for me learning to keep things alive in Vegas was a prerequisite to buying better stock. Currently I have nothing in bonsai pots but I am growing trunks for several more years with the stock that I currently have.
