Anuri
Seedling
Are there any online Japanese Bonsai shops that actually describe the products in English? Cause I sure don't know enough Japanese to manage
Next step for supermarket bonsai?
- Thread starter Anuri
- Start date
Are there any online Japanese Bonsai shops that actually describe the products in English? Cause I sure don't know enough Japanese to manage
Tieball
Masterpiece
I don't think you need a fancy bonsai pot yet...not for quite awhile. Just put the tree after you've done your work in a wooden box or even a plastic dishpan/basin for a couple years. You can even do the ground layer with the tree in that new box or basin. Don't jump in for an online bonsai pot now. Stabilize the tree well before pot plans.
The white on the roots? Looks a lot like hard water, well water, usage for watering. It looks like lime scale. A soft old toothbrush can help....with non-hard water. White vinegar can help remove some of that also. However, if you ground layer as mentioned, you don't even need to scrub those roots....they will be wasted away after the ground layer takes hold and you cut off the bottom and all those roots.
Just my thoughts.
Tieball
Masterpiece
You may well know this...but I thought I'd mention....Added just in case...put holes in the bottom of that basin for draining water if you use such an item. You can find excellent basin most places...but I've bought mine at Asian markets...Vietnamese markets particularly. I don't know if you have such markets around you...basins are readily available at most household supplies stores.
Are there any online Japanese Bonsai shops that actually describe the products in English? Cause I sure don't know enough Japanese to manage
How that!?!?!?
You HAVE to speak Japanese if you want to do bonsai!
Just kidding
The company I bought my tools from is Kaneshin cutlery. Mr Nishimura I was in contact with was really nice and helpful and speaks English.
Here is their website and you'll see that for a 1kg roll of 5 to 2 mm Al wire the price is $13.35 which is actually quite cheap (I think it will still be cheap once added the conversion from $ to Yen, Paypal fees and shipping to the State, I don't know for Norway):
http://kaneshin.shop.multilingualcart.com/
miker
Chumono
With time and training, I think this one could actually make a decent bonsai.
15-20 years ago, I would see so-called mall-sai that had a least a bit of potential with a lot of work for in the $15-$40 range. Now all I see is complete junk (hideous trunks or twigs in little bonsai pots) near that price range (from "mall-sai" sources) and the stuff that is not great, but semi-presentable pre-bonsai material in bonsai pots is (over)priced in the $100s. This is at places like the mall, Home Depot, many local nurseries (not specializing in bonsai), etc.
15-20 years ago, I would see so-called mall-sai that had a least a bit of potential with a lot of work for in the $15-$40 range. Now all I see is complete junk (hideous trunks or twigs in little bonsai pots) near that price range (from "mall-sai" sources) and the stuff that is not great, but semi-presentable pre-bonsai material in bonsai pots is (over)priced in the $100s. This is at places like the mall, Home Depot, many local nurseries (not specializing in bonsai), etc.
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Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Are there any online Japanese Bonsai shops that actually describe the products in English? Cause I sure don't know enough Japanese to manage
Believe most non orientals buy supplies from one of many dealers in US and EU. Recently got tools and copper wire from Stone Lantern at better prices than Kaneshin tools. Order over $50 was free shipping but not sure if includes outside US
. Would also add that until tree is ready for display and pretty well developed is no need to waste money on bonsai pot. Flower pot, nursery pot or wood box is fine for use as development container and should be oversize to help in growing trunk size and speeding growth by not constricting roots and make sure has good drainage. If available pumice makes excellent soil substrate as does not break down to mud as akadama does. For more confusing/conflicting information see multitude of posts of soil wars this website.
Anuri
Seedling
I think it looks better than many I've seen earlier too, have you seen the ones they sell at IKEA for like 60 bucks? Wow. Mine was bought at a regular supermarket though, so probably imported from Poland or something. Original price was $30, I got it on sale for only $6! I figured it had to be worth that small sum, no matter how crappy it may be
BUT after repotting the leaves have started drooping a bit, and a couple have fallen off. Maybe it will never grow up to be a proper bonsai after all
Believe most non orientals buy supplies from one of many dealers in US and EU. Recently got tools and copper wire from Stone Lantern at better prices than Kaneshin tools. Order over $50 was free shipping but not sure if includes outside US
Yeah, I looked around and figured the cheapest option for me was to buy from a Japanese guy on eBay. Free shipping! And I also haven't bought a new pot, I want to see how the tree develops first (if it does, haha), and choose the best style for it's final look. For now I've just put it back in the pot it came in.
I hear so many different recommendations when it comes to soil, you guys really don't agree, huh?! Guess I'll just have to try some different things, find what I prefer
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Sure we do. We agree to disagree.
Believe most non orientals buy supplies from one of many dealers in US and EU. Recently got tools and copper wire from Stone Lantern at better prices than Kaneshin tools. Order over $50 was free shipping but not sure if includes outside US
Really not sure about that: I just bought 6 tools from Kaneshin for $212 (everything included, change, shipping and so on) and for the same tools (taking only in account the cheapest ones) it's $239 at Stone Lantern.
Knowing that I am totally confident that my tools are Japanese quality tools (which I don't know for the cheapest version of the Stone Lantern ones) and that Mr Nishimura offered me a $8 crean mate to clean my tools on top of that I know that whatever I have to buy in the future I will most certainly deal with Kaneshin again
On the other hand I totally agree with the pot's part: for the moment I have 56 trees none of them is in a bonsai pot, all in training, all in nursery pots, colanders, wood crates I made, shopping baskets I borrowed from the local Walmart and so on...
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Anuri
Seedling
Possibly bad news: the tree has started to shed some leaves, about 1-2 each day. Some of the dropping leaves turn yellow first, others remain green. I'm watering it daily. Have I killed it, or is there still hope?
Anuri
Seedling
A picture will help
You can see some of the yellowing leaves at the top there. Ignore the awful anchoring, I will have it removed as soon as I can. Was the only way to make the tree sit still with the tools that I had
Anuri
Seedling
I don't have Chinese elms, just regular street elms I pick-up in the neighborhood, but your tree looks pretty healthy to me
It scares me a bit that it was springing new shoots every day before I repotted, and now it's dropping leaves instead. But I suppose it just needs a while to settle in the new soil, and then it'll start growing again?
That's a very high possibility.
lots of trees will do that in response to a change of environment. As long as the tree looks otherwise healthy I don't think there is anything to worry about. If it keeps doing it after awhile, or if it starts to look sick then you may worry (and post your concern on a special brand new thread).
Lots of Chinese elms Nuts around here, they'll know what to do.
