Pondering my bonsai future...

[Shibui]

Don't let sentiment slow you down.

I started with sticks but they were MY sticks and I had invested what seemed like a lot of time in them. After 10 years they had also taught me a lot about growing and developing bonsai and I'd come to realize that most of those trees were never going to become great bonsai. Just could not bring myself to ditch things I had nurtured and invested time and effort into but keeping those trees also meant less time and space for new trees that I could put new skills and knowledge into practice.
Fortunately someone turned the water off while we were away over a hot, summer long weekend. When we got home many of my trees were dead or dying - devastating at the time but I soon realized that the opportunity to start fresh had been offered.
I was able to acquire and propagate new stock that I could develop faster and better using what the previous trees had taught me.

Everyone has different needs and motivations.
I would much rather have a tree that I've developed - even if it has some faults - than a better tree grown and styled by someone else. Sure I still aspire to have perfect trees but deep down I get a sense of achievement that I created that.
I know that others are happy to 'own' a great bonsai even if they have had little to do with its creation and development.
Everyone is different so each person needs to decide how they can achieve their goals - DIY, buy or a combination.

My advice is to take a critical look at your current collection to see if any trees are holding you back. Be realistic but also be firm and objective.

Sometimes starting over is a much faster route to your goal but there is no one size fits all way to achieve those goals.

 

[jimib]

I can absolutely empathize with you there! And I can picture myself wasting 5 years just staring at a tree I spent big money on, stuck for that very reason.

Now I am thinking, though, that "less fun" really just means "I don't have the skill level to make this fun." It's kind of like how I would unquestionably find a black diamond ski run much "less fun" than a lot of other people. There are people on a master level who can have an absolute blast taking cutters to a $10,000 tree without mercy, because they know where, when and how to cut.

So I am not going to start with a $5,000 tree or even a $1,000 tree, but I can get there a lot faster by practicing on a handful of $300-$500 trees than by growing a bunch of $20-$30 trees.

...I think

I went through that. I had a yard full of $20-$50 nursery trees that likely would have amounted to nothing. When I did the math I could have had a handful of decent pre-bonsai stock instead.
I also realized (for me) that spending the money on workshops and study groups were equally as important as spending money on good stock.
I’m down to about 18 trees in all stages....and I’d like to scale down to about 12...

 

[Flowerhouse]

conditions in Utah don't seem to favor spectacular growth!

My situation here, too. I just wanted to mention that your local growing conditions are going to apply equally to the development of better, more advanced material. For now, at least, I plan to embrace the pace of development that is dictated by my climate.

 

[luvinthemountains]

My advice is to take a critical look at your current collection to see if any trees are holding you back. Be realistic but also be firm and objective.

This seems like excellent advice. Thank you!

 

[ghues]

As a few have said it’s personal preference, goals change over time and if given the guidance of the more experienced - clubs, workshops, seasonal’s, your abilities improve.....so do your trees. Over time my trees have evolved (are they masterpieces- hell no) and thru attrition the majority are just a couple of species but I still have many works in progress which are still fun for me and will eventually go to other enthusiasts (which is limited in our area).

Hopefully you know and have visited Sam Miller who is local to you, has a great selection of trees and makes excellent pots.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I think it's important to have a plan in mind for any material that you have. Where do I want to go? How long is that going to take? Is that worth the effort involved?

I think it's a good practice to annually throw away (or give away or burn) all trees that you hate. Life is too short to waste effort on trees that aren't doing anything for you. If I'm not excited about something, I'll give it away.

Because of the time issue, these days I'm mostly interested in being selective about very good collected trees. It's a lot of effort, but is far more rewarding and in a shorter amount of time.

 

[Shogun610]

Have seen decent material grown in he ground for 15 years so it can be done no? Anyway… you’re in Utah… why not collect Native conifers that will do extremely well in your area? Collecting is the way to go , with permits of course… and nature has grown the tree for a long time .. and you can nurture and care then eventually style and place in pot over 5 year period. That s what I will be going after this spring heavy collecting…. on top of stuff already in the collection to work on and advance. Team up with Sam Miller or attend classes in Colorado or Utah w pros out there… the Rockies must be a treasure trove.. of course if you’re into native conifers or deciduous.. hit up a cow pasture ask to dig cow gnawed trees

 

[DrTolhur]

I'm just coming into my third year in the hobby. I don't even remember much of my first year except that it revolved around a not-so-great Fukien tea bought online and a jade I've been growing from a leaf. This past year was when I bought some ok pre-bonsai stock and a couple that would be considered bonsai by the average Joe on the street. I also decided that I wanted to focus on Japanese maples. So I've purchased several such sticks of various varieties. Part of my reasoning is that I think it'll be more fulfilling to have a decent bonsai that I grew from a stick rather than maintained after someone else created it. The other part is that there are so many awesome varieties of Japanese maples, and they'll be beautiful just naturally in the growing process. And even if 15 years later I realize they're not doing what I want, I can just keep them as great trees and let them grow out.

Because I realized that so much of what I've learned about the skill/techniques of bonsai would be probably a decade away if I stayed to that strategy, I have sought to have some more developed material that looks more impressive and feel like I actually have bonsai trees. (It helps that I'm mostly interested in shohin size or a little larger, so decent-looking bonsai at that size doesn't break the bank.)

It seems like so many people focus on things like "show-ready" trees or "real" bonsai. I have no intention of ever showing my trees, selling my trees, or really even anyone besides me and my wife even seeing them. They're just for me and my enjoyment, so I'm not really concerned about if I'm doing it "right" or if my trees are mediocre. They're my mediocre, and I like them. That's really all it is.

 

[Firstflush]

I am newer to the art with sticks in pots like many of us. I also worked in a giant landscaping and design center. Something to try…nursery hunt for material in sizes of 15 gal and up. They will be in the $50-$180 range.
Basically you are buying the trunk and hopefully movement down low. Be picky. There is good material out there to be had. You can be in the range of a true pre-bonsai for less money but refinement would still be several years out.
Would be more fun for you to work on and something nicer to look at and ponder.

 

[Mapleminx]

I have a few half decentish trees and a lot of sticks in pots. This is because I also enjoy growing things from seed and cuttings. Most of the seedlings and successful cuttings are donated to others after I have grown them on for a year or two. There are of course some that I keep but not too many.

I would say do what brings you happiness. Sometimes it’s nice to have the sticks to play around with when the other more developed trees are maintained for the season.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Once you are comfortable that you can keep a species alive and thriving then you will want to advance to a couple of nicer trees of that type.
I have several nicer ficus trees now but I still continue to try other young material. This is my first year with Podocarpus macrophyllus aka Buddhist pine. If I am successful then I may want to advance to a nicer tree down the road.

 

[penumbra]

I have a few half decentish trees and a lot of sticks in pots. This is because I also enjoy growing things from seed and cuttings. Most of the seedlings and successful cuttings are donated to others after I have grown them on for a year or two. There are of course some that I keep but not too many.

I would say do what brings you happiness. Sometimes it’s nice to have the sticks to play around with when the other more developed trees are maintained for the season.

Thank you for this accurate and concise post that exactly defines my position.
I love bonsai, but I love plants more. I could live without the former but have no desire for life without the later.

 

[PonderingSage:]

I would get my hands on decent raw stock yamadori. Price is reasonable, and you still get to see development over time. You will end up with a more quality tree in the end and it will still be “yours”.