Practice trees

Music4cash

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Hey everyone. I've gotten so much great advice about my boxwood that I'm having a hard time keeping my hand off of it. I'm planning to repot and style a bit this spring. In the meantime are there any species that I can get from nurseries that are appropriate to style and repot this time of year? I want to get some practice before I do anything drastic with my boxwood. I'm in northern virginia usda zone 7. I've read that Junipers can handle it but I'd prefer something deciduous, or maybe something that can be kept indoors. I've never done a root pruning so I especially want some practice with that.
 

Lazylightningny

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Personally, I would avoid calling any tree a "practice" tree. I think you're better served by thinking of each tree as an individual that will become a spectacular specimen in a few years. By learning how to care for each tree, your horticultural skills will improve. It's not a quick process, you have to think in terms of years. Believe me, I learned the hard way.

As for trees that you can work now, try pruning and wiring a small juniper, then you can repot in the spring.
 

Sunwyrm

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I disagree. Sacrificing "practice trees" to the bonsai gods/burn pile has helped me learn, while also helping me keep my noob fingers off some of the other trees I've picked up that I'd rather not ruin right away. Knowing you're inevitably gonna kill some trees helps take some of the stress off.
 

bonsaidave

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Watch videos, read, and take notes. If you need something to play with just go by something from big box stores. Don't be surprised if you kill that boxwood in a year or two regardless.

The name of the game really is patience.
 

Silentrunning

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Go out and dig up a couple of Elms. Preferably Winged Elms. Put them in bonsai pots and soil. Trim them if you must. Then strive to keep them alive over the winter.Then reread bonsaidave’s first sentence several times. By spring time you will be ready to go.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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In general, autumn is not a totally bad time of year for repotting, Autumn from late summer on is considered the ''second season'' where repotting can be done. IT IS NOT AS GOOD AS SPRING, failures will be more than in spring, but it is not the worst time. Late spring early summer is the absolute worst time to repot a tree. So if you don't mind flirting with death, you could repot this time of year. In fact certain specialty trees, that are not considered beginner trees, Diospyros and Chaenomeles are both better off repotted in autumn for Diospyros and late summer through autumn for Chaenomeles (flowering quince).

Ficus is ideal for indoor trees.
 

Sunwyrm

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Some wise b'nutters told me if you can't keep your hands off your trees, you need more trees...


Grab some weed trees - there's a ton of stuff everywhere in VA and while some things might not make good bonsai, they make good practice. I've pulled up a bunch of maple, mulberry, and mimosa saplings just in my yard, and while they might not make the best specimens later on, they teach you about wiring, pruning, watering, and winter care. You need some crap trees to give yourself some room to practice and fail. Going to the nursery/big box store clearance section can give you some good stuff to mess with, and just get a variety of stuff to start.

Joining in on contests helped me learn too; you get positive feedback, and they're usually cheap, simple and lighthearted.

In the off season, just research and collect pots, tools, soil, more trees... You don't have to work on things right away - just keep some trees alive until you have a good plan on what to do with them, even if it takes a few years of them sitting on your deck with your family and friends asking "so are you going to plant these or?"

Another piece of advice that helped me (but isn't for everyone) - don't repot in better soil if you don't have time to water (or just do a couple til you get the hang of it and figure out what soil works best for you and your trees). Just keeping things in their nursery pots has helped me get through a couple summers where I otherwise wouldn't have had time to water every day.

Like @Leo in N E Illinois said, I maybe wouldn't repot now. Maybe some light styling and practice wiring, but otherwise just buy clearance trees and winter prep. It's getting in the 40's at night this weekend!
 

Cajunrider

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Oh yes I have many many practice trees. I went to my friend's house and collected a dozen Chinese elms and several oaks & maple in various size from seedling to 1" diameter. I potted one and planted the rest in the yard. On purpose I plant them a little bit higher and using well drain soil mix. I also plant them in different angle etc. I'm practicing Niwaki with the ones in the ground to test things I've learned on developing trunk, ramification, nebari etc..
I also have a bunch of pomegranates, gardenia, etc.. that I'm playing with both in ground and in pots. A lot of my root pruning is practiced on trees currently in the ground. I've been know to dig them up, prune the roots and put them back down. So far they all live so I know how much roots I can prune on certain species.

I figure this way I can learn lots of things without killing most of them. As I get more experience with bonsai, they will be eventually moved into pots. I'll keep the one I like and donate the rest to the kids I know. A lot of my trees are either from collection or from propagation. I only buy when I can't get one otherwise.

PS: One of the elms my lady already likes it where it is so that one will be permanently in the yard.
 
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Music4cash

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Here is my practice bonsai. It's my first attempt at styling a tree...I forgot to take a before picture, and I'll be really astonished if it lives, but it looks a lot more like a real bonsai than I thought it would. Also it was a fun project for surprisingly little money. Any feedback is appreciated.20181012_185453.jpg
 

Music4cash

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I've got another tree a juniper nana, but I'm waiting for a pot I ordered for it... I have much less idea about what to do with it so it's good to have a couple days.
 

W3rk

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@Music4cash
When you're ready for more trees, check out Meehan's Miniatures, it's right across the border in Maryland; lots of great species and good prices, from beginner to expert material and awesome people!
I'll second Meehan's - in particular they have a lot of great young nursery stock and good bonsai species. Super fun to visit and browse around. I'm hoping to visit again before the end of Oct.
 

M. Frary

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All of my trees are practice trees.
You're going to kill good ones
Youre going to kill not so good ones.
So I dont buy or dig trees just to practice on.
Every tree I do or have done from the beginning I wanted to be a bonsai.
If you waste your time on trees just to toss what do you end up with?
Wasted time and dead trees.
Because in the back of your mind it's only just a practice tree. Who cares if it dies?
So it's going to be pushed to the limit.
Most times not making it.
What's been learned?
Then there's the little thing of older trees,bigger trees,needing a special touch. They arent young trees (practice trees)that can bounce back from abuse.
 

BunjaeKorea

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Not bad start at all. Heres a few tips....
Red circle...... dodgy wiring might cut into ur tree later and looks like it lacks strength.
20181013_163948.jpg
Red lines.
Bending like this will provide more movement and depth.
20181013_164054.jpg

Here's one I prepared earlier. A tree I am working on but it gives you an idea.

After you have done bending just ?let it grow let it grow.... cant prune it back anymoreeeeee?

Bear in mind that during their growth spurts wire can seriously cut into young junipers.
20180912_110512.jpg
 

Music4cash

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All of my trees are practice trees.
You're going to kill good ones
Youre going to kill not so good ones.
So I dont buy or dig trees just to practice on.
Every tree I do or have done from the beginning I wanted to be a bonsai.
If you waste your time on trees just to toss what do you end up with?
Wasted time and dead trees.
Because in the back of your mind it's only just a practice tree. Who cares if it dies?
So it's going to be pushed to the limit.
Most times not making it.
What's been learned?
Then there's the little thing of older trees,bigger trees,needing a special touch. They arent young trees (practice trees)that can bounce back from abuse.

It isn't good practice if you aren't doing your best. The point is I have a tree that I want to style but I want to minimize making mistakes with it, so I don't want it to be my very first attempt. Already though I really like my first tree so hopefully it lives.

Not bad start at all. Heres a few tips....
Red circle...... dodgy wiring might cut into ur tree later and looks like it lacks strength.
View attachment 213109
Red lines.
Bending like this will provide more movement and depth.
View attachment 213110

Here's one I prepared earlier. A tree I am working on but it gives you an idea.

After you have done bending just ?let it grow let it grow.... cant prune it back anymoreeeeee?

Bear in mind that during their growth spurts wire can seriously cut into young junipers.

Thanks so much for the tips I'll tweak it a little this afternoon and post a new pic. I'll put up a before pic of my juniper nana as well...
 

Sunwyrm

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@M. Frary said the point I was trying to make and failed. I hope I didn't come across in my first post to kill trees on purpose, but it reads that way. You will kill trees, some bc of mistakes, some out of your control - just try your best not to ;)
 

Music4cash

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Update on the tree from this post. Two months later here is the same tree... I'm 99% sure it's dead, but I'm not sure how long to hold it hope...I figure I'll leave until spring to be sure...
 

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Leo in N E Illinois

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Update on the tree from this post. Two months later here is the same tree... I'm 99% sure it's dead, but I'm not sure how long to hold it hope...I figure I'll leave until spring to be sure...

Junipers normally change color when outdoors for the winter, but I don't think the color change you got is particularly healthy. Just leave it be and see if it greens up in spring. Some faint hope.

Practice trees - my time is too valuable to waste it on ''practice'' trees. Every tree I have, I take seriously, and try to create the best bonsai I can out of it. I don't let myself get ''sloppy'' or take ''half measures'' because I don't care if it lives or dies. Treating each tree, no matter how cheap, as a tree to take seriously, helps you to learn proper technique. Once you have technique learned to the point where it is almost reflex, you can then begin to really creative. But you need to get the techniques down, including the horticulture. So take every seedling you go through the trouble of digging up or planting as seriously as your most expensive tree and you will find that you will learn more quickly.

My plant collection has seen enough carnage, I need to seriously keep on top of the horticulture. Though I do try to have fun, and I do try to keep it affordable. I start a fair number of trees from seed, so I know most won't ''make the final cut'' in the future, but I seriously try to get the best I can out of them. I only have 4 or 5 trees that I paid more than $100 for, most of my stock is either self collected, or cheap stuff found at nurseries or whatever.

I do have some trees, that were ''practice trees'' that I suddenly realized they survived much longer than I expected. As a result, that branch that I said to myself was too straight, and should be wired some 8 years ago is now too thick, woody and brittle to bend now. This is what happens when you don't take that little ''practice tree'' seriously when you first start with it. If I had corrected the ''too straight'' branch on that satsuki some 8 years ago when I first noticed the problem, I would not be kicking myself today about having an awkward branch on a 12 year old tree that otherwise has started to look really interesting.

So take all your tree seriously, knowing many will not make the grade, but some will and often not the one's you initially planned on making the grade.
 

Cajunrider

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Junipers normally change color when outdoors for the winter, but I don't think the color change you got is particularly healthy. Just leave it be and see if it greens up in spring. Some faint hope.

Practice trees - my time is too valuable to waste it on ''practice'' trees. Every tree I have, I take seriously, and try to create the best bonsai I can out of it. I don't let myself get ''sloppy'' or take ''half measures'' because I don't care if it lives or dies. Treating each tree, no matter how cheap, as a tree to take seriously, helps you to learn proper technique. Once you have technique learned to the point where it is almost reflex, you can then begin to really creative. But you need to get the techniques down, including the horticulture. So take every seedling you go through the trouble of digging up or planting as seriously as your most expensive tree and you will find that you will learn more quickly.

My plant collection has seen enough carnage, I need to seriously keep on top of the horticulture. Though I do try to have fun, and I do try to keep it affordable. I start a fair number of trees from seed, so I know most won't ''make the final cut'' in the future, but I seriously try to get the best I can out of them. I only have 4 or 5 trees that I paid more than $100 for, most of my stock is either self collected, or cheap stuff found at nurseries or whatever.

I do have some trees, that were ''practice trees'' that I suddenly realized they survived much longer than I expected. As a result, that branch that I said to myself was too straight, and should be wired some 8 years ago is now too thick, woody and brittle to bend now. This is what happens when you don't take that little ''practice tree'' seriously when you first start with it. If I had corrected the ''too straight'' branch on that satsuki some 8 years ago when I first noticed the problem, I would not be kicking myself today about having an awkward branch on a 12 year old tree that otherwise has started to look really interesting.

So take all your tree seriously, knowing many will not make the grade, but some will and often not the one's you initially planned on making the grade.
For me, I take all my trees seriously. Perhaps I should call some trees "lesser loss" trees on which I'm willing to push my envelope of skills and knowledge.
 

cbroad

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I'm 99% sure it's dead,
I don't think it's dead (yet?) Blue Stars just look like that, don't give up hope yet...

That yellowish foliage probably won't make it, but the silvery ends looks normal to me.
 
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