Pre Bonsai Stock

Zappa

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does anyone know of any reputable pre-bonsai stock vendors? I conduct a weekly patrol of local nurseries/lowes/home depot, but often they do not have trees that are young enough...
 

JasonG

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does anyone know of any reputable pre-bonsai stock vendors? I conduct a weekly patrol of local nurseries/lowes/home depot, but often they do not have trees that are young enough...

What are you looking for? Above you mention "but often they do not have trees that are young enough." Are you looking for liner material to put in the ground or would you prefer older material trained for bonsai?

http://www.oregonbonsai.com

Thanks, Jason
 

Vance Wood

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Are you confusing young enough with small enough? Could you be a bit more specific about your parameters?
 

Zappa

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A year ago may I thought young=small enough....since I have had many epiphanies about bonsai. Vance....back then I ment small enough...Thanks for pointing this out. I'm sure there are people out there with the same misunderstanding about bonsai that I had last year ;)
 

grouper52

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If you haven't already, take a drive/pilgrimmage over to Brussels Bonsai just south of Memphis in MIssissippi. It would be well worth your time and gas $, even at these prices. Hope that helps.
 
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Young Trees, where are they?

My friend anywhere you go the trees are just to old. Unless, you go to a Bonsai nursery, you'll find a nice tree. I suggest that you begin looking for some nice tree seeds. First of all, you can get exotic trees, it's more rewarding, and I believe its cheaper. The only down side is the percentage of trees that germinate and grow. Its a trial and error process but like I said before, its very rewarding.
-R
 

PaulStokes

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The Growing grounds have yet to reply to any emails that I have sent.
 

Vance Wood

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My friend anywhere you go the trees are just to old. Unless, you go to a Bonsai nursery, you'll find a nice tree. I suggest that you begin looking for some nice tree seeds. First of all, you can get exotic trees, it's more rewarding, and I believe its cheaper. The only down side is the percentage of trees that germinate and grow. Its a trial and error process but like I said before, its very rewarding.
-R

I hardly know where to start in reply to the above. You can find decent trees almost anywhere you go if you know what you are looking for, and that's the real problem, knowing what you are looking for. Growing from seed is fun and can be rewarding but it takes a minimum of ten years to get anything you can even begin to think of as even pre-bonsai. Thirdly, there is no such thing as trees that are too old, just too big. Fourth you can go to a bonsai nursery but I guarantee you if you go there armed with the state of mind and level of experience reflected in Mr. Funky's suggestions you will spend a lot of money and still not get what may be appropriate to you or your experience. You have to iron things out in your mind and get an understanding of how bonsai are formed.
 
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I was not clearly thinking of what I said earlier. What Mr. Vance Wood said was all correct. Good luck Zappa in finding your pre-bonsai but if you ever get the chance, try growing from seed, it's a great experience.
-R
 

grouper52

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As part of a project I'm working on, I recently did some recorded interviews with one of the bonsai greats (don't want to spoil the project by disclosing who, at this point). I asked him what advice he would give to someone just starting out in bonsai, and this was his reply:

"The first thing that I would do is I’d point out some realities. And one of the most sinister realities, in a way, is that in nature 99% of all seeds that sprout die before they’re 20 years old. If you could get the person that you’re confronting to grasp that concept, and go with it, right away it directs them very positively in the right direction: You start with big, old material. Start with something that’s a survivor. Something that’s 20 years old, a hundred years, just don’t start with baby trees. And if you do, then start with a great many so you have a survivor. The brutal thing about that reality is that people get abused. They do everything right, and they still die. And I’ sorry, that does not engender in that person enthusiasm for the art. They all say, I’ve heard it a thousand times, “No, I’ve tried that, and they all die.” And so, if you can disabuse them of the notion that it’s romantic and cute and mothering and all that to start with baby trees, you’ve taken a huge step, a leap forward in this thing.

"And the acquisition of that stuff is problematic. Where you gonna get it? Well, there’s a multitude of ways you can get it. There’s solutions to that thing. But you’ve got to get them out of the frame of mind that they can do it from a seed. And that’s a terrible thing to tell somebody. I mean, hope burns eternal, right?"
 

Vance Wood

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As part of a project I'm working on, I recently did some recorded interviews with one of the bonsai greats (don't want to spoil the project by disclosing who, at this point). I asked him what advice he would give to someone just starting out in bonsai, and this was his reply:

"The first thing that I would do is I’d point out some realities. And one of the most sinister realities, in a way, is that in nature 99% of all seeds that sprout die before they’re 20 years old. If you could get the person that you’re confronting to grasp that concept, and go with it, right away it directs them very positively in the right direction: You start with big, old material. Start with something that’s a survivor. Something that’s 20 years old, a hundred years, just don’t start with baby trees. And if you do, then start with a great many so you have a survivor. The brutal thing about that reality is that people get abused. They do everything right, and they still die. And I’ sorry, that does not engender in that person enthusiasm for the art. They all say, I’ve heard it a thousand times, “No, I’ve tried that, and they all die.” And so, if you can disabuse them of the notion that it’s romantic and cute and mothering and all that to start with baby trees, you’ve taken a huge step, a leap forward in this thing.

"And the acquisition of that stuff is problematic. Where you gonna get it? Well, there’s a multitude of ways you can get it. There’s solutions to that thing. But you’ve got to get them out of the frame of mind that they can do it from a seed. And that’s a terrible thing to tell somebody. I mean, hope burns eternal, right?"

I have to disagree with the oppinion on seed cultivation. If you have access to a library of past issues of Bonsai Today there are several good articles on the cultivation of Japanese Black Pine, Japanes White Pine and a host of other exotic trees from seed. I understand that this is done on a regular basis in Japan. However; suggesting to a beginner that he/she should start at this point is a sure formula for failure. Sucessful seed cultivation is difficult for a host of reasons. It takes skill, knowledge and patience. It takes special soils, fungicides, misting systems and insecticides, all things that the beginner is most likely to be seriously lacking.
 

grouper52

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I have to disagree . . . However; suggesting to a beginner that he/she should start at this point is a sure formula for failure.

Since the quote I gave was a response to my question about advice to beginners, and since you later agree on that point, I'm not sure why you would need to start off your response with, "I have to disagree . . . " unless just trying to fit in with the generally disagreeable tone of most bonsai forums. Another disagreeable foray into BNut input and interaction - who woulda thunk it? Haven't been much a part of this forum lately: now I remember why.
 

Vance Wood

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Since the quote I gave was a response to my question about advice to beginners, and since you later agree on that point, I'm not sure why you would need to start off your response with, "I have to disagree . . . " unless just trying to fit in with the generally disagreeable tone of most bonsai forums. Another disagreeable foray into BNut input and interaction - who woulda thunk it? Haven't been much a part of this forum lately: now I remember why.

I am not or at the time trying to be disagreeable. The tone of the individual you quoted seemed to indicate the TOTAL futility of growing bonsai from seed. That was what I was responding to, not its reference to or relation with beginners.
 
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