Score?

[Cajunrider]

For lunch today I went to a local nursery and headed for the back section. I found 1 Japanese maple 1 inch caliper with a nice flair at the base. I think it is a very low graft. Also found 3 three gallon Formosa Azaleas. All of that for $50. Reasonable?

 

[Pitoon]

If you are happy with your purchase, what does everyone else's opinion matter?

 

[namnhi]

For lunch today I went to a local nursery and headed for the back section. I found 1 Japanese maple 1 inch caliper with a nice flair at the base. I think it is a very low graft. Also found 3 three gallon Formosa Azaleas. All of that for $50. Reasonable?
View attachment 367816View attachment 367818View attachment 367821

Doesn't look like JM. But it is nice maple just not JM.

 

[Cajunrider]

Doesn't look like JM. But it is nice maple just not JM.

I couldn’t tell being not as familiar with JM. As a matter of fact there are not many maples around here either. The nursery owner told me it is but I trust Bonsainut people more.

 

[Cajunrider]

If you are happy with your purchase, what does everyone else's opinion matter?

From a landscape perspective it is a good buy since I can bring them back to health. I post it here to see if any of them has potential to be decent bonsai. I know the Formosa Azalea tend to have big leaves and now I know that the maple is not a JM. So yeah to me it matters the opinion of folks in this forum.

 

[PA_Penjing]

That miiiiiiiight be a shantung maple. But that's only a guess. If so, shantung can be used for bonsai, the leaves reduce well but it is said that they are poor at producing fine branching. Wouldn't know from experience though

 

[hinmo24t]

If you are happy with your purchase, what does everyone else's opinion matter?

were on an enthusiast website...why would you be on here at all if not to get some peer review?

 

[hinmo24t]

nice character of bark on that maple. id be happy dropping $50 on that lot

 

[Pitoon]

From a landscape perspective it is a good buy since I can bring them back to health. I post it here to see if any of them has potential to be decent bonsai. I know the Formosa Azalea tend to have big leaves and now I know that the maple is not a JM. So yeah to me it matters the opinion of folks in this forum.

Sure if you want to plant it in your yard, why not? Any plant can be put under the practices of bonsai.....just some are better subjects than others for the practice.

As for my opinion, if you are happy that's all that matters. The maple to me looks like a Silver maple (Acer saccharinum). The azaleas look like they have a lot of die back. You need to clean the die back let the flush harden off and decide where you want to take them.

 

[cbroad]

@PA_Penjing
I agree, the bark looks rough like my shantung and the foliage looks right..

@Cajunrider
You'll know if it's shantung my their loooong petioles

 

[Pitoon]

were on an enthusiast website...why would you be on here at all if not to get some peer review?

Yes, we are. The OP did not ask about the care of plants, what design style to approach, or anything else bonsai'ish related, only about their purchase of the plants. More often than not people buy plants in rough shape (knowing and seeing the plants are in rough shape) and post here and ask for our opinion as in a justification for their purchase.....hence stating the amount that was paid for the purchase.

My response was not meant to be taken negatively. Merely stating if you bought them and you are happy with them, what else matters.

 

[Cajunrider]

Yes, we are. The OP did not ask about the care of plants, what design style to approach, or anything else bonsai'ish related, only about their purchase of the plants. More often than not people buy plants in rough shape (knowing and seeing the plants are in rough shape) and post here and ask for our opinion as in a justification for their purchase.....hence stating the amount that was paid for the purchase.

My response was not meant to be taken negatively. Merely stating if you bought them and you are happy with them, what else matters.

All those questions will come later after I nurse them back to health. It wasn’t a justification for the purchase question because the amount is inconsequential. It was more like a hey guys with my buddies. My buddies then tell me I did good or that sucks and why so I learn. Either way I am happy with the input.

 

[Pitoon]

All those questions will come later after I nurse them back to health. It wasn’t a justification for the purchase question because the amount is inconsequential. It was more like a hey guys with my buddies. My buddies then tell me I did good or that sucks and why so I learn. Either way I am happy with the input.

I understand.

You need to figure out what maple that is. The bark looks good and seems to bark up early, but who knows how long it's been in that pot.

Could you post a full pic of it? What do you intend to do with it?

 

[namnhi]

All those questions will come later after I nurse them back to health. It wasn’t a justification for the purchase question because the amount is inconsequential. It was more like a hey guys with my buddies. My buddies then tell me I did good or that sucks and why so I learn. Either way I am happy with the input.

Most humble person I know on this board. Stop by for a drink when you in Houston/Katy area.

 

[Cajunrider]

Most humble person I know on this board. Stop by for a drink when you in Houston/Katy area.

We should meet some day.

 

[Cajunrider]

I understand.

You need to figure out what maple that is. The bark looks good and seems to bark up early, but who knows how long it's been in that pot.

Could you post a full pic of it? What do you intend to do with it?

The nursery owner said he ordered 50 red maples from a wholesaler delivered to him last February. They were placed in a sunny spot and all were sold except for this one that looked like the sun burned all the leaves. For that reason he thinks it is a JM because the leaves are much smaller and it can’t take much sun. He put it among the junk pile in the back of the nursery with the intend to try to bring it back to health later once he got through with the hurricane and freeze damage to his nursery.

With the nice base flare, good bark, and small leaves I am thinking about repotting it now and nurse it back to health. Then I will chop it and attempt to make a bonsai.

 

[Pitoon]

When the owner mentioned Red Maple could he/she be referring to Acer rubrum? This maple does bark up on some individuals. Their leaf pattern varies Iike Acer palmatum. They are also known down south as Swamp Maples

There's some really nice Acer rubrum bonsai out there, most though are bigger bonsai.

Here's some leaves to compare.....

 

[MrWunderful]

Can you post a clear pic of a leaf on a solid background?

And I think 50$ for 4 decent trees is a great deal anywhere, so you did good. Just dont be afraid to cut back hard, because they will all need it to have good foundations for the future.

 

[Cajunrider]

I got the maple out of the pot. The roots were tangled up so I went ahead and did some root work. I put it in a grow box I made from recycled pallets. The root base is around 4”. The leaves make me think it is Acer Rubrum , which is so so for bonsai. For $26 that’s not too bad if it becomes a landscape tree. If I put it in the ground, I would still treat it like a Niwaki tree.

 

[penumbra]

That maple, whatever it is, has gorgeous leaves and a nice rough trunk.