So when does newbieship expire?

[Cajunrider]

New tree ....renewbed.
New yard.... renewbed.
New pests...renewbed.

You get renewbed everytime you find something new!

Sorce

Yass!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

how well you understand and execute the art

In some ways, newbiehood means (1) you don't know many things regarding bonsai and (2) that you don't know what you don't know.

I don't know that ignorance ever goes away, completely, because my trees continue to surprise me even today. However the end of true newbiehood comes when you can look at your trees and understand their flaws and their strengths and weaknesses, and you can develop and execute a plan to improve them. If you look back at your beginner trees and still think they look great, you are probably still a newb - because anything created with beginner skills should begin to look like a beginner's work to you.

This is the danger (in my opinion) of buying finished bonsai early in your career. You are tweaking someone else's work instead of developing your own skills. But I understand this isn't the same for everyone.

 

[TinyArt]

New tree ....renewbed.
New yard.... renewbed.
New pests...renewbed.

You get renewbed everytime you find something new!

Sorce

Well THAT'S a relief -- 'cause I figure my newbieship expires when I do, which hopefully won't be for a while yet!

 

[PA_Penjing]

If you look back at your beginner trees and still think they look great, you are probably still a newb - because anything created with beginner skills should begin to look like a beginner's work to you.

This makes me feel much better about no longer owning my very first tree. Or even second tree.... or fifth tree .... or tenth tree....

 

[Cajunrider]

However the end of true newbiehood comes when you can look at your trees and understand their flaws and their strengths and weaknesses, and you can develop and execute a plan to improve them. If you look back at your beginner trees and still think they look great, you are probably still a newb - because anything created with beginner skills should begin to look like a beginner's work to you.

Well.
A while back I air layered from a clearance triple twisted trunk ficus that had one dead trunk. I air layered the remaining two, potted, and wired them and was pretty pleased with myself. Early last year, they were taken off the pots and put in grow box. Last month I looked at one and declared it ugly and chopped it to bits, keeping one bit for a cascade. The other one I stared at yesterday and decided that it got ugly nebari and I am going to have to sort the roots out soon. So I now know what beginners' work look like.
But but... I am still fuzzy on the improvement plan.
I ASSERT MY NEWBIESHIP!

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I ASSERT MY NEWBIESHIP!

...and this is why it is hard to lose newbiness in a vaccuum. You need to interact with others with more advanced skills. Best case study with them, at the minimum ask them to critique your work.

 

[Cajunrider]

...and this is why it is hard to lose newbiness in a vaccuum. You need to interact with others with more advanced skills. Best case study with them, at the minimum ask them to critique your work.

I've been doing that here and with the local club. And yes the last ficus I posted up was called ugly hahaha.
I pretty much regarded all the regulars here as "others with more advanced skills". Comments and advice from them always get strong consideration from me.
I would love to do more but broken houses and storms do shitty things to my time.

 

[Forsoothe!]

As they always say, "Vermouth is wasted on the young".

 

[Cajunrider]

As they always say, "Vermouth is wasted on the young".

And Southern Comfort put old men to sleep.

 

[sorce]

"newbieship" must not be recognized by the sorting algorithms...



So it gets sorted into something that seems would be more exciting in a deer hunting forum!

Sorce

 

[Tieball]

After you’ve killed enough trees or left enough trees in a state if total wonder that displays the many mistakes made.

 

[Cajunrider]

"newbieship" must not be recognized by the sorting algorithms...

View attachment 404735

So it gets sorted into something that seems would be more exciting in a deer hunting forum!

Sorce

At least I asked hahaha.

 

[BrightsideB]

In some ways, newbiehood means (1) you don't know many things regarding bonsai and (2) that you don't know what you don't know.

I don't know that ignorance ever goes away, completely, because my trees continue to surprise me even today. However the end of true newbiehood comes when you can look at your trees and understand their flaws and their strengths and weaknesses, and you can develop and execute a plan to improve them. If you look back at your beginner trees and still think they look great, you are probably still a newb - because anything created with beginner skills should begin to look like a beginner's work to you.

This is the danger (in my opinion) of buying finished bonsai early in your career. You are tweaking someone else's work instead of developing your own skills. But I understand this isn't the same for everyone.

I agree. But even in my first year of bonsai I knew my first tree’s I worked on were not impressive then lol. I still don’t have anything impressive. But I never bought something already developed. Next month I’ll be doing some finally structural wire to some of my tree’s. Some are starting to actually look ok.

 

[Cajunrider]

I agree. But even in my first year of bonsai I knew my first tree’s I worked on were not impressive then lol. I still don’t have anything impressive. But I never bought something already developed. Next month I’ll be doing some finally structural wire to some of my tree’s. Some are starting to actually look ok.

You are way ahead of me then. Mine are all pre-pre-pre bonsai.
PS: I can't use what's offered on-line as pre-bonsai to compare. Some of them are terrible. At least I know not to buy those things because a lot of mine looks better than them even though they still are pre-pre-pre bonsai to me.

 

[Cajunrider]

I think, personally, it ends when you stop concerning yourself with such things.. and see everyone as horticultural peers, some MORE experienced, some LESS.

In all honesty, I never concern myself with such things (many topics - bonsai included). I actually can call myself the authority on certain things but none of that matter really. We are all equal in my eyes. Some may have more experience than others in certain things and that's what I am looking for when it comes to bonsai here. I understand that knowledge sometimes would cost $ since time is precious to us all and plan to pay equitably as needed.

 

[treesRcool]

I've killed all my trees last summer, mostly because I started too late. I think once my trees start living past that season, I'll consider myself competent .

 

[Shogun610]

I'm a newbie whenever someone brings out a tree species that I have no experience with.

Yes

 

[Cajunrider]

After you’ve killed enough trees or left enough trees in a state if total wonder that displays the many mistakes made.

That's it.

You lose your newbieship when you have enough bonsai trees to make your own funeral pyre @penumbra

By then even if you still make bad bonsai, it simply means you are bad at it but you can't hide under newbieship.

 

[vp999]

Send me $100, and I'll expedite your certification. I'm always glad to be helpful.

Where do I send the money to? I would like to hang it in my living room.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I'm a newbie whenever someone brings out a tree species that I have no experience with.

Yes

And it never ends. There is an island in the Panama Canal with 500 species of trees and they continue to discover new ones, just like in the Amazon Jungle.