The bonsai heresy thread

[Anthony]

Sifu,

mostly follow the rule - 1 inch trunk to 6 inch height,
Trees stop around 15 to 18 inches due to ageing backs.
Yes, 3 inch trunked fici in 1 inch deep pots.

No interest in cascade. not really seen down
here.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Cadillactaste]

Pronouncing bonsai the wrong way! Was recently called out for this.

I had an embarrassing dream about pronouncing it wrong. Because I know I do.

No I whack about 90-95% when I repot. it depends on when you do it.

When one can cut a HUGE girth bougies and root it. I tend to agree. Curious if it is more about root rot,than root reduction when one states they are sensitive.

 

[M. Frary]

Using glazed pots for conifers.

I put everything in unglazed now. I have a couple glazed pots but they will be sold most likely.

 

[JoeH]

I buy my pots at the thrift store 2 bucks and a tile bit from Harbor Freight make all kinds of unique pots
My tools come from Dollar Tree, Home Depot, Thrift Stores or my tool box, not a mail order Bonsai supply house

 

[JoeH]

and pretty much everything else I do. Wrong soil, crappy wiring. I do follow repot seasons tho. That I already had a pretty good understanding.

 

[Vin]

It's a unique blend of wiring and watering from Japan. An very advanced technique. Video next week. Stay tuned.

Be careful! That's a third-degree misdemeanor in some states.

 

[wireme]

and pretty much everything else I do. Wrong soil, crappy wiring. I do follow repot seasons tho. That I already had a pretty good understanding.

There was a thread here once, forget the title. Something about what are the dumbest/worst practices that prople do and everyone should avoid. Someone posted a reply that pretty much seemed like a list of the things that I’ve said I like to do! I don’t remember the things anymore, pretty sure I still like to do them though.

 

[JoeH]

There was a thread here once, forget the title. Something about what are the dumbest/worst practices that prople do and everyone should avoid. Someone posted a reply that pretty much seemed like a list of the things that I’ve said I like to do! I don’t remember the things anymore, pretty sure I still like to do them though.

its more like people say I use the wrong soil, but it works for me. 50/50 floor dry and top or potting soil

 

[Cosmos]

I gotta ask, Anthony.

Why not? We get wind where I live. And if the wind blows soon after repotting, the trunk can move. If the trunk moves, the roots will move. If the roots move, the new tiny feeder roots can get damaged. Which can slow recovery, or perhaps damage the tree permanently.

Wiring in is easy. (Well, SOME skill is required - especially for large collected material that may not have a good root system. Which makes it DOUBLY important to do it right!). It secures the tree in firmly, winds won’t bother it, nor will a bird which lands on it.

Nigel Saunders doesn’t wire his in, but he grows in a greenhouse (no winds or birds).

Nigel’s videos are a cringe fest for me.

He would rather stack rocks around the nebari and haul that to his greenhouse. Very limiting in situations where the center of mass of the tree is not directly over the nebari. I can’t ever imagine a situation where his approach would be better than wiring in a tree. It’s not precise or long term. Maybe you don’t have wind in all cases but when you go to wire the tree, where will all that stress from handling it end up? The root system will undergo a lot of stress. This is probably why Nigel doesn’t seem fond of wiring lol

I enjoy his channel quite a bit, so I'll defend him here.

The guy doesn't grow anything, or barely anything, in his greenhouse. He'll put recovering trees there for a few days after a repot, for example, but I think that's it. He has a room for tropicals in his house, but his hardy trees are left outside without any protection. See this video from this spring.

Now, he does a lot of things that a beginner probably shouldn't do. The not wiring his trees in the pots is one (I guess his garden is not windy), but he also does drastic rootwork frequently, risky trunk chops, etc. Not protecting his hardy trees at all is also one.

But he has some nice trees, and his passion and zen approach is commendable.

 

[Michael P]

I hate to wire! Everything is clip and grow, with occasional props, braces, and guy wires.

 

[just.wing.it]

I enjoy his channel quite a bit, so I'll defend him here.

The guy doesn't grow anything, or barely anything, in his greenhouse. He'll put recovering trees there for a few days after a repot, for example, but I think that's it. He has a room for tropicals in his house, but his hardy trees are left outside without any protection. See this video from this spring.

Now, he does a lot of things that a beginner probably shouldn't do. The not wiring his trees in the pots is one (I guess his garden is not windy), but he also does drastic rootwork frequently, risky trunk chops, etc. Not protecting his hardy trees at all is also one.

But he has some nice trees, and his passion and zen approach is commendable.

I second that!
He has several landscape plantings that are certainly interesting, cedar, larch, p.afra...and more.

He does do some risky stuff, seemingly...
But it seems to always work out.

I simply respect him for doing videos with updates.
There are so many videos online of work that I'd love to see a follow-up to...makes me wonder...

 

[brewmeister83]

I transplanted about 400 larch after the buds opened and didn't lose one.

This year I transplanted one larch and it didn't loose any of its 400 opened buds.

 

[Cosmos]

I simply respect him for doing videos with updates.
There are so many videos online of work that I'd love to see a follow-up to...makes me wonder...

I read a few weeks ago, I don't know if it was Peter Warren or somebody else, who was saying that a good chunk of those big spectacular demo trees, the pines, the junipers, die in the months following the presentation, and not necessarily because of aftercare. You see professionals removing 80-90 % of juniper foliage to give a good show... that seems borderline unethical to me.

 

[twisted trees]

Be careful! That's a third-degree misdemeanor in some states.

I live in my own country.

 

[JoeH]

Nigel was one of the first I watched on youtube a few years ago when I was getting into this. His nontraditional, learn his own way approach stuck with me.

 

[twisted trees]

Ooohhh! A video! Be sure to film it photo bomb style, with your best Bob Ross style ‘fro! I want to see some happy little wayers!

You'll need to subscibe before you can see the video.

 

[Vance Wood]

I hate to wire! Everything is clip and grow, with occasional props, braces, and guy wires.

Don't grow any Pines? Try doing Pines and Junipers without wiring. I suppose you can but your results will be borderline.

 

[music~maker]

Here are a few:

• I use 2:1:1 turface:metromix:granite as my primary bonsai soil.
• I prefer natural looking trees to the heavily manicured traditional styles.
• I grow lots of crassula ovata (common jade), which many people say is unsuitable for bonsai purposes.

 

[brewmeister83]

Let me start with the caveats:

- I know grafting is an advanced tier skill and anyone who can do it successfully has my admiration.
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But.......

If I'm ever lucky enough to own one of those massive junipers from out west, I'll never ever, ever, ever graft kishu or itoigawa onto it - putting Asian foliage on an ancient, rugged American plant for horticultural reasons may be one thing if the existing foliage is weak in your particular climate (and to that I would then question why did you get a piece of material that is ill suited to your climate and requires grafting to survive in the first place). But on the other hand, saying "it's more manageable/responds better than the natural foliage" or "I like the look of it better" or "its own foliage won't win shows compared to a shimpaku" or "the Japanese do it all the time with their junipers" or "it's no big deal, it's accepted practice at this point" are all excuses, in my book, to not appreciate and learn the qualities the plant has to offer as an American piece of material. To me, it's like putting a new Chinese made silk hat and vest on an old dusty, rugged cowboy. Just kinda looks off somehow.

Heresy! I know, right?

 

[bonsaichile]

Let me start with the caveats:

- I know grafting is an advanced tier skill and anyone who can do it successfully has my adoration.
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But.......

If I'm ever lucky enough to own one of those massive junipers from out west, I'll never ever, ever, ever graft kishu or itoigawa onto it - putting Asian foliage on an ancient, rugged American plant for horticultural reasons may be one thing if the existing foliage is weak in your particular climate (and to that I would then question why did you get a piece of material that is ill suited to your climate and requires grafting to survive in the first place). But on the other hand, saying "it's more manageable/responds better than the natural foliage" or "I like the look of it better" or "its own foliage won't win shows compared to a shimpaku" or "the Japanese do it all the time with their junipers" are all excuses, in my book, to not appreciate and learn the qualities the plant has to offer as an American piece of material. To me, it's like putting a new Chinese made silk hat and vest on an old dusty, rugged cowboy. Just kinda looks off somehow.

Heresy! I know, right?

pfff... can you be any more chauvinistic?