Mike Corazzi
Masterpiece
Go for it!
Oh....all "secrets" will be held in STRICTEST CONFIDENCE !!!
Oh....all "secrets" will be held in STRICTEST CONFIDENCE !!!
The secret to buying a decent bonsai candidate at a REGULAR nursery is....
- Thread starter Mike Corazzi
- Start date
jeremy_norbury
Omono
- Visit a LOT of nurseries and be prepared to walk away when you find nothing.
- Stick to species known to be used for bonsai.
- Try find family-run businesses (with fewer uniform cookie-cutter plants).
- Look for growers (wholesale).
- Use bonsai selection criteria: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bonsai/wik...hat_to_look_for_when_choosing_bonsai_material
- Ask to walk around the fields (where they grow) if they have them.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
Remember just because it can be turned into a bonsai...doesn't mean they it SHOULD. It's okay to leave empty handed.
Be selective...look at leaf size,internodes. Is it a good species to begin with. Learn about the tree's characteristics. Will it back bud well and such.
Once that has been figured out...Does what you plan on bringing home have character? Or can it be developed into it?
Things to look for:
Taper
Nebari
Small leaf size
Pass on:
*Grafits that will ruin the design
*Reverse taper in the section you see keeping as main design
*large leafed
*long internodes
*known to drop branches
Be selective...look at leaf size,internodes. Is it a good species to begin with. Learn about the tree's characteristics. Will it back bud well and such.
Once that has been figured out...Does what you plan on bringing home have character? Or can it be developed into it?
Things to look for:
Taper
Nebari
Small leaf size
Pass on:
*Grafits that will ruin the design
*Reverse taper in the section you see keeping as main design
*large leafed
*long internodes
*known to drop branches
Stan Kengai
Omono
Getting lucky or searching for 10s of hours. The odds are stacked against us since what we are looking for is the complete opposite of what nurseries do to make money. Their plants are grown as quickly as possible. They use constant "up potting" to the next size container with no regard for the root structure. They want their plants to look full, so putting 5 quart size azaleas in a 3 gallon pot is perfectly acceptable. Grafting, usually very poorly done.
Mom and pop shops are the best place to look because they tend to have older material and sometimes propagate their own material.
Mom and pop shops are the best place to look because they tend to have older material and sometimes propagate their own material.
Bunjeh
Chumono
Patience and discernment.
jomawa
Shohin
Be aware some "regular" nurseries may be aware bonsaists exist and may have an indoor section of bonsai accoutrements, which can cue one to ask a clerk if they also have a bonsai pre-plant or actual bonsai plant section on the site. Every month a nursery close to me has a small bonsai workshop. I would suggest calling nurseries in your locale for those with any interest at targeting bonsai.
Woodland Spirit
Chumono
Buy everything.
When it doesn't work plant it in the back woods.
Repeat.
When it doesn't work plant it in the back woods.
Repeat.
onlyrey
Mame
Look in the back for the ugly ass trees and shrubs that nobody wants to buy because are ugly. These ugly trees/shrubs are often forgotten and overgrowing in their nursery pots.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
The secret is learning early that shopping for bonsai in a regular nursery is a disappointing waste of time and money.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
I must admit...contacts made in the bonsai community can offer up far better material. When I had an itch to head to the nursery...a friend put me into contact with Scott Lee on FB. A seller on the auctions there. I made contact and got the sweetest shimpaku very reasonable...and somewhat headed into the direction I wanted. So win/win. Was extremely pleased...with that contact.
Woodland Spirit
Chumono
I'm finding it to be true usually.
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
carp
Chumono
This is KEY!
Go to the farms. They are the ones that throw out the ones that we want and nurseries and box stores don't want. Farms fill ditches with trees that are great for bonsai that don't make a good Nursey tree.
Woodland Spirit
Chumono
99 out of 100 are not like that, but I'm known for wasting time and money on worthless trees so who am I to talk?
I think almost any twig could become great. With time and care. My whole point is ready made bonsai are not the only choice. I guess it depends on why you do bonsai.
I do it for the journey more than the end.
Sure I'd like some good finished bonsai right now, but I enjoy having something to fuss over and fiddle with far more. That's why I have sticks in pots I only show here when I need some ridicule.
Woodland Spirit
Chumono
Did he have habanero gas?
Woodland Spirit
Chumono
You just reminded me of a place where they do exactly that. I bet there are hundreds of rejected trees there.
I'm going to see if any are more than jin and skeletons.
quietobserver
Omono
Did the Chinese lose another satellite? Sum tin wong...
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Where there's smoke, there's FIRE!
fredman
Masterpiece
That's what I do. I always ask to go behind the scenes. That's where they keep what I'm interested in. Most important....never leave without leaving your number, and explaining to them that you are interested in those, that the general gardener aren't. They sometimes throw away broken or miss formed trees that are very useful. Got some for free and others at bargain price...
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