The "This is Not a Contest" Contest

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I'm interested in this but not sure if I can locate a tree by April 1. Ground is still partially froze and stores aren't stocking nursery plants yet.

I'm going to check a couple places today but I don't have high hopes

I feel you. I'd been hoping to bring on something new to me, but may be pulling an undeveloped prebonsai, or one of the boxwoods i collected in mid-February.

Others are probably in similar circumstances.

Simplest answer is often the best answer. When do you expect nurseries and box stores to have stock available where you are? Perhaps we'll just just the sign in point back a bit?

Its about planning and choices, not so much the plant. If plant acquisition is the barrier...
 

GailC

Omono
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I just checked my nursery stock. I have two trees I've not done anything to at all. I could use one of those if necessary.

No need to change the dates just for one person.
 
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I just checked my nursery stock. I have two trees I've not done anything to at all. I could use one of those if necessary. No need to change the dates just for one person.

Cool. Glad to see that you're hangin' with it. Still, it might just work that the delay has greater value than a hard and fast April 1.

In the grand scheme, 30 days is a drop in the bucket for a "not a contest" this long, and certainly not when compared to the 15 or 20 year plans for the tree itself. Heck... look at all the leeway in the pine contest.
 

Underdog

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Still, it might just work that the delay has greater value than a hard and fast April 1.
+1 Still time to collect in Ohio anyway as well as points North.
4yr contest, what's the rush?
 
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so I can just pick one plant off my prebonsai pile?

yep. It's about long-range planning and choices. Grab that baby gently by the short hairs and take a journey. Did you check out the fast and loose schmoolz above?
 

Hyn Patty

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I don't know if I qualify to enter - I dabbled in bonsai about 25 years ago, then lost my small collection to a very nasty hail storm that even obliterated my pots. I'm just coming back to trying my hand at them but don't really know anyone to lend me assistance. Which is why I've come to this forum. I have an adenium for example I picked up last autumn but hadn't done anything much to it until I repotted it last week. It has been leafless and dormant through the winter. Now I am just starting to train the branches and roots as the first leaf buds begin to break. It doesn't look like much yet but given a few years, I hope it'll be interesting. Otherwise it was a cheap find on clearance at Lowes not long ago. Or I can go pick up something brand new to start from scratch now. So how novice do you want? I know a little but it has been a very long time and I've got to put in plenty of study. I have no existing, already trained bonsai - I'm pretty much starting over from scratch.
 

morb

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if i can get a tree in time i'll try it out. still have 2 feet of snow here so not sure when i could collect one, i have a couple that i marked in late fall to collect. i haven't done any bonsai yet so i guess i'm a noob. i had a couple that i bought last year and planned to over winter and do something with them this year but my dog changed my planes when she ate them, so i'm starting from scratch again
 

Solaris

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HP...come and play! I picked up two from Home Depot, and am choosing the one I like best to bring to the table.
How recently did you pick those up? The stores near me hadn't started stocking anything that needs to go outdoors when I checked a week or two ago.
 

Cadillactaste

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I’ll play ordered two field grown shimpaku today will chose one when they get here.
You have been a member since 2009... I don't know your story... but this contest is for rookies. To learn the concept of bonsai techniques. Which may apply if you have had a long absence from the hobby.
 
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