What are your bonsai plans for this year?

[KennedyMarx]

Inspired by a post on another bonsai forum, I thought I'd start a conversation about all of our plans for this year. What are your plans? Got trees in development, growing out, or refining? Looking to get some new material?

For me the big ones are:
1. Obtain and start developing better material.
2. Join a bonsai club.
3. Start refining my tropical trees this summer.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

This last year has been strange; lots of pots, but haven't bought a tree in over a year now. My list:


Lots to repot this year, several trees going into different pots which will change the "landscape" a little.
Bjorn will be back in March, looking forward to his return.
Several trees I've been growing out may just be ready for pots, others I'll just be eager to chop back and start the next section.
Collecting out in western SD in May.
Ryan will be here in November, looking forward to meeting him...have a big shimpaku from Brent I've been saving for the occasion.

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

My plan is to make better, more informed choices. I'm starting my 4th year and feel like there is a lifetime of knowledge still to acquire, yet I'm more prepared to make competent, confident decisions. In detail:

Better potting- better pots and angles
Collect a few trees; beech boxwood, bald cypress, boxwood
Mix my own soil
Participate more in bonsai club/social events

 

[Poink88]

Continue working on my "stumps".
Do some rough carving or further chopping since most are already established in their training pots.
Maybe have one or 2 plants potted to proper bonsai pot.
Be more "picky" on what I add to my collection and probably let some of it go.
Get more pots...7 commissioned pieces are coming next couple of months
Read the bonsai books (25+) and magazines (500+ issues) I amassed last year.
Attend more symposium and workshops.

 

[berobinson82]

This year I hope to better prepare for summer's heat and not lose any trees this year.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Good stuff! Thanks for the input everyone.

My list is:

Get a house so that I have some room for potted material (currently I am restricted to one outdoor grow bed and indoor supplemental light)

Move even my indoor tropicals out to the bed for the summer (dug in pond baskets).

Take cuttings this spring (I think my new indoor environment could be perfect to establish cuttings.)

Stay away from inferior material (I have enough of that)

 

[Dav4]

Other then keeping everything alive...I hope to start refining or continue to refine some of the material, both conifer and deciduous, I've been growing out. I may try my hand at grafting...I'm getting tired of the foliage on my Hollywood juniper and may attempt to swap it out for shimpaku...we shall see. I also hope to show several of my trees this year....

 

[GrimLore]

Seems like a bit much in our short season but I will:

Try a couple Shohin Bonsai and Mame Bonsai
Start several Accent Plants
Start some small forests from Saplings
Obtain more Saplings
Start a couple of ROR
Try some small plantings on rock
Air Layer several trees on our property
Fine tune some Penjing plans for 2014
Play with some ideas for stands
Work on reducing the Normal Maintenence of Everything
Photograph and organize all work, and back it up to a thimb drive

 

[dick benbow]

from other to do lists

refine to the next degree some of my better trees.
Continue to refine skills as i start a new year with different teacher (Ryan Neil)

new for me will be to start dropping my numbers of trees so more time can be spent with less.

Continue to volunteer at the weyerhauser bonsai display.

make new contacts for yamadori activities. focus on spruce and sub alpine firs.

begin developing better friendships within the suiseki and bonsai clubs.

Continue to assist at the retail outlet for bonsai and at their nursery in the creation of pre-bonsai.

continue to find new venues to get our hobby clubs into to attract more "newbees"

Continue as docen and demonstrator.

other than that relax and enjoy the other japanese hobbies, koi mums ikebana

 

[Tona]

Some things for the coming months:

Finish repotting
Finish digging free boxwood hedge this week (15 old trees)
Dig last juniper that I planted about 20 years ago
Graft 2 more san jose junipers with shimpaku
Get rid of trees that I don't want (keep what I think will be quality trees in the future)
Find a nice Trident Maple (maybe at Bonsaiathon in Feb)
Get my first California Juniper
Encourage aerial roots on tropical trees this summer
Join an additional Bonsai Club