I was wondering about this. Every year thousands of bonsai enthusiasts buy / train trees. eBay constantly lists and sells trees, and there are a fair number of commercial bonsai nurseries that succeed commercially by selling many trees per year. Where do they all go? Are there thousands of unseen bonsai collections out there that are gradually growing year by year? Or do people kill a LOT of trees and just replace what they kill?
I've walked into department stores around here and seen 2o or so half dead bonsai, (You know the little tree stuck in a little pot? thing) I hesitate to calll them bonsai but still, these are the sort of things that are churned out by the millions, people buy them and then either keep it inside and overwater it, or put it outside and water when they think of it. Of course the tree dies! the ones that stay alive, are either not trained at all, or badly trained till they die. Many people equate bonsai with a bunch of flowers, they don't see them as a lifelong project. or they are impatient, they see a mature bonsai by some bonsai expert, and want thier treee to look like that instantly. (Mind you, I wouldn't mind if mine looked more "Finished"
I sometimes go to a nursery in Melbourne, and they don't have a lot of trees on display, but the prices they ask
2 doors down is another nursery that mass produces, and the difference in price is noticable, but then so is the quality. But too many people would rather spend $10- on a so-so young tree than $3000- on a good tree.
