Which would you buy?

[River's Edge]

I’ll get some.

Yes Judy was he beech is one of the nicest looking trees in my opinion. Like you said that it has that natural leader and great root spread. It’s whitish bark color is striking in person. The branches mostly needs to cut back and grown closer to the trunk and wired but I’ve never worked with beech so I’m a little hesitant. I’ve read all of Harry Harrington guide to beech several times though. With proper handling can I expect backbudding all over this tree? Comes with a pot too. Nothing special but at least a 50.00 pot

yes I think zelkova are best suited to broom style and if I chopped it all the way down then I will have another stump to develop for a long time!

Just out of curiosity. Why not the pines? My concern with them is a potential lack of backbudding and the branch structure in place needs backbudding to be successful.
Shimpaku has the most votes. I don’t have any junipers yet.
Would this really be the easiest to develop?

The pines in my view lack quality, branches missing from key locations, straight sections, little taper and poor nebari in most cases where visible.

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

Thats some good stock. What nursery?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I 2nd that!
The one on the shelf in the shallow oval

Yes! This sexy one photobombing the elm shot:

 

[Maloghurst]

I really like J. Beech, but the one has so many flaws, I doubt you’d overcome them in a lifetime if you were trying to do something traditional. Bad base, dead spot on the trunk, bar branches, and a big chop that needs to be reduced further.

Yes I noticed the dead section and I wondered how easily I could regrow almost all the branches. If this were a JM I would know what to expect. But I haven’t worked with j.beech.

 

[Maloghurst]

Yes! This sexy one photobombing the elm shot:
View attachment 227682

Oh yes that one. I believe he wants around 650.00 for that one maybe 600.00. Good price But too much for me right now.

 

[Maloghurst]

Thats some good stock. What nursery?

It’s Bonsai Northwest near Seattle. I’m no expert but compared to almost everything I’ve seen online Johns prices are very good.

 

[River's Edge]

It’s Bonsai Northwest near Seattle. I’m no expert but compared to almost everything I’ve seen online Johns prices are very good.

His prices are fair and his shimpaku are great value! He also has excellent quality in Azalea, Chinese Elm and many other species. One of the best places in the Pacific Northwest for pot selection as well.

 

[Potawatomi13]

If no graft; cork bark pine.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes I noticed the dead section and I wondered how easily I could regrow almost all the branches. If this were a JM I would know what to expect. But I haven’t worked with j.beech.

I bought this J Beech from Brussels in 2004, and it was similar to the one in your photo. I worked the heck out of it for 11-12 years and never resolved all the issues before I gave up and sold it to a guy who killed it in less than 2 years. They don’t heal scars and they don’t back-bud, and heavy pruning really weakens them. I’m trying again with J Beech by container-growing, starting with 1-gallon material to avoid big issues to address later. Gradually, maybe it will become a nice Bonsai.

2006 and 2015, the trunk isn’t really thicker, it had been reduced in height by more than 6”:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It’s Bonsai Northwest near Seattle. I’m no expert but compared to almost everything I’ve seen online Johns prices are very good.

That’s a super cool Bonsai shop. My FIL lived near Seattle and we went to that nursery back around 1996. I bought a corkbark Chinese Elm that I still have a cutting from. I believe that Shimpaku is likely the best buy. Let’s see more pix!

 

[just.wing.it]

Beech

 

[JudyB]

With proper handling can I expect backbudding all over this tree? Comes with a pot too. Nothing special but at least a 50.00 pot

Yes, they do backbud if you do it right. You have to learn how to pinch the new growth properly and how to keep the tree healthy in your micro climate. They can be fussy trees, but once you learn what to do with them, they are not terribly difficult. And watching the buds unfurl in the spring is magic!

 

[Cable]

I like the beech the most.

 

[Maloghurst]

That’s a super cool Bonsai shop. My FIL lived near Seattle and we went to that nursery back around 1996. I bought a corkbark Chinese Elm that I still have a cutting from. I believe that Shimpaku is likely the best buy. Let’s see more pix!

I cruise through there about once a week. I love it. I’ll get more pics this week. Yes I’ve seen your thread on that cutting and the corkbark elm is pretty gnarly. I’ve he brings some better ones in this spring I might consider one of them.

Yes, they do backbud if you do it right. You have to learn how to pinch the new growth properly and how to keep the tree healthy in your micro climate. They can be fussy trees, but once you learn what to do with them, they are not terribly difficult. And watching the buds unfurl in the spring is magic!

Thanks Judy. Do you have a pic of your j.beech? I’m sure I’ve probably seen a thread on it actually.

 

[River's Edge]

That’s a super cool Bonsai shop. My FIL lived near Seattle and we went to that nursery back around 1996. I bought a corkbark Chinese Elm that I still have a cutting from. I believe that Shimpaku is likely the best buy. Let’s see more pix!

Since that time, John has developed a very impressive Bonsai growing facility outside of Seattle. This gives a great selection of material coming in on a regular basis with nice size and well established in the Pacific Northwest climate. It is worthwhile to check with staff when new shipments from the farm are expected.

 

[JudyB]

thread on it

It's actually Sergios beech now, we did tradsees last fall...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/japanese-red-beech.15074/

 

[Nicholas Box]

Shimpaku or beech

 

[Maloghurst]

Any more pics of the juniper?

Brian Van Fleet
I have some more pics of the juniper and upon further study the right side trunk is very long and straight without taper. It’s also pretty barren on the back side. I’m not really feeling this one anymore. What do you all think?

 

[Maloghurst]

Japanese maple For 200.00. It is a bigger leaf red leaf variety probably similar to blood good with longer internodes. but the trunk is huge with good movement and a good place to chop and the Basel flare continues under the soil. Graft union always be an issue? If it was a basic green maple I would already have it at home. Waste of time? I know it’s not prebonsai but the more I look at trees in my price range like the zelkova anything I buy is going need a lot of just developing anyway.

 

[Maloghurst]

This trunkline is already visible with a few chops. It would be about 36” tall. Not sure if the internodes and graft union would just upset me later on. But the aged bark with red leaves would be beautiful. The leaves come out red them become bright scarlet in fall. Looking at the tree there some long internodes but also some close ones about 1/4-1/2 long.