Winter woes, time to think about next years trees

[Nybonsai12]

If you are like me and live in a climate that has a real winter your trees are away now. It's the boring time of year. As I stored away my trees I evaluated what I already had in my head have already worked through what the plans for each of them will be next season. So then I get to thinking about what else to add to the collection next season. Flipping through some new kokufu books I picked up and threads on Bnut I'm thinking of adding the following;

Kiyohime Maple: only ones I see available are through House of Bonsai, they are expensive and small, but already have basic shape.

Shishigashira Maple: The colors, oh boy the colors. Not even sure where to get these.

Ponderosa Pine: I killed one this year from what I believe was just too wet conditions, will get another from Andy Smith at some point, hopefully next season.

Itoigawa Shimpaku: I only really have two junis. This species has great color and seem to be fantastic to work with. hard to find quality pre-bonsai stock though.

Japanese Red Pine: Dav4's thread inspired me. I don't have this species and would like to get my feet wet. I have seen muranaka list a few on ebay occassionally but other than that these are also hard to find. I don't believe he sells online outside of ebay which is a shame. But i'll keep looking.

So with that said, what are you looking to get next season? and if you know anything i don't about availability of the species I mentioned feel free to chime in and point me in any direction.

 

[Dav4]

In the the last year or two, I've found myself wanting to start more trees from scratch, as I already have lots of more developed trees that are settled in their current design and just need more refining. Also, I've decided to get more maple stock. With that said, I've been making shimpaku cuttings each spring, purchased a bunch of bare root pine and maple seedlings that will get grown out, and I've collected some Japanese Maple landscape nursery to airlayer. In fact, this coming sprin, I'll be performing multiple layers on a 'Shishigashira' I picked up cheap for cheap a month ago. The vast majority of these 'starter' trees will be in development for a long time and I'll probably end up selling a fair amount in the end, but I think the process will be fun.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I'm with you Dave on wanting to develop trees from early on. Last year I planted some small seedlings of pear, willow, quince, ume. I liked seeing them grow this year and although there isn't much to be done, look forward to their future.

I'm also with you on getting more maples. Mach5 is killing me with his trees! i already have two or three different types of maples but really want more. Maple look to be one of the most rewarding in the smallest amount of time to work with. I want to get my hands on some but am hesitant to ship them at this time of year.

 

[M. Frary]

I also am going to get a couple maples. Regular Acer palmatum and shishigarishi.
I'll be collecting a lot of tamarack.
And I got this bright idea to collect every kind of elm.

 

[tmmason10]

I'm in the same process right now NY. I am thinking about biting the bullet on one of Brents elms but not sure yet. I am also receiving a Chickasaw plum to add a native flowering species to my collection. I also and going to start JBP, and JRP from seed this spring and hopeful one batch every year thereafter.

Dave, do you normally start layers in the dormant season on your maples?

 

[Dav4]

Dave, do you normally start layers in the dormant season on your maples?

All the layers I've done in the past, excluding ground layers I did on two palmatums, have been done after the first flush of growth hardened off. This coming year, I'm planning on starting a few on a 6' tall 'Shishigashira' and some short landscape palmatums before the buds extend, and then start a few more after the leaves harden off. I think either time is fine, though.

 

[fourteener]

It usually takes me a couple of months to decompress before I even think much about it. It's a little easier this year because I know the two trees I am going to go gather this spring. That's already settled. I also have a long off-season and thinking about it too much too soon, makes the winter seem to drag on and on and on. At the end of February I still have three months to go.

I am still in the process of reducing the number of trees I have. I have to gather two and still get down 20. Trying to decide what to let go, more than what to get!!

 

[lordy]

I was starting to thin the herd, then something happened. I got a few off ebay, then last weekend went to an auction held by a neighboring club and got 6 more there. I now have overgrown my wintering space. I was/am planning to lift several of the trees I have in the ground to start working/reworking those. Now it seems like I will have two full-time jobs come spring.
But new to the corral this fall/winter: mini mugo, bougie stump, mini kingsville, fat stump of an azalea, smaller azalea, american elm, bigger Acer palmatum, and a partially worked San Jose Juni from an Owen Reich workshop.

 

[cmeg1]

Yup,I would totally love to buy one of those huge specimen yard shishigashira or koto hime maples and just go air layer crazy.If I see one at a nursery I will probably buy it.I am going to make quite a bit of ojishi layers in spring,but they will all be .25" or so stock.I am going to grow out in colanders.It will be fun.I did a few this year.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Yup,I would totally love to buy one of those huge specimen yard shishigashira or koto hime maples and just go air layer crazy.If I see one at a nursery I will probably but it.

Ya know I have thought about this too. it seems that most nurseries here carry the usual varieties of bloodgood and then some sort of laceleaf variety of the same. Nothing all that special and still not cheap by any means. I did come across some last year at a nursery in a ritzy area and they were asking for 600 and up for trees that were about 6 feet tall, and grafted if I remember correctly!! That is just insane.

Do the kotohime grow leaves in clumps? I feel like I have seen these but can't recall how they differ from kiyohime.

 

[cmeg1]

Ya know I have thought about this too. it seems that most nurseries here carry the usual varieties of bloodgood and then some sort of laceleaf variety of the same. Nothing all that special and still not cheap by any means. I did come across some last year at a nursery in a ritzy area and they were asking for 600 and up for trees that were about 6 feet tall, and grafted if I remember correctly!! That is just insane.

Do the kotohime grow leaves in clumps? I feel like I have seen these but can't recall how they differ from kiyohime.

Koto hime, in my opinion looks spectacular.Just look at Valavanis' website gallery.You can mitigate clumped terminals on such varieties by eliminating every other node.I have no experience growing koto hime though,just my ojishi( male shishigashira).bjorvala's blog has a great article called'maple( acer)theory'.It explained it.I think I read somewhere that koto hime actually bulks up quick in the branches and trunk,but is dwarf.

 

[cmeg1]

I am totally into this layering alternative.With my ojishi yard tree I bought,I am getting these little layers for about $10. Apiece.The tree was $149. And I can easily have 15 of these layers.I really want the choice cultivars of maple though.I am going to do a thorough search in spring.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I really want the choice cultivars of maplethough.

Which cultivars are choice in your opinion? it seems there are so many I don't even know about.

 

[october]

I am always on the look out for a good hinoki. Recently, I have been wanting to get more spruce material as well. Good hinoki material is few and far between. It is also tough to find a good spruce. If you do find good spruce material. It is usually pretty expensive.

Rob

 

[lordy]

kotohime

Here are a couple shots of my kotohime. I was given the tree probably 8 years ago and I put it into the ground immediately. I just lifted it this year.
I know the pictures suck, but you should be able to get an idea of how slowly these things grow.
That's a popcicle stick for reference.

 

[ChrisV]

Next year i'm planning on putting some trees on shows. If they are not ready it will certainly happen 2015.
As for new trees. I have some new bigger projects which I can play with next season and i'm getting rid of a lot of my smaller trees to make room for some bigger yamadori pines and shimpaku. And do more collecting yamadori myself.
Next year is all about climbing to a higher level and closer to my personal bonsai goals.

 

[ghues]

We are lucky here in that we can do winter work on trees. However, I've got to the point where I know and realize I have to many.......having gone through that newbie stage of growing 100's of seedlings, buying everything I could get my hands on, collecting like mad, killing a bunch from being to aggressive, trying all kinds of trees/plant species and now realizing that I need to focus on a limited number of species and quality trees.
So I'll reduce the size of all the wannabe trees (by giving them "auction off" to newer members of our local club) and concentrating on doing more yamadori collecting and working on the collected stock that will be ready for their first styling.
Cheers from the west coast (PNW).

 

[cmeg1]

Which cultivars are choice in your opinion? it seems there are so many I don't even know about.

Yup,I probably should of clarified.I too am not aware of all the best cultivars.For someone as myself,with a 3 hour a day classical guitar habit,choice cultivars are the short internode and slower growing cultivars that take to clip and grow well with minimal wiring.It seems the short internode varieties would take to clip and grow better.When at the nurseries I pass by the real bushy and vigorous ones as I simply don't have the time to apply to them.I like my ojishi cause' of the half inch internodes.I obviously like to keep it simple.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I want to get a lot more pines. Right now, I just have one Mugo, and I love it. There's a place not far from me that has a lot of wild pitch pines, and I'd like to get a permit to collect a few. I have about ten or so junis, so next year I'll just concentrate on those and not get any more. Aw, crap, I know I'll get some more...

 

[Stan Kengai]

Ahhh, the fun of looking ahead. I have a wild pear and 2 hornbeams to collect in the spring. They were chopped two years ago and left in the ground. I'm going to get a few Malus 'Snowdrift' (smallest fruit with good disease resistance), wire and put them in a growing bed for a few years in hopes of getting some shohin crab apples. One can never have too many fruiting bonsai, you know. Like Rob, I've also had my eye out for a hinoki.

Nybonsai, Itowigawa stock is out there, just not much on the internet. Most that I've come across were grown in California. Might want to try Chikugo en nursery.