New tree recomendation ... ?

[KasWear]

The tree stands 52cm tall .........

What do you think ? .... I like it ... a lot ...

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/bonny.jpg[/img]

[Marsman]

I like it!

Careful you don't start getting reverse taper at the top where all those branches are.

[KasWear]

Yes my fellow cow pat collector, like I know what reverse taper means !! ..lol

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Is it yours, or one you are looking to acquire?

It looks to be a false cypress of some variety, so remember you won't get growth anywhere back along those branches. You'll have to use wire to compact it, which isn't bad per say... just something to keep in mind. Also you'll want to adjust the front by not having the lowest branches coming right at you from the trunk.

So if you are looking to purchase it, you will want to see other views to make sure it isn't hiding a larger problem.

Kindest regards,

Victrinia

[KasWear]

It's a specimen Hinoki Cyprus Bonsai Tree for around 100 dollars that I was going to buy, but thought I would run it through here first ....

[Marsman]

Yes my fellow cow pat collector, like I know what reverse taper means !! ..lol

Reverse taper is when the trunk starts getting thicker again as it gets higher.

[url=https://s956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/marsman61/Bonsai/Various%20Hosting%20Pics/?action=view&current=Reverse-Taper-1.jpg][img]https://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/marsman61/Bonsai/Various%20Hosting%20Pics/th_Reverse-Taper-1.jpg[/img][/url]

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Yes my fellow cow pat collector, like I know what reverse taper means !! ..lol

Reverse taper is when the trunk starts getting thicker again as it gets higher.

[url=https://s956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/marsman61/Bonsai/Various%20Hosting%20Pics/?action=view&current=Reverse-Taper-1.jpg][img]https://i956.photobucket.com/albums/ae50/marsman61/Bonsai/Various%20Hosting%20Pics/th_Reverse-Taper-1.jpg[/img][/url]

Gotta tell him why it happens dear... or else it won't help to know what it is...

Reserve taper often happens where several branches all depart from the trunk at the same level. ie the whorl of branches on this tree. So as those branches grow, they will create an unbalanced amount of wood in the area where they originate, because too much of the new wood is concentrated in a particula area.

When this concentration is at the base so much the better... high in the tree... and it's awkward and unpleasing to the eye.

V

[KasWear]

Right, gotcha .. so do I buy it and is it worth around 100 dola .. ?/ ta

Kas

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Honestly... it's not worth a 100 to me... but I also have a lot of access to trees. I would rather see you save that money and add to it to get a tree like:

https://www.weetree.com/product_info.php?cPath=78&products_id=1092

Which has 100% more potential in the long run. And will grow like a fiend for you in short time.

I know she'll even take payments over a couple months sometimes to help people out.

WeeTrees is a wonderful place to get GREAT feld grown material. The fact that you want a tree that size is a great start, I'd just rather see you get more long term bang for your buck. Browse her site... it'll make you very excited to see what can be had for a reasonable amount. And maybe my idea of reasonable is different than some, but $175 for a tree of that size and potential is cheap to me. I especially like the 3rd view as a nice front. It's a very natural candidate for broom style, and tridents are very easy to get structure on. If you want conifer, she even has:

https://www.weetree.com/product_info.php?cPath=70_93&products_id=1084

Which at $125 is a really great price for a nishiki black pine.

See what I am getting at?

V

[Marsman]

Gotta tell him why it happens dear... or else it won't help to know what it is...

Very true. Thanks for coming to the rescue.

[KasWear]

So the posh wording basically means you don't want a quasimodo bonsai tree, and as for the hundred dola tree, I'm still tempted ...

The link posted I shall look into .. especially shipping to uk ....

But I've delayed my shopping day until thurdays as I'm going to look at these little bargain beutys, I do like the ficus ...

https://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_8168.htm

decisions, decisions ....

[Marsman]

Kas,

I would not buy that tree for $100. Think of all the other trees you could by with that $$$ at a local garden center. It's a nice tree, but not $100 nice.

[KasWear]

When I get my motorbike I shall visit some, think I will be happy with the small ones linked at lidl for 10 dola ... my cuttings arer'nt fairing to well ...

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

So the posh wording basically means you don't want a quasimodo bonsai tree, and as for the hundred dola tree, I'm still tempted ...

The link posted I shall look into .. especially shipping to uk ....

But I've delayed my shopping day until thurdays as I'm going to look at these little bargain beutys, I do like the ficus ...

https://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/index_8168.htm

decisions, decisions ....

Posh wording?? lol I think not... I specifically avoid that on-line.

I am so sorry about recommending a US grower when you are in the UK. But I know there are some great ones over there as well. (I got mixed up with seeing both you and Marsman as being from "Coventry".)

At any rate... Buy the tree or not... If I were you I would ask to see additional photos if you have not seen it in person. That can sometimes help you make up your mind.

[KasWear]

lol .. was joking about the posh .... I shall see how I get on with the cheaper ones from lidl, and my cuttings and poorly 3 foot ficus !!! ta

Kas

[josh1812@live.com]

Honestly I would not invest that much money in the tree. It needs a lot of work and honestly isn't worth 100 maybe 20 but anyways heres a very good link to bonsai sellers in Miami with great prices.
https://www.miamitropicalbonsai.com/

Look at what you can buy for 100 dollars

[KasWear]

Thanks, I'm in the UK, my 3 ft high ficus cost a 100 ... and I posted here before buying, and now I shall not be buying the tree in question, and as stated, shall be buying a couple of young trees for 10 dola a throw ..

Thanks anyway ..

yours

Kas

[KasWear]

Two new trees, around ten dollar each ... !

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/11022010002.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/11022010003.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/11022010004.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/11022010005.jpg[/img]

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Not bad for 10 dola!

The one with the less extreme curves has more long term potential, since the severly curved one will eventually fuse and look like a knee... (but that's many years down the road - I tend to think of bonsai in terms of decades not years.)

V

[KasWear]

I love bonsai !!!

[Marsman]

10 bucks each!?! Not bad, Brother. Ya dun good!

[KasWear]

Thanks Marsh .. and Victrinia, the tree you refer to is a ficus that is like a miniture of my 3 foot ficus, which is why I purchased it .. ?

Also the two new small trees, what age being under a foot would they be roughly, I presume the ficus retusa could get as big as my large ficus ginsing, but the zelkova, I have no idea how big it can grow to ... ? and I beleive them to be tropical all year round trees ... going to read up on some care sheets soon ..

So was hoping it may end up like the big one ...

Kas

[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e53/covdude/22012010011.jpg[/img]

[Gnome]

KasWear,

I believe that your Zelkova is actually a Chinese Elm. These two are often confused or mislabeled, sometimes deliberately so. Apparently the restrictions on importation of Zelkova are less stringent than those placed on Chinese Elm. We often see Chinese Elms misidentified as Zelkova. I grow both, have a look at this comparison.
[url=https://img255.imageshack.us/I/zelelmzz6.jpg/][img]https://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2258/zelelmzz6.th.jpg[/img][/url]
Zelkova, on the left, has larger leaves and are arranged in a more 'zig-zag' pattern.

Norm

[KasWear]

Thanks, are their care the same though ... ?

ta

Kas

[Gnome]

KasWear,

Thanks, are their care the same though ... ?

Pretty much, especially when managing them as outdoor trees. The Chinese Elm offers a little more flexibility when it comes to indoor issues. I still prefer to manage them as temperate (outdoor) trees but with the proper care they can spend some time indoors.

One strategy is to keep them outside during summer/fall/early winter thereby allowing a brief dormancy. At this point they can be brought inside to experience an 'early spring' before going back outside. To my way of thinking this should be considered a minimum, with a full winter dormancy probably being the better approach. You don't really gain much by bringing them in, especially lacking excellent supplemental lighting. I, personally, would not try to manage it as one might a Ficus, without a dormancy.

Norm

[KasWear]

The leaves to me look like the zakova ones, shall I take a closer pic .. I did not know they were dormant, if it is a zakova are they dormant to, and it's for indoors with lighting, and outdoor in the summer at present .. will show you new pics of light when it arrives and take closer pics of trees ... ta

Kas