Beginner seeks advice for indoor bonsai.

Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:50 pm

Moderators Note: This thread was split from another that had begun as a discussion on Pines but began to lean toward indoor bonsai.

I apologize for the double post and typographical errors in that last post, i sent it from my phone, and i couldnt really scroll through to spell check. here are a few of the trees i was looking at from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Brussels-Bonsai-DT9017SJ-Snow-Rose/dp/B003AU5TPS/

http://www.amazon.com/Oriental-Weeping--Ficus--House-Plant/dp/B000NPUF0C/

http://www.amazon.com/Brussels-Gensing-Grafted-Ficus-Bonsai/dp/B003AU5TR6/

Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:10 pm

Mr. Orange wrote:I am on a very tight budget, so anything more than this will not be an option for a while. Tell me what you gus know about purchasin trees online or how much certain trees should sell for

Being retired and also on a very tight budget, and being enamored of bonsai; the only thing I think that separates us, is I killed my first 100 trees or so.

i would like to let you off my personal petard. I might subscribe to your local freeecycle. I might also start to forage for free or almost free sources for crushed stone, and bark mulch. Your search in also on for nursery and bonsai pots (free is the best kind of cheep).

Now is not too soon to start looking for good candidates for pot training in your zone. White pine is at best a maybe candidate.

I'll veer back to freecycle. people remove as unwanted shrubery in the northeast examples of Boxwood, azalea, highbush and upland blueberry, alder, larch, just to make a short list of trees often being removed as unwanted. Most any of which will give you candidates to start to try and keep alive.

The bigest "but", that needs to come first is the stuff for soil. trees live in pots in extreemly fast draining soil made almost entirely of coarse sifted sand (or crushed granite) and sifted bark mulch.

I fell into training trees in pots at a rental that had a very mature bloodgood Japan maple. I was not able to just run over the volunteers with a mower.

I killed more than 100 of those long ago saplings before collecting the right stuff for their soil. I had fewer casualties the more I raised them with the things that met their horticultural needs.

if you want to succeed your going to supply the same things to your trees.

It is not possible for me to buy my way into bonsai to train. I must therefor forrage for their needs.

Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:47 am

I recently purchased 3 pre-bonsai junipers on DallasBonsai.com all 3 for 18$, plus shipping, but i've had them for about a month now, one of them isn't doing too great, but i don't care since i didn't spend a lot of money. But if you go to their website, on the left side of the screen there will be few options one of which being sale items, and that's where u can find it.

Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:28 am

Excellent! thank you svet! i couldnt find any on amazon for less than 13 bucks. I will check them out

Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:25 am

do you think you could post a picture of them so i could see what they looked like when they arrived?

Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:43 pm

these pictures were taken when I first got them, but not much has changed since then, except one was lightly trimmed and one is not doing too great, its been getting duller in color

i would say the trunk is about the thikness of a regular sharpie marker.

Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:20 pm

Mr. Orange,

If you are trying to find a species that can be grown indoors then I suggest that you avoid Junipers. This is not an appropriate species for indoor culture.

It might be to your benefit to start a new thread in the indoor bonsai section. A good title indicating that you are new and seeking suggestions for indoor species should lead to more likely candidates. I'm afraid that my experience indoors is limited to Ficus and various succulents such as Jades and Portulacaria.

The latter might be a good plant to start with. The problem is that, although starter material won't be expensive, a decent sized trunk will probably cost you a few bucks. I got mine as a group of three at one of the box stores, they were inexpensive but small. It has taken more that a few years to get to the point that I can begin training in earnest.

Norm

Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:41 pm

Gnome, you're absolutely right. It totally slipped my mind that the thread started to go toward indoor i was still thinking conifers. Because Junipers are outdoor ONLY. And also, living in the south, i almost forget that the weather is cooling off and the seasons are actually changing up north.

Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:18 pm

I'm not a bonsai grower, but I do grow houseplants. One I have is a schefflera. It is easy to grow as an indoor plant, does fine with low light and other conditions in the house, does not need a dormant period. I know people make bonsai of these. If you don't buy a bonsai, but just a regular umbrella tree, sold at as a houseplant, you should easily be able to find one for $15, maybe less in an end of season sale at a garden store. Then you can cut it down to bonsai.

Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:53 am

RBG,

You're completely correct about Scheffs, in fact I have one and it completely slipped my mind earlier. They are fast growers too, at least mine is during the summer when it's outside.

Mr. Orange,

If you decide to look for one of these make sure you seek Schefflera arboricola. This species has smaller leaves than the full sized Umbrella Tree, sorry I forget its proper name.

Norm

Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:37 am

AWESOME!

I am glad to have gotten such helpful responses and from a large group of people at that! I will look into a shefflera some time tomorrow and might be able to update with a question about online retailers?

Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:33 am

Mallsai are sold in their uncounted thousands by big-box stores. Many (if not most) are then neglected to death.

Nursery pots utility ends when the shrub is planted.

Often these pots turn up at yard sales, transfer stations, or on freecycle.

They are quite literally everywhere. Look.

Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:17 pm

This is the second time that freecylce has been mentioned in this thread, and while i did a search for one in my area, i couldnt seem to find any such organization that fit into the description you all have given it. I found a sort of job listing site, but nowhere on the page, or any page that resulted from the search showed any type of listings regarding shrubbery, pots, or any sort of used/unwanted items/materials. I know of craigslist, and the free section on there, but i think that may be my only option in the Ballston Spa/Saratoga region of new york

Edit: I didn't want to waste space with another post, but I just started classes today, and I am going to pick up a book from the library right now. The only one on file is called Bonsai master class By Craig Coussins, has anyone read this or own it? Just wondering if there might be a better resource available, though one that is free is better than nothing :wink:

Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:54 pm

Mr. Orange wrote:This is the second time that freecylce has been mentioned in this thread, ---><8 snip 8><--- I know of craigslist, and the free section on there, but i think that may be my only option in the Ballston Spa/Saratoga region of new york

Sorry Mr O., Yahoogroups has many localised "freecycles", it is an email list specifically dedicated to keep stuff out of landfills. Go to yahoogroups, and search using "freecycle & your town-state". I have both found pots and trees via FC, and given both away via freecycle.

Edit: I didn't want to waste space with another post, but I just started classes today, and I am going to pick up a book from the library right now. The only one on file is called Bonsai master class By Craig Coussins, has anyone read this or own it? Just wondering if there might be a better resource available, though one that is free is better than nothing

Bonsai is the study of small. Inasmuch as my 24" tall small, is nothin' like Zeko Nakamura's 4" small. there is probably as many shades of this grey as there is hobbyists.

Craig Coussins book if my memory has not failed uses stock collected and styles it, vs using nursery seedling stock.

My urgeing you to collect somebodies unwanted boxwood, or ditch larch, and Bonsai Master Class will fit together very well.

I still think your pyramid of need is: (greatest) soil suitable for bonsai, (middle) discarded nursery pots, (smallest) trees to work on.

I killed a whole brigade of bloodgood Japan maple seedlings getting to a 'dirt first', model of need.

Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:41 pm

Thank you tomc, You said earlier that a soil mix should consist mainly of coarse sand, and some sifted bark mulch, is that correct? I have two large bins of compost in my back yard, however it is unsifted. i have put just about everything organic when it comes to waste in my house in these. They produce a very nice soil when all is said and done, and did wonders for the vegetable garden this season (especially the lettuce!). could I sift this down to remove sticks and other chunky material and mix it with some sand from a nearby sand pit thats in the neighborhood? Or should I be going all out and buying vermiculite and peat moss, etc.