The Official Bonsai Thread

[DrunkenMaster16]

I have noticed recently more people showing interest in the art of bonsai, for those that do not know bonsai is manipulating a normal plant to stay small. Dwarf plants can be used but the original bonsai were made from regular plants-tree's. When I say manipulate i mean specifically bending branches, wiring, pruning both branches and root systems , potting, repairing, splitting..etc TIME - mostly for the plant as it needs to heal, grow and show you what's working for it.

For roughly 19 years i've been doing this, I am not a master by any means, but I do consider myself to have a green thumb.

Want to do your own or get into it? Simple, BUT im not going to type up something that is easier to redirect you to:
http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Bonsai-Tree
http://www.bonsaiempire.com/basics

These are some of my Bonsai.

19yr Ficus, My first Bonsai attempt (Well actually a cutting from the original..)


7yr Miniature Cherry (Cutting's are growing!)



15+yr Holly (Bought at a garage sale by accident in a large pot)

[ruffneck_12]

Bonsai Rostorfori

[DrunkenMaster16]

In the next couple of months my cherry tree should start bearing, breeze is a problem as the fruit tend to get blown off just after pollination. Lizards and birds eat the fruit most of the time as they ripen anyway.



I don't have any citrus bonsai, i've found the branches are too weak for it to bear and tend to break often. Over time with enuff patience you could keep it from flowering(manually removing all the flowers) to give it a chance to strengthen, so it could support fruit...

A lot of the pictures you see out there with fruit laden bonsai or even just pot bound plants have been photoshopped.

[Chimera]

19 years to get to that state.........

that looking just like when i neglect certain plants without nutrients or water for a 6 months...

[DrunkenMaster16]

Yeah this is very recent after some heavy root and branch pruning, added some blucon and fresh soil so everyone should pickup nicely.

Just started a rosemary a month ago since the bark age's fast and can be trained fast or so I hope...The small pot is a cherry cutting, a few months old I got to root.



The one that started my interest in doing a rosemary bonsai...(if only the wife would allow me to use it)

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

Always wanted to try bonsai.

dunno why I remembered this though

[30hz]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

[ruffneck_12]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

It would be, if plants were complex enough to have feelings

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

It would be, if plants were complex enough to have feelings

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-09/new-research-plant-intelligence-may-forever-change-how-you-think-about-plants

[DrunkenMaster16]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

Think of traditional beautification such as the Chinese putting women's feet into wooden shaping shoes to get a curve or a distinct size/look. In other cultures they stretch neck's using rings and ear's/lip's using clay disc's. All to visually appeal to others.

I believe when you look at the care given to each plant over the years the tree would appreciate the work and time spent on it.

I got rosemary at the plant shop opposite southern electrical in vistabella.

Always wanted to try bonsai.

Kinda the point of the thread...... see who's into it and get others who may be interested to try.

Honestly it takes time, not hours every day. Between daily watering and weekly / monthly training and pruning with a root prune every 9 - 12 months. It takes time for the plant to grow, thats where the time comes in, unless you get too into it.

[K74T]

Bonsai Rostorfori

Praise be to Olmighty Joh.

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

Think of traditional beautification such as the Chinese putting women's feet into wooden shaping shoes to get a curve or a distinct size/look. In other cultures they stretch neck's using rings and ear's/lip's using clay disc's. All to visually appeal to others.

I believe when you look at the care given to each plant over the years the tree would appreciate the work and time spent on it.

I got rosemary at the plant shop opposite southern electrical in vistabella.

Always wanted to try bonsai.

Kinda the point of the thread...... see who's into it and get others who may be interested to try.

Honestly it takes time, not hours every day. Between daily watering and weekly / monthly training and pruning with a root prune every 9 - 12 months. It takes time for the plant to grow, thats where the time comes in, unless you get too into it.

nah I still think it's tree torture

I think the tree would prefer to be left alone under the open sky

[shogun]

bonsai is manipulating a normal plant to stay small.

Learn something every day. I always thought it was only for specific plants. Didn't know you could "Bonsai" any regular plant.

Always wanted to try this... my patience though.

[Redman]

is bonsai to trees equivalent to torture and genetic experimentation to animals?

DrunkenMaster16, i wanna get a rosemary plant for my kitchen garden, you have any?

Think of traditional beautification such as the Chinese putting women's feet into wooden shaping shoes to get a curve or a distinct size/look. In other cultures they stretch neck's using rings and ear's/lip's using clay disc's. All to visually appeal to others.

I believe when you look at the care given to each plant over the years the tree would appreciate the work and time spent on it.

I got rosemary at the plant shop opposite southern electrical in vistabella.

Always wanted to try bonsai.

Kinda the point of the thread...... see who's into it and get others who may be interested to try.

Honestly it takes time, not hours every day. Between daily watering and weekly / monthly training and pruning with a root prune every 9 - 12 months. It takes time for the plant to grow, thats where the time comes in, unless you get too into it.

nah I still think it's tree torture

I think the tree would prefer to be left alone under the open sky

Right next to the lawn cuttings

[Redman]

I'm very interested, always wanted to learn how.

Amazon has a few books on kindle for less than 10 usd.

[DrunkenMaster16]

Thats really cool, there's a guy I heard about by palmiste pasture (one of the food / fruit stall's) who has a large collection. I should pick up one or two bougainvillea's that have been pot bound by my parents for years...hopefully I can save them.

Looked through a old HD from '06 and found these, they might be from '04-'06.

[Chimera]

Check out the santa cruz green market facebook page. Ppl selling nice bonsai trees on it

[Chimera]

Cant post fb link from phone

[Chimera]

Idk if its 700 or 7000

[York]

looks like $700...good deal!

[Chimera]

Or it could be $5700

[m6]

Ficus, could be about 25 yrs. old.

[dougla_boy]

liking this thread...always wanted to do one when i do have my own place....

[zoom rader]

Had one years ago brought it at a local Bonsai show. Did not really have the patience to look after it with pruning and shaping. Ended up planting it in the back garden. Hoping to get back into it.

[sliderz1]

thats what its called.

very neat!

[zoom rader]

Had one years ago brought it at a local Bonsai show. Did not really have the patience to look after it with pruning and shaping. Ended up planting it in the back garden. Hoping to get back into it.

Pic of what it looks like now?

Will take a pic, Its a Snow Rose

[TriniVdub]

interesting thread, wanted to get involved ever since i was in college.

This is a pic of my neighbor's own



when next i head up by the mom's, i'll take some pics of hers

[DrunkenMaster16]

Doesn't look like much if any root pruning was done to it though..Looks healthy!

Zoom, those blasted snow rose's always die on me! had one for 4 years was looking good and then upps and turned totally brown then died. Saw a lady's 15yr snow rose in a 6x6 pot, roots had covered half the pot and it was leaning heavily to the opposite side (trained it with wire and cut the non major roots and most of the smaller roots from the side it was leaning toward.)

[zoom rader]

^^^ Bonsai does only look easy. I gave up on the snow rose. Hoping to start a different plant this time, waiting for the next Bonsai show.

[TriniVdub]

visited the moms this weekend and got some pics..