Jland

Hi, I'm pretty new to bonsai, having only gotten my first tree about a year ago. So far I have...

A Boxwood - Bought in a pot from a local nursery, it was doing great last summer and I think I had it trimmed decently and it was really beautiful, however I didn't it winter well, it lost all its leaves and right now I'm just trying to keep it alive. (No new buds, but it does have some root growth)

A Jade Tree - At least that's what I think it is, my wife bought it for me for Christmas and it didn't have a label. It is on my desk at work and is doing great, I have a little plant light for it during the day and just water it every couple of days when the soil feels dry.

A Cottoneaster - I bought this as a bonsai starter from a local nursery, it had a single really long branch so I wired it into a cascade, let it sit for like 2 weeks and then potted it. I think I went to fast as it still appears to be in shock from the potting (almost 4 weeks ago). There is some new green leaves coming, but most of the leaves that were already on there have turned reddish in color.

A Azalea (Lorna ) - I picked this up last week from a Lowes garden center and have trimmed it up then left it sitting in its plastic container, I planned on moving it to a bonsai pot later this year after its done flowering (this is the advice I find online for the optimal time)

So I currently have those four, but I want more (Maybe two more this year)! I really enjoy working with the plants and I wonder if I might be going to quick in expanding my collection, especially considering my "newb" status. I currently spend a lot of time flipping through the books I've picked up, and browsing this site (and many others) for instructions and general bonsai knowledge.

I was hoping for some advice on what a "good" rate for my collection to grow might be. I do have plenty of physical space and setup a shelf along the side of my house where I can put my plants. I just don't want to get to overwhelmed and not be able to take care of the ones I have.

philgrayser

Hi there Jland, i suppose it depends on how much time you have on your hands as to the size of your collection. Having lots of different types of trees at different stages of growth can be very rewarding but very time consuming to care for.
Also if you dont have too much knowledge on the subject you could loose trees as they all need different care and its a lot of work watering, feeding, wiring and pruining especially if your not too sure on how to grow each tree. I suggest you take your time and add to your collection a few trees each year type of thing untill you know how much effort and time it takes.I personally have about 20 trees at different stages of growth and sometimes that can take me hours to water them alone!
Your collection should grow with your knowledge. Cheers phil G

M.B.

Hours to water 20 trees? Jeesh Phil, you must be taking a nap in between every couple. I have lots (the numbers are growing almost every weekend this time of year), well more than one person should have while not having a nursery and it usually takes me roughly a half hour to 45 minutes. Granted, I am using the hose with a rain spray end.
Mary B.

philgrayser

Hi MB, i dont have a water tap on my house so i have to water them by hand with a small watering can so i dont wash away the soil in the pots!! Takes a while but i get a good look at my trees while im doing it lol!! cheers Phil G

M.B.

Oh, no wonder. The only time I water like that by hand is when I'm fertalizing with fish emulsion, then yeah, it takes hours.
Speaking of washing off the soil, I've been noticing my fertalizer cakes disappearing and pieces of soil being tossed out of some pots. I thought is was the numerous sparrows I have all over the yard but last night I was checking a particular loud splash in my pond, thinking a fish might have jumped out, when I noticed the cakes were covered with slugs and snails. I'm starting to think some of the soil sticks to their bottoms, after feasting on the fertalizer and they drag it all over the top of the table/shelf the plant is sitting on. I'm thinking it's the snails because when I picked them up to toss them in my turtle pen, they had all kinds of soil sticking to them. I find this particularly annoying since those cakes are not cheap and I'm wasting them on stinking snails that eat some of my bonsai. They've almost defoliated a Chinese hackberry and Seiju elm forrest. This means WAR!
Mary B.

M.B.

Sorry for side tracking your post, Jland. I wanted to add to your questions about getting too many plants. This can be a terribly addicting hobby and I personaly haven't quite figured out how to say "no more trees'. I went to a bonsai show yesterday and bought a princess persimon, a tiny future mame elm, a couple small olives (hey they were 5 bucks and I can always donate them as raffle prizes, right ), an extra small leafed gingko (Chi Chi), and a stick in a pot shimpaku with great bark and taper that may make a decent bunjin someday. So of the five varieties of plants, three can take lots of sun and two can take the sun now but will need more shade in my hot summers. If your yard is big enough, you research particular plant needs and are willing to spend the time taking care of them, why not have lots of varieties.
Mary B.

BIOS

My personal collection went from 1 to 50 trees in the short 3 years i have been growing. Of these 50, only about 15 are in actual bonsai pots, and only about 7 of those are what most people would consider "true" bonsai. This is not to say that i don't love all of my trees or that my collection is crap, but more to highlight the fact that very early on I went for quantity versus quality (and killed a lot of trees in the process) and that i hadn't prepared myself for how addictive bonsai is.

First off, lets be practical. Bonsai CAN get expensive. Between tools, Books, pots, soil, fertilizer and the trees themselves, your bank account can drain very quickly. I am an American living in England, so with the exchange rate, i get hit a little harder, but you get the point.

Secondly, bonsai IS addictive. Its right up there with nicotine and heroin. Every time you see a tree, you'll think "that would make a nice bonsai". Be prepared.

Finally, bonsai does take up time. In the winter (if all you have is outdoor trees), you get a nice break but the spring and summer can swallow up time like no ones business. I usually reserve an entire Sunday (because i'm a godless heathen) to do maintenance on my trees, but give yourself 30-45 minutes a day to water. Most people can find this time with ease.

By no means am i trying to put you off of bonsai, actually quite the opposite. I am simply trying to prepare you for what, hopefully, will be a life long interest.

One final thought..at its roots, bonsai is an art form. Even so, try not to get too caught up in the "rules" of bonsai. There are horticultural techniques that you should learn and follow (much like a sculpter must learn HOW to sculpt before he can create a work of art), and there are tips on how to make a young small tree seem old and large (much like a painter learns different brush strokes), but art is art to the artist, not to the viewer. Jackson Pollock didn't care who liked his work, he did it for himself. If something looks good to you, then continue to grow it with your vision, not someone elses. Art is meant to defy convention, and bonsai is no exception.

Okay, so enough ranting. Hope this helps a little. Good luck and good growing.

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"The Arboreal Assassin"