Hi there;

Hope no-one minds but I wanted to start posting some pics of a few of my tree's!

Bonsai is a fantastic "habit" to get into!

It is perceived as something of an "elitist" hobby but in reality, that couldn't be further from the truth!

A starter bonsai can be bought from most garden centre's these days, for around a tenner. But for those wishing to get a little more pro-active, there are plenty of shrubs available for just a couple of quid, which, with a bit of care and attention, (and not a small amount of creativity), there is many a cotoneaster, firethorn or berberis which would make a fantastic bonsai in just a year or two!

This particular specimen in the picture is one of the easiest bonsai tree's to care for, and is able to live indoors or out no matter what the weather is doing, (with one or two proviso's)!

The Chinese Elm, (Ulmus Parviflora) is such a forgiving tree, that the large bonsai importers tend to concentrate on this species, knowing they can be sold to novices, and there is a fair chance it will survive more than a year or two.

Essentially an indoor bonsai, requiring light without being in direct sunlight, it wants for no more than a good watering during summer, and less of a watering during winter.

I tend not to feed often, letting the natural goodness in the compost feed the tree.

A great beginners tree, this one is now 20 years of age.

At the moment, it requires a little "running maintenance".

Ordinarily the "pads" of foliage would be a lot more defined, but this tree is in the midst of it's summer flourish so its now due something of a "pruning"!

I'll get round to giving it a haircut this weekend, and maybe post a few more pics.

This next picture gives some perspective.

Last one for now.

As I say, hope this is ok!

Peace.

RD

Hi RD,

Nice Bonsai mate.

Bought myself a Chinese Elm from the car boot about 2 months ago, its about 12" tall and only paid £20 so bit of a bargain. Lent me camera toa friend but will get some pics up when I get it back.

What do you feed em mate?

The bloke on the store said to give it a good watering once a week and feed about once a month, been giving mine miracle grow which actually seems to be donig the trick, was thinking some of my dutch maters or ionic nutes would be better?

Peace
SB

Hi mate;

This species does little else except create leaves so I tend to use a hi-"N" diet and little else.

Since getting into canna-horticulture , and since using Bio-Bizz nutes, I tend to use a weak fishmix solution, (1 ml per litre), but they get fed only once or twice a year.

Every three or four years, (and using a technique very similar to "bonsai-ing a "mother plant", a la OT1), I will take the tree out of it's pot, and using a carving knife, cut around 2 inches of the root mass, all the way around the tree!

When the "patient" is returned to it's pot, I replace the cut root-mass with fresh compost.

That feeds it for quite a time afterwards!

Be nice to see a pic or two of your tree mate.

I'll look forward to it!

Peace.

RD

That looks excellent RD!

Love the look of the thick old gnarled trunk at the base.

It something I always fancied having a bash at, but never get around to doing.

I hear some of the really old Japanese ones, the Bonsai masters make sell for a small fortune, several hundred years old some of them.

Apparently you don’t own them your just the caretaker until the next generation in the family takes over the job of caring for them.

Don’t know if that’s true though.

Bud Brother

They are very pretty mate

From another angle..

Wow! Close up Its all twisted and knotted.

If I started one now, I’m going to be well into my 50’s before I get anything looking like that!

Feels like I might have another lifetime hobby coming on.

Bud Bro

Gotta love bonsai. Have a few myself. That one looks a beaut though.

Proper little green fingered beggar aint ya ....

Wicked pics mate, saw a few Bonsai on holiday but nothing like that. Wish i'de bought one now, chose several bird of paradise instead though, the missus loves em ....
Take it easy mate
Elzzar

Hi YDG

here's cuple pics of my chinese elm...
mama before hearcut & repoting...

baby bonsai1 of that mama...

baby bonsai2 & eee... cant remember name for it...

Hi Ambersea;

The chinese elm in the "broom" style is one of the most popular styles and species in the country.

Lovely to see you taking cuttings from it!

I'm just trying to put a name to the little tree-with-no-name!

My initial thoughts are for one of the "fig" family.......ficus benjamina maybe.

Do you have a plan of how you would like the tree to end up?

RD

"broom" style
it was "ball" style

mother in law recons that no name bonsai is loral or skimija
because i got it from her garden...

mama bonsai looks like that because i've been thinking to change her style, but
then i've got cuttings from her end desidet to leave mama ball stile & do cuple different styles of her babies...
donno yet what style will be that "no name" & i have cherry(i think) & 2 different
barbaris "no style yet"
sorry for spelling
if you wont understand something just ask i'll try to say it differently...

sorry to hear about your maple & serrissa BB
hope other trees are in good helth

Here's my wee rowan. She was growing in the top of a rotten fencepost, first saw her about 10yrs ago , she was liberated 2/3yrs ago.

And here's my japanese larch all wired up

They're fab mate.

"Growing out the top of a fence post"?

What a find!

Do an image search on google, for "clump style" (with the quotes), for inspiration!

It's almost there already!

I always wished to find a quarry or other disused workings as I imagine an area like that being littered with good "material"!

RD

hi dyg
ive just come in to the bonsai hobby my self but im far to tite to buy a bonsai tree.
ive just planted out some seeds and ive got some in the fridge waiting for spring.
the ones ive planted out are holly oak,cork oak and coastal and giant red wood!
the red wood,i was thinking about planting one out in my local disused quarry in a couple of years after no training,that should be a laugh in a few years.
ive also got some small seedling that im hopeing to bonsai and will do well in doors,lemon,joshua trees and orange.
i think a bonsai thread is a very good idea as im sure alot of our members grow them as well or would like to.
what other stuff do you grow,i grow orchids,tropical gingers,chillis,bromiliads,cacti and any unusual plants i come across.
lovely trees by the way

good shit

Glad I found this thread, been reading up and want to get a couple of Bonsai started.

Going to grow from seed , probably a Chinese Elm or Common Larch but having trouble finding the seeds online. Found some on Ebay, but not keen on purchasing from there.

What sort of compost do you use? Any recomendations?

Can anyone recomend a good book that covers the techniques?

Not a traditional Bonsai but a blend of two great hobbies - the MJ Bonsai mum.

This is a bonsai of the #6 Pheno from my White Rhino grow

In need of a good trim when the pic was taken, but a round of cuttings and a fert and she was back to a picture of health.

Almost 6 months old now and still going strong

EDIT: Doh! - Just realised this forum is for non mj plants - sorry guys

Hi there goodshit/binary/tugboat;

Getting a nice bonsai started is as complicated as a walk in the country, or even better, a walk through some disused land-workings (open cast, quarry etc)!

There are many types of shrub which grow wild, and which also would make a nice bonsai candidate.

Look for Hawthorn (Crataegus), Privet, (Ligustrum) and certain species of crab apple, (Malus) which look fantastic when they first blossom, and then fruit, (and all in scale)!

If (like me) you have a problem with yanking every likely looking plant out of the ground, then check out the garden centres.

At this time of year they are most likely getting rid of old stock shrubs to make way for winter plants, and likely bonsai material can be picked up for just a few pennies.

Species to look out for include Cotoneaster, Berberis and Pyrocantha, (firethorn) (to name but a few), all of which will make exceptional bonsai material if the plants are chosen wisely.

Chinese Elm, Serissa, (Tree of a thousand Stars), Zelkova Serratta, (another member of the elm family) and the fig family, (Ficus Benjamina or for something a little different look for a variagated specimen, with lovely cream colouring on the leaves). These are all stocked by the large garden centres and can be bought for around a tenner..a cheap entry into bonsai.

If you are looking for more of a challenge then look into the "Acer" family, (if you can find some decent rootstock that is..) as the majority of Acers (more commonly known as trident maple, deshojo maple etc) are grafted onto more readily available apple stock for large garden displays, and therefore would not qualify as a bonsai...but if you can take a cutting or two from a garden centre plant, (or maybe from a friends plant), in a few years you will have possibly a handsome, (and quite valuable) maple bonsai.

I rescues this plant (Deshojo Maple) from my garden when I moved. It had been buried and was losing ground on the more vigorous cotoneaster's I was growing on, and as such was not doing very well and growing only l;ong, stringy "suckers!.

After digging it out and planting it in a nice large pot to encourage root growth, and giving it a brutal pruning, it started to come back nice in just a couple of weeks, (helped by a goodly dose of fish mix every other week).

Got to love that foliage colour..

....and here she is in all her beauty.

This was taken a few weeks ago, and the plant now looks a lot different and is getting back somewhere like it used to be.

My Chinese Elm is looking like its long due a hair cut. When I get round to it I would be only too happy to "distribute" some cuttings should anyone be interested.

..and here she is today!

Filling out quite nicely but I won't be trying to "boss" it into shape until early spring next year.

I think this will be a nice tree eventually!

Last one!