Deciduous are harder than Conifers... discuss

[Nybonsai12]

Do you agree?
What is your garden primarily filled with? Do deciduous give you more problems than conifers? What species have you had the most success with?

 

[just.wing.it]

My limited experience, here in the super humid mid-Atlantic, is that deciduous are more difficult to keep healthy....
Always fighting insects and other issues...
I will say tho...been using @Osoyoung's patented hydrogen peroxide spray lately...and it seems to have a positive effect on my Hornbeam...still...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I find deciduous easier, in general, because they grow more quickly and backbud readily. However the foliage is more delicate and requires a little more babying.

 

[just.wing.it]

I find deciduous easier, in general, because they grow more quickly and backbud readily. However the foliage is more delicate and requires a little more babying.

I like evergreen conifers that backbud readily ? .....Taxus is king!

 

[Anthony]

Hey, this is not fair.
Tropics.
Neither give problems, nor evergreen trees.
Takes ball and runs home.
Tony

 

[Nybonsai12]

My limited experience, here in the super humid mid-Atlantic, is that deciduous are more difficult to keep healthy....
Always fighting insects and other issues...
..

Exactly my experience as well, fungus in many forms that never lets up. Spray and spray and spray. For years now....it's infuriating. Just can't get them to really get going and stay healthy, except for Ume.

 

[BrianBay9]

I have mostly deciduous. I find them easier since they're more forgiving of root work and many backbud on old wood. Or could be I just understand them better.

 

[JoeR]

Exactly my experience as well, fungus in many forms that never lets up. Spray and spray and spray. For years now....it's infuriating. Just can't get them to really get going and stay healthy, except for Ume.

Odd that ume is the exception here isn’t it?

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

The hot humid summers of St Louis make deciduous more difficult, (leaf burn and disease) while the pines love it. My garden has more and more pines and conifers these days.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Hey, this is not fair.
Tropics.
Neither give problems, nor evergreen trees.
Takes ball and runs home.
Tony

When someone says tropicals and bonsai in the same sentence.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Odd that ume is the exception here isn’t it?

It is odd. I've yet to have any real trouble growing Ume. No fungus, no real issues with bugs.. (knocks on wood)

 

[Cypress187]

I think conifers are harder, but as earlier mentioned, I left my conifer in the burning sun and nothing happened to it while I burned 3 deciduous in the same day that where next to it.

 

[Anthony]

Ny,

do your check on Natives, Imported [ Apparently from Similar
Climates ]
Check also exposure to Granite/ Granite gravels and silica based
gravel.

If you can go deep enough, the group will really benefit.
{ remember Scott's example of the Ficus b, in snow and all the
ones who believe all Ficus to be Tropical ]

Good Topic, has the chance to really explain, the why.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[coh]

Persistent fungal issues may be a reflection of underlying cultural issues, such as soil being too wet.

 

[Anthony]

Cypress,

you should name the ones who were burnt.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[VAFisher]

I have mostly deciduous and I think they are easier to obtain a nice image while in leaf. It's relatively easy to grow a nice canopy of leaves on a big trunk and have a nice looking tree during the growing season. Getting a really good winter image is harder. So, I'll say it depends.

 

[pbrown00]

I find deciduous easier, in general, because they grow more quickly and backbud readily. However the foliage is more delicate and requires a little more babying.

I actually find conifers to be easier, but for the same reasons you gave for deciduous being easier. Deciduous trees grow more quickly, which gives me more to keep up with. I'm still pretty inexperienced, so maybe I'll get used to keeping up with fast-growing trees, but for now, I think my conifers are lower maintenance. Except for root work: I much prefer root work with deciduous trees.

 

[rockm]

Do you agree?
What is your garden primarily filled with? Do deciduous give you more problems than conifers? What species have you had the most success with?

Good Lord, No contest. Deciduous are vastly easier to care for than conifers, but Most importantly, my wife HATES pine bonsai. She says they all look like porcupines. Yeah, I have no idea what that means either, but it's a sign that I should stick to what I know--deciduous .

 

[Cypress187]

Cypress, you should name the ones who were burnt.Good Day Anthony

2 birch tree's, I also have 2 hornbeams on the brink of fungal dead.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I was just contemplating my collection as I fertilized today. I tend to prefer decidious and have made a mental note to part ways with 2 procumbens at a later date. (After my son's graduation party next year.) So the one who passed them to me can see them healthy on my bench...I will be able to pass them on with no remorse. She just wanted them tended by one who would keep them alive.