Have you ever seen a big-sized bonsai directly? Share your picture

[Faisal Ahmad]

I will start,

I have a bonsai friend who owns a large bonsai tree of the Ficus retusa species. It stands 150 cm tall with a trunk circumference of 100 cm, making it the largest bonsai tree I have ever encountered. The tree has been with him for 12 years, but I estimate its total age to be around 50 years.



I don't know how he going to do for put bonsai Pot in there


In your opinion, what do you think is the biggest challenge in maintaining a large bonsai tree?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

In your opinion, what do you think is the biggest challenge in maintaining a large bonsai tree?

The work (and expense) required to maintain a large bonsai tree is a multiple of the work required to maintain a smaller tree of the same species - and personally, I'm not sure a larger tree is necessarily "better".

The pot cost, the soil cost, the time to wire, prune, etc... and in many cases, a large tree requires more than one person to be available in order to muscle the tree around to do the work.

 

[rockm]

I have a couple bonsai in this size range.

The Challenges are many. Moving them to overwintering quarters means you have to have another person to help lift them and a facility large enough to hold them. Along with that you need carts, carriers and benches sturdy enough to support them

Turning them for sun exposure on the bench requires setting them on heavy duty turntables.

Repotting them is also a multiple person operation and requires tens of gallons of soil.

Heavier duty tools are needed as well along with the regular tools.

Also all this does not get easier as you age. It gets harder.

All said and done though I do like larger bonsai but am getting a taste for shohin sizes trees as well

 

[Bonsai Nut]

All said and done though I do like larger bonsai but am getting a taste for shohin sizes trees as well

A couple of years ago, I was talking with Peter Macasieb (@maria kapra ) as he was styling a tree as part of a round-table at the Bonsai-a-thon in the Huntington Gardens. He was working on a chumono sized tree of perhaps 18" height... and was griping under his breath as he did so "Do you know how many shohin I could style in the time it takes me to work this tree?" So everything is relative

I left a large California juniper behind when I moved from California, and part of the reason I did so was the size. I could not lift the pot by myself - so basic work on the tree was a major undertaking.

@michaelj in front of one of the big bonsai pots in the storage area in the rear of the Huntington. Perhaps there should be different size categories for bonsai? One person bonsai, two person bonsai, four person bonsai, fork-lift bonsai

 

[rockm]

A couple of years ago, I was talking with Peter Macasieb (@maria kapra ) as he was styling a tree as part of a round-table at the Bonsai-a-thon in the Huntington Gardens. He was working on a chumono sized tree of perhaps 18" height... and was griping under his breath as he did so "Do you know how many shohin I could style in the time it takes me to work this tree?" So everything is relative

I left a large California juniper behind when I moved from California, and part of the reason I did so was the size. I could not lift the pot by myself - so basic work on the tree was a major undertaking.

@michaelj in front of one of the big bonsai pots in the storage area in the rear of the Huntington:

View attachment 589866

Also worth noting that large pots are not cheap and are not common. Large pots over 25 inches can run into $1000-$4000 depending on size and shipping. (If you can find a seller who will ship the container.—which usually involves freight class and the associated risk of breakage from the forklifts etc used to move the lot around. The last pot I bought for my biggest tree was 50 lbs empty. Took me month to find it with a seller who would agree to ship it

 

[JudyB]

I have seen many large trees, never had one and don't want one! At some point to me they become trees in planters and not bonsai. I know that this is my individual take on it, and some of them are very very good trees. I can't even imagine the amount of work and physical effort involved. My biggest tree is big, but not so big I can't move it (with much effort!) myself, and I'm pretty fit. Don't want anything bigger.

 

[Paradox]

I also need to have trees I can move around myself because as we get older, its harder and harder to move heavy things and my husband with his bad back and knees, there is only so much I can ask him to help with. Even now if he is helping me move trees, I always give him the smallest/lightest to carry

As others have said, bigger means more expensive pots, tools, specialty tools, things to help move them around, more soil, also more space. I cant put anything too big in my cold frame.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

This is a subjective feeling from a newbie without any "real" bonsai, but I agree with @JudyB. There's bonsai, and then there's big, nice-looking, well-formed, and exquisitely styled chunky trunky small trees in very expensive huge pots or planters. I love to look at such artworks, but it's moved a touch beyond bonsai. This isn't to belittle the work, vision, imagination, sweat, and passion that goes into them. As has been stated, they are actually much more work than anything I have done or had, so I hold these trees in high regard, and the utmost respect for those who have that kind of dedication. I just don't see myself putting that kind of time, effort, work and devotion into a tree, especially when I don't know what will happen to it after my time expires. If I've survived long enough to develop any decent trees, I don't want to leave behind anything that could potentially become a burden to those who remain.

 

[Fidur]

Yeah, big trees are a temptation. This olive was tagged for only 1200€ in the nurserie I usually buy from, but then I thought that to prune it was going to be a problem, as I have no stairs tall enough in my garden.....

 

[yashu]

Also worth noting that large pots are not cheap and are not common. Large pots over 25 inches can run into $1000-$4000 depending on size and shipping. (If you can find a seller who will ship the container.—which usually involves freight class and the associated risk of breakage from the forklifts etc used to move the lot around. The last pot I bought for my biggest tree was 50 lbs empty. Took me month to find it with a seller who would agree to ship it

That looks about the size of the pot I just got for my “not really a bonsai but I’m putting it in a bonsai pot anyway” black pine.

 

[yashu]

Forgot pics…

The pompom on top is coming off and the remaining jin will be carved but that ramrod straight trunk is far from anything “bonsai”



Got a decent bigass pot for stupid cheap though…



The cloud feet and indented corners are interesting touches but otherwise it’s fairly basic… just BIG.

 

[Faisal Ahmad]

This may be the last time I buy a large tree, it's tiresome. need the day to prune all the leaves.

wiring? I don't even think about it now. My mood is still hiding somewhere




want to sell it ASAP

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

Here's the biggest Bougie I've seen.



Classic B-nut thread derailed from the OP btw. Not saying I'm innocent just saying I noticed.

 

[vp999]

In my native county of Vietnam, huge bonsai trees are a lot more popular than normal sized ones.....Often when a tree is sold, crane service is called upon.

 

[vp999]

 

[Piedmont Bonsai]

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Got a decent bigass pot for stupid cheap though…
The cloud feet and indented corners are interesting touches but otherwise it’s fairly basic… just BIG.

Out of curiosity, I went into my store room to see what large pots I still own. My bigger pots max out at 24"... which is probably the realistic limit to what I could move around if they had a large tree and soil in them. I have a fair number in the 18" - 20" range, which is where my nicer pots start.

One thing that doesn't come up that often is how difficult it is to make a large pot, and the failure rate even when you are an experienced potter - and the size of the kilns necessary to do the work.

 

[Ruddigger]

This is one of the ones at Shisei-en where I apprentice. About 4’ tall, and theres about 100 more that size.

 

[DonielDoom]

Apologies for the poor quality photo. This was taken while traveling in China, 2018. It was a part of the front garden of a residence in the metro area. I was walking to or from a meal out and stumbled past. It was no less than 4' tall (not including pot).

 

[yashu]

Here's the biggest Bougie I've seen.
View attachment 589979


Classic B-nut thread derailed from the OP btw. Not saying I'm innocent just saying I noticed.

Speaking of big bougies



With me and my younger kiddo for scale (but not in flower)