How do you avoid overworking on trees?

[Danonito]

I've been doing bonsai for a year and a half now and have invested vast amounts of hours into researching different species, techniques etc. At this stage all my trees except for a couple are in development stage , i.e. lots of pots/grow boxes here and there. Having a not so big garden means there is a constant battle with the wife over the amount of trees I have laying around

however, what bugs me a lot in the last couple months is that due to sheer excitement of working on the trees I find myself going back to the same tree a lot more often than I would like , especially when development trees just need to be left alone to grow/recover , etc. How do you fight that urge ? I know that having a lot of projects helps to spread out the time , but my limited space means I can't have many more..

Thoughts? Advice on how to not overwork trees ? Am I just impatient? I've only killed one tree so far but I don't want more to meet the same fate

 

[Scorpius]

One offense per year to a tree. There are no exceptions with me. This is a lifelong hobby. Take your time. Sometimes it takes several seasons for a tree to recover.

 

[jonfromchicago]

Buy more trees

 

[DavidBoren]

I am guilty of this exact same impatient tinkering.

I overwater a lot of my trees because it is something to do. I really need to correct this habit I have developed if I wish to continue practicing bonsai.

The only saving grace is that, thusfar, my Ash tree has proven invincible... she responds so well to my abuse. So far, all my tinkering has not even phased her. She has health and vigor to spare. But lately, I have been really trying to leave her alone. I stare at her every night in quiet contemplation, and I tell myself to leave the wire cutters in the drawer... I simply rearrange the leaves. That is what I have been doing lately.

Pretty sure my tinkering has otherwise just about killed everything else. For how impatient I am, bonsai has proven to have quite the learning curve. Not even my anxiety medication can save these trees from being victims of my meddling.

 

[berzerkules]

Get into mame or shohin and start keeping lots of very little trees since they don't take up lots of space.

I find having multiple hobbies or another creative outlet also helps.

 

[penumbra]

I understand your dilemma and I experienced it somewhat when I was younger. But now I have more than I can get to so I just try to catch up. Also, I can look at a tree sometimes for a year or two before coming back to it. Other times I just have to do what I have to do. I do like having tropicals because it extends my season of activity.
The best answer is more trees and more patience.

 

[BobbyLane]

As above, buy more trees! get creative and build more bench space, I had to do that on my balcony.
the 'one insult per year' thing for me mainly is for those finicky conifers, but folk hear it and just apply it to anything. Many deciduous trees and hardy shrubs can take a bit of tampering with, if you have a healthy tree with an established root system you can no problem repot it in spring, cut it back in summer and wire it in mid summer to have branches set by winter. that type of work is absolutely no problem for a hardy deciduous tree. even tridents will stick the middle finger up at you and vigorous maples too. I could show countless examples of work carried out over a season.
Have fun and dont stress

ps what exactly is overworking a tree? you'll get to know the thresholds yourself through experience, getting hands on and experimenting rather than letting folk tell you what you can and cant do. have at it man

 

[Lorax7]

Get a few higher quality pre-bonsai trees that don’t need additional trunk development. Having a couple of mid-size trees that are on the cusp of being in refinement rather than development gives you more to do. Junipers are a good choice. They’ll need to be wired and unwired. There’s deadwood to create and to be maintained with once or twice a year lime sulfur treatments. There’s brushing of the flaky bark that needs to be done to make the red live veins pretty (and eliminate any hiding spots that could be used by borers). If you’re developing ribbons of deadwood, you’ll need to gradually add a little deadwood at the margins of the existing callus each year to build up the striated bands that are a hallmark of this style.

 

[Srt8madness]

I got enough trees and plants to where I don't like watering, so now I ignore it until I need to do something That cured my busy hands.

The other would to be to try a vigorous species like P afra. Borderline true bonsai but you can work on em all day long.

 

[Ugo]

Hi!

If I can related to my own learning curve, Im trying to see the tree within the tree if I can say it that way..
Everything around it is there to accelerate the gain in mass. That is for a tree that still need work on the primary structure.

I also try to think about energy.
Loss and gain of energy during normal yearly growing cycle. For example if the tree just spent energy building the new canopy I will wait for the tree to get the energy it spend back as a minimum before touching anyting.
Timing of your application is the key.
Conifer are for me the best tree to "learn" this.
Dont touch it more than once a year.
Most of my work on the canopy is done at the end of summer. The tree had time to gain alot of energy back but it is "slow" growing so even the worst structural flaw wont grow that much for Spring to the end of Summer but will still contribute to the energy gained back by the tree.
Another perfect time for the same tree would be in Spring, when buds swell, so the tree did not invest any energy in that unwanted growth but in case something happen during winter you still have that piece as a replacement.

All that to say, concentrate on eleminating structural flaws, if you absolutely have to cut something, dead branches, branches that grows in between an accute fork, unwanted growth on the trunk or on collars should be removed prior to anything else.
But dont forget that apply only on the branches and trunk height you want to keep like the first branche. If you touch anything of the rest above you are slowing down the tree (ask me how I know...) even if theres strutural flaws, big leaves, non tapered branches they will be removed eventually The only thing that matter is that all the branches have access to sunlight, its a compromise.

I guess I still have time to change my mind but that's the way Ive been able to control myself...
That and buying 90 trees...
David Copperfield is an amateur compared to me when it comes to hide new bonsai the wife never saw...

If you want try to apply some of the advices given by members for half of you trees for a 2 years period without removing anything else and I think one will have alot of possibilites to thinker with. Plus you will be able to compare both method and correct your behavior by 50%!

Have fun
Ugo

 

[ShadyStump]

I'm in the multiple hobbies camp.
I used to joke that I've killed so many trees I should just take up wood carving. That was before I took up wood carving. House plants are a related hobby that can divert your attention. If you're competing with your wife for space in the garden, maybe you can share some of her activities with her. Flower and vegetable gardening can teach you allot about trees if that's what she's doing. I also enjoy some crazy experimenting. Dedicate one section to little projects like testing new soil mixes on cuttings, or grafting roses on to apples trees. Go out hunting for stones, improve your garden or benches, any of 100 other things.

 

[DavidBoren]

Grafting roses to apple trees?

 

[ShadyStump]

Grafting roses to apple trees?

They're both in the family rosacea, so it's theoretically possible. Dyng to try one day.

 

[Lorax7]

They're both in the family rosacea, so it's theoretically possible. Dyng to try one day.

While you’re experimenting, it might be fun to try grafting mulberry onto ficus rootstock or vice versa, as both are in Moraeceae.

 

[Paradox]

Its called patience and practicing restraint

I have the opposite problem now, I procrastinate too much and dont work on my trees enough sometimes

 

[ShadyStump]

While you’re experimenting, it might be fun to try grafting mulberry onto ficus rootstock or vice versa, as both are in Moraeceae.

THAT I didn't know.
Now I'm dying to try.

 

[vp999]

I have the same problem ...but in reverse lol. The only thing I enjoy doing is repotting when I found a better pot. Everything else is chores...

 

[nuttiest]

While you’re experimenting, it might be fun to try grafting mulberry onto ficus rootstock or vice versa, as both are in Moraeceae.

Oh no! Ginseng mulberry.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Get one or more other hobbies. What is done instead of "overworking" child?

 

[DavidBoren]

They're both in the family rosacea, so it's theoretically possible. Dyng to try one day.

Yeah... I've been wanting to try fuse (inosculate?) Hawthorn, Rowan, and Cherry Blossom into a single living organism... all three happen to belong to the same Rosids/Rosales/Rosaceae, so I figured they would play well together. Granted, I currently do not own a single example of any of the aforementioned trees.

Cherry Blossom is just a beautiful d@mn tree, Hawthorn is what you make stakes out of to kill vampires, and Rowan protects you from witches. Not that I am known for collecting beautiful things, or even having good taste in what I consider beautiful. I don't believe in vampires being real enough for me to need wooden stakes. And I am a witch, well warlock, but same difference... so I really don't have a use for the Rowan's supposed protection.

I just think it would be cool to have these three species living in unison. The Hawthorn and Cherry Blossom would stellar together in full bloom, and the Rowan's red berries... seems like it would be a neat "tree". Not at all intended for bonsai, but still something I want to try.