It's too late for me, save yourselves!

[River's Edge]

A whole house water filter even if not needed.
I've actually considered this but my problem is hard water and I read water softener replaces the calcium with sodium so isn't good for the plants either.​

Hehe... You could get a reverse osmosis system instead. That’ll take care of the hard water without replacing it with sodium.

Of course, once you have the RO system, you might as well pick up yet another hobby because RO water is ideal for maintaining a saltwater aquarium....

And the science of reconstituting RO for various purposes such as Bonsai

 

[Jim G]

I just tossed out a perfectly good houseplant to make room for a fukien tea that I really didn't need. My house is small and I need to stop buying tropicals.

 

[M. Frary]

I love this thread! Is this a constructive addiction? I now carry a hand trowel, clippers and some burlap sacks at work, I collect trees during lunch (I work outside). My colleagues think I’m a nut, and you should see the looks I get carrying these things home on the train ( DC metro)!

Not sure who said it here first, but it’s true. Welcome to crazy!

I have buckets,a shovel and a saw in my truck all the time.
In my work truck also. I do line clearance on powerlines and find trees to collect all of the time.
I'm down to under 100 trees but that number will be back to over 200 by the end of next year.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I've actually considered this but my problem is hard water and I read water softener replaces the calcium with sodium so isn't good for the plants either.

Use potassium chloride pellets instead of sodium chloride pellets in your water softener. Then instead of watering your trees with sodium, you are fertilizing them with potassium!! Most places here in Southern California have stopped even selling sodium chloride for water softeners.

 

[Toraidento]

This is cool I'm not alone I thought I was mental or something couldn't stop reading. Look out the window riding down the Interstate at 65 MPH to see if I can see a tree to stop and dig up come spring. Oh and people blowing the horn thinking I'm texting driving a 80,000 lbs. vehicle swerving back and forth in my lane. Since I started reading about Topiary back in August, then switching to Bonsai, its like I'm obsessed cant stop thinking about it. Buying trees every weekend ordering stuff from Ebay and Amazon. Tools, soil, plastic pots cause I cant afford real ones and buy more trees, grow light building benches and a potting/ seeding table with built in Grow Lamp rack that will be moved outside come spring. I just thought I was nuts. but this seems to be a normal thing it this hobby. phew that makes me feel better!!!!! BTW the wife will tell u I'm nuts anyway but don't listen to her she's known me to long