hidefrom_sun
Seedling
First of all - what a great hobby. I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and have been making a lot of changes to my life. It's a bit shit waiting till 35 and having to pay fully private. It's killing my spare income but both myself and friends have family have seen a night and day difference iAfter reading about the symptoms it read lke a story of my life. Anyways - I score very high on subjective and objective testing. It answered a lot about my previous behaviour.
I thought awareness and medication would stop the insane ideas I used to get and would quickly get bored of. It turns out it's the opposite. I get the insane ideas and actually follow them trough and maintain consistency and work hard at them. At first it was house plants... my house is like a small rainforest. Anyways that moved onto a new one found interest in Bonsai trees - it's really helping me to learn the satisfaction from delayed gratification.
I need to read and study a fair bit but started collecting straight away. Within a month I have 7 Japanese Maples and two Chinese Junipers. All nursery stock but not grafted and looking healthy a few weeks on. It's also cheap so I can experiment a little even if I keep of a few. Thanks.
- My first question is on reference material. I'm in love with Maples. Are there any books or links you can suggest about raising plants from from saplings into fully grown bonsais and the decisions/methods I can employ along the way so I don't make rookie mistakes? (not just for Maples but rules/guidelines to achieve specific styles on many plants - knowledge between sapling and fully fledged bonsai feels lacking on the internet.)
The internet doesn't always have definitive answers and are often contradictory. I'm for instance trying to create a Chinese Juniper cascade. I'm really stuck with how to wire the branching leading up the apex and heading down the cascade to look natural. I'm assuming gravity will pull the main branches off the cascade down initially but the plants need for sunshine would great a bow shape - I could be completely mistaken
- My general knowledge is lacking as to how trees grow and what structures they form in different environments. I pay a lot more attention outside now as to how trees have formed and take lots of reference images but again... Too much to learn and keep up with!
- Has anyone bought from Herons Bonsai? I'm going to buy 5 Japanese Maple saplings from them but I'm not sure if their stems/trunks will be too developed to wire and add movement/more interesting shapes for later in it's life.
- I'm going to get a half developed Japanese Bonsai to get some experience on an older plants whilst looking after my younger plants. Again I'm after books on Japanese forms/types so they follow tradition and I care for them properly.
- On that note when can I possibly get older stock for free? Our in nature? Again... books needed
I don't wanna be killing it off. Air layering my be a good option outside. It'd be nice to have a local British bonsai!
- What tools are important to buy initially? I believe in buying cheap, buying twice so I'm willing spend a little more money on them
- Final question I promise hah! The cascade main trunk on the tunio proving difficult to bend. I've taken to doubling/tripling up my 3mm wire. How much stronger is copper wire? I have some more 3mm aluminium wire and 3mm copped.
I'll post my image elsewhere of my first wiring job so feel free to look and tear it to pieace@
I thought awareness and medication would stop the insane ideas I used to get and would quickly get bored of. It turns out it's the opposite. I get the insane ideas and actually follow them trough and maintain consistency and work hard at them. At first it was house plants... my house is like a small rainforest. Anyways that moved onto a new one found interest in Bonsai trees - it's really helping me to learn the satisfaction from delayed gratification.
I need to read and study a fair bit but started collecting straight away. Within a month I have 7 Japanese Maples and two Chinese Junipers. All nursery stock but not grafted and looking healthy a few weeks on. It's also cheap so I can experiment a little even if I keep of a few. Thanks.
- My first question is on reference material. I'm in love with Maples. Are there any books or links you can suggest about raising plants from from saplings into fully grown bonsais and the decisions/methods I can employ along the way so I don't make rookie mistakes? (not just for Maples but rules/guidelines to achieve specific styles on many plants - knowledge between sapling and fully fledged bonsai feels lacking on the internet.)
The internet doesn't always have definitive answers and are often contradictory. I'm for instance trying to create a Chinese Juniper cascade. I'm really stuck with how to wire the branching leading up the apex and heading down the cascade to look natural. I'm assuming gravity will pull the main branches off the cascade down initially but the plants need for sunshine would great a bow shape - I could be completely mistaken
- My general knowledge is lacking as to how trees grow and what structures they form in different environments. I pay a lot more attention outside now as to how trees have formed and take lots of reference images but again... Too much to learn and keep up with!
- Has anyone bought from Herons Bonsai? I'm going to buy 5 Japanese Maple saplings from them but I'm not sure if their stems/trunks will be too developed to wire and add movement/more interesting shapes for later in it's life.
- I'm going to get a half developed Japanese Bonsai to get some experience on an older plants whilst looking after my younger plants. Again I'm after books on Japanese forms/types so they follow tradition and I care for them properly.
- On that note when can I possibly get older stock for free? Our in nature? Again... books needed
I don't wanna be killing it off. Air layering my be a good option outside. It'd be nice to have a local British bonsai! - What tools are important to buy initially? I believe in buying cheap, buying twice so I'm willing spend a little more money on them
- Final question I promise hah! The cascade main trunk on the tunio proving difficult to bend. I've taken to doubling/tripling up my 3mm wire. How much stronger is copper wire? I have some more 3mm aluminium wire and 3mm copped.
I'll post my image elsewhere of my first wiring job so feel free to look and tear it to pieace@
