What is too much to pay for a tree?

[Attmos]

I've been to several local nurseries this summer, seen a lot of beautiful plants and trees. It's been a nice change from my normal habits.

Most of the trees with decent trunk are at least $150, the ones I like are about $200.

I want to buy something worth working on, but is $200 more than I could or should be spending? They have cheap Box Woods and stuff like that, but real trees are pretty expensive.

Seems like I could do better but maybe I'm expecting too much. What does the community think?

 

[darzuo]

Too much to pay is whatever you feel is too much. I think $150-200 isn't crazy for a good trunk, depends heavily on the species and trees themselves. You could post prices and pictures (with something for scale) and I'm sure people here would tell you if they'd pay it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It’s all relative. There are $50 trees that are overpriced, and $50,000 trees that are a “good deal”.

But, here is a good rule of thumb on whether a tree is too expensive: if it costs $1.00 more than the amount of cash you’d be willing to walk outside and set on fire…it’s too expensive.

 

[Michael P]

Or to put it another way, don't buy anything you can't afford to kill.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I fall back on. When dropping over $100. I'm going to go pre-bonsai. Than nursery stock...material tends to be set up for ya. With a headstart. Start out the gate on a good foot.

 

[nuttiest]

Do they have fall clearance to shut down the nurseries up north?

 

[SWfloirda]

Everyone has their own threshold for concert tickets. A dinner out. A night of gambling. At first I was convinced I would never spend over $50 on a tree. I have gone over a few times. I just plain can't afford the $50,000 trees.

 

[Jrmcmich]

I agree with @Cadillactaste on rule of thumb over $100 with using a bonsai nursery amd some online with decent trunks starts. That being said I did recently spend about $120 at standard nursery for a Hinoki cypress even with a grafted base

Here’s some from a grower in California where I bought A cork bark earlier this summer. Very healthy and good start to an interesting trunk.

Deciduous Field Grown Bonsai

Deciduous field-grown bonsai plants are trees cultivated in open ground to encourage strong root development and thick trunk growth before being shaped into bonsai. These trees lose their leaves seasonally, displaying vibrant colors in autumn and bare branches in winter, offering a dynamic and...

cedarrosenursery.com

 

[Paradox]

Do they have fall clearance to shut down the nurseries up north?

Bonsai nurseries? No. The plants are housed in temperature controlled greenhouses or other appropriate areas for their needs for the winter

Landscape plant nurseries? Yes they have end of year sales

 

[BrianBay9]

Pre-bonsai, grown for purpose, perhaps with well positioned primary branching, good species for bonsai - I might expect to pay $100 - $150 per caliper inch of trunk.

 

[Adamski77]

Just to provide different perspective... as in China/Korea you can negotiate prices... as long as I end up below 30% of the first price the seller calls I know I didn't overpay

 

[Baron von Smoogle]

Check to see if the nurseries have a "Hospital Section" or something similar. I have gotten several trees that were regularly marked at $150-$300.
I got the $300 tree for less than $12. It was a 9 ft Thuja with a trunk about 5" in diameter at the soil line. The $150 tree was a half dead 6ft Bayberry. I got it for $5. The trunk on it is about 2.5" at the soil line. Both are still alive and growing.
My wife picked up a feather leafed Japanese Maple that was marked $300 for $100. It is going into the yard.

 

[Potawatomi13]

If you can afford it and are willing to provide personal care to keep it healthy it's not too much. If you are too lazy to hand water your trees daily you can;t afford it.

 

[Lara_Ericacious]

I feel it really depends on your level of experience. Right now I would much prefer to spend £200 on a larger quantity of species native to my climate than a single £200 tree of greater quality, which perhaps needs extra overwintering care.

Once you have demonstrated to yourself that you can keep trees alive in pots for multiple years, then I would start investing in material of higher quality and refinement.

You can learn from horticultural mistakes when you have a large quantity of the same species,
If you make a mistake and you only have that single tree and it dies, you have nothing to compare it too.

I rarely spend money on trees though.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

I agree with @Cadillactaste about it crossing the threshold of standard nursery material to 'pre bonsai prices'

What i found useful is to consider how much you are prepared to spend each month on nursery material,

Then instead of buying the nursery material, put the money in a jar

This is now your decent prebonsai jar.

Another thing I always do now is to really look at the material and decide what I like about it, what I don't like about it and how I can correct what I don't like

I won't buy material without a clear plan or serious inspiration

Hope this helps

 

[rockm]

Rule of thumb I learned way back at the beginning

Find a reliable knowledgeable nursery or seller. Buy the best YOU CAN AFFORD. It pays to stretch a bit particularly with deciduous material. They are more forgiving or beginner mistakes.

Although sale bins offer steep discounts they are also a sump for sick and dying trees. As well as some healthy trees that just look bad (Japanese maples particularly thread and laceleaf varieties) tend to look burned up and crispy from the summer heat. They’re usually fine next spring unless they’re not

$200 is relative. It’s not too much for a decent trunk and nebari (dig down at least two inches into the soil around the trunk to look for primary surface roots. Some trees that have been constantly up potted have multi layer primary roots

If you have a decent bonsai nursery (not a store front or seller with mass produced junipers/ Chinese elm. Look to it to get a better result since the stock there has probably been initially worked as bonsai

Also don’t get stuck on height and original branching. Both are mostly sacrificed anyway for deciduous material. You want the bottom third of the tree. The rest is negotiable.

I’ve heard good things about this place in Chardon ohio

WildWood Gardens

Chardon Ohio Local Bonsai Master Shop

www.wildwoodgardens.com

 

[penumbra]

Too much or too little is a mythical concept. Satisfaction or regret are not.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I agree with @Cadillactaste about it crossing the threshold of standard nursery material to 'pre bonsai prices'

What i found useful is to consider how much you are prepared to spend each month on nursery material,

Then instead of buying the nursery material, put the money in a jar

This is now your decent prebonsai jar.

Another thing I always do now is to really look at the material and decide what I like about it, what I don't like about it and how I can correct what I don't like

I won't buy material without a clear plan or serious inspiration

Hope this helps

Good points...personally, I look for character that draws me in to study it more. Now...I am known to do ugly well. ... I try also to grasp. All trees have flaws. Is it one I can overlook...because the character overrides it. I do tend to buy my material to permit it to evolve. Angle change and whatnot.

Many do look to improve flaws. Honestly...I choose flaws that I personally am willing to live with. I try and simplify things on my bench. For the most part. I definitely roll to the beat of my own drum. Just when I say no more rough projects...I drag one home.

Though as of late. Nothing has inspired me to bring home. My mind has refocused a tad...and... possibly I've just grown content. In what I have on my bench. I've projects to keep me focused on. Nothing...absolutely nothing has inspired me to pause and look deeper at it to buy.

No...I'm to busy trying to decide on if a piece of home gym equipment is much needed...or a clutter my space item. As I do thrive on clean lines. I don't do modern...but...I don't do clutter. Even useful clutter. Lol

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I just picked up an Iseli cultivar Bosnian pine from a quality landscape nursery. The tree was normally $250, but it has an interesting (to me) bend in the trunk, and the trunk was covered with lichen. Super healthy - but the nurseryman said it looked like a "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" to his customers - so he put it in his summer sale assortment. After he spoke with me about it a while, he said "for you - I'll do $75... less 50%". So $37.50 for a tree that should have sold for $250

 

[stubmle]

I've had good luck with smaller independent nurseries... places where the owner has not culled material in a long time or has forgotten what they have out back. Lots of junk but you can often find good stuff squirreled away, just waiting...

Large nurseries and big box stores can have good stuff too but the turnover is too high for it to stick around long and most of their stuff is crap to begin with- no character. I try to avoid "commodity" plant sellers like that unless it's a clearance sale or it's material I can use in the landscape if I decide it's not worth potting on.