What's your headcount this year?

[johng]

I have read a few people wishing to get down to a more respectable size and take care of fewer and better trees. That is good for a while. I have done that two times in my life and each time I find myself looking for that next best tree. You can weed down to say best ten. After a couple years entering the same five trees in the club show and the overkill on discussion forums with the same trees over and over again, it leaves one looking for something new to work on. One needs to have about 15 good trees (ready to exhibit in good pots). About 15 good trees in training (almost ready for a good pot). About 15 good trees as material being grafted, major wire and developing nebari. Any more than that is not enough time to work on properly. For me I count 4 shohin per medium size tree.

I tend to agree with Al here and of course it is all subjective. For me the best parts of bonsai are developing good trees...once developed they are less interesting to me. I enjoy showing trees and for me that experience is maximized when I am responsible for every stage of the development. I find it takes numbers to do this most effectively.

For example....about 6 years ago I found some large chinzan azalea nursery stock. I purchased about 40 of the plants over time. Drastically pruned and began developing all of them. After a couple years I began to sell the ones that appealed to me least. 6 years later, I have 3 pretty nice chinzan bonsai...and I'm likely to sell one more. Had I only purchased 3 to begin with I can assure you that they would not be as nice now! I could tell the same story with my collected bald cypress, my tridents grown from seed, boxwoods, and Shimpaku grown from cuttings.

We all have a unique set of life variables and goals that determine our personal paths in bonsai. So, whether you are a few trees kind of person or one who has many, the beauty of this hobby is that you can choose the path that best solves your equation.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I currently have around 27 trees. All are in development stage as this is only my third season in bonsai. I lost a few trees to winter kill and a nice cotoneaster to a fungal infestation. I also lost a yard lilac that I lifted and didn't keep enough root ball.

 

[Nybonsai12]

I probably have about 50 trees. I am always killing trees. I am always buying trees.

 

[fourteener]

Three years ago I had 130 plus. I got rid of a lot, planted some in my landscaping, sold some, I got down to 80 last summer. I lost 2 good trees last winter due to a new winter storage system and stupid warm temps in the middle of winter.

Gathering is my thing, some really good yamadori this spring plus my favorite nursery is closing and I've been working for some excellent aged material in root socks out in the field. I'm excited for my rough stock potential for the first time in a couple of years. I'm back up to 100. I think 100 is my magic number. Now the issue is an ongoing desire to upgrade the collection as a whole. I have 50 nice trees and 50 projects. In 20 years I'd like 100 show worthy trees and very few projects.

 

[lordy]

I have maybe 40 in pots, another 20 in the ground. I have been trying to realize that I WONT be able to transform ugly and poorly developed material into nice trees, for numerous reasons. I put one maple in the ground that had amazing nebari, only to have it grow to be almost ugly nebari. But the canopy recovered, which is why I put it in the ground to begin with. Did not see that coming. A rabbit ate off significant branches on about 10 trees a couple years ago, sold them at auction rather than try for years to rebuild them. Running out of time is now part of my concern, so I dont wrestle with that when it comes to choosing trees.
Just got 3 at the show last weekend. 2 wont take much work, 1 is a 5 year project minimum. Anyway, I love the journey.

 

[coh]

I have maybe 40 in pots, another 20 in the ground. I have been trying to realize that I WONT be able to transform ugly and poorly developed material into nice trees, for numerous reasons. I put one maple in the ground that had amazing nebari, only to have it grow to be almost ugly nebari. But the canopy recovered, which is why I put it in the ground to begin with...

It's very easy for trees to "get away from you" in the ground...both roots and trunk. Even though you may "know" that in advance, it can still happen surprisingly quickly. I'm working on my first batch of ground-grown material and am coming to the realization that most of it will probably not wind up as very good bonsai material. But I'm learning a lot about the process, hopefully I'll be able to apply that to the next batch.

 

[Smoke]

It's very easy for trees to "get away from you" in the ground...both roots and trunk. Even though you may "know" that in advance, it can still happen surprisingly quickly. I'm working on my first batch of ground-grown material and am coming to the realization that most of it will probably not wind up as very good bonsai material. But I'm learning a lot about the process, hopefully I'll be able to apply that to the next batch.

What do you feel was the worst hurdle with ground growing?

wait, let me rephrase that. What is it that happened that gives you the feeling that this material is now an experiment rather than the material you were hoping for?

 

[johng]

It's very easy for trees to "get away from you" in the ground...both roots and trunk. Even though you may "know" that in advance, it can still happen surprisingly quickly. I'm working on my first batch of ground-grown material and am coming to the realization that most of it will probably not wind up as very good bonsai material. But I'm learning a lot about the process, hopefully I'll be able to apply that to the next batch.

It's a numbers game!