Where do you buy your trees?

[Manbris]

Hi,

Just wondering where do you buy your trees- especially conifers? I am still relatively new with only a few years of experience but have been to almost all garden nurseries near me or around 100 miles. Already have checked out most of their conifers. Nowadays, it seems these are all imported from EU and are relatively young trees there and are expensive- easily 80 pounds or more for a 5 year old pine.

My question is where do you buy your tress (mature trees -over 20-25 years) for your collection? eBay, facebook? The other downside from buying garden nursery trees is that it will take a few years to just replace the soil and risks of dying involved if it's an older tree.

Good to hear your experience.

 

[Manbris]

Or would you prefer grow your own trees from a young seedling?

 

[JoeWilson]

Herons Bonsai is a well-known shop in the UK. It’s a bit of a drive for you, but they ship within the UK. Probably some other bonsai shops you could find too. Though buying styled, older plants from bonsai shops tends to be somewhat expensive.

If you’re looking for an older tree, and not something that has already been styled, wild-collected is probably your best option. So I would look into what the local laws are for collecting. Most likely, you would need permission from the landowner or government if it’s on public land.

For me personally, it's a mix. I have a lot of trees in my backyard that I dig up. I buy nursery stock from local shops. I buy small plants on Etsy and grow them in the ground for a few years. I'm learning how to take cuttings. I will probably try air layering at some point. I want to do some wild collecting this winter. I have a buddy with some land a bit south that has pinyon pine, juniper, etc.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I have gotten my trees from:

(1) Vendors at bonsai shows
(2) Bonsai nurseries
(3) Bonsai independent sellers (via person-to-person, or eBay, or Facebook auctions)
(4) Regular landscape nurseries (usually specializing in ornamental conifers or Japanese maples)
(5) Cuttings / air-layers
(6) Seeds
(7) Collecting from wild
(8) Gifts

Hard to say which is my favorite channel/method. I have gotten good trees from all of them.

 

[BonsaiBonsai]

Greenwood Bonsai is not to far away from you. I once had a chat with Corin he is a very nice guy with a lot of experience.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Greenwood Bonsai is not to far away from you. I once had a chat with Corin he is a very nice guy with a lot of experience.

Nice fella ... impeccable reputation as well.

 

[ShimpakuBonsai]

Greenwood Bonsai in Nottingham would be my no.1 source for bonsai based on your location.
Link: https://www.bonsai.co.uk/

 

[leatherback]

I feel like you are betting on 3 different horses:

- Seedlings to grow out
- Regular nursery stock
- Developed bonsai

First make up your mind as to what you are after.

Good developed trees are usually found in bonsai nurseries, at bonsai shows or through the grapevine; Once you have a network you will be able to source loads of special trees
Nursery plants.. DO not go to big chains, but find privately owned nurseries, ideally one that grows their own stock, or a landscaping nursery. Large chain-based nurseries will only have commercial straight uninteresting stock
Seedlings.. I find that you get seedlings quite well from large-volume tree-growers. They often sell stuff for re-naturing and/or professional reforestation crews. Nothing special. Just a few bucks for a bundle of them.

 

[Shibui]

I almost exclusively grow my own trees for bonsai. That way I own all the faults as well as any great outcomes. But that's years of waiting which I know some people can't do.

As mentioned above, try to avoid commercially produced stock from regular nurseries. Most of their trees are trained to be tall and straight. It can take almost as many years to convert straight and boring to something worthwhile for bonsai as it takes to start from scratch. Commercial stock almost always has terrible roots because of the way they are grown. People planting for landscape don't care about nebari but it's really important for good bonsai.
Yes, prices are high now. Much of that reflects the increased costs of production, land, water, fertiliser, potting mix, environmental accreditation and prevention measures, etc. Even with the high prices there's still not great profit in growing plants.

Most reputable bonsai nurseries make an effort to develop stock with better roots and more interesting trunks. Prices will often be higher that similar sized commercial nursery stock but in most cases, you'll be several years and a lot less trouble closer to having a good bonsai by shopping at a specialist bonsai nursery.

Club sales are a great place to find good starter stock. You'll still need to know what you are looking at because even club members can sell rubbish at inflated prices but there's often gems among them.

I guess everyone has a different mix of needs and resources which will dictate where they start - cheap but longer term or pay more and get there quicker.
Many people change the way the approach bonsai as they progress. Start with cheaper material while we learn to keep trees alive then begin to purchase more expensive material when we have developed the skills to keep them healthy and an eye to what's good starting material.

 

[Manbris]

I feel like you are betting on 3 different horses:

- Seedlings to grow out
- Regular nursery stock
- Developed bonsai

First make up your mind as to what you are after.

Good developed trees are usually found in bonsai nurseries, at bonsai shows or through the grapevine; Once you have a network you will be able to source loads of special trees
Nursery plants.. DO not go to big chains, but find privately owned nurseries, ideally one that grows their own stock, or a landscaping nursery. Large chain-based nurseries will only have commercial straight uninteresting stock
Seedlings.. I find that you get seedlings quite well from large-volume tree-growers. They often sell stuff for re-naturing and/or professional reforestation crews. Nothing special. Just a few bucks for a bundle of them.

Thanks a lot- indeed that's the missing piece for me. Maybe just playing/learning about growing trees. I can see myself growing for decades but not aiming for shows etc.

 

[Manbris]

I almost exclusively grow my own trees for bonsai. That way I own all the faults as well as any great outcomes. But that's years of waiting which I know some people can't do.

As mentioned above, try to avoid commercially produced stock from regular nurseries. Most of their trees are trained to be tall and straight. It can take almost as many years to convert straight and boring to something worthwhile for bonsai as it takes to start from scratch. Commercial stock almost always has terrible roots because of the way they are grown. People planting for landscape don't care about nebari but it's really important for good bonsai.
Yes, prices are high now. Much of that reflects the increased costs of production, land, water, fertiliser, potting mix, environmental accreditation and prevention measures, etc. Even with the high prices there's still not great profit in growing plants.

Most reputable bonsai nurseries make an effort to develop stock with better roots and more interesting trunks. Prices will often be higher that similar sized commercial nursery stock but in most cases, you'll be several years and a lot less trouble closer to having a good bonsai by shopping at a specialist bonsai nursery.

Club sales are a great place to find good starter stock. You'll still need to know what you are looking at because even club members can sell rubbish at inflated prices but there's often gems among them.

I guess everyone has a different mix of needs and resources which will dictate where they start - cheap but longer term or pay more and get there quicker.
Many people change the way the approach bonsai as they progress. Start with cheaper material while we learn to keep trees alive then begin to purchase more expensive material when we have developed the skills to keep them healthy and an eye to what's good starting material.

Thanks Shibui as always. Apart from pines- what else do you grow?

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I second Greenwood Bonsai down in Loncoln, although he too gets a lot of trees from Europe as well as the UK. He sells raw trees as well as pre-bonsai that he has styled for a quicker start. Also there are boot sales over there where bonsai are traded and sold. Harry Harrington has a listing of bonsai shows and gatherings on his website at www.bonsai4me.com so take a quick look there.

 

[Manbris]

I second Greenwood Bonsai down in Loncoln, although he too gets a lot of trees from Europe as well as the UK. He sells raw trees as well as pre-bonsai that he has styled for a quicker start. Also there are boot sales over there where bonsai are traded and sold. Harry Harrington has a listing of bonsai shows and gatherings on his website at www.bonsai4me.com so take a quick look there.

Thanks very much! That’s probably the way to go

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Can't stress enough about joining a local club, you will immediately have access to better material, information about shows and events (though all are listed on the ukba website) and often a club auction or sales at meetings

As mentioned Corin does have fantastic material, there's a plant nursery called stoneybrook in Lancaster which has started to get involved in bonsai and have stock including some collected material

John Armitage is in Yorkshire and often has high quality material available at reasonable prices

elmbrook bonsai out Manchester way has reasonable starters of all kinds of trees

If you can get to a show or event, say bonsai fest in Newark all the sellers are under one roof

Sadly the best car boot event which was only in Doncaster became a victim of its own success and had to stop due to outgrowing the venue

 

[Shibui]

Apart from pines- what else do you grow?

As Bonsai?
Lots and lots of trident maples.
Japanese maples.
Chinese elms.
European elm.
Azaleas.
Cotoneasters.
Crab apples.
Plums and cherries.
Ficus.
Aussie natives: Callistemon and Melaleucas, Banksias, Leptospermum, Kunzeas, Syzigium, Casuarina/Allocasuarina and more.
Junipers.
Cedrus.
Buxus.
Dawn redwood.
Bald cypress.
Firethorn.
Hawthorn.
Prunus mume.
Chaenomeles.
And small numbers of others.


Also: vegetables and fruits, a range of cacti and succulents, orchids, ferns, carnivorous plants, wine grapes, anything rare or unusual.

Actually, it's probably easier to list the plants I don't grow. I do not grow roses!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks a lot- indeed that's the missing piece for me. Maybe just playing/learning about growing trees. I can see myself growing for decades but not aiming for shows etc.

I don't show. I have been invited to show once. As I am not affiliated with any club. I ended up declining.

I do bonsai for my enjoyment. I think as you gain confidence in your ability. You do desire nicer trees on the bench. Don't limit yourself just because you don't intend to show.

 

[rockm]

Thanks a lot- indeed that's the missing piece for me. Maybe just playing/learning about growing trees. I can see myself growing for decades but not aiming for shows etc.

That’s too bad. Growing for yourself is ok but it misses one of the primary points of what bonsai actually is.

Bonsai is hardly just growing miniature trees. At its best it is an art form and art is meant to communicate with other people. Bonsai is about instilling a feeling in the viewer as well as an expression of the maker (or makers with old bonsai).

Aiming for shows after a few years doing this is an excellent way to learn the next level of bonsai. It forces you to focus your work and what needs to be done with a tree or trees. Bonsai shows aren’t really about competition (although of course there are some who take it to extremes but they are not common). Shows are about putting your best bonsai and best efforts forward for other people to see. The tree doesn’t have to be world class or even best ina local class. I’ve seen less than technically “correct” trees take home “peoples choice” ribbons at shows. That award shows the tree hit its mark. It spoke to people in some way.

Never say never. Shows have driven the overall quality of bonsai in the U.S. to higher levels and they continue to do that. Shame to miss out.