Worth the purchase?

[Binny1070]

I’m super new into this hobby and I have a few young trees and some medium ones and a bunch of seeds to start. I would love to find a big tree to get me started. I found this 24 year old sango kaku on facebook. Would this be worth trying to turn into a bonsai? He is asking 400 pictures are attached thanks for any advice you have.

 

[Nybonsai12]

My 2 cents. No this is not worth $400. From what I can see it looks like a grafted tree with no branching down low. It would require chops to make into bonsai which could be problematic if it is grafted. I’d look for better starter material,

 

[Binny1070]

Thanks I have already made a few mistakes and bought some smaller ones that ended up being grafted. I appreciate the advice I will pass on this one than.

 

[Wulfskaar]

It sure is a beautiful tree though! It might be best leaving that as a landscape tree.

 

[Cadillactaste]

That isn't bonsai. It's a lovely landscape tree that is potted.

I would invest in prebonsai... and buy some amazing bones to develop further.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

I think it’s worth it, but I suppose it depends on how much $400 is worth to you. It looks grafted but it has blended well. Also the nebari is good so you could always air layer the top off and cut below the graft and you will have a plain Japanese maple with no graft and multiple air layers.

 

[TomP]

Probably not. The graft decreases the value of the plant for bonsai

 

[BrightsideB]

Looks like an empty canvas for the right person with a vision for the tree. 400 isn’t a rip off but there’s a lot of work ahead. I agree with others. Look for some prebonsai with low branches and some taper already built in to work with.

 

[Peter/Chang’s/Nebari/]

I personally wouldn’t purchase the tree you looked at but thats me. You can get a pretty nice Sango from Home Depot in a 7 gal pot for $80-$100. Check thier site if you’re really wanting to get one that’s a few years old.

Otherwise, I just found these on Amazon’s week or two ago…I think. It’s supposed to be 5 true Sango Kaku seeds and it was $5.

I planted one in front of my home a few years ago and this July I moved. Im pretty sure I read they they were not the best for reproducing from cuttings and that’s when I found the seeds. But then very shortly after that, I found the HD deal and now I have a really nice specimen in my new front yard.

And also some seeds to make baby trees with pink bark.

 

[Steven1969s]

I personally wouldn’t purchase the tree you looked at but thats me. You can get a pretty nice Sango from Home Depot in a 7 gal pot for $80-$100. Check thier site if you’re really wanting to get one that’s a few years old.

Otherwise, I just found these on Amazon’s week or two ago…I think. It’s supposed to be 5 true Sango Kaku seeds and it was $5.

I planted one in front of my home a few years ago and this July I moved. Im pretty sure I read they they were not the best for reproducing from cuttings and that’s when I found the seeds. But then very shortly after that, I found the HD deal and now I have a really nice specimen in my new front yard.

And also some seeds to make baby trees with pink bark.

If you buy it, it's only good for airlayering as it has no low branches where you can do a trunk chop.
For bonsai, definitely not worth the $400.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I see a long road for this. Nice nebari, but youd need to rebuild ALL the secondary and tertiary...

You could layer top and have two trees...

idk... not $400 material imo.

 

[Gabler]

$400 for that tree is a rip off.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

true Sango Kaku seed

Sorry to burst your bubble but it is not possible to grow true cultivars from seed

Seeds are sexual reproduction and genetic variation means they are no longer the cultivar

Clones such as cuttings or airlayers are the only true way to propagate a cultivar

I'm not saying don't grow the seeds, I even hope some come out pink for you, if that's the characteristic you're after but

Some could even come out better than Sango, but they 100% are not true Sango, this is not possible

 

[Peter/Chang’s/Nebari/]

Sorry to burst your bubble but it is not possible to grow true cultivars from seed

Seeds are sexual reproduction and genetic variation means they are no longer the cultivar

Clones such as cuttings or airlayers are the only true way to propagate a cultivar

I'm not saying don't grow the seeds, I even hope some come out pink for you, if that's the characteristic you're after but

Some could even come out better than Sango, but they 100% are not true Sango, this is not possible

I completely understand. I’m just relating what the ad was saying.

I’m looking forward to springtime so we can see what pops out of these. My attempt at propagation from cuttings last spring was not successful. I swear I read somewhere sangu kaku were tough to propagate that way but I could be mistaken.

 

[NateDyk47]

I’m super new into this hobby and I have a few young trees and some medium ones and a bunch of seeds to start. I would love to find a big tree to get me started. I found this 24 year old sango kaku on facebook. Would this be worth trying to turn into a bonsai? He is asking 400 pictures are attached thanks for any advice you have.

If you're going to use this as a landscape tree and plan to propagate for bonsai via air layers or cuttings, $400 isn't a terrible price but it's definitely not a steal.

Also: are you sure that's a Sango kaku? The bark doesn't look nearly as vibrant as the ones I've seen. I know that will vary on location and how much sun it's given, but i can barely see any red bark.