Purchasing young bonsai or seedlings

[Aussie_Bonsai]

Hello everyone,

Lately i have had the erge to start something of my own design from the beginning, so i though i should get some advice about what spiecies are fairly easy to start with and train over a various periods.

I am after a couple of spiecies that produces an effective looking bonsai over a 4 year period, starting from a seedling or a spiecies that looks great over a longer period such as 5-12 years of training, once again starting from a seedling.

I would also need a spiecies that is suited to the south australian climate so please keep that in mind.

Any advice would be greatly appriciated.

Regards,
Ben

[bonsai_Dan]

G'day Ben

I have a fig that I'm growing from a seedling and IMO it looks great. They are a really tolerant plant but don't really like the frost to much but being from Queensland I don't have that problem to much and maples are good starter to and I heard pines are a good one to start with to but I don't have one of them yet . But I'd do a Google search and read some books to find out what type of tree would be suitable for your area. Try some of your native species and see how you go there. Speak to some of your local Bonsai nurseries and clubs and see what is going well for them. I don't have a lot of room unfortunately and maybe thats a good thing because my place would probably be taken over by now by plants but i find it just as interesting reading and learning about them

Good luck with it.
Daniel

[Aussie_Bonsai]

thanks for the help,

i already have a fig, and like you said it's really tolerant and doing great. im also going a few Japanese maples from seed, but it might be a while before they are a half decent size

i might try buying a juniper, because i did some research and apparentely the are pretty easy to train etc. i might try getting my hands on some english boxwoods as well, because they seem fairly sturdy from what i've read

thank you,

Ben

[rch003]

Yeah man, i picked up a year old Juniper today and its about a foot high ^_^

[Aussie_Bonsai]

awesome, have you started any plans yet, on its future training, style etc.?

[rch003]

Nah not yet man, just taking it slow, last one i butchered D:

Just going to let it get used to my yard, then trim out the top etc

Juniper Day 1.jpg

It has two main branches going to either side, might keep an upward growing shoot and try to make that the main trunk

This one was $12, or the ones in cheap 'bonsai' pots (half the size) were $50

[Aussie_Bonsai]

rofl, i'm probably going to try and by a $10 juniper of some sort from bunnings and train it etc.

its soooooo much cheaper getting an ordinary nusery plant than one that says "bonsai" that doesnt even look any like a bonsai( at bunnings)

the only down side is that it might take a while before it looks a bit more like a bonsai, but at least the nusery stock has potensia.

regards,

Ben

[rch003]

Yeah nice idea, forgot about the bunnings ones, will see if they have any decent maples tomorrow thanks heaps