AusBonsai

Would like to know other types of nursuries other than bonsai nursery that sell junipers, spruce, cedars?

I dont think you will find better juniper or spruce/cedar stock for bonsai than what is available at bonsai nurseries. It is uncommon to find high quality stock at garden nurseries, not impossible, but uncommon.

I suggest you wait till you get to bonsai south before looking further afield. There is no other bonsai stock in NSW like what Leong grows, I haven't seen what the rest of the country has to offer but I would be surprised if its not infact the best in the country (no offense to those down south, like i said i havent seen it all)

Leong has untrained stock from $9 all the way to $1000+, you will find something im sure

Most garden centres, flower power etc sell junipers. Not sure about spruce or cedars


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You will find all those at general nurseries but you will need to look around a bit and maybe ask for them.

Junipers are most common because there are smaller types so are used more in gardens, especially the ground cover ones. I'd be surprised if there was any nursery that did not have at least 1 type of juniper - but not all junipers make great bonsai.

Spruce can be a little harder to find but the dwarf, conical variety is (was? plant varieties come into fashion for a while then disappear again) relatively common.

Cedar is also going to be a bit harder to find. They are mostly larger trees so only suit large gardens and city nurseries less likely to stock them. Best places to look would be specialist conifer nurseries or some of the larger nurseries up in the hills. There are a couple of weeping cedar varieties that grow a bit smaller that you may find among the conifers in some nurseries but they will usually be grafted and are usually quite expensive.

Thanks

I've picked up a procumbens from a few different nurseries, but that is the only suitable juniper i've found at a regular nursery. Most of the time the juni's they sell arent' the best for bonsai, but its always worth a look

Jason wrote:I've picked up a procumbens from a few different nurseries, but that is the only suitable juniper i've found at a regular nursery. Most of the time the juni's they sell arent' the best for bonsai, but its always worth a look

Plan on visiting some in Dural NSW, quite a few on a open land but a small nursery at the front.

Juniper rigida is excellent for bonsai, a total pain in the a--- to handle, but ground-grows well - start a lot now, and harvest every five years until you are 110. Keep cutting them back so they re-shoot low, - look at the Juniper rigida bonsai in Japanese books, they are very thick at the base, with most of the branches that made them thick turned into jinns. Much under-rated by branch-arrangers - you have to grow them yourself, thick, slow, nasty and overcrowded. Then gradually kill most of the branches, ending up with foliage clouds from the smallest remaining branches. Ray Nesci often has $4 starters - buy plenty and go crazy!

Many junipers, particularly procumbens and squamata don't have a lot of taper in the trunk, when you look at them critically. You have to grow taper, it takes time, it's uneconomic, you have to do it yourself. Think thick, slow, nasty and overcrowded. Then refine.

RANT ALERT!!! (Beer may be involved)
I get annoyed when people complain about "the lack of good stock". GROW WHAT YOU WANT!!!!! Get the stuff in the ground, take the time, learn your craft. Experiment, fail, learn, and make trees that yours, from the ground up. By all means, buy advanced stock as well - when you grow your own, you will certainly appreciate the work of those who do it professionally far more. And you will get quicker results. But grow your own as well. Know yourself. It comes down to that.

(Very grumpy old man drinking beer...)

And all the best to all my friends who keep this site humming along - many thanks.

Gavin

GavinG wrote:
RANT ALERT!!! (Beer may be involved)
I get annoyed when people complain about "the lack of good stock". GROW WHAT YOU WANT!!!!! Get the stuff in the ground, take the time, learn your craft. Experiment, fail, learn, and make trees that yours, from the ground up. By all means, buy advanced stock as well - when you grow your own, you will certainly appreciate the work of those who do it professionally far more. And you will get quicker results. But grow your own as well. Know yourself. It comes down to that.

(Very grumpy old man drinking beer...)

And all the best to all my friends who keep this site humming along - many thanks.

Gavin

Great advise......

GavinG wrote:RANT ALERT!!! (Beer may be involved)
I get annoyed when people complain about "the lack of good stock". GROW WHAT YOU WANT!!!!! Get the stuff in the ground, take the time, learn your craft. Experiment, fail, learn, and make trees that yours, from the ground up. By all means, buy advanced stock as well - when you grow your own, you will certainly appreciate the work of those who do it professionally far more. And you will get quicker results. But grow your own as well. Know yourself. It comes down to that.

(Very grumpy old man drinking beer...)

And all the best to all my friends who keep this site humming along - many thanks.

Gavin

Hey Gavin, (very thirsty young man drinking orange juice here)

While growing my own stock is my ultimate goal, I lack the main ingredient of space as I live in an apartment with a small balcony that is already getting a little full (much to the dismay of my better half ), and I don't really want to burden my parents with the copious amounts of stock I want to grow.

I like what you have said, I just lack space.