The Hidden Life of Trees

[melbrackstone]

Just reading this book...(borrowed from the library.)

Anyone who wants to try to understand a little of what's going on with trees should read this, in my humble opinion....

https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/ ... life-trees

the link is not affiliated with me, it was just the first link that showed up when I searched for it.

[Redsonic]

I am reading "Trees Their Natural History" by Peter Thomas at the moment. Very good.

[legoman_iac]

Just finished reading "Hidden Life of Trees" and it nearly turned me off bonsai!!! At first too thought it'd be good to understand more what's going on, above ground and below. Then when you read about old forests, and how they work ... I'm conflicted! My 7 yr old daughter had the answer, "just put all the bonsai in the ground, like a forest!", haha.

Guess it's no different than owning a pet, though I stopped owning pets a few years ago, thinking bonsai were better!

Anyone else read this fascinating book? The chapters were bonsai sized, almost bit size, feel I'll go back to this book again and again. In smaller visits. Would love to visit an old ferest like the ones described with such passion in the book.

- Daniel

(ps. sorry for opening an old thread/old wound, like a fallen branch, though better than starting a new one, no?)

[Per PF]

It's a great read Daniel! It gave me a deeper understanding of ecosystems in general and trees in particular.
It encourages me to try to enrich the bonsai pot with as much diversity as possible (plants, moss, insects or as your daughter said group/forest plantings) and it also makes me feel a bit sad about how lonely most of our trees are. Pampered but lonely...
I'm thinking we impact the lives of this planet's organisms however we spin it, but we should be as considerate as possible in regards to that fact. Personally I try not to harm any animals, especially not sentient beings. When collecting trees in nature I take into consideration if the tree would have had a future in that spot or not (i:e collecting from under power lines or near construction sites). I dunno..

[legoman_iac]

Ahh I like this "Tree Sanctuary / Wildlife Rescue" notion, that makes it feel a little more humane, hehe.

And I do keep most my pots on a gravel bed ... perhaps this way they can connect to one another via fungi/bacterial networks, and can help each other when needed? Something to consider I think, how to make pot life less isolated perhaps?

- Daniel

P.S I do have a few forest plantings, but wonder if as a whole, my collection could some how benefit from being "one" forest.