r/Bonsai

Hi, Im still quite new to bonsai and looking for nice raw Material.

I found this in a local nursery.

What do yall think of the species and Material?

Pros / Cons?

If you think thats good Material to start a bonsai, hoe would you style it?

This is my second time wiring. Just bought this spruce for $22. I tried to achieve a look of a grown spruce tree. It seems like I also need to prune the top more, but I'm afraid it might not survive so much pruning.

Yesterday got this Spruce, and decided to practice styling and wire beding, any feedback? here a before and after :)

Repotted this large Ficus tree I bought, it definitely needed a better substrate. Switched it over to a 50/50 pumice and lava mix for much better drainage and aeration.

Reduced the root mass to make it more compact and encourage fresh root growth then guy wired the tree into the crate for stability.
After the repot I bagged the tree to temporarily increase humidity for a couple of weeks while still airing it daily for ventilation.

The tree is very large so I’m also thinking about some big cuts to make it more compact although rebuilding the canopy afterwards will probably take a long time.
Currently aiming for around 300-500 PPFD on the canopy it is a bit challenging lighting it this way because the canopy is rather large.

I went to a bonsai class last night and got to learn about bonsai, and style this cute little elephant bush! They taught us to pot it, and gave us care instructions and I also got some fertilizer to use after 2 weeks.

They encouraged us not to make "major structural changes" until after it's over the transplant shock, so I'll wait a bit but I thought I could plan at least!

Anyways, main question, what do y'all think about me taking off the branch in the back? I put a red line where I could cut in the second picture, that way I can emphasize the curvature of the other branch, opinions?

I have this Jade I started with a cutting and it exploded with growth compared to my other cuttings. I’m a bit stumped on what direction to style it. I’m open to suggestions. Second picture has lines drawn to show the trunk lines since they are bit difficult to make out.

Coming soon! Registration is now open online at columbusbonsai.org

Bought this fat bougainvillea stump off auctions over a year ago, haven’t done much to it besides some light wiring, enjoying the blooms, and waiting for new growth to pop on the right side of the stump…which of course hasn’t really happened yet. Resides mostly in my office, I’ll likely rotate outdoors soon.

Been lurking here for a long time, but I finally picked up an Eastern Hemlock from a local hobby nursery that I’m pretty excited about.

Not my first tree, but probably the first one I’m approaching with a clearer long-term direction. I’m hoping to develop it more in the style of the older natural hemlocks you see around Algonquin and eastern Canadian forests rather than with super-tight pad styling.

Just moved it into a pond basket using mostly the existing acidic nursery soil/humus, with added pumice, akadama, and composted pine bark. I did some very light wiring just to spread things out and create separation and light penetration.

Mainly wondering:
* Are there any structural issues I should address early?
* Any obvious branches that should go now?
* Opinions on my wiring anything to tweak?
* Or should I mostly just let it run and develop for a few years?

Trying not to overwork it too early.

About a week ago I decided to get my first bonsai. Several youtube videos and a trip to the hardware store later I was the proud owner of a juniper bush, which then got turned into what you can see in this picture. Its pretty rough, right now I'm just hoping it survives and maybe gets a little denser foliage over the coming months. I'm also planning on getting a new pot.

I'm absolutely hyped about my lil tree and ready for your roasts and suggestions!

This is the first time I have worked with a dwarf Alberta Spruce, but I really like the tree and I like working with it. I kept a bunch of smaller branches and buds that are starting to poke out. If anyone has any advice for me about what I need to improve, I would like the feedback!

I found a rock I liked so I decided to try something with a few of my Schefflera!

This is my first time making a piece like this and I'm happy with how it turned out.

Cheers!