Hi all!

I've been out of the art for a few years. To be honest, Vermont was too harsh/cold long winter and being in grad school with no money was too much so I gave up. Well, now I live in southern California and I have a real job and a house, so why not give it a shot again!. I am looking for new material to get back into it, and re-start the learning process. I am not looking to spend too much money since I haven't done this in a while, and want to start small. I saw two hackberrys that look promising, my plan would be to get one of them and transfer them to a large training pot and work on developing secondary branches and such with your help, probably let it grow wild for this entire year after re-potting. I am not looking to develop trunk so I would work with the current trunk thickness/shape. Help me choose, would you think purchasing any of these would be alright? they're both the same price.

Prospect #1: (my first choice)
- I like the taper of the trunk and the fact I could train it into a traditional upright position, base of the trunk is meh but I could live with it. Secondary branches need growing/shaping I hope you gals and guys could help me through the process.


Prospect #2: Second choice
- This one has a thicker trunk, but it has a split on the trunk and I am not sure how to deal with that. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe this was done to increase the trunk thickness.




And here a picture of both trees, side by side for comparison:


Should I pull the trigger on any of these or keep looking? and which one should I go with?

Thanks!!!

I would keep looking. These have vary much a chopped of trunk look. I do not know what the pricepoint is though, nor what your options are.

Mind you, both can make OK trees. Its just.. Straight trunk, chop, twiggle..

I like the second option, the thick trunk, IF the price is right.

leatherback wrote:

I would keep looking. These have vary much a chopped of trunk look. I do not know what the pricepoint is though, nor what your options are.

Mind you, both can make OK trees. Its just.. Straight trunk, chop, twiggle..

Each one is $200 I can look for something better, no rush. Those are the only decent options I saw under $500. The nursery has beautiful Bonsai, a lot of them. Really nice finished ones selling for thousands. It is my impression they keep the very best material to make huge profits of once finished and only sell what has not much potential for them. After all, this is Los Angeles.... and most people are looking for finished material for their very expensive homes and don't mind paying $$$$$$ for it.

I can check other places, but it is rough to find a nice tree to work on for under $500 from the places I've looked at.

eangola wrote:

Each one is $200 I can look for something better,

Welcome back! How long ago was that... 2, 3 years ?

Nice to have you back. Your plans are good. However... for 200 USD I would keep looking.

Auk wrote:

eangola wrote:

Each one is $200 I can look for something better,

Welcome back! How long ago was that... 2, 3 years ?

Nice to have you back. Your plans are good. However... for 200 USD I would keep looking.

Thanks Auk. Yeah about 3 years. I will keep looking, I am rusty on this . I am gonna check this other place I've heard "wonders" about, further from the city.

I would prefer nr 2. I am not sure if 200 us is to you what it is to me thou. I might leave it. How about ask for discount? It has potential.

Tropfrog wrote:

I would prefer nr 2. I am not sure if 200 us is to you what it is to me thou. I might leave it. How about ask for discount? It has potential.

With $200 I can go to a fancy dinner with my wife twice. Steak + wine. With $200 I can get an ugly tree removed from my house. With $200 I can fill my Jeep's tank gas 4 times. $200 I can spend 1 night in a nice hotel in wine valley. $200 is 1/25th of my monthly mortgage for a 3 bedroom, 1 story house.

With $200 I can buy a nice 7 ft tall orange tree.

I think it is expensive, but so is this place.

eangola wrote:

I can check other places, but it is rough to find a nice tree to work on for under $500 from the places I've looked at.

i would keep looking. im also from socal, riverside area. save your money next weekend on feb.22 there is a show at the Huntington library botanical gardens in San Marino,ca which is not to far from los angeles. Show is called Bonsai-A-Thon look it up. they run a great raffle which you can win pots trees all kinds of stuff. they have an awesome exhibition and a amazing display in the japenese garden. the also have a vendors area that sell much far better trees than the ones you posted for that same price. trees at every stage. i purchased the tree in my profile picture at this show some years ago for only $25 mind it did not look like the way it does now but prices arent bad at the show. are you at House of Bonsai? i been there a few times bought a couple trees but they are indeed pricey.

Thanks! I live in Pasadena, work in Northridge where is where I was checking for trees. Thank yo for the heads up, I live about 5~10 minutes from the Huntington library botanical gardens.