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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15165

  • Mark001
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Hey leatherback can i ask your opinion on a tree like this. It's a Chinese Elm.

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15167

  • Auk
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This is what is often called a mallsai:

"Mallsai is a somewhat tongue in cheek, somewhat derogatory, term used to describe mass produced bonsai that are sold in malls or other mass retail type locations. Often such trees are little more than young plants potted in inexpensive bonsai pots. Many times they are then rushed off to sale without having been allowed to become established, this is why they glue the rocks on, to stabilize the planting for shipping"

Source:
www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39229

Bonsai is an art, these trees are mass products that cannot be called art. They are often trained in an identical way, with an S-shaped curve, no matter what species they are.



If you like 'm, that's fine, and they will teach you how to take care for small trees.
These are finished products, not supposed to be re-shaped. Creating a real good bonsai out of them is not easy and will take years and a complete 'makeover'. There are better and cheaper ways to start with bonsai - if you are really interested.

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15168

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time, imagination..
I agre with Auk, there are better trees to start with. But still you could make something out of it. But quite drastic..



Less is more; Smaller looks bigger

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15169

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Creating a real good bonsai out of them is not easy and will take years


Here's an example:

"These two images show that however humble a trees beginning, with sound horticultural care and knowledge, a mass-produced mallsai can be turned into a healthy and vigorous work of art."

www.bonsai4me.com/Basics/Basicsdevelopingmallsai.htm

This took:
"three years [...], using just a few of the many bonsai techniques available to the enthusiast"

This may make it look easy - but do note the person who wrote it knows these techniques.

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15170

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Thanks Guys, Yeah Auk i am actually interested, could you tell me the better or cheaper ways to start with a bonsai ?
I thought i'd ask about that kinda tree since you have more experience and knowledge than me.

That Link was helpful thanks Auk, I've saved it and will have a read of it after my dinner.

Leatherback i actually liked what you did to the picture - your imagination is alot better than mine :) i guess that will come with knowledge

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15176

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Thanks Guys, Yeah Auk i am actually interested, could you tell me the better or cheaper ways to start with a bonsai ?


A better way to start with bonsai is learning about bonsai.
You need to know:
- How to recognize a good bonsai
- How to recognize good starter material
- How to take care of it
- How to grow and shape it

The cheapest ways to start with bonsai are for (almost) free:
- From seed (that obviously will take long, it can take years before you can start working on it)
- From material you find in gardens, construction sites, other places where trees (or hedges!) are being removed

In all cases it will take you years to grow something usable - but that's the same for the mallsai you have purchased, that too will require a couple of years to be turned into something better.

I found that this site actually already has a good article about this:
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/budget-bonsai

Do not rush it, and don't do what many others do: get loads of different trees. You may end up like many people on the dutch 'ebay' that gave up and sell large collections of, usually cheap, bonsai-pots from their now dead trees.
Keep it limited. I recommend using native trees or trees that are known to do well in your climate - I highly prefer outside trees (all trees actually are outside trees..) above indoor plants.

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Last edit: Post by Auk.

First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15177

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This is what is often called a mallsai:

"Mallsai is a somewhat tongue in cheek, somewhat derogatory, term used to describe mass produced bonsai that are sold in malls or other mass retail type locations. Often such trees are little more than young plants potted in inexpensive bonsai pots. Many times they are then rushed off to sale without having been allowed to become established, this is why they glue the rocks on, to stabilize the planting for shipping"

Source:
www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=39229

Bonsai is an art, these trees are mass products that cannot be called art. They are often trained in an identical way, with an S-shaped curve, no matter what species they are.



If you like 'm, that's fine, and they will teach you how to take care for small trees.
These are finished products, not supposed to be re-shaped. Creating a real good bonsai out of them is not easy and will take years and a complete 'makeover'. There are better and cheaper ways to start with bonsai - if you are really interested.


We have this problem with readily available commercial Chinese Elm's. Such examples you threw up there are common in Garden Centers of various sizes and supplied by Kyoto Bonsai. The trees are probably grown in poly-tunnels by 'experts' who don't know the first thing about Bonsai. Even less than I do - and that is saying something. The Elm's are heavily twisted into the 'S' shape and others like the Ficus and Fukien Tea are stumpy. Both often found with the marks of wire which had gone rusty. The selection is poor. Serrisa, Elm, Ficus Retusa, Pepper Tree and Podocarpus. Can't think of much else. Pretty much it.

www.kyotobonsai.co.uk/wholesale-bonsai/chinese-bonsai/

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15182

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We have this problem with readily available commercial Chinese Elm's. Such examples you threw up there are common in Garden Centers of various sizes and supplied by Kyoto Bonsai.


The samples I posted are different species, one of them is an elm.
Checking that website... I can add a few more species to my list of identically shaped S-style trees... like:
- Ligustrum
- Pepper tree
- Banyan

:pinch:

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First Tree :cheer: 8 years 11 months ago #15183

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I've seen worse. I had an Elm which looks like you could, if you were small enough, use it to sit. It was literally like looking at a chair with the back legs cut off. I cut it down and tried to create the start of a broom style tree with the "V" cut in the top of the trunk but it didn't work and I binned it.

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