Hello, and thank you for a great forum.
I just bought myself a small tree called "ilex crenata".
Anyone tried making bonsai with these, and have any advice?
I also need help about how to trim this tree. Or shuold i wait a while before trimming? (got it yesterday).

Bonsais will now be my new hobby. Always wanted to try this.
I\ve also collected a juniper from the forest, and some other stuff.

Nice start!!!

when did you collect the juniper though?

Nice juniper!
Wouldn't recommend any training right now with any of the trees. Let them acclimate to their new home, heal from any collection process, and just grow. Spring will be the time to work on these. Just grow and learn to keep them alive. Study up on bonsai care and training until then. It'll do you and the trees some good.
Good luck with these and keep us posted. I hope the juniper makes it through - looks like excellent starter material! If I were closer, I'd try to talk you out of it!!

eangola wrote:

Nice start!!!

when did you collect the juniper though?

Thanks! A week ago, when i collected it.

brkirkland22 wrote:

Nice juniper!
Wouldn't recommend any training right now with any of the trees. Let them acclimate to their new home, heal from any collection process, and just grow. Spring will be the time to work on these. Just grow and learn to keep them alive. Study up on bonsai care and training until then. It'll do you and the trees some good.
Good luck with these and keep us posted. I hope the juniper makes it through - looks like excellent starter material! If I were closer, I'd try to talk you out of it!!

Thanks for the advise. Then i will wait to next year with trimming. Hope it last through the winter. I`ll maybe keep it indoors the first winter or so.

Welcome to the forum, as it was mentioned before take your time, the Juniper will tell you within a few weeks what ever you did will be the right thing. Collecting them is a great thing, hope he has enough roots and good soil to get going. Keep him semi shaded for some weeks (3-6), then we see how it goes. Good small collection to start with, take your time and study a bit more before you go into action.

bonsainorway wrote:

Hope it last through the winter. I`ll maybe keep it indoors the first winter or so.

Keep it outdoors, not in. It's a tree, and since you collected it in your area, it's used to such things. For winters, you can keep it on the ground, maybe mulch around it; keep some place out of the wind. Even if it dumps snow all over it, the tree will be insulated and protected. If it makes it through the collection process through the fall (like Indo said, you'll know sooner than later) then you should be good to go.

Thank you for all great advices. Yesterday i colllected a pinewood tree. I`ll bring up some pictures in the work process..