This is a really interesting topic to me. When getting into bonsai most if not all have made the misstake to be in a rush for results, pushing the limits a little to far. Or simply didnt have time for a short period of time for the correct care.

Myself, I am a beginner since 3 years and I have killed 2 trees. One pine that i digged up close to my summer house in the middle of the summer and left without soil in my hot car. Two days later I Potted it and made both pruning and wiering. The tree was one of tree young pines that was to be removed anyway. One was treated Exactly the same way and survived the same treatment and are now fairly good niwaki material. The third one is slightly bigger and was cut at place for later collection.

I have also killed a juniper from nurcery stock by repotting and pruning direct after purshase

I Believe that it is a part of learning to push boudaries and eventually kill a tree.

How many years have you been in the hobby and how many trees have you killed? Do you Believe that killing trees is a part of the learning process and The hobby.

Br
Magnus

I think some 20, maybe 25 trees died under my care. Most of pushing too hard, being impatient. But also by being away on business trips and having someone else taking care of my plants.

I do not think killing trees is part of doing bonsai. It is however part of learning bonsai. For most people working with trees, trimming roots and keeping plants alive in relatively small pots is a dificult skill to aquire.

Many.
Perhaps around 20 so far.
It happens, even if one waters them.

I have killed a few trees. I started doing bonsai before I even knew basically plant husbandry, and I think that was my biggest mistake. I used to complain about newbies to the koi hobby making big mistakes because they did no research, and yet there I was, jumping head first without wearing a helmet, lol. Things went a lot better when I started researching everything I did before doing it.

ive killed around 6 so far. most have been to repotting at the wrong time just to eager to put into a pot.. i got into bonsai about 3 years ago last tree i killed was 1 year ago and since then and after the on going studying/ research i have learn to become more patient but still trying to learn timing.

I honestly don't know. Let's think...
I've killed almost my complete first collection. I was growing some trees on a small balcony in Amsterdam. I knew the environment wasn't really good... and yeah, it wasn't. A few survived.

I killed almost my complete second collection. We purchased a house, I got a big garden, but the house was a bit small so we extended it.I did a lot of the interior work myself and, having young kids as well, I just didn't have the time to care for my trees.

I picked up the hobby again some 7 years ago (after I took my Juniper to the club, and was told it was a great tree, that would be ready for the Noelanders trophy in 3 years. That same tree has been dying for four years now. Still not completely dead).

Seedlings... killed quite a few of 'm.

So... errmm... more than 30.

Things did start to go much better, last couple of years. Hardly any losses after winter. Did Loose a few plants this year due to the extreme heat (and underestimating that heat).

Need assistence with your juniper?

Including all the set of trees the neighbors killed turning off the water when I was gone in the summer, and I guess the set my son didn't water similarly, and all the ones I have killed through bad care, and the ones the squirrels knocked off the stands, and the ones .....

I probably have killed more than Auk, probably a lot more. Oh, and the seedlings that sprouted and died, and .....

If you kill a tree, figure out why and stop doing it.

leatherback wrote:

Need assistence with your juniper?

I am afraid it's too late. All branches are affected and dying off. I'll put it in full ground, but I do not have the hope it will recover. There's just not enough foliage left.

I think it might be only about 10. mostly because of mistakes, either repotting, or letting rootballs freeze completely on trees that need some protection... or buying species that shouldn't be where I am e.g. serissa. I would not buy tropical trees anymore, if I had it to do all over again... I still have a few, that are doing better, because I could put them out this summer, but by the end of the month they'll probably have to go inside.. and I'll worry about them until april/may