Ruth wrote:

The only one I ordered was the jade grouping.

$57.95, correct?

They get a lot of sun in the morning but I haven't paid a lot of attention to them until recently. I repotted last weekend and hope they so better now. Maybe I'll sit them out on my deck for awhile also.
Question for you. Is it a bad idea to move both of my jades out for sun during the day and inside when the weather is nasty. I like to see them so that is why I have kept them indoors.

Yes, that is correct for the cost

Ruth wrote:

Yes, that is correct for the cost

OK. I'm going to collect all my cuttings, plant them, and earn a lot of money.

Auk wrote:

Ruth wrote:

The only one I ordered was the jade grouping.

$57.95, correct?

Where do others get their trees? I'm sure in the bonsai world there are clubs and organizations that can help with this. I live near the Frederick Meyer Gardens. I've heard they have a large bonsai garden that I need to get to and possible a lead on some clubs for me.
You have mentioned the prices are so high for commercial bonsai .....how to avoid this for a beginner?

Ruth wrote:

You have mentioned the prices are so high for commercial bonsai .....how to avoid this for a beginner?

Prices for good bonsai ARE high, as are prices for good bonsai starter material. It takes years of growth and training to create them, so the prices are not so strange.
However, there are loads of shops that sell mallsai, and plants like yours, that are essentially not bonsai, but labelled as such. Sometimes I think I should change my career and start growing and selling it. Label it bonsai, quadruple the price.

Best way to get good material is:
- Grow it yourself
- Get material from nature (make sure you have permission), from gardens (my juniper comes form my parents' garden, from areas that are being cleared out
- Buy (non-bonsai) nursery stock that is suitable
- Buy pre-bonsai from a real bonsai-grower

(first option the cheapest one, the last option will be the most expensive)

Also, you could join a club, trade, buy at club-auctions.

This website has a list of clubs for each region. Not sure where, you'll need to look it up.

Thanks Auk

I find myself looking at trees in the woods much differently now. I will research and find a tree that will work well in my climate. Next spring if I have managed to keep the jade alive and thriving I will branch out to an outdoor tree.
I appreciate all your advice.

Ruth wrote:

I find myself looking at trees in the woods much differently now

Typical.

You have never seen me. I sometimes visit our office in Paris, a walk of about 2 kilometers through an industrial area, with buildings surrounded by hedges. If you saw me walking, you would still recognize me.

How us it thay I post responses and sometime I don't see them till layer if at all. I can be patient I just don't know if I'm hitting a wrong button.