# First bonsai



## Vanish (22 May 2013)

Thought I'd just post this up here. I had my first crack at a bonsai today. I had a juniper in a pot that looked like it needed a make over, and this is what I ended up with. 




Not the best I know but it'll surely develop in time. But it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.


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## foxfish (22 May 2013)

Good effort, just give it 20 years of love & attention & you will be a proud creator.


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## Vanish (22 May 2013)

Cheers. Yeah I guess it really is a patience game. It's got my mind ticking now, and I want to do more.


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## foxfish (22 May 2013)

Why not mate .. just get on with it, make as many as you can....
Here are a few I made 25-30 years ago.


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## Vanish (22 May 2013)

Wow they look amazing. I've a good book on the subject. I'll do some reading and get busy.


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## foxfish (22 May 2013)

It is a great hobby but long term results are just that - 'long term' 
 Here is my big one!


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## Vanish (22 May 2013)

That's something to set my sights for.


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## kevin1962 (23 May 2013)

Vanish said:


> Thought I'd just post this up here. I had my first crack at a bonsai today. I had a juniper in a pot that looked like it needed a make over, and this is what I ended up with.
> 
> 
> 
> Not the best I know but it'll surely develop in time. But it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.


 
this is just my opinion and it's up to you if you do anything about it or not but I think bonsai should look as natural as possible, if that were my tree I would remove that big branch on the bottom left. to me it just doesn't look right but it's your call, I've just started with bonsai myself and bought one of those garden centre starter trees comonly known as mallsai i believe, but its just to practice on, I've also got others that I'm growing on for a couple of years until I train them into bonsai


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## Vanish (23 May 2013)

Hi Kevin, What I was aiming for with the bottom branch is called semi-cascade style. Usually they put this kind of thing into a deeper pot, which (not from my experience) from the advice and pictures I've seen suits better. I do think that I could do with thinning it out a bit, also the perspective of the shot emphasizes the branch some what. I think I'll stick with it for now, after all once it's lopped off then that's the end of it. I may even join a bonsai forum for advice from the pro's, there must be a good one just like this forum for bonsai.
Cheers for the critique, it's good to have different opinions. On the plus side the pig seems happy with it


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## kevin1962 (23 May 2013)

yep you could be right about the perspective and the pig certainly does seem to appreciate it, semi-cascade bonsai do look good in taller pots for sure. the ones i'm growing on are japanese maple x2 several boxwoods and I have a silver birch tree in my front garden that i'm going to chop down and just leave the stem to thicken up for another year, i should have started this a long time ago as at now being over 50 the chances of me actually seeing my finished trees are slim lol... good luck with yours


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## Vanish (23 May 2013)

kevin1962 said:


> i should have started this a long time ago as at now being over 50 the chances of me actually seeing my finished trees are slim lol... good luck with yours


Well you never know.... Chuck a load of easycarbo and plenty of EI dosing should see it to maturity in no time.
Wait a minute have i got mixed up with something else here


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## foxfish (23 May 2013)

Well, you now know what to do with your water change water! (that & chicken sh.t is my recipe)


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## dean (27 May 2013)

foxfish said:


> Why not mate .. just get on with it, make as many as you can....
> Here are a few I made 25-30 years ago.



I wouldn't want to move house with those 

Great I've always loved them but never tempted to do one as I think they need a lot of attention?


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## foxfish (14 Sep 2014)

Here is one of mine taken this morning...


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