Junipers and the new Bonsai enthusiast...
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16
I don't know how many people stumbled on bonsai because of this guy but I know it's a lot, including me. I picked this picture for a reason which I'll explain later...
While really putting bonsai in the public eye what we got was a lot of this:
These trees are sometimes just-cut material stuck in the pot at worse, or at best, sold as trees that will do just fine on top of your TV or coffee table. That van will be working some other section of the highway next month. You're out $40-50 (or more) and he made a tidy profit on a $2 juniper and a $10 pot... But back to the divine Mr. M...
There are internet sites with every bonsai tree in the KK movies...
http://www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/karate-kid-bonsai
Check it out and note: NOT ONE of them looks like the atrocity above.
That's because they were made by one of the California bonsaists, Roy Nagatoshi...
Also look- he's got a drawing of how the tree will look- Mr. Miyagi had a plan.
Defending "mallsai" some will try and say "it's Chinese style". The should be pimp-slapped by every insulted penjing practitioner out there. Even penjing has its own set of rules and styles...
But...we all have to start somewhere- you bought one of those "mallsai" anyway. If it does survive because you were wise enough (or an idiot-savant like I was) to remove the glued-on rocks, you are left with a scrawny procumbens nana (or ginseng ficus, or sago...) styled in some atrocious manner (probably like a snake wearing an umbrella hat) in a garish glazed pot. You really can't do much with them style-wise because you (usually) have none of the good qualities pre-bonsai should have- a strong organized root base, trunk size, taper, movement, etc...
I figured mine was about a $4 juniper in a $15 Japanese production pot (1989 prices) with a price tag of $100... I suddenly figured out "Hey, I can do this on my own!!" Mine eventually became a decent little cascade that lived for about 17 years until the great blizzard of 2005 that dumped 8" of snow on Galveston and then we had 75 degrees two days later...
As for Ginseng Ficus... they aren't so bad and HD will only scalp you for about $25- my Internet bonsai friend Adam Lavigne does a cool blog thing where he remakes one of those mallsai atrocities. But Adam has been around the block a few times. Worked a few trees here and there.
http://adamaskwhy.com/2014/09/24/this-was-a-ginseng-ficus-now-stfu-about-them-not-being-good-bonsai-subjects/
We forgive you. But you deserve better.
Bonsai is the ultimate fusion of art and horticulture. So there is room for free lancing it but that's not carte blanche for "anything goes". You still have to follow the unique horticulture and you still have to lend credence to the traditions of the art. And sometimes you miss the target. "Mallsai" never hit the target. They are what as known amongst us Bonsai Snobs as "shiite" and forever will remain so.
"But its my zen... it's my art so anything goes. Rules don't count. There is no such thing as good and bad."
Well even old Bob had to study with an accomplished painter (William Alexander). So Bob knew his technique, he worked with good materials and, while not "masterpieces", produced some decent looking paintings. Even if you get a perm mallsai is still bad.
SO I said you deserve better- so what's "better"?
Colin Lewis in his book Art of Bonsai Design covers the characteristics of various bonsai species, including junipers. I also happened to study with the guy for several years and he advised me "...stop mucking about making material that you will never get to or passing bad material off on somebody else..." ... and he advised if I was going to "waste" time developing stock then do it right.
Each juniperus variety has a distinct growth habit and characteristics that make some better than others. We work with all sorts of junipers for bonsai- nursery material and collected material. Any variety that doesn't branch well, bud back, have a good growth habit (movement or taper) should simply be avoided because junipers take so long to develop into decent material anyway you simply shouldn't waste your time. Variegated anything is always of Satan. A variegated juniper always looks sick.
We're not going to get into things like grafting here but there are ways to correct shortcomings But you can't make a silk purse from a rat's ass or something like that. At some point you have to say this tree, variety, etc. sucks. Someday I'll show you my tree I call my Rat's Ass..
Get the point? All junipers are NOT created equal. They all don't get a trophy so be like JH Harrison for crying out loud. Google it, its trending NOW.
The pinnacle of course is the Japanese varieties "Juniperus Chinensis 'shimpaku' (kind of funny since shimpaku is just japanese for juniper) and Juniperus rigida. Procumbens ("Sonare" in Japanese) is only rarely used. Maybe we can learn something here.
What makes some better than others? Foliage, Growth habit, Bark/trunk characteristics and unfortunately they don't always come on the same tree.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/more-on-differences-among-itoigawa-kishu-and-shimpaku-junipers/
The differences are obvious if you see them in person. Itoigowa is a pleasure to touch. It's like comparing fine lace to a plastic doiley. Kishu is not nearly so fine but has wonderful characteristics that make it a joy to design foliage with. If nothing else you want the "shimpaku" variety rather than any plain old J.Chinensis.
But I'm broke you say? I'm too cheap? I can't collect, I can't purchase high end material, I can only get "nursery material"! You'll never find shimpaku in a nursery but all is not lost. You just have to be a bit smarter. And avoid the lying charlatans out there, especially if they are driving a bonsai van. Or working the flea market. Or farmer's market...
I'm going to reveal one of my sources because I don't repackage nursery material, double or triple the price and then try and sell it. I think the saying is "I don't have a dog in this hunt."
I have a few rules- one is be honest. I try and know what I'm selling and be as forthright about its condition as I can. And I try to progress the art.
I have a few rules- one is be honest. I try and know what I'm selling and be as forthright about its condition as I can. And I try to progress the art.
If I sell something as "bonsai stock" it's been "Vetted"- i.e., picked for bonsai character, should be in bonsai soil (unless it's collected or newly styled) and may even have some basic styling in a direction that will make a true bonsai one day.
I've just upped the ante for all the bonsai nurseries out there.
So what is my solution I offer?
So what is my solution I offer?
Liner stock. You want younger material that is still bendable for an affordable price. Trick is you can't buy just one from this place - but that's okay because you want the practice and you'll probably lose a few along the way.
www.linersource.com
Sells shimpaku - high quality variety for a few dollars each. They also sell staked procumbens so you can do something besides cascades! Actually they sell a LOT of cool stuff.
You'll have to buy a box at a time but see above^. And if you order $250 worth you get the wholesale price. But still a bargain without.
How cool is that?
You can buy singles from me or one of the reputable purveyors of bonsai around- that already have a head start.
Buy from someone that have bonsai that look like trees not trees that look like "bonsai". You know umbrella's on a stick... snake trees... They'll also be able to offer you named varieties when you're ready to make that jump.
Two junipers appear below. One is from Liner Source. The other is from an on-line seller at three times the Liner Source price and allegedly a named variety. You can get all kinds of material from them marked up. All in crap soil. Where is the value-added for hopeless material making it worth the mark-up?
The thing is, notice the juvenile growth, NOT generally noted in said named variety (Kishu) (and I just told you which one is which)
Ignoring the hot growth tip to the right, the foliage is pretty much the same.
Basically they are BOTH planted in a soil of sand and bark mulch. AKA "Florida nursery mix"
And don't buy into the "happy to be me", everyone gets a trophy mentality. "Or this is just how I do it..." Really, who are we to question centuries of an art form we didn't invent. Learn about bonsai first. There is good bonsai material and then there is shiite.
