Mistake???

Pappa · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:00 pm Post subject: Mistake???

I went to the garden centre today and saw three very compact little (2') Junipers. On close inspection, two were uninteresting, but the third had an incredible trunk; about 2" at the base tapering to perhaps 1/2" near the top. Th base of the trunk had a lot of nice texture too. There was a great choice of branches to play with, and "Buy Me!" bells immediately started ringing in my head.

Strangely it wasn't marked with either its price or species, so I went to ask for the price. It was £39.99. After hearing this my immediate reaction was to say, "Oh well, doesn't matter", and then I left without buying it.

I'm now seriously concerned that I've made a terrible mistake. I think the tree doesn't want to be a garden shrub, but it wasn't me to turn it into a bonsai. I could almost hear it pleading with me when I was inspecting its trunk and branches. However, I'm not sure if I will be able to go back to the garden centre until next weekend.

Is it that unusual to pay £40 for unstyled raw material? I'm still um-ing and ah-ing, but I think if I don't buy it, I'm really going to regret it later.

What do you all think? Leg-it down the garden centre at the first opportunity and shell out £40, or wait until I see the next golden tree.

Pappa

Stymie · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

That sounds like a worthy shell-out if you've fallen for it Pappa. You're going to regret it if you don't go for it. A styled tree of those proportions would be priced at double. You could possibly reserve by 'phone if you can make them understand which one you are after. Don't try to do everything at once if you do get it.

Pappa · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

I think I might have been asking myself a rhetorical question in my previous post. I'm certain now that I'm going to get it tomorrow or the next day. I'll have to find a way to get out to the garden centre.

Stymie · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:33 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

There you go with your big words. Hope you know what it means. Laughing

Good hunting. Show us if you get it. Wink

Pappa · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:41 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

I will, and I apologise for floccinaucinihilipilificating the other two trees (well nearly) Wink

.

Pappa

Stymie · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:19 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

What

steve · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:58 am Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Okay that can't really be a word Exclamation

John P · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:27 am Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it means to consider something to be of no value or worthless. It's a nice word whatever it means. Laughing

I'm looking forward to seeing Pappa's new tree if it's possible to post a photo.
Best wishes.
John.

Pappa · Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Pappa · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:07 am Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Well, I went back to get the 'Juniper', although on my second look, I wasn't 100% sure (I'm not too good at identifying conifers). I asked if it was a Chinese Juniper, and the bloke said, "Um..., yyyes, I think." Which, I assume meant, "I don't know, I just work here."

Just by chance, I was reading "Bonsai Life Histories" last night, and I saw three trees which looked exactly like my tree. They were Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki or False Cypress). By the looks of it, mine is almost certainly one of the dwarf or slow growing varieties.

In the A-Z it says they like misted leaves but not damp soil. However the Tomlinson book I've got says they like misted leaves and damp soil too. Anyone got any experience with the watering of these trees?

For now, I'm going to pot it up in a large box and prune a few of the lowest branches to let a bit of air in as there is a small patch of powdery-blue mildew near the base of the trunk. Apart form that, I think I'll just feed and water it until my bonsai skills are a little better.

Pappa

steve · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:24 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Just to clarify. The a to z says they like alot of water through rapidly draining soil. They like to take up alot of water but they're not big fans of sitting in water. They can be fussy, so extra sand and grit with more watering seems to be the way to go.

Dick · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: Re: Mistake???

Steve makes a good point. The porous soil in a bonsai pot should drain freely. That means that they will be watered more frequently than normal pooted plants would be. So while it would seem that they like a lot of water, they don't live with a lot of water.

I don't currently have a Hinoki cypress, but I have had then in