AusBonsai

In my local B%^$$^&@'s a week ago I noticed this rather dead-looking Japanese elm with a $90 price tag:



I couldn't help feeling sad that a 10yo tree would end up like that just due to lack of care in a hardware store. At least in that chain's other local store, the bonsai is in the open under shade cloth. In this store it's all undercover with enough light but no sun or natural rain.

Anyway, I was back at the store and once again I was drawn to this tree - perhaps it was the despair and drama of the bare branches in pic 1. I spoke to the manager and he agreed to sell it to me for $20 which I thought wasn't money wasted because of the rock and the quite large pot (even if it is blue ). I did have a slight hope that with a bit TLC it just might have a spark left in it. Kingston at Bonsai Environment had a look at it for me but declared it well and truly dead - a bit of Seasol, some water and I'm still hoping he's wrong.

It wasn't the only one in that condition - there was also a similarly-priced Trident equally dead with training wire very deeply embedded in its trunk & branches. It also had a nice rock and attractive pot so I took that for $20 too.

Both trees are still the pots and being tended daily. I know a miracle ain't going to occur in Spring but you never know ....

mate,

one i cant understand why you would buy a dead tree, but anyways give it a scratch on the bark, if it is dry and brown=dead, if there is green you may have a hope, but i doubt it if it has been declared dead by a professional.


jamie

Jamie wrote:mate,

one i cant understand why you would buy a dead tree ...

I felt sorry for it . Guess I'm a tree sook - heaven help me if one of my own trees die!

It's definitely dead but the pot and rock were worth the $20.

Ron.

fair enough mate


jamie

Ron,
Always use the "one more spring" theory, and if it doesn't work, you have really lost nothing, but one of them might just surprise you.

One of our local nurseries prices a sick bonsai at cheaper than the equivalent pot price, needless to say I check their discards as often as I can! (Also a good way to score fancy hanging baskets)

I must say, it constantly frustrates me how much neglect and waste occurs with plants at some of the B*&^$%#%'s branches although at Mascot here in Sydney I must say they do a superb job so I can't be critical of every store.

What gets me is that few at Bunnings would know the value of the pot and the rock would hardly come into it and how they can sell it for that price is unbelievable. A couple of years ago I tried to buy a dying pyracantha and they would not countenance a price adjustment. Silly fools.

I tried to buy a dying tree from them a couple of weeks ago but the assistant said they'd have to get someone in from the supplier to price it. It was beyond redemption this week.

In my local Kmart yesterday a staff person was emptying dozens upon dozens of seedlings that looked reasonable into a plastic rubbish bin. Such waste (at least she was kind enough to give me the seeding containers).

In my local Kmart yesterday a staff person was emptying dozens upon dozens of seedlings that looked reasonable into a plastic rubbish bin. Such waste

if they were a decent species i would of been tempted to take the rubbish out for them


jamie

Went to the local B@#$%@$s store today and got 5 very reasonable plants for $2.00 each. One is even a decent Banskia Integrifolia, one a varigated hibiscus, a ficus destruens, a rose, and one unknown hedgy looking thing with very small leaves. Quite reasonable trunks on them too. Too good to leave behind!

Glenda wrote:Went to the local B@#$%@$s store today and got 5 very reasonable plants for $2.00 each. One is even a decent Banskia Integrifolia, one a varigated hibiscus, a ficus destruens, a rose, and one unknown hedgy looking thing with very small leaves. Quite reasonable trunks on them too. Too good to leave behind!

Glenda, the hedgy thing could be a Lonicera nitida or a Buxus microphylla. Do a quick search. They would be my guess.

Joel

I bit the bullet and got rid of the dead tree. Now have a nice rock and blue pot for future use.

Now for the first time in my new bonsai life I have half a bucket of mixed up drainage pebbles from the bottom of the pot, the potting mix layer and the small decorative pebbles from the surface. What do people normally do with this - chuck it in the compost, re-use it somehow.... ?

Seems a waste to put in the bin or whatever.

Ron

Joel wrote:

Glenda wrote:Went to the local B@#$%@$s store today and got 5 very reasonable plants for $2.00 each. One is even a decent Banskia Integrifolia, one a varigated hibiscus, a ficus destruens, a rose, and one unknown hedgy looking thing with very small leaves. Quite reasonable trunks on them too. Too good to leave behind!

Glenda, the hedgy thing could be a Lonicera nitida or a Buxus microphylla. Do a quick search. They would be my guess.

Joel

Checked these two out, but it is not either of them. The leaves are about 1/2 cm long and 1/4 cm wide. I will post pictures when I can.

Glenda

Glenda wrote:

Joel wrote:

Glenda wrote:Went to the local B@#$%@$s store today and got 5 very reasonable plants for $2.00 each. One is even a decent Banskia Integrifolia, one a varigated hibiscus, a ficus destruens, a rose, and one unknown hedgy looking thing with very small leaves. Quite reasonable trunks on them too. Too good to leave behind!

Glenda, the hedgy thing could be a Lonicera nitida or a Buxus microphylla. Do a quick search. They would be my guess.

Joel

Checked these two out, but it is not either of them. The leaves are about 1/2 cm long and 1/4 cm wide. I will post pictures when I can.

Glenda

min-a-min, i think it is a syzgium hybrid? i am thinking it is something else though but it isnt coming to me but it would be min-a-min.


jamie