when is too big not a bonsai?

[aussiedamo]

just want to know what everyones thoughts are on this?
as i have a pine that i work on and it stands 1.8 mts from base of pot to top

[Jamie]

250mm

in all seriousness though i think technically i repeat think is a bit over a metre, once over that some wont recognise it as bonsai, but it can still be considered yard bonsai. from my understanding if that makes sense

jamie

[Brandon]

oooooooooo, thats a hard one, at 1.8m tall I would call it a small tree rather than a bonsai. Having said that, it would probably look magnificent in a Japanese style Garden. Any pics of it?

[NBPCA]

Ted Ps Angophora costata stands at 1.4 mtr.

It is a large bonsai and outside on display it doesn't feel too big.

However 1mtr up to about 1.2 mtr is easilly manageable.

Peter H has a pine that would be about 1.8 mtr ar a guess.

Grant

[hugh grant]

That is a hard one to put down on paper, I think though if I where to make the tallest tree i could as a bonsai it would be 2.5 metres I reckon so I think that a bonsai could be strictly still a bonsai if t where around that height. Of course Everyone is going to answer this question differently and have there own ideas so my answer is going to be alot different to others I think, but I like really big bonsai

On That note, how wide does everyone think a bonsai can be. You could hav a 1 metre tall bonsai but be very spreading in it's canopy and be almost 2or more metres wide. This will most of the time be a consideration of the comparison between the height and width of an individual tree but does anyone hav any thoughts on this aswell.

Hugh

[dayne]

if it can be lifted by two men its still a bonsai

[Shannon]

Damo,
In bonsai today some years ago they had a segment on 1 tonne bonsai............Also have a look in the Linsay far video's there's some BIG stuff filmed and they still call them bonsai....

[Mojo Moyogi]

Aussiedamo, I have an old high school friend who lives in Byron Bay, I was lucky enough to be involved in the redesign and construction of part of his Japanese garden in 2004. He has, at the garden entrance a pair of museum quality literati Japanese Red Pines that are 1.5m tall. I would consider these to be bonsai at the absolute upper limit in size. The trees were planted in the ground in the original garden and were styled much the same as bonsai. Now that the trees are living in (very large) bonsai pots, he is able to keep the trees very higly detailed and in pristine condition by working on them insitu on custom made stainless steel turntables.

With the aid of a hydraulic lifter, a golf cart for transporting the tree ito his workshop and a portable crane he is able to repot the trees every 5 years, which is a 3-4 hour excercise for each tree.

I have pictures of the trees somewhere, I will have a look for them and post them on the forum when I find them.

Cheers
Mojo

[Mojo Moyogi]

Damo,
In bonsai today some years ago they had a segment on 1 tonne bonsai............Also have a look in the Linsay far video's there's some BIG stuff filmed and they still call them bonsai....

It is in Bonsai Today #42

Cheers MM

[LLK]

The Angophora at the National Collection belongs officially to the "Imperial" or "eight hands" class. Bonsai of this category can be 80 inches, or 2 metres tall. See also http://www.learning2bonsai.com/articles ... sification
Of course, if you are not interested in "official" classsifications, you can just suit yourself.
Why you'd still call "bonsai" a tree over 2 m. is a mystery to me. Matter of convenience?

Lisa

[Gerard]

If the tree pleases you then you should go for it!
Some will say it is not bonsai, others will say there are no rules.
Consider it as your own work of art and let others enjoy it however they see fit.

Regards Gerard

[kcpoole]

Bonsai means styled tree in a pot ds=does it not? ( or something similar), then if it is styled and in a pot then = Bonsai

Your own Prefernce as to what you call them might be different, but I have heard in Japan of trees several metres tall and being called Bonsai? I have not been and seen myself so maybe wrong.

Ken

[EdwardH]

I recall reading that the Japanese classify over size bonsai by the number of men that it takes to carry them - 2 man; 3 man and even 4 man bonsai. The idea is that the potted tree is still trained in all respects like a normal sized bonsai. Peter Chan has a few pictures in some of his books (sorry I do not remember which ones). You might also remember that there is no limit at the opposite end of the spectrum with trees being grown in a thimble with a single leaf representing a branch. This isn't my cup of tea but then neither is giving myself a hernia with a larger than normal tree (JMO).

[sreeve]

Suzhou is one of the bonsai capitals of China.
The tree on the right might need a few more than 3 or 4 guys to lift it
Regards
Steve

Suzhou.jpg

[Chris H]

That last one is more of a portable garden bed than pot!
Nice place though.