AusBonsai

Ok so iv got advice that my first bonsia should be a chinese elm or juniper.

whats the best type to get.

i want it to be a evergreen canopy tree.

please tell me what specific type that would be best for this job thanks.

Im just starting out too and Ive tried a few trees and my chinese elm has survived red spider mite, thrips, scale and me so its says alot for them. They are tough little cookies. Mine is acually one of my favourites. Also, my port jackson fig. Hardy, gorgeous, interesting, full of character. I love them! My advice would be to make a list of all the hardy trees then go looking. Find one that you just cant walk past and do lots of research so that you dont kill it. Lol. Ive already killed a few and learned alot. Good thing im not easily discouraged.

chinese elms are quite easy to work with and they can be much fun. great trees to practice your techniques on as they respond really well. not sure what area you are in but if you are in sydney go to ray nescis, pick up a nice thick trunked elm for about $40 and turn it into a great tree in no time

thank you but I want to know what spastics type of these two trees I should get as there are many different ones and I’m not sure which will get me the best results.

P.s. i live in orange nsw

chinese elm, corky bark elm, seiju elm...that are all easy

whereswally007 wrote:chinese elm or juniper

whereswally007 wrote: want it to be a evergreen canopy tree.

Hi wally, ,If your going for an evergreen tree it wont be a chinese elm as they are deciduous, so that really leaves you with your other choice, junipers Personally i stayed away from junipers when i first started because IMO they can be fairly high maintainance, others may disagree.

hi mate,

some chinese elm can be semi deciduous depending on where you live, as you say you live in orange so you might get away with it staying evergreen, in saying that you said you do get frost so it possibly wouldnt. if you want a tree that keeps leaves on all year round go for a fig, hardy, easy to keep, predictable and hard to kill.

chinese elm are tough and I wouldnt rule them out just because they can drop their leaves, they look good in summer and winter when ramification is developed.
juniper are good aswell, can be a little more maintenance but if you want a tree that will grow a canopy an look right you have to look at broad leaf species as a full canopy doesnt look right with junipers or conifers in general unless it is a big old japanese white pine but they are a very touchy species and need specialised techniques to keep them alive.

jamie

well what would you recommand for a evergreen tree that will look good with a canopy style. i like the look of the raintrees which get a good canopy but people say they wont grow well in my area and its my second bonsai since i kill the last one and im trying again. i forget what the other one was but winter came and it died.

Hi ww007,
I am pretty familiar with Orange as I have 2 bonsai clients that live there. Quite a good place to grow bonsai. Orange is at about 900m elevation, you have slightly colder winters than I get here in the Yarra Ranges, more prone to frosts with less cloud and rain in winter. Hotter, drier and longer growing season than me, from memory it can get quite windy in summer, but it does cool down at night. It is every bit coldl enough in Orange to grow any deciduous species that needs a dormant period in winter. Japanese Maple will grow there without a doubt providing it is not in too shallow a pot and that it is protected from afternoon sun and especially wind during summer. I wouldn't begin with Japanese Maples, Trident Maples are a much better choice as is Chinese Elm, which should be fully deciduous up there.

Junipers, especially Juniperus squamata 'Prostrata', Juniperus pingii are simple to train and are easy to keep alive, wont have an issue with either hot summers or cold winters if in sensible pots. In summer both of these are fine in semi shade or full time under 50% white shade fabric, which will reduce your watering . The rest of the year full sun exposure is best. Worth noting is that summer is not the season that starts on December 1 and finishes on February 28, it is typically when temperatures are constantly in the high 20s to 40 or more degrees celcius. This can begin as early as October or as late as January. Summer effectively ends when the temperature returns to the mid 20s.

If you need more help just ask, don't be shy or be embarrassed to ask, we were all starting out at one time. (Even Pup. Although paper hadn't been invented yet, so there is little documented evidence, we really only have his word for it )

Cheers,
Mojo

whereswally007 wrote:well what would you recommand for a evergreen tree that will look good with a canopy style. i like the look of the raintrees which get a good canopy but people say they wont grow well in my area and its my second bonsai since i kill the last one and im trying again. i forget what the other one was but winter came and it died.

A Ficus would do for you then.

a nice canopy and will be evergreen for you thou you will have to provide frost protection

Ken

Well i plan on growing my bonsai in a special box iv made. its like a mini garden with a water feature in the middle. but the area for the bonsai is about 12(w)x12(l) and 5-8 deep.