51cg

Hello there from South Africa.
I have always been fascinated by small trees but was never in a position to grow for myself. There has always been a supermarket bonsai in our home. (normally some sort of ficus)

The last one died a while ago. Where I reside now, I was finally in a position to start growing ones for myself. I started out with kumquats, they are still seedlings - The little tree bug bit me and I started collecting cuttings and planted them. I erected a couple of shelves outside for growing, collected more cuttings & seedlings. Obtained some cinder blocks and erected a second "nursery". I also obtained some seeds and started growing. Everything is still growing either from Air layering/cuttings/seeds. I focus in fruit/flower baring.
Currently I have kumquat, fig, grape, Jacaranda, orange, Bougainvillea, Azalia, Desert Rose, Crassula and the common Juniper.

I have them all in a standard potting soil/perlite/peat mixture, until they are of age. Do you think I should rather stick to a maximum of three types? since sun/soil requirements differ.

As you are growing from seed, you're growing trees before you grow bonsai. This may help:



And note: bonsai are NOT created by keeping seedlings small.

Seriously? A book about planting seeds is your "advice". Yes I know full well bonsai are 'small trees'. Even grown from seed will yield a young bonsai after a year or two or three? especially some succulents? Or are you trying to say one should only 'air layer'?

Growing from seed is the slowest way to get anything to work on. It will be at least 5 years before any work can be done. After three years the plant is still small and there is not much that can be done. Yes it can be pruned to start to get a shape, but that is all. Growing from seed will not yield a bonsai in a year or two or three! It will be a very young plant still. There are other ways to obtain material to use for bonsai, not only air layering, but cuttings and also plants from garden centres or nurseries.

RyanSA wrote: Currently I have kumquat, fig, grape, Jacaranda, orange, Bougainvillea, Azalia, Desert Rose, Crassula and the common Juniper.
I have them all in a standard potting soil/perlite/peat mixture, until they are of age. Do you think I should rather stick to a maximum of three types? since sun/soil requirements differ.

Hello Ryan.
Crassula, Adenium (Desert Rose) are succulents and fast growers, but not really good for bonsai. Use the crassula to train wiring and clip/grow.
Kumquat is much better than Orange, as leaves and fruit are small. Plenty of water and sun on those.
Ficus, Jacarandá, Bougainvilleas and Azaleas can be nice bonsai, but... Azaleas are fussy about the soil, Jacarandá will take a long time from seeds, and Bouguies need constant pruning.
Grapes? Grape vines? I don't think they can be nice bonsai as the trunks don't thicken that easily. Or at all.
I would stick with the Kumquat, Ficus, Azalea, Bougies and the Junipers (ALWAYS outdoors).

RyanSA wrote: Seriously? A book about planting seeds is your "advice". Yes I know full well bonsai are 'small trees'. Even grown from seed will yield a young bonsai after a year or two or three?

Grown from seed you will most certainly NOT have a young bonsai after a year or two or three, you'll have a young plant.
Growing a decent bonsai takes very, very much longer than 2/3 years.

Thanks guys. Going to focus only on air layering/cuttings..