Osage as a bonsai tree

[DanaM]

Ok guys this is way cool we some pics and if you have any good links post em eh. Wondering about up north here as far as what would make a cool
bonzai, maybe lilac, it tends to grow tristy and gnarled. When I'm in the woods next week I'm gonna keep my eyes open fer somethjing. Dang-it looks like another hobby eh

Badger when ya get the Bowyers Bar open it should be cool to have a bunch of osage bonzai trees for atmosphere

[mullet]

 Steve, It's Eddie, Chris disappeared for awhile. Crape Myrtle is excellent. It is low maintenance and requires very little water. Also, one of my fovorites was wild Persimmon growing where cows graze. The cows chewing on them naturally stunt and leave some cool scar patterns on the trunk. I've seen some orange tres with minature oranges on them, also.

[Badger]

    Eddie, I have been mixing you two up for years?? I realized it after I left the house. Chris makes the bamboo arrows LOL.
    I bet pastures would be a good place to look, I never thought of that.
Dana, I would bet the japanese maples would do real well up north. They don't do well in So Cal where I live but they are one of my favorites. They never get the vibrant color without a true winter. I know they do well in Ore and Washington. You would be surprised how many shrubs and small trees will make good bonsai, as you browse around through woods and parks just study the trunks and branches of planst and you can develop an  eye pretty quicky. We have some beautiful natural conifers in the sierra nevada mountain range but they are pretty well imbedded in rock and would need to be surgicaly removed almost. Besides that they are illegal to harvest as far as I know. Chinese elm is a real versatile hardy one to work with as well. Steve

[Badger]

Hillbilly, I have had real bad luck transplanting ca live oaks. Any tips? They seem to stay alive for a few years and just slowly deteriorate, they never really grow or take hold. I am suspecting that they might need a drier soil but not sure. Steve

[Swamp Bow]

Chat with a landscaper.  Have them keep an eye out for projects that redo established yards.  I see 20 yr old boxwoods torn out of "fixer uppers"all the time etc.
Swamp

[aero86]

i guess thats my problem.  i been keeping this last one in a window with a lot of sunlight.  maybe it wasnt enough..  that was my last guess.

[Hillbilly]

Steve, never fooled with oaks as bonsai, but most of them need really good drainage, maybe a bigger screen for the soil mix or more sand? I have an old John Naka bonsai book somewhere, seems like he grew several native California oaks along with his California junipers. I'll see if I can look it up. What soil mix do you usually use? I think the last mix I settled on when I was growing bonsai was about equal parts screened sand/chat, Turface, and Nature's Helper. It worked pretty good for most things.

[terence pinder]

seeing that were on the subject of trees would a Osage tree survive a saskatchewan winter?(sorry im a litlle off topic)thought it would be cool to grow one.

[Badger]

Found this picture on line

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[david w.]

Wow that is too cool.  I love bonsai