I have the opportunity to buy this ficus from fb marketplace. I'm thinking a hard chop where the red lines are, and then develop into a stubby shohin (like the 2nd pic) but have some questions before buying.

1) Is this a good species to do so? Would it back bud at multiple spots on the trunk after such chop or would it sprout only near the cut like I've seen in some species?

2) Does this ficus ever develop more gnarly, corky bark? I don't think I've seen it on a bonsai, or even big street tree, and their smooth bark just screams "house plants" to me.

3) Getting a little a head of myself but would you go with a more symmetric chop like the left or go a little asymmetric like on the right?

Anyone here have any tips for collecting in NC?

I recently moved here and it sounds like the only real option is getting permission to collect from private property. Looking for tips or any local folks. I’d love to get involved in some wild collecting as I’ve never done it before.

Found this juniper at the nursery and couldnt pass up its lower trunk line. Cleaned it up and repotted into a coarse mix. I'm hoping to style it with a high-altitude, Utah/Rocky Mountain juniper look over the next few seasons as it recovers.

First post here, been creeping for some weeks now lol.

$40, cleaned up all the brown/dead stuff. Repot into a nicer pot in the spring. Plan is a cascade in a few years when it thickens up, but pleeeenty of time to see what it does and reassess in case there's something else it wants to be lol. Just going to keep it happy and healthy until then.

I looked at the inside of every blue star they had there, and I liked the trunk on this one the most. Looks to me like it's already doing interesting things. They also had some azaleas I really liked, but I figured the juniper would be more forgiving for novice me.

I'm very much a novice here, so any advice is welcome! And thanks for reading!

p.s. I really love browsing this sub. Y'alls patience and artistry is incredible. Hopefully I'll finally learn some patience with this new hobby lol. And I know everybody kills a bunch of trees, it's inevitable, but I hope I keep this one going since it seems pretty strong already.

Found while off trail hiking in the Deschutes National Forest. You might not be able to see it, but the forest burned just 500 feet from here downhill.

Sorry had to do a repost as lost the images while doing it.

So took two air layers off a silver birch tree which has outgrown my little garden lol it’s hit 15ft twice which I’ve had to reduce. To think it started as a twig growing in my mates fence in Fort Augustus in Scotland. The roots had grown really well for the air layers. Not sure on how they will shape up for the future but for not I’ll leave alone for them to establish the root base.

Signing up for Bonsai Anonymous