Comment by jamiecurle | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jamiecurle | Hacker News Reader

As well as a software person I'm an arborist as a side hustle. I love bonsai and I have started a few off myself in my garden (technically this makes them 'niwaki' - in garden, rather than 'bonsai' - in a pot. I went with scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, Wych Elm - Ulnus glabra and Quercus robur - english oak) as they're all native to where I live.

But I am somewhat conflicted because as awesome as they look, all that aesthetic comes from doing the exact opposite of what a tree needs. Deliberate wounding at non-meristematic sites to create deadwood, binding roots into and using wires to manipulate the structure and keeping the tree at a juvenile isolated state. Basically it would make Alex Shigo shudder in his grave.

That being said, if anyone is in their twenties and looking for a nice future hustle pension, then start off some bonsais today. In forty years, if you can keep them going, with a hundred or so you could be sitting on 300K plus of stock. The trees will teach you a lot (notwithstanding the above sentiment on treating them brutally) in terms of patience, planning and delight in aesthetic.

I think it's a mixed bag. In some ways you are manipulating the tree in a way that could be harmful (trimming, putting in small pots, wiring etc). But in other ways you end up providing much more care and attention to your bonsai than you would for another tree.

As a beginner you probably will accidentally kill some trees though.

I don't really have space to grow 5 Cyprus and Juniper trees, and my landlord probably wouldn't appreciate it... but I can care for a dozen bonsai.

If you are in your twenties and "start off some bonsais today" then in 20 years you will start to know what you are doing and then you can start off "good ones" ;)

Yes, the best time to plant a tree....

...is the camera you have with you.

Photos? If you have a few photos and can write a short blog post about that with your personal experience (no cheating, no AI), it may be a nice submission. I don't expect a million upvotes for it, but it may have a nice discussion. Not all post in HN have to be about technology, they only must be interesting.

What is the most weird/interesting anecdote about your bonsai farm? Bonus imaginary points if it's a good anecdote to tell to a technical frined.

I'll add that to my list of posts to write : )

My collection so far is less than three years old and they're all from nursery stock. It's going to be at least another three years before I can start training them. Niwaki (in the ground) is less harsh on wounding than bonsai (in pots) and tends to focus more on the pruning rather than the overall aesthetic of creating a weathered yet, aesthetic tree. I'm aiming for somewhere in between.

The cool thing about the Elms is that they came from the seeds of a wych elm in a local park about four years ago which finally succumbed to dutch elm disease and was removed last year. I found the seeds in a drawer after being forgotten about for a two years, then germinated the seeds in 2024 they sprouted. I started six, but four have died.

Remember to take some photos, so you can write a nice post in 2029! :)

I've long wanted to 'get into bonsai' and had mentioned this 'bonsai retirement plan' to my middle-school aged kids (who are also very intrigued by bonsai...) -- Nice to see that my assumed 'silly' concept is likely not the worst 'investment' concept and shared by others! (With all of the real world benefits of learning and appreciation of time all wrapped up together!)

I feel the same way. I really enjoyed bonsai when I lived in a small rental, and now that I can plant actual trees it just seems so much more exciting to watch something big and healthy that has a real presence compared to a small tree on life support in a tray.

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