Why are bonsai so expensive?

[@baldyeti]

I’m diggin the collaboration you two have been putting out. Thank you both

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Thatw as such a fun day...seems like ages ago now.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Was a good few weeks we spent together!

[@SkyIsFallen]

Jelle, Xavier and Corrin in one video. What a treat!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Might have been harder getting us all into one frame :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@ScottTheExperimentalist]

That video was a lot of fun. Thanks for the insight on tree buying

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stevetippin]

Liked this video before even watching it. THAT is how amazing ALL of your videos are.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you so much 😀

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It helps if you can have acting stars like myself in it :)

[@joegarland4885]

Hi Jelle the pair of you have explained very well why some trees are a lot of money and some are not, value is in the eye of the beholder in other words you get what you pay for. I don't think Xavier is as inexperienced as he made out, he is very good at playing the part so the point can be made, why bonsai trees seem expensive if you don't know what your looking at. The black pine priced at 99.00 and is around 10 years old means you are paying 10.00 a year of the trees life, which doesn't seem expensive to me. Thanks Jelle.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Excellent points Joe.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I KNOW Xav is way more informed than he claims :) And indeed, something people need to realize better that a tree of 10 years needs 10 years of care.

[@blusukanbonsai]

Thank you for sharing your insight. I wish all of you success, my brothers❤❤

[@GrowingBonsai]

Our pleasure!

[@FrostBiteBonsai]

Awesome video! Very nice pot too!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks so much!

[@Workingouteveryday]

I’m so happy I live in a country with loads of nature to collect already 20 year old trees from

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That must be so much fun. I live in a flat area that offers no such joy :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, that is a great benefit!

[@AlexBraunton]

Very enjoyable! You guys make a great team

[@GrowingBonsai]

Don't tell @Xavier! He already is convinced he is the better bonsai YT er

[@sueb1317]

Really nicely put!

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you kindly!

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I had forgotten about that footage. It was really interesting to watch and you got some important points across...you never did show my 'Old man Larch' :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Happy to have surprised you my friend. I never took footage with th elarch!

[@JattSinghRandhawa]

Jelle been watching your videos a while - simple concise and every educational …..thnaks Question - do you recommend a bonsai wire caddy ?….if so what features to look for and any suggestions…. Thnaks in advance Best wishes

[@GrowingBonsai]

I do not use oen myself. Downside with copper is that copper hardens with bending. So just taking it off the roll decreases pliability. However, if you use alu and you move around a lot it could be usefull. I have a peg-board. But I am cheap and do not like spending money on things I do not really need :)

[@dkstott29]

Great information and guidance..❤❤

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thanks !

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

I think a lot of people overlook the fact that nurseries have staff and overheads. As businesses they have bills and costs to pay that online sellers do not. How do they pay those bills? Of course there is a mark-up in the selling price of their trees - without that they would be out of business and would not exist. Same with car showrooms. Furniture, electrical stores, clothing, pretty much all other retailers. And all of that without even considering that trees have been imported, and may have had years of specialist care and development.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

That is also an excellent point Jason. I mean it wasn't cheap paying me to be present for this video :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Yeah, people cost money. ANd watering is work!

[@raymondbirds2392]

Lovely job lads

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you kindly @Xavier is such a great sport!

[@raymondbirds2392]

@GrowingBonsai the 2 of yis make a great team and put up some really good videos. Thanks

[@kupritbonsai]

Bonsai yang menginspirasi sahabat

[@GrowingBonsai]

Indeed!

[@RABonsai]

High quality bonsai, even a good pre-bonsai, first of all is expensive because you buy time. That's the first thing you have to think about.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Very true!

[@laddieokelley6095]

Clubs can be a source of savings. Until recently I lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the States. Both cities have clubs that have sizable auctions and sales annually. Both have sponsored annual digs on land with owner permission. Texas clubs have formed the Lone Star Bonsai Federation, which holds an annual convention where bonsai and accessories are available at sometimes reasonable prices.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Absolutely! But buying prepared established stock gives the buyer certainty of health, and that is what you pay for too.

[@stuartbaines2843]

Valuable insights here 👍 I have in recent years got to understand them 😅

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you so much. I find that every year I delve deeper, there is another layer of more fundamental insights to be picked up!

[@Bonsaicrazy]

Love it Jelle 👊👊

[@GrowingBonsai]

Glad to hear it!

[@OnlineBonsaiSchool]

Hi, I'm a new subscriber, and I love your content! It's such an interesting topic, and what a beautiful place with those amazing autumn colors. By the way… at 00:41, you’re the spitting image of Agent Mulder from The X-Files! Cheers and congratulations on the great work.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

I hope that doesnt make me skully :)

[@OnlineBonsaiSchool]

@@XaviersBonsaiRetreat ahahaha you are so funny!!!.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Sorry. Cannot disclose any information. The truth is out there.

[@derekdaniels8311]

How do you know, that the tree will grow out if you cut back hard like you are saying, about the Chinese Elm. What time of year, would you carry out this pruning, can this technique be used on all species

[@kylepurvis6231]

Youhavetohave the horticultural knowledge of each species you’re dealing with. This knowledge is gained by working with teachers that have gained the knowledge. Chinese elm, and elms in general are extremely vigorous if in good health, and will readily bud off of old wood easily. This is why the hard cut back is possible.

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

Hi, I have a lot of Chinese Elm and they are a species that will send out new shoots very easily. You don't need much experience and the advice Jelle gave is exactly what i do with all of my elms. i cut them back to the main line and then let it grow out new stuff which I can develop as I wish. It is such a great species for beginners...I've just done a video on it myself :)

[@GrowingBonsai]

Is pruning back Scary?

[@constanzetausch122]

Dear Jelle, how do you manage to bring purchased items from UK to Germany? Is there any procedure on the border?

[@GrowingBonsai]

Unfortunately not; I do not bring plants from the UK to Germany.

[@mchlbk]

That's near impossible after brexit.

[@nerinat8371]

Thanks guys

[@GrowingBonsai]

Our pleasure!

[@lawrencemcnally3164]

Loved it ,anymore😅😅

[@GrowingBonsai]

:)

[@treeaddict]

I'm so jealous of bonsai tree availability in the world OUTSIDE of US...

[@danhip2442]

Not only US, lol

[@nigellee9824]

@@treeaddict my friend, it’s no difference in the USA, except the distance you have to travel…

[@GrowingBonsai]

The distance? I sometimes wonder whether people realize that here also places are not always around the corner. This one was a 2 hours flight, and several hours drive for me good hours drive for Xavier. My nearest bonsai nursery is also 1 1/2 hours freeway drive away, IF traffic is not jammed..

[@akindofmagick1]

Likewise. My nearest bonsai nursery is a 90 minute drive away on highways, and it’s not open on Sundays. 😢

[@Heisennnnberg000]

@@treeaddict hi, I’m Italian don’t have to be gelous. We can’t collected plant in nature that’s the law! Only in a private property with the permission of of the owner. We got very restrictive laws about our land. Sorry for my English….

[@derekgillan7314]

Too many middle men, some nurseries are having a laugh! Bonsai tools are available on the bay for not a lot of money, £15, 210mm cutters st steel, same ones from bonsai nursery £58. lol

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Bonsai nurseries have staff and overheads. As businesses they have bills to pay that online sellers do not incur. How do they pay to keep the lights on, or pay a wage for an apprentice?

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

@@TheBonsaiGarden I think it is a sad reflection of Business costs that are causing such an inflation in prices, leaving the EU certainly caused a price ripple too. Gone are days when nurseries can 'risk' reducing prices - as you say...they also need to support families and development / refurbishment costs.

[@derekgillan7314]

@@TheBonsaiGarden Bonsai small bag of soil is 4 times the price of a large bag of garden soil, in the same nursery.?? Same as grit! Over priced trees, seriously! Try looking around a normal nursery at material, use the Latin names, now the normal nursery have staff etc too. So why would you pay a lot more for a tree that you can style yourself? Tools for bonsai in a bonsai shop are extortionate, the bay sells the same tools for a lot less.

[@GrowingBonsai]

I wonder whether that is true..

[@kaynef6637]

Time , and time is money

[@GrowingBonsai]

Exactly!!

[@brucedeacon28]

👍👌🙂

[@GrowingBonsai]

Thank you my friend!

[@eternal_winter8713]

My fav nursery to shop at is an obliging ditch or roadside with a sassy tree growing out of it. If it’s free it’s for me 😂

[@XaviersBonsaiRetreat]

It is so hard to be able to legally retrieve anything in the UK these days.

[@mchlbk]

Fine, but please respect nature and plant a new tree for every one you harvest.

[@GrowingBonsai]

Hm.. No such freedom here. All land is owned by someone.

[@lilnoir4213]

If Bonsai are so valuable, why am i always broke. *angry smiley face*

[@GrowingBonsai]

Because you buy too many trees!