In a message dated 8/16/05 12:03:37 AM, Justin writes:
most of which are out of my control... things like squirrels in the night,
or cats.

I found the simplest way to keep squirrels away from a plant stand was to
move the stand. If it is fairly close to the house or out in the middle of the
yard away from trees, the squirrels don't bother it. Having a dog also helps.
Whose cats? If it is yours, the cat belongs indoors & the bonsai outdoors.
End of problem. If it is your neighbor's cat, the first step is a nice talk with
your neighbor explaining that cats are healthier, safer, & live longer if
they are kept indoors. If that doesn't work, call your animal control officer.

I'm finally down to about 3 or 4 a year that are lost for good.

Welcome to the club. I think I lose at least one or two a year nowadays. One
of the better known bonsai growers told an enlightening story. He was at a
workshop given by one of the top luminaries in the Northeast. Needing to pee, he
decided to go behind a nearby fence instead of all the way back to the house.
When he got to the other side of the fence, he was astonished to see a huge
boneyard full of this famous expert's dead trees. Nobody is immune. When I
taught an orchid course 20 years ago, I always told my students, "Behind every
green thumb is a large pile of dead bodies."
The important thing, if you lose a tree, is to figure out why it died. Then
it won't be wasted. As long as you are going to make mistakes, make new ones.
Don't keep making the same mistake over again, like buying serissas.

what tends to be the cause 10 or 15 years down the road?

For me, impatience - doing too much too soon, not letting a newly styled tree
rest long enough before repotting. Wrestling a new tree into the "right" size
pot, instead of overpotting it the first time & going easy on the roots.
Putting trees out too soon in the spring.
Iris

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