Hi Folks - Question which has bugged me for years. 

I have only succeeded with only one bonsai.

. I am 78years old and I am very concerned with taking responsibility for any life I bring into my home.
That very much includes plants.

Have been wanting to start another tree, but I have held off because of my age. 

Can I ask, what are your thoughts concerning this?

Thanks 

Grant

Mature quality trees is not hard to get rid of. There is a huge market, so no problem to pass them on.

My oldest tree is much older than me. just as the widow of the last owner passed it to me, my wife will pass it on to someone else when that time has come.

There are trees in Japan that has been passed down for several 100 years.

Trees just outlive humans. But if everyone was thinking of it as a problem, there would be no nice trees awailable.

We have two people on our beginners course this year who are 80 years old. It is never too late to start. 

I'll say this about bonsai, or music, or martial arts, or whatever... if you don't enjoy the process of doing, working on the tree, practicing scales, practicing basic techniques, than such things like Bonsai etc are not for you.. the time a tree looks like the million dollar photos you see of the best bonsai is limited. the joy is in the interaction with the life of the tree.. if you have that, then it doesn't matter when you start. I've been trying to get my dad into it.. as it would provide a balance to taking care of my mother, where he doesn't have to leave her alone.. he's 85.. no luck yet. 

I won't be 78 until May. I am out in the woods behind the house looking for trees when the weather is nice. I probably won't see what they look like in 30 years, and that does affect what I do. I don't plan seeds any more and I look for potential this year or next, but not long term.

At age 7, or 8, or 78, what matters is what you do. Join a local bonsai club, make friends, and style a tree.