7 Beginners Tips

So we are just starting out in Bonsai, The type of plant you are going to use is chosen, and you know the spot, inside or outside, that you are going to place the tree. You have the right Bonsai tools to care for your tree, so what is next?.... The Tree!

The next step is to buy your tree. As i've written in an earlier post on this blog, your Bonsai tree can be grown from any hardy plant or shrub in its natural location, what makes it a Bonsai is the continuous pruning of both the branches AND the roots, which keeps it in its miniature state.

From experience, it's a good plan to try and develope a fresh plant into a bonsai tree using the advice you gain along the way, rather than buy a pre-formed bonsai from somewhere like a garden-centre or hardware store. The main reasons for this are, to buy pre-formed, you are missing out on valuable education!, and upto the point of purchase, you can't be sure of the tree's 'up-bringing', ie, what care has gone into it's cultivation, and what conditions it's been kept in.

Ok to accompany this, I have compiled i list of 7 Bonsai beginners Tips:

• Decide where you are going to place your Bonsai. Generally, the best place is outside. There are plants which perform well inside, but for beginners, the best results often come from growing outdoor plants, outside.
  

• Spend a little time researching which type of plant is best for the spot you will place it in.

• Look for a slow growing plant that has relatively small leaves.
  

• With this in mind, choose your tree! Beginners can have a lot of success with Maples, Hawthorns, Pines and even Fruit Trees. Here is an excellent video describing some good trees for beginners.
  

• Make sure you have the correct Bonsai tools. This video will tell you what you need to know about tools. Please be aware, household scissors are not suitable bonsai tools!
  

• Having selected a fresh, unprepared plant, clip the crown and roots of the plant to the desired size. A good indication of how much to remove is making the root cluster roughly the same size as the remaining foliage.

• Tend and Water daily. Be very careful not to add so much water that the soil becomes waterlogged, it should never be more than moist throughout. And NEVER let it dry out!

Following these tips should be a good enough guide for the majority of beginners. Needless to say though, bonsai tree care is a continuous activity. You will gain knowledge as you continually look after your tree, but please be aware that during this learning period, you WILL make mistakes!, we all do it! But thats ok, because you will learn from it :)

Bonsai Tips

So what make good beginner bonsai trees?... Luckily, despite common belief, the answer to that is pretty simple, it's most plants which are hardy and substantial. However, there is a small amount of thought that needs to be put into it, Firstly, what are the conditions like where you live? There's no use choosing a tropical plant if your area is snowed-under for half of the year! You'll be making things hard for yourself right from the start!

Rule of thumb- If you live somewhere pretty cold, go for evergreen. If you live in warmer climes, decidous is ok.
The same thought needs to go into whereabouts in your home the Bonsi tree will be placed... Climate and Colour. Do a little research into what colour your tree's flowers will be, because if when it flowers, the trees colours don't match it's surroundings, you may be tempted to move to a spot it LOOKS better in, but will be no good for it.
Trees and shrubs which are used more commonly for bonsai and that adapt quite well are evergreens such as Pine, Cypress, Camelia, Azalea, Pomegranate, Holly, Serissa, Fig (Rainforest and Mediterranean) and Cedar. Deciduous trees such as Cherry, Maple (Japanese and Trident), Zelkova and Beech are also prime candidates.

This website is really good for beginners tips :)

Bonsai Tree Care

I've spent so much time surfing around on the net recently, looking for some sound advice on caring for my bonsai tree, that soon i expect to find some advice that says something like "sitting at your pc looking for bonsai tree care tips and neglecting your tree is to be avoided at all costs..."!

Thankfully though, i haven't come away empty handed. My Bonsai knowledge learning curve has finally begun to break away from the base line, and subjects such as Watering (bigger subject than a novice might think), Pruning, Shaping, Re-potting and Feeding are no longer the daunting, mystical subjects they once were.

All thanks to the good ol' internet!

I don't know about you, but around where i live there are very few folks who have the slightest interest in Bonsai, not that i've come across anyway. I toyed with the idea of putting an ad in the local paper, but it felt too much like subscibing to the lonely hearts or something!! No, if it wasn't for the internet, my interest in Bonsai would most likely have died pretty soon after my poor tree. (Which isn't dead by the way!, it's doing quite nicely thank you) I'll just quickly show you one of the better articles i've found, it's to do with the soil....

The soil used to raise bonsai is normally a porous soil that drains
well. The type of soil as well as the shape and design of the pot will
affect quickly the soil dries out. Different tree types will require
different amounts of water to thrive. You will need to research your
specific species of tree for a general guideline and then closely
monitor how the tree grows to determine if it is being watered
correctly. If you take your pot and place it on top of some rocks in a
tray full of water this will help increase the humidity around the tree
and will aid in it’s growth. Along with normal watering about once a
week you should fully submerge the bonsai tree pot until no more
bubbles escape from the pot or the soil.

Here's the link to the original article

I'd love to hear what you guy's think of that one.

Also, this bonsai tree care ebook is currently my 'Bible'... well worth checking out!

Talk to you Soon

Simon.