beginner

Forgive me in advance for silly questions. I went to a bonsai fair and fell in love. Well the other day I randomly purchased a few plants that were leftover in the nursery. (A juniper and this one I think is a snow rose) I’m wondering is there a possible way to turn this plant into a bonsai...

Hey All, I have a relatively decent nursery specimen here and am contemplating a relatively hefty cut. The trunk gets fairly straight and untapered towards the top section then the leader curves downwards in a large arc that just isn't looking realistic to me. I'm thinking of chopping at the...

So back in August I got my first bonsai, the Fukein tea tree (ehretia mircophylla).Anyhow after reading hours of content and watching 3 start up videos in a row, I was ready for the transplant. My pot has to weep holes in the bottom about the size of a nickel, so I covered them with plastic...

Hey Guys! I got my bonsai about 6 months ago and yesterday it’s pot broke, recently the soil has started to come away from the edges and I was told that I needed to soak it for 5 minutes and then drain. It looks like it possibly needs repotting, I have ordered a slightly bigger pot for it but...

Hello everyone! I got a bonsai tree as a gift couple of months ago and since then I haven't done much besides watering it, and even that I'm not sure if I'm doing right, since the lady at the shop told my cousin that you should pour some water into the container in which the pot is placed and...

Does anyone have any knowledge of working with a Mint Julep Juniper? If so, some tips on what to do with this guy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Colton

Hello all, A few months ago I bought an "extra dwarf pomegranate" tree from Baker Creek Seeds. Out of twelve seeds, this one came up. (Here is how it looked in the first two weeks) This was taken in bright light, but the plant is normally in a dorm room with max 4 hours of bright light a day...

Hey everyone, novice bonsai guy just looking for advice. I found this at a local mom and pop shop for 35 dollars and thought why not? Decent size trunk on it. I just bought it thinking of trunk chopping it and trying to root some cuttings but I just started thinking I could air layer the top to...

Rookie question here, but it's one I cannot seem to find the answer to. It's winter, so my plants aren't getting a ton of sun. I've read that 4 may be enough to keep them alive. 6 hours would be better. 8 hours even more ideal. But where do I draw the line? Why not give them 15 hours (like in...

Hi! I live in Memphis, TN (8a hardiness zone) and am looking to purchase a bonsai or pre-bonsai to work on while I wait for my Delonix seedling to grow. I am completely new at this as I have never cultivated a bonsai before, so I am looking for recommmendations for a good beginner bonsai or...

Hey, people! :-) That's my first thread in this forum - and, actually, in 'gardening' forums at all -, so I already apologize for any mistakes in this post. By the way, I'm Giovanni, 20yo, from Três Lagoas, Brazil. Well, around two weeks ago, me and my boyfriend went to the flower/gardening...

Hello. After spending a few weeks talking and learning about bonsai, I was gifted my first, a Japanese maple, yesterday from my very well-meaning girlfriend. It came with a book (101 Essential Tips) and I’ve been watching youtube videos on watering and specifically on not over watering. I’m...

Greetings everyone! First of all, thank you for being on this forum -- I'm brand new to the bonsai world and have been reading/learning as much as I can. Between old BN forum posts, various other sites, and numerous library books however, there's been a lot to digest, often with differing...

I just purchased a this shimpaku from a local club auction and although I do intend to go back and seek advice from locals in my area it will be about 2 months till I can make a meeting. I would like to find some general suggestions on how to promote more dense foliage. As you may be able to see...

Hello everyone! I'm brand new to the site and to the world of bonsai. Although I have been reading and trying to learn like a maniac! I received a chinese elm a few days ago and I've been focused on geting it acclimated and getting used to the watering routine. The tree came in a really heavy...

While Houston was flooding today, we were touring garden centers. Unfortunately most nurseries were closed but the Lowe’s wasn’t. While I was walking around disappointed that I couldn’t find a small ficus to fiddle with, the hubs goes and finds this. I have no idea if it’s good or not, but it...

Welcome to the Nuthouse! We are excited that you've decided to jump into the hobby, and are looking forward to help you do what's best for your tree. You can save our time and yours by answering some of these questions up front. This isn't an official list or anything, but chances are if your...

Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to bonsai and have some questions regarding my tree. I have a juniper, I believe. I was out of town last week and when I left for vacation my tree seemed perfectly healthy and green. I've had the tree for about four years and it's been pretty hardy and not too...

This starter Lavender Star tree was purchased from a bonsai nursery in late October in Toronto Canada. Brought it home, watered moderately (weekly or slightly more), misted a little in between, placed near a window with NO direct sunlight. The leaves slowly dried up entirely. It has been placed...

I recently bought this gorgeous weeping barbados cherry from a local nursery for an astounding 8 dollars. I was wondering, as this is considered a sub-tropical tree, is it capable of growing year-round or does it need something similar to a dormant/rest period? When I brought it home, it was...

Hello, Im 20 Years old and just got my first tree, I bought it from eBay as I liked the idea that I could manipulate the tree and learn the skill before starting from seed in the future. Everything is going good, Im happy with the shape and so far looks good, Ive had it for a month now and its...

Hello I'm rather new to bonsai and have a general question. I got this tree from the clearance section and it had dropped most of its leaves. I have had it for about two weeks and it seems to be growing back rather quick. My question is with fall coming up should I just let it go it's natural...

OK so I've had this tree for about 11-12 years and I know it's not a bonsai it's just a tree, because I've never done anything with it besides occasionally water it. It started itself from seed falling from a maple in the front yard to a flower pot in the back at my folks place. I've been...

Hi everyone, this is the first time I've posted here. I recently bought a dwarf blue leaf arctic willow. I know willows require a lot of water compared to many plants. Can I take this need into consideration by using soil that has a very high water retention or is that not enough? I am waiting...

I'm new to bonsai and new to this site. I've been purchasing nursery stock plants as pre-bonsai locally but have been having a hard time finding anything suitable or of significant enough size to do anything with. I'm being patient and trying to grow out some of these plants. Recently I found...