advice and tips on where to begin

[Rob625]

Hello. Im completely new to bonsai but very much want to get started. Before I buy a bonsai I wanted to get some books and read up first. So any recommendations would be great. I see on Amazon there is a lot of books. And then any tips on getting started would be great. I have no idea where to even begin. But I'm very excited. Ive been looking for a relaxing hobby for a while. Im a recovered alcoholic with 4 yrs sober and keeping busy with this would be perfect.
Thank you for any help getting started. Rob

 

[0soyoung]

The best, most valuable reads for starting out are free and are the articles at evergreengardenworks.com. For artistic principles, Andy Rutledge's 'Artistic Foundations of Bonsai Design' is also free read. But, this is a participation sport --> get some trees.

 

[Rob625]

The best, most valuable reads for starting out are free and are the articles at evergreengardenworks.com. For artistic principles, Andy Rutledge's 'Artistic Foundations of Bonsai Design' is also free read. But, this is a participation sport --> get some trees.

Thank you! I definitely want to buy a tree but I didn't want to kill it or butcher it. I saw I can order a tree online starting at about 35$. Is it better to order online or do most nurseries carry bonsai. Like I said I know pretty much nothing about this. Some would say im "green". Pun intended.

 

[Rob625]

I did some reading on evergreen garden works cite that you mentioned. I ordered a book he recommended Sunsets "Bonsai". Also if this forum is more for the advanced please let me know if I need to be on a beginner forum somewhere else. Thank you

 

[M. Frary]

I did some reading on evergreen garden works cite that you mentioned. I ordered a book he recommended Sunsets "Bonsai". Also if this forum is more for the advanced please let me know if I need to be on a beginner forum somewhere else. Thank you

No man. You're in good hands where you're at. We're here to help one and all. Nobody's born knowing this stuff and you got to start somewhere right?

 

[sharkman154]

Try a cheap ficus. Practice all of the basic bonsai methods on it. They heal wire scaring quickly, can live through most conditions you throw at it and grows quickly. Thats how I learned. Had 2 the survived no watering for 2 weeks right after massive root reduction and pruning/ wiring

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nah, you're in the right place. Just be sure to use the search function first on the basics, and realize all soil and fertilizer discussions end in battle. Best to pick a couple people who have trees you admire and talk to them offline about those topics.
Welcome to the nuthouse!

 

[0soyoung]

I definitely want to buy a tree but I didn't want to kill it or butcher it.

I started with the same sort of fears and it is not a good emotional state for bonsai. You must get over it.

I began with an air layer of one of our landscape acer palmatums. Next I dug a cotoneaster that we didn't want in our landscape any longer. I bought various landscape nursery plants, usually ones in poor health that were sold cheaply in 'lemon sales'. I killed a few but still have most of them and from those experiences I have learned a lot, but most importantly, how senseless most of my original phobias were. I admit, it also helps to have a 'pricey' nice tree at the same time.

Even if you are made of money, I think you should have a year or two of this kind of experience under your belt before you start spending real money on bonsai (BTW you may find it interesting to view the past and current BNut 'Box Store Challenges'). But another bonsai journey route that is open to you is to go to special sessions at one of the country's bonsai professional's nurseries (e.g., Bonsai Murai, Cretageus, Boon) and spend thousands on one of their trees which the master will attend to on your behalf for a small fee.

Regardless, buy species that interest you and that are suited to the environment where you are going to keep them.

 

[Cypress187]

Hi man, a new tree-slayer, eurhm. bonsai artist.

 

[Rob625]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Im going to read a lot here and that evergreen garden works page. Hopefully the book I ordered will come soon too. Found out my wife's uncle works on bonsai trees, goes to shows and conferences. Which is perfect, so I'll hopefully be able to ask him on questions too. Hopefully I can get a tree this week, I'll post when I do.
So trees at nurseries are ok but anywhere else they might be crap?
Have a great day
Rob

 

[M. Frary]

Suck up to the Uncle in Law. He's been there,done that hopefully. Plus he should know where to get some decent stock hopefully. Good luck.

 

[jk_lewis]

Brent's recommendation of the Sunset book is right on. It long has been the best introduction to bonsai there is. I'd be interested to learn which edition you receive. They're all good, but some are better than others. Reading the articles on the Evergreen Gardenworks site will also be a good start.

Good that a relative does bonsai because looking at the map Minooka is a heckuva way from ANYwhere, so our standard advise to join a bonsai club probably won't apply to you. Still, you can check http://www.absbonsai.org/american-clubs to see if there's one you might commute to occasionally.

 

[Rob625]

For the sunset book I had the option of 1994 release or the 2003 release. I order the 2003 for a penny used. 3.99 shipping. I also want the DK book 101 essential tips and the complete practical encyclopedia of bonsai by ken Norman. So many books out there though. Minooka is growing but we are still pretty small.our claim to fame is actor Nick Offerman, he grew up here. His dad was my history teacher.

 

[jk_lewis]

The 2003 edition is a good one. You might look for Bonsai: Its Art, Science, History and Philosophy by Deborah Koreshoff. It is a superlative book.

 

[jk_lewis]

My little town (Columbus, NC) is small too. Dunno any famous people from here.

 

[Rob625]

Ok the questions might keep coming for awhile but im excited. Other than the books and articles mentioned is there a good resource for identifying different types of the trees? Maybe like a bonsai field guide. I just read the thread when a lady bought her first bonsai and was told it was a "juniper elm". And there was no such thing. It seems a book with pics of every species would be a good tool. Definitely something I'd like to study.

 

[Geo]

http://www.rogerstreesandshrubs.com/ Just found this one today. Looks comprehensive. If you do some collecting in your area, you may need more than the bonsai sites that describe commonly grown species:so this type of site makes sense for that. I live in Baja Sur Mexico on the extreme SW. coast.
There are some interesting local trees here, but most of them will need me to dig to identify them. I have one described in the Tropical forum, but no luck so far. By the way,welcome to BN,from one seedling to another.

 

[0soyoung]

a good resource for identifying different types of the trees?

I like the Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheets. I also like the Andoid app version - quite useful when I'm wandering in the woods.


Also check out Bonsai4me.com. I found Harry's making bonsai of ordinary stuff quite inspirational.

 

[Rob625]

Thanks geo and osoyoung
both those look great. There is a book on the rogers website I think might be good and the bonsai 4me publishes species guides. That should keep me busy thank you.

 

[jeanluc83]

Check out youtube also. There are some good some demonstrations. Bonsai is a visual art and more importantly a 3 dimensional art. There is nothing like seeing a high quality tree in person but videos can do a good job. I recommend any of the videos featuring Walter Pall, Graham Potter and Ryan Neil.