bryz
Seed
Hello all! I am a college student in Providence. I am interested in beginning to take care of bonsai trees, and have been trying to do as much reading on the subject as I can over the past few weeks. I have some questions, so I guess I'll just go right into it (thanks in advance for reading this, I'm sure it's gonna be a big wall of text):
1) I can't seem to find any nearby bonsai nurseries. So, I think I'll just have to order a starter online. I was thinking of going through Evergreen Gardenworks. Is there anyone better I should consider?
2) I know that trunks are a pretty big deal. Of course, I can't expect any guarantees with whatever tree I end up getting. From what I gather, the best way to grow a trunk is to keep a tree in the legit ground (and let it do its regular tree thing). However, I don't think I can do this because I'm living in a rented house with basically no viable growing area.
With that in mind, would it be feasible to encourage a tree to grow its trunk while keeping it contained? How large of a container would I need for this?
Moreover, is this even an option? I have read that it is dangerous to repot unnecessarily. If I ordered a one-gallon plant, should I just leave it as it comes?
3) What are my best options for starter species? I was thinking maple, hawthorn, or elm, which all appear to grow in New England, and which seem to be pretty solid starters.
Side question, and this one is dumb: I really like how olive trees look. But everywhere I find online says that they are not hardy to zone 6b (where I am). However, I found a site that says olive trees are native to Massachusetts? Is there any chance that an olive tree is actually a possibility for me?
I think these are the most specific questions I have right now. Thanks again for getting all the way here. Of course, I am also always open to receiving resources for more reading on bonsai, if anyone has posts / books / links for beginners that they would be willing to share!
1) I can't seem to find any nearby bonsai nurseries. So, I think I'll just have to order a starter online. I was thinking of going through Evergreen Gardenworks. Is there anyone better I should consider?
2) I know that trunks are a pretty big deal. Of course, I can't expect any guarantees with whatever tree I end up getting. From what I gather, the best way to grow a trunk is to keep a tree in the legit ground (and let it do its regular tree thing). However, I don't think I can do this because I'm living in a rented house with basically no viable growing area.
With that in mind, would it be feasible to encourage a tree to grow its trunk while keeping it contained? How large of a container would I need for this?
Moreover, is this even an option? I have read that it is dangerous to repot unnecessarily. If I ordered a one-gallon plant, should I just leave it as it comes?
3) What are my best options for starter species? I was thinking maple, hawthorn, or elm, which all appear to grow in New England, and which seem to be pretty solid starters.
Side question, and this one is dumb: I really like how olive trees look. But everywhere I find online says that they are not hardy to zone 6b (where I am). However, I found a site that says olive trees are native to Massachusetts? Is there any chance that an olive tree is actually a possibility for me?
I think these are the most specific questions I have right now. Thanks again for getting all the way here. Of course, I am also always open to receiving resources for more reading on bonsai, if anyone has posts / books / links for beginners that they would be willing to share!