New member. First bonsai

[Jnicholes]

Hi everyone,

I am new here, I just joined. I am from South Idaho. I am interested in bonsai, and I want to get started on it. Currently, I have an oak acorn that has developed roots in a bonsai pot. I am waiting for it to germinate.

I found the oak acorn on my 24th birthday, January 9th. I decided to try to germinate it into a bonsai.

I have been doing research from multiple sources for care of oak bonsai. I have learned a lot. However, I came here because I am trying to find out how to make the trunk thinner at the top, and thicker at the bottom.

I will do this when the time comes, of course, but I am trying to prepare for it by gaining knowledge.

Can someone educate me on how to make an oak bonsai thinner at the top, and thicker at the bottom? At what time do you do this in the oaks life, anyway?

I may have other questions in the future, also.

Any advice for a beginner will be appreciated,

Jared

 

[Mikecheck123]

You first let it get about 15 feet tall. Takes a few years. Then you chop it back. Repeat for ten years or so.

You could save a lot of time by buying a full grown tree. Or by finding a tree in nature with good characteristics already.

There are many paths to greatness, but none are easy.

 

[Jnicholes]

Wow. I did not consider doing that. I won’t give up on bonsai, though!

Do you think I should start with a different species, though? Is oak too complicated for a beginner?

Maybe I will take your advice and get a full grown one also.

Jared

 

[Potawatomi13]

If wishing to grow this tree put pot outside to germinate naturally but protect from Squirrels and other nut eaters. Screen over pot? Please add location to profile.

 

[Kodama]

Hey welcome to the journey down the rabbit hole. So many things to think about. Biggest advice is use the search tool on this site. You can find great advice from this amazing community on any topic for almost any tree you can think of. Check out videos, read articles and books. Learn by doing. Check out your local nursery for stock material to learn with. Check out local collecting. Learn what works with your local climate and living arrangements. Learn to work with the seasons and type of work you can do with the health of the tree at top of mind. It's a lifelong pursuit of a slow process so I hope you can be patient and it will surely reward you... and use the search on this site. It's all right there to keep us obsessed for hours and checking posts way past bedtime.

 

[Colorado]

Wow. I did not consider doing that. I won’t give up on bonsai, though!

Do you think I should start with a different species, though? Is oak too complicated for a beginner?

Maybe I will take your advice and get a full grown one also.

Jared

You do NOT need to grow a tree to “15 ft tall” before you chop it to become a bonsai.

But the basic premise is correct: let it grow out, then chop it back, and repeat. The “thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top” you’re referring to is known as “taper.”

 

[Jnicholes]

Thank you all for the warm welcome and the advice so far! I appreciate it! I just updated my profile with my location.

Oaks grow naturally here. I actually found the acorn by an oak tree growing near where I live.

Anyway, I can’t get that tapered look now, WAY too early. I am just preparing.

I will continue to do research, but I’ll also come back here for advice. Thanks a bunch!

Jared

 

[Silentrunning]

Bonsai is a hobby that requires a lot of patience. Some people get bored waiting on their trees and abandon their hobby. That is a shame because there are few things better than having a tree come out exactly as you have planned. Keep your Oak safe and healthy but know it will be many years before it will be an acceptable bonsai. Watch YouTube and get yourself a few Junipers to work on in the meantime. Also, join a local club if one is available.

 

[Jnicholes]

Actually, the patience part is why I chose to start bonsai. You see, I’ve always struggled with patience because of ADHD. I needed to do something in order to exercise and learn patience. So, I chose something that requires a lot of patience. Bonsai.

I am aware it will be many years, but I’m gonna work on being patient.

Jared

 

[Bnana]

By buying or collecting a tree that is a few years old (e.g. as a part of a hedge) and has a bit of a trunk you can give yourself a head start with a second tree while you wait for the oak to grow a trunk. If you pick something that is robust and grows relatively fast you have the best chance to have something nice in a reasonable time.

 

[August44]

Find a bonsai club close to you and join. Get hands on help and advice or you will get disappointed and go away after a while. Doing this by yourself can be challenging to say the least. I live in Baker City, Or. If your this way sometime, stop by and I will give you some good conifer and deciduous trees to work with.

 

[Jnicholes]

Baker city? Well, hello neighbor! I may take you up on that, however, I’m a very cautious type of person. Before I do something like that, I feel like I should get to know the person first. I’m sure you understand.

 

[August44]

Well I ain't no terrorists my friend, just have way to many collected trees and don't mind helping. You are lucky that you might have a club close to you. I am not that lucky and no one else here either. PM me if you want. Peter

 

[misfit11]

Welcome to the forum and to this wonderful hobby! Looks like people have offered some good advice already.

1. Let that seedling grow unchecked for a while until the base is at the thickness that you want (the 15 ft business is nonsense. You grow it until it's the size you want. This might mean the tree grows to 2 feet or maybe 20 ft depending on what your goal is.). Then you do a trunk chop to develop taper. A general ratio for a "finished" tree to shoot for is 1:6. If you have a 1" trunk then you have a 6" tree. Two inch trunk, 12 inch tree and so on

2. Study up on bonsai soils! I wish someone had told me this early on. It could have saved me from a lot of dead trees. Do a search on Bonsai Nut. There are tons of threads.

3. Get a tree from a local nursery that is good as bonsai (think Junipers and Elms) so you have something to work/learn on now while your Oak grows out.

4. Yes! Join a club! Looks like there is a Boise Bonsai Society. There is no substitute for learning with actual people who have experience in the hobby. This forum is great and there are lots of knowledgeable people on here but there's nothing like the real thing.

Hope that helps! Good luck and we look forward to seeing your first creation soon!

Cory

 

[Nelis]

I'm fairly new at this myself, but one thing I can add, that keeps me hooked is propagation and Elm trees. Nothing beats doing something to an Elm and seeing the results at the end of the growing season (tank)!

 

[Njyamadori]

Wow. I did not consider doing that. I won’t give up on bonsai, though!

Do you think I should start with a different species, though? Is oak too complicated for a beginner?

Maybe I will take your advice and get a full grown one also.

Jared

Lol a beginner starting from seed go on 99 cent bonsai on Facebook and buy some stuff there and on bonsai auctions

 

[HorseloverFat]

Nothing wrong with sowing seed.. better NOW than LATER.... just get some actual trees to “work”, too.... or else you’ll smother your seedlings with too much love.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Lol a beginner starting from seed go on 99 cent bonsai on Facebook and buy some stuff there and on bonsai auctions

If I was YOUR age... I’d be planting SOOOO many seeds....

Very “worth” the investment... a long as you have a REALISTIC knowledge of the process.



Plant some seeds, NJ...

 

[Nelis]

Lol a beginner starting from seed go on 99 cent bonsai on Facebook and buy some stuff there and on bonsai auctions

Yes, plant some seeds, much more difficult to keep alive than an established tree, maybe you'll learn some important horticultural points in the process.

 

[Njyamadori]

If I was YOUR age... I’d be planting SOOOO many seeds....

Very “worth” the investment... a long as you have a REALISTIC knowledge of the process.



Plant some seeds, NJ...

View attachment 352006

Well I can’t find any Japanese maple seeds online . Sean Walker or something like that sent me lots of trident maple seeds but that’s all I have started .