New to Bonsai & Bonsai Nut (PIX)

[lissa]

Hey everyone! My name is.. you guessed it... Lissa. I am from Wilmington, DE. I am half sioux indian and have always felt a strong connection to nature.

In January I decided attempt a dream of mine (to learn to bonsai) and ordered Japanese Maple seeds and I already forget the name of the other maple I ordered. But I tried going through the whole germination process (ever since I was a kid I've preferred growing everything from seed). As it turned out, I didnt have enough time for the germination process.

I've spent hours & hours watching youtube videos and vlogs from seasoned bonsai artists and feel like I have a general (very basic) understanding of how to get started.

I went for few walks over the span of a couple days and found tons of brand new baby trees. Brand spankin new. They must have sprouted early this spring.

I have them in small regular pots. I cant plant them in my yard because I live in a town house and I am not the only one that cuts my grass. Should I buy a huge pot to put them in? I know if you let them grow up in a small pot the trunk would be and nice.

One big question I have is how will I ever know what kinds of trees I have? I am slightly OCD so I feel very strongly about identifying their species. I feel like I wont do as well as I could if I knew and understanded the tree.

Now I want to purchase a 4/5 year old bonsai tree so that I am a little experienced when these babes I have grow up.

Any advice is helpful! I am looking forward to making some bonsai buddies

 

[Poink88]

Welcome to B-Nut!

Your approach is good but want to let you know that another way is to start with big trees and cut them down for bonsai. This is what I (mostly) do.

Re: pots, usually you want wider and shallow containers as opposed to deep ones. I mostly use dish pans or even chopped down pots. You can also buy plastic bonsai pots or Anderson flats for training.

 

[lissa]

Welcome to B-Nut!

Your approach is good but want to let you know that another way is to start with big trees and cut them down for bonsai. This is what I (mostly) do.

Re: pots, usually you want wider and shallow containers as opposed to deep ones. I mostly use dish pans or even chopped down pots. You can also buy plastic bonsai pots or Anderson flats for training.

Thank you! I love your signature. I am definitely someone who is here to learn. Honesty is something I hope to get here.

I feel like this approach is a good way to start for me. It seems easier for me, as a beginner. Plus I wanted to experience watching it grow. Once I am good at it, I hope to be able to do what you do Plus I want to make sure that I dont find some handsome tree and just hack it down and kill it accidentally.

About the pots: I was going to get a deeper pot actually. I read that the trunks wont get thick if the young tree grows in a bonsai pot. Is that not true? Some people were saying to put the tree in the ground for the first couple of years.

Thank you for your help! Nice to meet you!

 

[Lazylightningny]

Looks like another future bonsai artist taking an interest there!

 

[Poink88]

About the pots: I was going to get a deeper pot actually. I read that the trunks wont get thick if the young tree grows in a bonsai pot. Is that not true? Some people were saying to put the tree in the ground for the first couple of years.

What helps the tree to bulk up is the volume of soil (,feeding, and aeration)...Earth just so happened to have the biggest volume .

You can use any shape & size pot, just know how to get the proper root (nebari) so when you move your tree to it's final bonsai pot, you reduce the stress as much as possible. To do this, you need a flat root system. If you want to use deep pots, use the "tile method". Put your seedlings on a tile to encourage the root to go sideways and out...not down right away like a tap root.

Enjoy the hobby! BTW, good that you have a young helper.

 

[Vance Wood]

Thank you! I love your signature. I am definitely someone who is here to learn. Honesty is something I hope to get here.

I feel like this approach is a good way to start for me. It seems easier for me, as a beginner. Plus I wanted to experience watching it grow. Once I am good at it, I hope to be able to do what you do Plus I want to make sure that I dont find some handsome tree and just hack it down and kill it accidentally.

About the pots: I was going to get a deeper pot actually. I read that the trunks wont get thick if the young tree grows in a bonsai pot. Is that not true? Some people were saying to put the tree in the ground for the first couple of years.

Thank you for your help! Nice to meet you!

Hi Lissa: What is there about bonsai that attracts you? That is really the most critical question.

Starting from seed is the very slow way to go about this. The Japanese, who basically invented bonsai as most of us understand it, don't grow things from seeds except to sell to tourists, and as a commercial export crop. The first bonsai were Yamadori; trees dug up out of the mountains and fields. Not only were these tree endowed with age, great age in some cases, they had a quasi-spiritual value to them that was valued almost as much as the tree. You don't get these things happening in a tree that is only a few years old.

 

[Poink88]

Look at lots of bonsai pictures online...see which ones appeal to you. Then zoom in and look at the details...what particular part of it made it appealing. Shape, lines, curves, size, age, color, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.

Then work with plant species that have/offer those traits. Do not waste your time working on trees that will fight you every step of the way.

Cold hardiness is one thing you want to consider, local trees does make your life much easier. This is coming from someone who have lots of tropical trees who agonizes every winter to protect said plants.

 

[MidMichBonsai]

To develop healthy bonsai, you need a good root system. The problem with narrow, tall pots is that the roots tend to grow straight down to the bottom of the pot and then circle the pot at the bottom. Then when you go to repot the tree and trim the roots, all of the feeder roots are a long distance away from the tree and if the root system is pruned (as it should be for a repot) you lose the best part of your root system. If the goal is to get your trees into a small bonsai pot at some point, a shallower pot (even if it's fairly large) with good bonsai soil will help to create a tighter root system which will mean a healthier tree and one that develops more quickly.

As far as starting material, perhaps the best route to go is to shop at your local garden center. Pick up some small "trees" such as junipers. These will allow you to learn how to take care of trees and keep them alive without too much up-front cost but will cut out 5-10 yrs. of the development process like Vance said. I think that purchasing something for less than $20 is well worth cutting out 5 yrs. of work. Once you develop sufficient knowledge to keep the trees alive and healthy you can begin to increase the quality of your collection (via reputable bonsai distributors or tree collecting) knowing that you will be able to sustain the higher quality material.

Best of luck and welcome to the nut-house!

 

[Poink88]

Thank you! I love your signature. I am definitely someone who is here to learn. Honesty is something I hope to get here.

Thanks. Be warned, lots of people here hate me for it.

 

[lissa]

Looks like another future bonsai artist taking an interest there!

What helps the tree to bulk up is the volume of soil (,feeding, and aeration)...Earth just so happened to have the biggest volume .

You can use any shape & size pot, just know how to get the proper root (nebari) so when you move your tree to it's final bonsai pot, you reduce the stress as much as possible. To do this, you need a flat root system. If you want to use deep pots, use the "tile method". Put your seedlings on a tile to encourage the root to go sideways and out...not down right away like a tap root.

Enjoy the hobby! BTW, good that you have a young helper.

Ok well then I will order those training bonsai pots I was looking at last week then. Thank you for the helpful information I knew I would learn more here! The vlogs & tutorials are good because you get to see it in action, but they aren't always good at explaining why things work as much as how things work.

The young helper is surprisingly compassionate with the trees.

 

[lissa]

To develop healthy bonsai, you need a good root system. The problem with narrow, tall pots is that the roots tend to grow straight down to the bottom of the pot and then circle the pot at the bottom. Then when you go to repot the tree and trim the roots, all of the feeder roots are a long distance away from the tree and if the root system is pruned (as it should be for a repot) you lose the best part of your root system. If the goal is to get your trees into a small bonsai pot at some point, a shallower pot (even if it's fairly large) with good bonsai soil will help to create a tighter root system which will mean a healthier tree and one that develops more quickly.

As far as starting material, perhaps the best route to go is to shop at your local garden center. Pick up some small "trees" such as junipers. These will allow you to learn how to take care of trees and keep them alive without too much up-front cost but will cut out 5-10 yrs. of the development process like Vance said. I think that purchasing something for less than $20 is well worth cutting out 5 yrs. of work. Once you develop sufficient knowledge to keep the trees alive and healthy you can begin to increase the quality of your collection (via reputable bonsai distributors or tree collecting) knowing that you will be able to sustain the higher quality material.

Best of luck and welcome to the nut-house!

Thank you! I do intend on purchasing an indoor Ficus Bonsai tree (4 yrs) and maybe a few others if I find a good place to purchase from. I really enjoy growing from seed. Flowers, food, everthing I have ever planted is from seed. I dont get as much enjoyment just purchasing plants. Even for landscaping (but ive never owned a house or had much of a yard).

I definitely dont want to limit my bonsai experience to just growing from seed but I definitely want to try it. I'm 27 so I feel like in my lifetime I should still be able to enjoy some really awesome trees that I have grown myself from a seed. It will make me feel like a proud mommy lol (im weird).

Look at lots of bonsai pictures online...see which ones appeal to you. Then zoom in and look at the details...what particular part of it made it appealing. Shape, lines, curves, size, age, color, leaves, flowers, fruits, etc.

Then work with plant species that have/offer those traits. Do not waste your time working on trees that will fight you every step of the way.

Cold hardiness is one thing you want to consider, local trees does make your life much easier. This is coming from someone who have lots of tropical trees who agonizes every winter to protect said plants.

LOL Aww! These young local trees seem very happy. I already ordered some neat training pots (6 of them). So I will give them all their own pot and see if any of them end up sticking with me for the long haul haha

Thank you for all your help!

Hi Lissa: What is there about bonsai that attracts you? That is really the most critical question.

Starting from seed is the very slow way to go about this. The Japanese, who basically invented bonsai as most of us understand it, don't grow things from seeds except to sell to tourists, and as a commercial export crop. The first bonsai were Yamadori; trees dug up out of the mountains and fields. Not only were these tree endowed with age, great age in some cases, they had a quasi-spiritual value to them that was valued almost as much as the tree. You don't get these things happening in a tree that is only a few years old.

Ever since I was a kid, I have always admired trees. There was a giant grouping of trees in my back yard that took the shape of a T-rex every summer (I had a great imagination). I draw & paint and have always enjoyed making pictures of trees. To me, they are beautiful. To have my very own portable beauty would be awesome and up for the challenge of learning the craft

4/5 years ago, I visited Longwood Gardens and viewed their Bonsai display (its so incredible). I just remember being in love with them! I didnt understand AT ALL how the bonsai trees came to be bonsai trees. It was like I was looking at magic. I wondered if there were lots oh chemicals involved in stunting the growth of a tree. I know its a common misconception.

I dont want to sell the trees I (attempt to) grow from seed. I really enjoy growing flowers from seed so I thought I would enjoy the same with a tree

I just dont think I can pluck a old and happy tree from the ground. Especially being as unexperienced as I am. I would feel way too guilty.

 

[GrimLore]

Welcome to the Art of Bonsai! I just wanted to mention Longwood Gardens inspired me to start collecting older plants! First and foremost their enormous old trees make excellent examples of the beauty of natural trees - a "model" so to speak. Second, thousands of trees in Bonsai are the result of collecting specimens that would normally be destroyed for a multitude of reasons and because they are considered "junk" to the owner they are often free.
Either way enjoy your journey!

Grimmy

 

[lissa]

Welcome to the Art of Bonsai! I just wanted to mention Longwood Gardens inspired me to start collecting older plants! First and foremost their enormous old trees make excellent examples of the beauty of natural trees - a "model" so to speak. Second, thousands of trees in Bonsai are the result of collecting specimens that would normally be destroyed for a multitude of reasons and because they are considered "junk" to the owner they are often free.
Either way enjoy your journey!

Grimmy

Gimmy,

Thank you very much I'm so happy someone else here has seen those gorgeous bonsai trees. Most of which are VERY old! I hope that mine live to be that old. How amazing is that? To own a Bonsai tree that you great grandmother started lol I'm getting carried away, I know..

I did purchase a 4 year old Ficus. Im curious to see how that will turn out. I probably should have asked for a good place but I went ahead and purchased from Brussels Bonsai. The reviews I've read were mixed but leaned more towards good.

I'm just too nervous to drop any serious dough on a beautiful older tree, I think.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

 

[GrimLore]

Do not drop serious dollars on anything until you have confidence you can grow and winter any species. There are places like Arbor Day Org that sell healthy saplings cheap to play with and figure out. There are little trees sprouting all along anywhere you walk in the Spring. There is also many opportunities to collect trees free. Take your time as it should be and enjoy! Hurry equals waste I might add that plastic trainer pots, saucer type pots, bulb pots and even colanders will make it through the worst of winters unlike standard clay pots.

Grimmy

 

[bennybenben]

Welcome to the Bonsai world, you have some nice trees to start out with get them into a plastic bonsai training pit which you could buy online or at a local bonsai nursery. You should see if there's any bonsai club around you, you can join the club and ask all the questions you want, thry also have shows for you to go to. Well have great time learning the art of Bonsai Lissa.

 

[Vance Wood]

Depending on how well developed your artistic skills are, (I have no way of knowing) and you drew and or painted a lot of trees I have to assume that you have ingrained in your heart and mind how a tree is basically constructed. Let us look at bonsai as the art it is.

Most really good bonsai don't just happen as if by magic. Most good bonsai are made, made from developing material (Yamadori) collected from the mountains and trained into the forms we recognize as bonsai. These are the really fine legacy heirloom trees you see in the books. Many of them are valued in the many thousands of dollars and some are considered national treasures. They all demonstrate the one trait most all bonsai have in common the illusion of, or the reality of great age.

The other method is to obtain trees grown for bonsai purposes by professional growers that do only pre-bonsai cultivation. They may even start from see but in the end the trees they cultivate should be superior stock for bonsai purposes,. They are also expensive.

The last source that makes any sense is the garden center/nursery trade. These trees are cultivated by professional businesses for land scape purposes. Some maybe really bonsai friendly and have many traits good for bonsai and others will not do for bonsai at all. These trees are less expensive but will take a bit more of your time to find the good ones and to develop them into bonsai. BUT: Here is the secret, most good bonsai today are not grown up into great bonsai from seed, but cut down into bonsai from larger stock either nursery, pre-bonsai or Yamadori.

If you grow from seed you are looking at at least five years before you get a tree to a point you might be able to start some sort of bonsai training on the tree. That's fine as far as it goes but is that how you want your bonsai experience to progress from this point on? Or maybe you could consider getting a cheap piece of nursery material and attempt to make it into a bonsai while your seeds are growing? Who knows you might like the experience then by the time your seedlings are ready you will have a feel and skill to know how to deal with them.

 

[lissa]

I've been noticing that two of my young trees (which are still unidentified) have some leaves at the top of my plants are curled tight! I uncurl them and they look like healthy leaves just like the rest... but when I let go they spring right back.

Im worried because this is happening on two different species. They were in direct sunlight though. I've just been watering them with a cup too... Waiting for some stuff that is in the mail.

Does anyone know what might be going on here? Also I want to add that I had a major ant problem in the area that I was keeping them. But I do not know if they got into their soil.

 

[bennybenben]

I dont know if im right but it was probably the direct sunlight that the plant was in so you should give the morning sun and indirect sun after that.

 

[GrimLore]

Check very closely for spider mites, I see what could be some evidence. Not positive about that white fuzz...

Grimmy

 

[lissa]

Do not drop serious dollars on anything until you have confidence you can grow and winter any species. There are places like Arbor Day Org that sell healthy saplings cheap to play with and figure out. There are little trees sprouting all along anywhere you walk in the Spring. There is also many opportunities to collect trees free. Take your time as it should be and enjoy! Hurry equals waste I might add that plastic trainer pots, saucer type pots, bulb pots and even colanders will make it through the worst of winters unlike standard clay pots.

Grimmy

Gimmy

Thanks for the tip. I will check out that website for sure. I did purchase from Brussels and Bonsai Boy. I bought two trees (by accident). I tried to cancel my order with Brussels but they shipped it so fast. I know I cant return in because that would definitely kill the tree.

Hurry = waste. I like that.

I cant wait to get rid of the clay pots I have.. One already shattered into 5 pieces and electrical tape is holding it together while I wait for my training pots to come in the mail.

Welcome to the Bonsai world, you have some nice trees to start out with get them into a plastic bonsai training pit which you could buy online or at a local bonsai nursery. You should see if there's any bonsai club around you, you can join the club and ask all the questions you want, thry also have shows for you to go to. Well have great time learning the art of Bonsai Lissa.

Benny

Thanks a lot! I was able to find a club near by! I'm nervous but it should be fun. Just worried I dont know enough to be in the club. I did order 6 training pots. Good thing I asked otherwise i'd be in trouble later lol

Depending on how well developed your artistic skills are, (I have no way of knowing) and you drew and or painted a lot of trees I have to assume that you have ingrained in your heart and mind how a tree is basically constructed. Let us look at bonsai as the art it is.

Most really good bonsai don't just happen as if by magic. Most good bonsai are made, made from developing material (Yamadori) collected from the mountains and trained into the forms we recognize as bonsai. These are the really fine legacy heirloom trees you see in the books. Many of them are valued in the many thousands of dollars and some are considered national treasures. They all demonstrate the one trait most all bonsai have in common the illusion of, or the reality of great age.

The other method is to obtain trees grown for bonsai purposes by professional growers that do only pre-bonsai cultivation. They may even start from see but in the end the trees they cultivate should be superior stock for bonsai purposes,. They are also expensive.

The last source that makes any sense is the garden center/nursery trade. These trees are cultivated by professional businesses for land scape purposes. Some maybe really bonsai friendly and have many traits good for bonsai and others will not do for bonsai at all. These trees are less expensive but will take a bit more of your time to find the good ones and to develop them into bonsai. BUT: Here is the secret, most good bonsai today are not grown up into great bonsai from seed, but cut down into bonsai from larger stock either nursery, pre-bonsai or Yamadori.

If you grow from seed you are looking at at least five years before you get a tree to a point you might be able to start some sort of bonsai training on the tree. That's fine as far as it goes but is that how you want your bonsai experience to progress from this point on? Or maybe you could consider getting a cheap piece of nursery material and attempt to make it into a bonsai while your seeds are growing? Who knows you might like the experience then by the time your seedlings are ready you will have a feel and skill to know how to deal with them.

I have two 4/5 year old Ficus trees in the mail right now. One is coming from very close. So these little babies are definitely not intended to be my only bonsai experience. I know it will take me much longer than 5 years to have any sort of impressive bonsai tree or bonsai capabilities so I can be patient