Newbie Bonsai Question...

[bonsai_monkey]

Hello,

I am a total beginner when it comes to bonsai so please excuse my ignorance.

I have recently returned from a trip to the the US with a Giant Sequoia seedling. Judging from its size it is approximately one year old and comes packaged in a clear plastic tube with padding around the roots (no soil).

I intend to bonsai this tree and as I understand it, it is still some way off being the right age to do anything with it so my question is in regard to what I do with it in the mean time.

Do I put the seedling straight into a shallow bonsai pot or should it go into a larger/deeper pot until it is ready to bonsai?

Thanks in advance.

 

[j evans]

Welcome! I am sure that you are going to hear put it in the ground or a large pot to grow. The bonsai pots are more for the trees that are mainly finished and need just styling. Good luck!

 

[bonsai_monkey]

Thanks for your reply.

As you say 'put it in the ground' does that mean it is ok to keep it outside, even though intend it to be an inside bonsai? I live in the UK so we rarely get any extremes of weather. I would keep it on a first floor balcony so it would never be affected by ground frost and summer temps are rarely extreme.

On another point, is ti OK to feed such a young seedling or should I wait until it gets older, if so, how old?

 

[hemmy]

First, you need to decide on a final thickness and height for your desired final tree. Do you want a one inch diameter trunk or six inch? How large is your outdoor display area? Good bonsai are planned with a final design in mind.

 

[hemmy]

even though intend it to be an inside bonsai?

Giant Seqouia will probably not survive indoors , it must be grown outside. Maybe a balcony but that might be tough, depending on temps, available sunlight, wind, etc.

Here's a good website from a U.K. artist,

www.bonsai4me.com

 

[bonsai_monkey]

It wont be displayed outside, I was just wondering if it is OK to keep it outside even if I eventually move it inside when it is a bonsai.

I haven't yet given much thought to final design, my question was more to do with what should be done with it now.

 

[bonsai_monkey]

Giant Seqouia will probably not survive indoors

OK, that's good to know, thank you.

 

[gallina1594]

I see you mentioned you want it to be an inside bonsai, sorry to burst your bubble, but it will not survive indoors, general rule of thumb, if its found outside naturally (except for some ficus and tropicals) then it needs to stay outside.

 

[bonsai_monkey]

All trees grow outside naturally, don't they?

 

[silvertab]

All trees grow outside naturally, don't they?

I think that was gallina1594's point!

Other than tropicals (ficus, fukien tea etc.) there isn't really such a thing as an "indoor" bonsai, and even the tropicals require a LOT of light to thrive indoor from my understanding!

 

[bonsai_monkey]

Oh OK, I'm really showing my ignorance here then but I always thought bonsai trees were indoor plants

 

[silvertab]

Oh OK, I'm really showing my ignorance here then but I always thought bonsai trees were indoor plants

I wouldn’t worry about it too much, it seems like the most common misconception in bonsai! And I would assume, the number one cause of death of small juniper mall bonsai all around the world

 

[bonsai_monkey]

You live and learn

Thanks for the help.

 

[gallina1594]

Oh OK, I'm really showing my ignorance here then but I always thought bonsai trees were indoor plants

Don't worry! We all start somewhere! Try learning about the native trees in your area. Those will be the easiest to keep alive for they are accustomed to your climate! That's not to say you cant have trees that aren't native to your area, they just require a little more care!

 

[bonsai_monkey]

Thanks for the tip. Giant Sequoia and Redwoods are a common sight in parks throughout the UK so I should be OK with this one.

 

[rockm]

Oh OK, I'm really showing my ignorance here then but I always thought bonsai trees were indoor plants

In the West, the idea of bonsai rests on twin myths- that they're indoor plants and that they're somehow delicate hothouse plants.

Neither has been, or ever will be, accurate.

Those two common misconceptions are major obstacles when people begin bonsai. Bonsai were NEVER kept indoors in Japan and China. They were sometimes brought inside for special occasions then taken back outside after a few hours or a couple of days.

The oldest and most spectacular bonsai are made from temperate zone, winter hardy kinds of trees, pines, maples, elms etc. They are not special kinds of trees. If you plant a 500 year old pine bonsai in the ground and leave it alone, it will revert to being a "regular" tree, extending limbs and growing tall. Same for sequoia, redwood, maple, elm, plum, etc.

"Indoor" bonsai are made from mostly tropical species that TOLERATE living in the stressful (for plants) conditions indoors--extremely low light and humidity. They don't thrive mostly, unless provided with high end, high intensity lighting and humidification. Indoor trees are typically a lot less attractive than trees kept outdoors...since they're typically stressed.

Bonsai REQUIRE outdoor weather to remain healthy. That includes tropical species which, in temperate zones, should be placed outside in full sun in warmer months and brought inside for the winter. The higher light, humidity and air circulation outside stimulate strong growth. Without it, trees decline and eventually die.

Sequoia are sold as novelties to tourists in California. Those plants rarely survive long. They are not an easy species to keep as bonsai outside of that state. Just because they survive as in ground landscape trees in your area, doesn't mean they will perform the same way in a container.

 

[sorce]

What the hell!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[rockm]

FWIW, redwoods, sequoia and bald cypress as bonsai in the U.K.
Also FWIW, the Dan Barton sequoia if I remember correctly, has passed on after it developed issues
https://swindon-bonsai.co.uk/2013/08/13/redwoods-wellingtonia-and-swamp-cypress-as-bonsai/

 

[BillsBayou]

Letting it grow is the only thing to do right now. It's too far from being a bonsai, so don't pot or style it like one.

Some species will respond very well to cutting off the last inch of the taproot. I've done this, with success, to some of my seedlings to get them to grow lateral roots. Lateral roots come in handy down the line. Find out if this is okay to do with a sequoia before you cut off the end of the taproot.

You're at a disadvantage only having one tree. It's better to have a few, because you're likely to kill a few trying to get them acclimated. Since you only have the one tree, you are going to be stuck with whatever it wants to do as it grows over the next few years. If you broaden your goals, you can end up with a nice tree one day.

While you're staring at the tree for the next few years, learn what it takes to make your species a good bonsai. Also learn what the species likes to do in nature. What does it look like when it is (relatively) young, or middle aged, or quite old? The more you learn, the better you will be at listening to what your tree can do.