Really new to bonsai. Any suggestions for trees to buy?

Nightfury413

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Hey guys
I took interest to bonsai trees just about a few days ago, and I'm wondering what tree or trees to start with. I prefer cedars, mugo pines, serissa trees, and/or mound junipers, but anything is alright. Just no lucky bamboo or money trees.I have a budget of a little more than a $100. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks
 

coh

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Where are you located and what kind of horticultural experience do you have?
 

JudyB

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Yes same question from me, it will really make a difference with what is suggested. Also what type of area do you have to keep them? Outside, inside, all sun/shade etc...
You can go to your profile and put in where you live so advice will be easy to give.
 

qwade

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Pinus Parviflora. My favorite. But like others have said -----Where in the world are you ????
 

zelk

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Pinus Parviflora. My favorite. But like others have said -----Where in the world are you ????
White Pine is a beautiful species but grows slowly and has a reputation to be one of the poorest back budding pines. It helps to know what your climate is like but for now I would suggest species like Chinese Elm, Zelkova, Shimpaku, these are all fairly vigorous and hardy growers which is pretty important when you are a beginner in my opinion. The care for these species will also vary depending on your climate.
 

Adair M

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Nice profile pic there Nightfury!

What is that, a Green Atlas Cedar?
 

erb.75

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White pine would not be one I'd recommend to a newbie. They grow slow and are expensive for a decent tree

chinese elm is a good choice for someone starting out if you want deciduous. juniper if you want an evergreen
 

JoeR

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Trident Maple, Japanese Maple, Chinese Elm, Ficus, Shimpaku Juniper, Crabapple, Privet, and Bald Cypress are some of the very best IMO, it just depends on where you are and your climate.

Ficus is great if you want an indoor tree or if you live in a tropical area whereas a shimpaku would be good if you live in a cooler climate.

Dont spend all $100 on one tree. You will be very dissapointed if it dies and trust me, it has a high chance of that happening. Instead, get several young trees of different species to practice keeping trees alive and see what works best. I recommend evergreengardenworks.com for stock if you live in the United States.
 
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Nightfury413

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Sorry guys for not answering earlier.
Thanks guys for all your suggestions, but do any of you know where I can get a tree. It seems that no website has any of your suggestions. I live in SoCal and I'm keeping it indoors. I have no experience in bonsai. I'll take your advice, JoeR. Also, is it smart to buy more than one tree for first timers?
Thanks
 
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JoeR

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Sorry guys for not answering earlier.
Thanks guys for all your suggestions, but do any of you know where I can get a tree. It seems that no website has any of your suggestions. I live in SoCal and I'm keeping it indoors. I'll take your advice, JoeR. Also, is it smart to buy more than one tree for first timers?
Thanks
I would highly recommend starting with an outdoor bonsai but if you are set on having an indoor I suppose a Ficus or Schefflera would be the best. Brent (evergreengardenworks) doesn't sell indoor but there are several great places to buy them online like wigerts. Just search 'tropical bonsai for sale' and a few good sites pop up.

I dont know much about tropical bonsai but I do know indoor bonsai require either a good light setup or a south facing window that gets plenty of light during the day. Otherwise expect a very slow growing unhealthy tree!

A humid enviornment would be beneficial as well. Humidity trays dont work well unless they are much larger than the size of the bonsai pot.

Most people put their tropical bonsai ouside as soon as the weather warms up and leave them there until it gets cold again. I have several indoor citrus trees that I put out for the summer and take in during the winter so they get strong.

Oh and welcome to crazy and good luck with your new hobby.
 

Eric Schrader

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Here's an interesting link:

http://www.jimgremel.com/atlascedar806.html

And a photo I found in my archives:

18453563723_f2f2737a3c_b.jpg


Welcome to the forum ;)
 

Nightfury413

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Thanks for your advice. If I get a Green Mound Juniper, which seems to catch my eye, would it be a good choice for a beginner? Also, do all bonsai trees have to be repotted no matter what? I've looked into how to repot, but do you need to buy a new pot every time you need to repot the tree? Does it ever get large or old enough so that it doesn't need to be repotted anymore? Do all trees get repotted every 3 or so years?
Thanks
PS: An evergreen would be preferred for me.
 

Paradox

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Since you are a beginner, an evergreen (juniper, pine etc) will not be a good tree if you insist on having an indoor tree. Those are outdoor trees. Same with trident and Japanese maples and pretty much most of the species you are going to encounter. Yes there is one guy in the whole world that has managed to keep a procumbens nana juniper alive inside for 20+ years, under an intensive and extensive light set up and seasonal routine that will be way more than your $100 budget. It really isnt about what you prefer, it is about what you are willing and able to provide for the tree to live. You will have a very hard time keeping a juniper, pine, maple etc alive inside.

So for an indoor tree, as suggested, ficus is a good choice for a beginner. However, if you really want them to thrive and not just barely survive, you will need to provide supplemental lighting. Just putting on a window sill will not work long term and trees kept in this manner almost invariably have other problems at some point or another.

Yes all trees need to be repotted regularly because their roots will continue to grow and eventually get pot bound. This needs to be dealt with periodically. The time between repottings depends on several factors: age of the tree, size of the tree, size of the pot, how fast it is growing, and species of the tree among others. Trees never stop growing, unless they are dead and they will always need pruning, repotting, root work etc.

If you are not able or are not willing to provide what the tree needs in terms of environment (nutrients, light, water, soil, pot, dormancy, outside), and things it needs for its care, you might want to rethink your interest in the hobby. I dont mean to sound harsh, but there is a lot involved and it takes commitment to follow through or you will be in for a lot of frustration and disappointment and you wont enjoy the hobby.

Good luck
 

erb.75

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If you go indoor...a ficus will live but not thrive unless you give it something extra. I've tried fluorescent lighting and believe me when I say mother nature does a better job with lighting....you don't need just a little bit of extra artificial light to make it thrive, but a lot.

For me, the only tree that I'd recommend indoors anymore is a schefflera. I have one and I love it. Talk to David at www.fukubonsai.com

That's the only tree he sells and he sells it targeted at indoor bonsai. I've been out to his nursery in Hawaii and it was awesome
 

JoeR

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Since you are a beginner, an evergreen (juniper, pine etc) will not be a good tree if you insist on having an indoor tree. Those are outdoor trees. Same with trident and Japanese maples and pretty much most of the species you are going to encounter. Yes there is one guy in the whole world that has managed to keep a procumbens nana juniper alive inside for 20+ years, under an intensive and extensive light set up and seasonal routine that will be way more than your $100 budget. It really isnt about what you prefer, it is about what you are willing and able to provide for the tree to live. You will have a very hard time keeping a juniper, pine, maple etc alive inside.

So for an indoor tree, as suggested, ficus is a good choice for a beginner. However, if you really want them to thrive and not just barely survive, you will need to provide supplemental lighting. Just putting on a window sill will not work long term and trees kept in this manner almost invariably have other problems at some point or another.

Yes all trees need to be repotted regularly because their roots will continue to grow and eventually get pot bound. This needs to be dealt with periodically. The time between repottings depends on several factors: age of the tree, size of the tree, size of the pot, how fast it is growing, and species of the tree among others. Trees never stop growing, unless they are dead and they will always need pruning, repotting, root work etc.

If you are not able or are not willing to provide what the tree needs in terms of environment (nutrients, light, water, soil, pot, dormancy, outside), and things it needs for its care, you might want to rethink your interest in the hobby. I dont mean to sound harsh, but there is a lot involved and it takes commitment to follow through or you will be in for a lot of frustration and disappointment and you wont enjoy the hobby.

Good luck
I agree, with the exception of "needing" supplemental light. If you have a good sized south facing window, not east/west/north, that is sufficient for some trees.

You can only keep tropical bonsai inside year round. Species like the Green Mound Juniper require a dormancy period and must be subjected to temperatures below I think 50°F. Junipers and pines also require more light than a cheap indoor setup or window could provide. A juniper may 'live' inside for some time but it will not thrive.

Seems like you have to give a little here. Do you want an evergreen that you can only keep outside or do you want a tropical bonsai that you keep inside?
 

Lazylightningny

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I'd go for an ilex/holly to start with. In my area they're readily available at any nursery, relatively cheap, grow fast, and backbud readily. I feel it's a perfect beginners tree (great for me). Look for one with a thick trunk.
 
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