Wanting to Bonsai, where to start?

[art]

The title says it all i suppose. In the past couple of days, I have been finding myself wanting to bonsai after stumbling across some images online.

I have always had an artistic side - been a musician for many years, as well as a graphic designer. I have have been discovering ways to express art through nature. I have currently invested a lot of time and money in keeping and maintaing a planted aquarium and am really attracted to the art of bonsai.

Anyways, after learning from many mistakes from the planted aquarium side of things... I know the best thing to do is gather as much information before i start something like this.

I have patience and the will to soak up as much information about the hobby as possible. Having only started a planted aquarium a few months ago, I have learned lots, and fast and with good results. I think i will do good in bonsai - I just need the framework

So my question for you guys is, where do i start?

Can I grow bonsai indoors with artificial light? I don't have a backyard or a patio, and while my apartment is nice, it doesn't have many windows :/ What would be the best tree in this situation?

I have considered joining a bonsai club in my area, but i am a bit intimidated due to my complete obliviousness.

What are some good resources for a beginner like myself?

Anyways, I hope I'm asking the right questions! Thanks for reading

 

[fourteener]

I appreciate your enthusiasm. People are going to ask you to fill in your location as part of your profile. It matters a lot when it comes to the advice given.

Your problem however is that this is an outdoor hobby. There are almost no trees that are going to do well indoors with limited light. Your gonna end up with weak, sick plants that will keep this from being a very good experience.

Hate to rain on your parade, but light and being outside are pretty large requirements.

 

[jk_lewis]

www.evergreengardenworks.com Read ALL of the articles.

www.bonsai4me.com ditto

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t9869-g-mini-book-reviews-i-beginner-s-books Go to library, Amazon or bookstore and find one or two of these.

JOIN THAT CLUB. Everyone starts out clueless.

 

[art]

I appreciate your enthusiasm. People are going to ask you to fill in your location as part of your profile. It matters a lot when it comes to the advice given.

Your problem however is that this is an outdoor hobby. There are almost no trees that are going to do well indoors with limited light. Your gonna end up with weak, sick plants that will keep this from being a very good experience.

Hate to rain on your parade, but light and being outside are pretty large requirements.

Thank you for the heads up, i guess its good i figured this out first.

I suppose this is something i could do at my moms house, she has a beautifully landscaped backyard with lots of space, and i'm sure she wouldn't mind me adding to it. I don't imagine a bonsai requires as much daily maintenance as my aquarium, so there is a possibility.

I had seen online that there were indoor or outdoor plants, which is why i thought id check.

I live in ontario, canada BTW.

 

[dick benbow]

I too wish to encourage all posters to have some information on location. Here in the Pacific NW I have local clubs, A bonsai exhibition with fabulous instructional curator and a very helpful and knowledgeable retail establishment with paid for instruction.
As you indicated with your aquarium learning curve, things take time. In our club we have a mentor system that takes newbees and alligns them with willing and knowledgeable folks who make you feel comfortable in your knowledge aqusition.
Indoor bonsai can be another world but very doable. There's some good books out there that can easily be followed.
Find someone close who is doing what you want to do and learn from them. It's a journey and not a destination. It begins with the first step and hopefully never ends. If anything the more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn.
may all your thumbs turn green! If your ever out this way (Seattle) PM me and we'll run to the Pacific Bonsai Museum (formerly Weyerhaeuser) and we'll go over the occupants in the semi-tropical greenhouse.

 

[art]

I too wish to encourage all posters to have some information on location. Here in the Pacific NW I have local clubs, A bonsai exhibition with fabulous instructional curator and a very helpful and knowledgeable retail establishment with paid for instruction.
As you indicated with your aquarium learning curve, things take time. In our club we have a mentor system that takes newbees and alligns them with willing and knowledgeable folks who make you feel comfortable in your knowledge aqusition.
Indoor bonsai can be another world but very doable. There's some good books out there that can easily be followed.
Find someone close who is doing what you want to do and learn from them. It's a journey and not a destination. It begins with the first step and hopefully never ends. If anything the more you learn, the more you realize there is to learn.
may all your thumbs turn green! If your ever out this way (Seattle) PM me and we'll run to the Pacific Bonsai Museum (formerly Weyerhaeuser) and we'll go over the occupants in the semi-tropical greenhouse.

That is fantastic! I feel like its going to be quite a journey - especially finding a mentor locally. It not like the peers my age (27) are into the hobby. Though if I were to attend a club meeting, I would hope to be pleasantly surprised.

With all my hobbies/interests, they have all started on a whim or impulse. But i always seem stick with them and be very passionate about them. When i get a certain feeling that something is right for me, i don't usually ignore it and tend to be quite obsessive in making them a part of my life lol

I had mentioned in a previous post that i am from Ontario, Canada. More specially - Hamilton Ontario which is home to Canada's largest botanical garden - The Royal Botanical Gardens (Also the location of the bonsai society) So i guess i'm already pretty lucky in that regard.

Now, i know i would like to have a good starting point and able to train my bonsai myself. I COULD do outdoor, if i were to have it at my Mom's until i own my own place.

How much time is usually devoted to to Bonsai Daily?

 

[jeanluc83]

It not like the peers my age (27) are into the hobby.

You might be surprised. It seems that the hobby is starting to gain some traction with the younger crowd. I think this is partially do to how much information is readily available on the internet. There are quite a few here in their twenties and a few teenagers. I started when I was about 13 but gave it up after a few years. I started again a few years ago at 28.

How much time is usually devoted to to Bonsai Daily?

This is greatly dependent on the time of year, how many trees you have, stage of development, etc. To answer a question with another question “how long does it take to catch a fish?”

To make a stab at your question, I would say most days in the growing season it is about 10 to 20 min for me. This is just for general maintenance, like watering and fertilizing. I have about 25 trees that are very early in development. There really isn’t much that needs to be done other than keep them healthy. With more trees and further developed trees this will take longer.