# Bonsai Basics?



## Cavedweller

With the exception of succulents, I'm pretty much a plant newbie. I have very little knowledge on the topic of bonsai, but I'd love to learn about it. Any particular books or websites you'd recommend? Right now I'm reading http://www.bonsaiforbeginners.com/

Sidenote: Years ago I received a juniper bonsai as a gift, but I'm horribly allergic to cedar and when the plant met an untimely end in a dishwasher-related incident, I did not mourn it.

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## The Snark

Just a very general suggestion. Select plants that are reasonably fast growing, along with being hardy and requiring minimal maintenance. Fast growing = more work but you will see the fruits of your labors before the next ice age. Always keep in mind, most of those fantastic bonsai show pieces are at least 10 years in the making.

Evergreens are the common choice for bonsai as they conform to conditions very readily. IE, cramped roots, minimal water, regular trimming. You can speed up their growth by giving them ample soil to root in and plentiful water then once it is the general shape you want, trim and restrict the roots and closely control the water.


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## Cavedweller

Yeah, from what I read it seems that this hobby requires even more patience than NW Ts hahaha. I don't expect anything impressive to come of my efforts, but the process itself sounds very interesting. 

I combed through bonsaimary.com and right now I'm going through the blog Bonsaitonight. Juniper seems very popular, but that's an absolute no for me. I keep looking at juniper bonsai articles and wondering how people deal with the pollen! I'm certainly not opposed to trying other evergreens though. 

I forgot about jade plant bonsai. My sister's got a three footer in her backyard, I wonder if I could pester her for more cuttings to experiment with shaping them...


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## Tongue Flicker

Not trees but you could start with plants like Adenium or Bougainvilla shrubs that also used in bonsai culture so you could get a good idea of what you want to do in the future


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## Cavedweller

To be honest I think bougainvillas are kinda ugly (their flowers are just pallete swapped leaves!), but I just looked up adenium and the bonsais have really cool root growth!

Apparently people sometimes use Albizias for bonsais, I prefer the flower shape of Mimosas but I'm not sure they would get enough of a trunk.


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## The Snark

You might want to avoid bougainvillea. They have very fast 'sucker' growth that can get huge but the mature stems-trunks take 3 to 5 years just to establish rigidity. Dwarfed by bonsai they can be fascinating though.

Oh! Split leaf ginko. Grows very slow but exquisitely beautiful in miniature.


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## Cavedweller

I have no plans to get a bougainvilla, I got more than my fill of them at my grandma's house as a kid. 

I looked up gingko bonsai, this one's incredible http://artofbonsai.org/galleries/images/gingko_2007/gingko_022_945.jpg 
Don't female gingko smell really bad though? Can you get confirmed male cuttings?


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## The Snark

Cavedweller said:


> I have no plans to get a bougainvilla, I got more than my fill of them at my grandma's house as a kid.
> 
> I looked up gingko bonsai, this one's incredible http://artofbonsai.org/galleries/images/gingko_2007/gingko_022_945.jpg
> Don't female gingko smell really bad though? Can you get confirmed male cuttings?


You can get any ginko, male or female, under the sun. The odor comes from female seeds and if you are caring for a bonsai properly those are regularly trimmed off.

With virtually any bonsai you always dedicate a minute or two every day to it, or 10 to 20 minutes a week. Caring for a bonsai often accompanies yoga or meditation times. Or just a few moments each day when you want to wind down.


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## Cavedweller

The Snark said:


> You can get any ginko, male or female, under the sun. The odor comes from female seeds and if you are caring for a bonsai properly those are regularly trimmed off.
> Oh I see, thanks!
> 
> With virtually any bonsai you always dedicate a minute or two every day to it, or 10 to 20 minutes a week. Caring for a bonsai often accompanies yoga or meditation times. Or just a few moments each day when you want to wind down.


Oh I see, thanks!

That definitely sounds like something I could use! When I come home stressed out, taking care of my bugs for a few minutes always calms me down. I feel very over my head though, I'm only a few pages into Bonsaitonight but this stuff is so much more complicated than bugs.

How do I start something like this? This spring do I just pick out a young tree from a nursery? I also kind of want to try collecting a small oak from an empty lot.


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## The Snark

Let me see if I can simplify things.
You are retarding the plants growth by confining and controlling it's root growth and nutrient uptake. So you need to have some familiarity with it's soil needs. Then you give it soil a grade or two poorer than optimal. Often sandy loam is a very useful medium. Potting soil is completely out of the question.

The pot or planter. Normally a bonsai gets transplanted two or three times. Start with a very small pot with potting soil and get a healthy virile plant growing. Say a conifer seedling. A 4 inch square pot is fine. As it grows you decide on the basic shape. One or more trunks, the branching and the general shape you want the foliage. 

So you have a 12 inch single trunk tree in a 4 inch pot in full sunlight. It isn't dwarfed yet. Start by topping the trunk. Just a tiny bit. 1/4 inch. Enough for it to split and form two trunks. Let it grow. Some plants hate forking and splitting and the more hostile the environment, the greater the chance they will die back or even die outright. So you need to know your plant and pay attention. A single cut off like topping isn't the end all be all. You may be topping it dozens of times. Same goes for branches.

So let's do a very standard bonsai. Top it and watch the new growth. The branches will start to become thicker or it will just start to branch. Select one branch to become the trunk. Continue cutting the top back just below the new branches/trunks that come out and do the same for all the branches except the one selected for a trunk. Keep the plant healthy, very greened up and well watered. 

Now wire down the main branch to become a trunk. A little at a time, bend it down slightly. It will grow back, the growth curving back upwards towards the light. Continue trimming the top back a little at a time. Keep the other branches trimmed. You may cut them off later but right now they are keeping the plant healthy for the stress to come.

Now the easiest way. That branch to become a trunk. Place the plant in the shade, even tilted at quite an angle, so the sunlight shines on that branch most, from the general direction your want the plant to grow. The rest of the plant being mostly shaded. The entire plant will now grow towards the sunlight. Keep all branches trimmed back except the new trunk. Let it grow for a bit, preferably growing almost sideways.

With the plant looking healthy and greened up. Unpot the plant very gently. Dip in water a few times to wash away some of the potting soil. Repot using sand or sandy loam for soil replacement into the same 4 inch pot. Now to keep it alive and healthy, give it enough sun, though still at an angle, and enough water to keep it greened up. Keep all branches and branchlets trimmed, except the end of the new branch/trunk. 

You now have a bonsai in the making. The above can take 2 to 3 months. ^ months isn't unusual. Keep in mind evergreens are dormant in the winter so it's best to not start this later than August. Don't work too hard on the plant during the dormant months each subsequent year.

As the sideways growing new trunk gets going, you very carefully wire it, bending it to shape. Be aware, it can take a year for a sapling to conform to the wire. Bending down the end of the branch won't make it bend down, it's new growth will grow  upwards towards the light, That way you can zig zag the growth.

If it is growing way too fast. Turning into a bush or small tree, the balancing act comes in. Restricting it's water and sunlight without causing die back. Slowly slowly and patience the the big rule. If die back starts, move the plant into filtered direct sunlight, water every day and hope it recovers. Die back will be noted by the very tips of the branches browning. So watch it like a hawk during times when you are stressing it - minimal light, very little water, or repotting.

Now to give you a hint. All of the above... A serious bonsai enthusiast may do a dozen or more, or even 100 just like described, to get the growth just they way it is desired. They often used drawings as detailed as architectural renderings and experiment with amounts of water, light, added nutrients, and amount of wiring and degree of tension on the wires.

All the above is to just start a bonsai. From that point the tricks and techniques are legion, many being closely guarded secrets. The real fanatics may start a bonsai as described that won't be fit for show for decades. Some are planned to be worked on for generations to come.

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## Cavedweller

That's a huge help! Thank you so much! I didn't know what topping was and had to look it up, but I think I've got it now. From what I'm reading, early spring will be the best time to start? I'll keep an eye out for potential plants until then. 

Yeah, I was amazed at how old some bonsai are and how many generations they've been through.

I'm very concerned about getting plants through the summer, since I have a concrete porch, no yard, and 100+ degree days. From what I've read only certain bonsai will survive inside without plant lights. Any ideas?


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## The Snark

Indoors is the same for all plants. IE, what tolerate low light. A bonsai offers the additional problem that it is continually stressed to some degree and wants higher humidity. In a house that is heated regularly in the winter, few bonsai will do well. There is a pretty good list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_bonsai

PS If you want to cheat, so to speak, for you first experiences with bonsai, the jade leaf succulent, crassula ovata, is an excellent vicitim. Retarding it's root growth by root restriction automatically retards the entire plant. As most succulents they are much more tolerant to low humidity levels as well as watering needs with the leaves shrinking and developing wrinkles from lack of moisture to give an early warning sign of extreme stress. 

As for getting through the summers, bonsai, except succulents, are very high maintenance plants. Many can go from healthy to deaths door dehydrated in 48 to 72 hours without water. Try to select the hardiest possible like ficus, boxwood, ligustrum (privet) or cypress. Hardwoods like boxwood and privet typically have much slower nutrient and water uptakes making them more drought resistant. Cypress as Italian, make beautiful bonsai but many take several years to develop mature heartwood.

PS The boxwood is one of the most beautiful and exotic bonsai. Their leaves normally are ovate, 1/4 to a half inch long. With retarded growth the leaves can become minute, 1/16th to 1/8th long and you end up with what can look like a giant tree with great masses of foliage in a plant only a foot tall. With diligent care, they are also the weapon of choice for making ultra miniature hedges that can be neatly trimmed, as small as 4 inches tall or even shorter. (If you feel like losing your mind and trimming your hedge using a magnifying glass and manicuring scissors).

PPS You will read in many guides about keeping bonsai in a terrarium for higher humidity. As with animals, the same applies to bonsai but to an even greater degree. Stressed plants are very ready victims of molds, fungi and invasive microoraganisms. They need a LOT of ventilation, usually more than can be found in the average terrarium.


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## Cavedweller

Alright then, I'll start with crassula this year and see how it goes! The single cutting I took hasn't been growing much, I'll ask sis for bigger ones. 

Thanks for that link, very helpful. You were right about boxwoods, incredible! And check out this Casuarina equisetifolia http://i43.servimg.com/u/f43/13/93/67/37/casuar10.jpg

I'm visiting family in Arizona right now and I'm kinda curious how dwarfing various desert trees would go. Most of them already have very small leaves, and they might be more resilient in my climate. It would be interesting to see how palo verde and other bark-photosynthesizing trees react to defoliating. A whitethorn acacia bonsai would also look pretty, but I could not tolerate the smell (they have yellow puffball flowers that smell exactly like the chemical in portable toilets and they are everywheeere in my parent's neighborhood)

That's too bad about the terrariums, do high ventilation types like chameleon enclosures manage any more humidity than no terrarium at all?


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## The Snark

Non succulent/cacti desert plants are dwarfed from word go as a rule. Mingy soil and low water availability. Sounds like experimentation time. With bonsais, experimentation=Got a few decades to spare? That is why so many people just go with tried and proven.
Lovely Casuarina. I'd guess 30 to 50 years old from the trunk appearance.

Crassula grow pretty slow. Give plenty of water and direct sunlight to get it going. But don't drown it's roots. Some drainage is required.


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## Cavedweller

Next time I visit my parents maybe I'll try taking cuttings from their palo verde, apparently they grow quickly and only live 100 years or so. I can't find much on propagating them from cuttings, but I imagine air layering in Arizona would be difficult. I'm reading up on general tree cuttings right now.   

I once killed a crassula with overwatering (during the summer too!), I'm keeping this one parched.

Edit: Well speak of the devil http://tucson.com/lifestyles/home-a...cle_97a067ef-f782-5f1a-9d5d-eead61d81fdf.html


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## The Snark

What appears to be ideal conditions and Crassula goes limp=Roots drowning.


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## Shawq0x01

Look up Bonzai Techniques I & II by John Naka.  They give a great deal of knowledge about bonsai.  You may also want to check out the phoenix bonsai society website for some info on plants for drier climates.


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## Cavedweller

The Snark said:


> What appears to be ideal conditions and Crassula goes limp=Roots drowning.


Yep, that's exactly what happened.



Shawq0x01 said:


> Look up Bonzai Techniques I & II by John Naka.  They give a great deal of knowledge about bonsai.  You may also want to check out the phoenix bonsai society website for some info on plants for drier climates.


Oh wow the price on Bonsai Techniques, ouch! Too bad there's no ebook yet. 

Phoenix Bonsai Society sounds like a support group for desperate gardeners cursing fate for putting them in Arizona than anything else (can you tell I hated living in Phoenix yet?) I see they have a whole section on summer care though, I can use that for sure!

Edit: Oooh, the Phoenix Bonsai Society site mentions Texas ebony, I didn't know the name, but I'd been wondering if those worked as bonsai, there's tons in my parents' neighborhood. Bonsaihunk even says it can be grown indoors


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## The Snark

I want to see someone bonsai a manzanita. The most amazing and beautiful wood, a deep dark red, naturally very twisted growth, extremely drought tolerant, can be found growing in the wild in pure decomposed granite, and usually grows extremely slowly. 100 year old 'clumps' are common.


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## Cavedweller

I'd never heard of them, they're incredible! 

http://bonsaibark.com/2009/11/15/the-manzanita-mystery/ From what I'm reading it sounds like they don't thrive in captivity without the right fungi, too bad

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## The Snark

Cavedweller said:


> I'd never heard of them, they're incredible!
> 
> http://bonsaibark.com/2009/11/15/the-manzanita-mystery/ From what I'm reading it sounds like they don't thrive in captivity without the right fungi, too bad


They also produce berries. Had a huge clump of them, several hundred feet across up near 8500 feet in the Sierras and our trail ran right through it. At berry time of year the bears would hang out in the clump. Just their odor would spook the horses, let alone a bear suddenly making an appearance near the trail. The berries are delicious and there are recipes for them.

The clump died when a fire raged through. How twisted they grow depends on the bonsai effect from poor soil. These picture had nutrient rich soil so they weren't  as dwarfed. You can see regrowth at the base of several. The fire had gone through 2 years earlier which shows how slow they grow. The leaves aren't dusty green on young plants but vibrant until the plant begins to mature.

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## LythSalicaria

*LythSalicaria casts level 5 Thread Necromancy...*

Right on, I was about to post a new thread to document the progress of my first attempt at growing bonsai and I happened to see this one. Figured I'd just post here instead. 

Cavedweller, are you still into this at all? Have you got a tree going? Would be cool to see pics if you do! 

I trimmed some promising-looking stems off the old crabapple tree in my yard today. I'm pretty sure it's one of three possible cultivars - Mary Potter, Red Jewel or Red Jade. Mary Potter seems the most likely - the one in my back yard closely matches the description I found on Michigan State University's "Gardening in Michigan" website.  

"The flowers may be produced heavily only every other year..." 

Check. This tree has consistently had a lean year followed by a heavy one ever since we moved to this property in 2005. 

"...The red fruits persist and are attractive to birds." Double check. Many of the fruits cling to the branches throughout the winter and well into spring, sometimes even summer. It takes either active manipulation or a very stiff wind to knock the apples out of the trees. I wish the description went into greater detail. >_< If anyone knows of any better resources for identifying various tree cultivars, please let me know.

The document I used to help identify my tree can be viewed *here.* At the very least it's a good starting point for anyone wanting to try their hand at crabapple bonsai, and it does cover any weaknesses or resistances each cultivar might have at the very least.

I mainly chose this cultivar because of convenience - with free clippings to be had in my back yard, why would I look any further? As an added bonus, apparently crabapple can be a good choice for a novice grower due to the fact that many species are very hardy as well as easy to propagate from stem clippings. Their only downside is that they need a period of dormancy every year in order to produce new growth in the spring, so if you're living in an arid, tropical or semi-tropical climate, they're not the best choice. I imagine there could be ways to work around this for someone with the funds and the know-how though.

Will post some pics of my efforts soon. 

ETA: Oh, also, Cavedweller, if you -are- still into bonsai, I've found a few sites that are very informative. If you want links, just shoot me a PM.


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## Cavedweller

I would love to see pictures of your progress! I've got a couple pages bookmarked already but I'm always happy to have more resources, you can put them here in the thread if you like.  

I've got some Crassula cuttings growing now. I'd like to try shaping them when they get bigger. Unfortunately my new apartment doesn't have a porch (am I the only one who thinks that's super weird?), so that kinda limits my plant options.

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## viper69

I've seen small forests of mini oaks and maples at a botanical garden; they were very very cool

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## LythSalicaria

Cavedweller said:


> I would love to see pictures of your progress! I've got a couple pages bookmarked already but I'm always happy to have more resources, you can put them here in the thread if you like.
> 
> I've got some Crassula cuttings growing now. I'd like to try shaping them when they get bigger. Unfortunately my new apartment doesn't have a porch (am I the only one who thinks that's super weird?), so that kinda limits my plant options.


Right on, Crassula are gorgeous little plants.  

I was concerned that linking to the sites here might be a rule violation, but I read through the forum rules again and I don't see anything to indicate that. So...Linkage!

*Bonsai Empire* - I've been spending a lot of time on this site. They have an exhaustive list of articles for beginners that cover everything from cultivation to styling techniques. They also have a great forum.

*Bonsai Nut* - This place has a much larger community, and while this can be a double-edged sword (bigger community = more drama), it's worth checking out if only for the wealth of information contained therein, as well as the ability to make contact with and learn from experienced hobbyists.

I got a nasty surprise yesterday morning - my crabapple cuttings got trashed.  I had MacGuyvered a greenhouse tent that I assumed would protect them from animals, but I didn't think about the possibility of raccoons taking interest. They're the most likely culprit (or maybe a *Tanuki* is messing with me :laugh. If they can bust open a locked garbage can, a jury-rigged greenhouse would be an afterthought.  I managed to save the stems and get them re-potted before the leaves started wilting so I haven't lost hope on them yet, but if this happens again I'm just going to get myself a little Juniper to work with instead - conifers aren't very appealing to critters, usually.

Will update with pics soon. 



			
				viper69 said:
			
		

> I've seen small forests of mini oaks and maples at a botanical garden; they were very very cool


I know, right? Thanks to Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san I've been fascinated by the art-form for years. While I was still on Facebook I followed pages related to Bonsai competitions; pretty much every day they posted pictures of Bonsai that were anywhere from 25 to over 100 years old. Their beauty was beyond description; thinking of how much work went into them boggles the mind.


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## Cavedweller

Thanks for those links! I'll have to check em out. What the heck kind of drama can a bonsai community produce? That's supposed to be a relaxing hobby!

That sucks about your cuttings, I didn't realize raccoons went after stuff like that. They weren't trying to eat them, were they? 

One of my jade plant cuttings has grown a lot since I got it last year, and it's even sent out a new shoot. I'll have to divide it when the weather dries out. I can't decide what shape I'd like to train these into, though. Hopefully those sites will give me some inspiration.


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## awiec

For your question about the crab apple, you might want to get a botanical key. Sure there is a lot of latin terms that you have to know but they are pretty handy and even have some cultivars listed in them. I'll have to stop being a slacker and post my trees, I've been officially doing the bonsai thing for 3 years but have always had potted plants that I've shaped (I had a really nice hibiscus for almost 7 years).

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## DETHCHEEZ

It's Sunday & I'm being lazy & enjoying it
But I'll post some pics of some of my shall we say "Non Traditional" Bonsais
I have around IDK 20 some
None of which were store bought
With my oldest ones being in about the 8 year old range

This doesn't apply to plants started from cuttings
But if the plant was grown from seed
*You Need To Cut The Tap Root*


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## Cavedweller

You can't tease me like that! Now I'm really curious what you've got in your collection. 

"Non traditional" in quotes like that does sound super shady though hahaha


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## awiec

Cavedweller said:


> You can't tease me like that! Now I'm really curious what you've got in your collection.
> 
> "Non traditional" in quotes like that does sound super shady though hahaha


If it's a woody stemmed plant, you can bonsai it and I have a few  weird bonsai myself. I have this one Puerto Rican plant that I've been working on for over a year and it's finally looking like a proper bonsai. Im going to get this south american fruit bush soon as a future subject.

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## neubii18

*Pachyforms*

Look into Pachyforms, the art of succulent bonsai. Phileppe De Vosjoli and Rudy Lime have 2 books out that are mind boggling. My favorite species is Operculicarya decaryi, or Jabily Tree. Look up bonsais of those. Also Bursera fagaroides and mirophylla. Another cool type of plant is caudiciforms. Google Dioscorea elephantipes and Fockea edulis in both natural and bonsai forms. The books are titled Pachyforms Volume 1 and 2 and available on Amazon for around $40 each. Both must haves. If you have any other questions on bonsai or Pachyforms, PM me and I will be glad to talk plants


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## varanoid

neubii18 said:


> Look into Pachyforms, the art of succulent bonsai. Phileppe De Vosjoli and Rudy Lime have 2 books out that are mind boggling. My favorite species is Operculicarya decaryi, or Jabily Tree. Look up bonsais of those. Also Bursera fagaroides and mirophylla. Another cool type of plant is caudiciforms. Google Dioscorea elephantipes and Fockea edulis in both natural and bonsai forms. The books are titled Pachyforms Volume 1 and 2 and available on Amazon for around $40 each. Both must haves. If you have any other questions on bonsai or Pachyforms, PM me and I will be glad to talk plants



Bonsai is a very cool hobby that I dabble in a little. There are some great Youtube channels on the subject and recommend you look into them. I have read several books on the subject, but what I read didn't make as much sense until I saw it put to action on some of the videos. Best of luck.


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