Bonsai trees

MHYoshimitzu

Hello H/A,

My girlfriend finds herself with a lot of down time at her job (she is a "task force dean" for Christian girl's dorm, meaning she is one of the women who runs the dorm's day-to-day activities), where she also lives.

I wanted to get her a Bonsai tree for Christmas, as she isn't allowed any pets where she lives currently. What can you tell me about them, how much should I pay for one (within reason, I know some can go for hundreds of dollars, I am looking for something small), and what she would need to have in order to keep up with the upkeep of the tree?

Brainleech

Prices? I have no idea anymore last I saw they varied from $20 to over $1,000. As for care it's very labour intentsive and your first few times will not look professional.

My experence with bonsai has been mixed because I had a hard time trying to keep them alive or growing. I would ask if you are going to a greenhouse or whatever about what types are made for indoors!

For the most part it's just a tree and same care but it needs a little bit of water every other day to keep the roots wet

MegaMan001

Head to your local green house, that's the best source of information. I got a bonsai for my birthday last year and it's kind of cool. You water it, leave it in the sun and let it grow. It's on the smaller side. I used some wire to like, uh, 'guide' the branches upward for a more full appearance and did a little trimming - but it's a neat little thing to have.

EggyToast

Bonsai is cool, but is not much of a time-filler. It involves a lot of patience and long-term involvement, as you would basically trim maybe once a month and water depending on the plant's schedule (but rarely more than once a week).

MetroidZoid

Eggy's right, this is a once-in-awhile hobby, but also an art form. And like other art forms, it takes many many hours of experience to master it. Unfortunately, you're physically limited to not being able to work on your tree all at once.

The best way I've seen to see if Bonsai is something she might be interested in is to (1) pick up a book aimed at beginners, one that shows basic forms and techniques without getting too technical. Secondly, you could pick up an already trained bonsai in a store, but these vary between overpriced bad trees who are grown in solid blocks of glued gravel (seriously), or were masterfully produced and cost $texas. What I found, on the suggestion of a bonsai teacher online, was that you can achieve good results by growing your tree like you would another plant, in a container or ground, occasionally training it's basic shape then, and when it's reached a desirable size, then you trim it's roots and pot it. Just by going to the nursery, you should be able to find many small seedlings of shrubs and conifers that you might like, and a nursery staff can tell you what's easiest to grow. I tried a Yew and a Kinnickinick, but there's also Privets and Laurels and Maples and on and on. Also, check the clearance racks because rootbound, overgrown-for-it's-pot plants are just the right thing for Bonsai. Also invest in a good pair of snips, this is where I spent the most. I think for three plants, a book, and some snips, it was around $40. I eventually realized I don't have the time or attention for Bonsai, while trying to grow the rest of my houseplants and garden, but it was fun to experiment with.