Bonsai tree help needed for a complete gardening newb

Lerage

Since I can't get a pet right now, I figure I want some kind of plant instead, and bonsai trees sound like something that would keep my interest (though this is based on the "wow, they're cool! little trees - in your house!"sort of reaction, more than any real consideration).

However, all the websites I've been looking at, trying to find information for a beginner like me, only want to sell stuff, and aren't really very helpful. So I thought I'd ask you kindly forum-goers to tell me the basics...

Though, since I'm the sort of person that can easily kill a cactus, so is it the right choice for me? I want something that's worthwhile having, but won't be too expensive - any suggestions?

Daemonion

Don't go to websites, to go amazon or borders and buy a book. To keep a Bonsai tree healthy you are going to need to constantly reference a guide - they are difficult to keep healthy, but do-able.


Also, good choice.

Lodbrok

Well... most classical bonsai are outdoor trees, meaning you need to provide them with a cool, but not freezing
place in the winter. Also, they are often a bit harder to care for than trees you keep indoor all year. So, what you want is probably a tree originating from tropical or sub-tropical climate so it can live inside all year. There are a number of species that are commonly sold as indoor bonsai, such as Serissa foetida, Sageretia theezans, Zelkova serrata and Carmona microphylla. However, none of these are that easy to care for, so I would recommend a ficus instead. Like this one:



Ficus-trees are practically impossible to kill, and can look pretty nice if you put some effort into shaping them. As for the practical care of the tree, it something that you pick up over time, and the ficus is much more forgiving than the other species I mentioned. I don't know how many tress I've killed, but keeping bonsai can be frustrating since sometimes they die for no apparent reason, due to growing under such marginal conditions. Anyway, start with a ficus, and if you like it, try the Zelkova, it is also fairly easy to care for. Here is a page that seems alright about ficus-care:

http://www.bonsaigardener.org/ficus-bonsai-care.html

And to echo Daemonion, it is a good idea to get a book and read up a bit, and also for inspiration.

MuddBudd

I highly recommend this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Bonsai-Harry-Tomlinson/dp/1558591184

Lerage

Thanks for all the advice!
I'll have a look for a ficus then, I don't want to be too ambitious, and amazon really is a mine of unbiased information, so I'm going to get a book...

Also, do I really need to buy all the little scissors, or are just one or two pairs essential?

MuddBudd

Lerage wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice!
I'll have a look for a ficus then, I don't want to be too ambitious, and amazon really is a mine of unbiased information, so I'm going to get a book...

Also, do I really need to buy all the little scissors, or are just one or two pairs essential?

I think you can buy them as you need them. Most books will explain it, but the shears are designed to cut it in a way that does the least damage to the tree and allows it to heal more easily.

Lodbrok

Like Mudbudd said, you don't need any special tools when you are starting out. Ordinary sciccors works fine for triming. The benefit of the special shears is that they leave a concave wound on the tree rather than a straight one when you remove branches. This makes the tree form scar-tissue in a more natural way and causes the wound to be less noticable, but this is not something you have to care about just starting out. I just use an ordinary wire-cutter for cutting branches, but then again I'm not a prefectionist. One thing you might want to buy right away is wire for forming the branches. There exist special copper-wire meant for bonsai, but I've only ever used plastic-covered gardening wire. If you are interested in seeing what the different species I mentioned looks like, here is a link to a page I made about my trees the last time this came up:

http://lodbrok.110mb.com/bonsai/bonsai.html

Lerage

That's an amazing collection, I especially love the picture right at the bottom, very impressive!

The Lord of Hats

As a note, in my experience with Ficuses (Ficii?), they tend to react poorly to being moved to a different location. Whenever my family moved ours (actually 3, braided together), it'd start losing leaves, though it'd recover eventually.

Lodbrok

Lerage: No, it is really nothing special, especially considering that I've just picked up nice cheap trees in stores when I've found them. I still like them, and considering that they were all so cheap they are alright. Some time I would like to actually make real outdoor bonsai, with coniferous trees, but then you really need a garden... and plenty of time. In my mind, REAL bonsai should be pines, but the ones I have are a nice substitute.

Concerning what Lord of Hats said, I've noticed this as well, and from what I've read ficus are notorious for dropping their leaves. However, they always grow them back as well, as long as you don't REALLY panic and over/underwater. As a matter of fact, I've read that some peoples standard procedure when the leaves turn yellow etc, is to remove all the leaves and just let the tree grow new ones. This sounds a bit drastic to me, but it shows that ficus is a very hardy tree.