Bonsai
- Thread starter SlowSwim
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I've always wanted to get into growing a Bonsai tree - I bought one of those cheap little kits last year but have never got round to it because it needs to be done at a certain time and with certain procedures doesn't it?
Not really, when people hear "BONSAI" some people get the idea that its an exotic hobby and you use only exoctic plants. Some people believe that bonsai is hard. Most people get into it buying kits like you have.. These kits are a waste of money they die really easy because they are in rubbish soil.
If your still interested read up bonsai on the internet buy a few books then go to your local garden centre or find out where you local bonsai nursery is and they'll give you advice on what tree would suit you to start on.
Bonsai is making a potted tree look like a real tree in the wild.
There are many styles to choose from to suit all.
If you'd like i'll post a few of my bonsai Some in the works, some half done.. and some that are finished trees.
All you need to do to keep a bonsai is water, fertalize, and prune.. You also have to do a yearly root prune and repot.
But every tree has its own requirements.
Best thing to do is go on www.google.com and type in BONSAI on images you should get loads of images for ispiration.
Bonsai is an ART!
- matt_
If your still interested read up bonsai on the internet buy a few books then go to your local garden centre or find out where you local bonsai nursery is and they'll give you advice on what tree would suit you to start on.
Bonsai is making a potted tree look like a real tree in the wild.
There are many styles to choose from to suit all.
If you'd like i'll post a few of my bonsai Some in the works, some half done.. and some that are finished trees.
All you need to do to keep a bonsai is water, fertalize, and prune.. You also have to do a yearly root prune and repot.
But every tree has its own requirements.
Best thing to do is go on www.google.com and type in BONSAI on images you should get loads of images for ispiration.
Bonsai is an ART!
- matt_
demonmagus
spamming my way to the top...
any good links?
also, how expensive is the hobby?
also, how expensive is the hobby?
littlelegs
Fish Fanatic
I am on my second bonsai
My first one died
But my second is doing ok, im not an expert, bit as least it aint dead yet LOL
My first one died
But my second is doing ok, im not an expert, bit as least it aint dead yet LOL
demonmagus
spamming my way to the top...
does this look like a good way to get into bonsai?
http
/www.britishbonsai.com/shop/index.ph...products_id=860
http
/www.britishbonsai.com/shop/index.ph...products_id=860Well its an expensive way to get into bonsai 
Go to B&Q they have bonsai to the standard of that website for £4.99 for the small ones and £9.99 for bonsai twice that size.. Do you have out door space? the easiest of bonsai lives out doors
Get yourself an Chinese Elm from B&Q place it outside in a semi-shaded spot.. Keep it close to your house because winter is comming and bonsai do need alittle protection from frost. Keep the soil moist do NOT water if you think it needs it.. water it when the soil feels dry.. you dont have to fertalize through winter..
Go to a garden centre and get a slow release granular feed "for Shrubs and tree's" near the end of winter say January.. place some on the top and inbed it alittle..
After whitch you wont have to worry about feeding it for the rest of the year..
Bonsai isnt expensive at all you just need to know where to look..
Go to Bonsaifarm.tv and go down to carevidieos.. very good info.. the guy shows you how to style, repot, and look after your tree's..
You'll find after a couple of years you'll want to own a forest
- matt
Go to B&Q they have bonsai to the standard of that website for £4.99 for the small ones and £9.99 for bonsai twice that size.. Do you have out door space? the easiest of bonsai lives out doors
Get yourself an Chinese Elm from B&Q place it outside in a semi-shaded spot.. Keep it close to your house because winter is comming and bonsai do need alittle protection from frost. Keep the soil moist do NOT water if you think it needs it.. water it when the soil feels dry.. you dont have to fertalize through winter..
Go to a garden centre and get a slow release granular feed "for Shrubs and tree's" near the end of winter say January.. place some on the top and inbed it alittle..
After whitch you wont have to worry about feeding it for the rest of the year..
Bonsai isnt expensive at all you just need to know where to look..
Go to Bonsaifarm.tv and go down to carevidieos.. very good info.. the guy shows you how to style, repot, and look after your tree's..
You'll find after a couple of years you'll want to own a forest
- matt
Mr Miagi
Veins are flowing with SW, now going back to FW!
Ive had a few Bonsai in my time. Its just difficult over here because of the climate. I had one die on me this year, from some huge frosts we had. I trimmed it back and Its come away with alot of shoots. Im interested into getting a little bit more serious into the hobby in my holidays, with actual proper bonsai techniques, tools, plants etc. 
Hi Mr M,
Warm days and cold nights that is a conflicting climate for bonsai. But the guy from bonsaifarm.tv is from australia as well and he owns his own nursery so if he can keep them alive so can you!
A method of keeping your bonsai away from frost is to submerge them in a planter and cover the soil in the pot with mulch (leaf debris, mud, grit and any other simular material).
But if you have bonsai that looses its leaves in winter you can but them out of the weather into a unheated garage (If you have one)
Another way is building whats called a cold frame.. its basicly a display table. put your bonsai under this hudle them together and place mulch in between them..
What kind of bonsai do you own Mr M?
- matt
Warm days and cold nights that is a conflicting climate for bonsai. But the guy from bonsaifarm.tv is from australia as well and he owns his own nursery so if he can keep them alive so can you!
A method of keeping your bonsai away from frost is to submerge them in a planter and cover the soil in the pot with mulch (leaf debris, mud, grit and any other simular material).
But if you have bonsai that looses its leaves in winter you can but them out of the weather into a unheated garage (If you have one)
Another way is building whats called a cold frame.. its basicly a display table. put your bonsai under this hudle them together and place mulch in between them..
What kind of bonsai do you own Mr M?
- matt
mikster
Fishaholic
im looking into starting an indoor bonsai, i have a good book on it called funnily enough, indoor bonsai by paul lesniewicz and its very informative, i would go for the outdoor ones but where i live i think someone would try and steal it as my garden isnt very private.
Dragonscales
Fishaholic
I practice bonsai. I lost a few this year thanks to the bloody heat though and only have a few in the making left (It sucks living in a country who's natural climate is drought sometimes). I was really spewing because I lost my favourite as well, which was a nice beech.
In australia you'll have to give tree's like beech, acer, oak mainly tree's that don't have a good level of chorolfyl (Smelling Sucks) protection from harmful UV rays.
If you like the hobby and your interested in expanding your collection to say like 30. It would be worth your while to set something like this not sure what you'd call it but i'll describe it:
Make a sturdy frame over your bonsai and cover the top with a white sheet, it can only be white because the colour white filters UV rays, and lets the benaficial light pass through it.. Thefore protecting your bonsai..
If you can't or dont have the room to make something like that. A list of bonsai species that would do well in your climate are: Pines
Junipers
Spruce
Cypress
Larch
Chinese Elm
Hemlock
Hawthorne
Ficus (semi-Shade)
Etc Anything else that likes lots of sun
Bonsai is a relatively a low maintence hobby, unless you own 30+; It invovles styling by wireing branches, fertalizing every week in spring, every two weeks in summer and not in winter. You also have to do a yearly root prune and trees that are in a pre-bonsai state. And a 2-3 years root prune when you have a mature 10 year old bonsai.
I own 15-20 bonsai at the moment and i hope to have double that in a couple of years time.
Bonsai is a great hobby and it quickly becomes a tradition. I hope in the future my kids will take where ive left off when im not around to care for them and then pass it on again the next generation.
If its possible id like to have a chat with a few users about possibly creating a bonsai forum maybe.. PM me if your interested.
Or I could ask admin from this site to make it another hobby forum.. But i think it would be wiser to create a complete new forum because there is just soooooooo much information about the hobby.. Probs equates to fish keeping.
- matt
If you like the hobby and your interested in expanding your collection to say like 30. It would be worth your while to set something like this not sure what you'd call it but i'll describe it:
Make a sturdy frame over your bonsai and cover the top with a white sheet, it can only be white because the colour white filters UV rays, and lets the benaficial light pass through it.. Thefore protecting your bonsai..
If you can't or dont have the room to make something like that. A list of bonsai species that would do well in your climate are: Pines
Junipers
Spruce
Cypress
Larch
Chinese Elm
Hemlock
Hawthorne
Ficus (semi-Shade)
Etc Anything else that likes lots of sun
Bonsai is a relatively a low maintence hobby, unless you own 30+; It invovles styling by wireing branches, fertalizing every week in spring, every two weeks in summer and not in winter. You also have to do a yearly root prune and trees that are in a pre-bonsai state. And a 2-3 years root prune when you have a mature 10 year old bonsai.
I own 15-20 bonsai at the moment and i hope to have double that in a couple of years time.
Bonsai is a great hobby and it quickly becomes a tradition. I hope in the future my kids will take where ive left off when im not around to care for them and then pass it on again the next generation.
If its possible id like to have a chat with a few users about possibly creating a bonsai forum maybe.. PM me if your interested.
Or I could ask admin from this site to make it another hobby forum.. But i think it would be wiser to create a complete new forum because there is just soooooooo much information about the hobby.. Probs equates to fish keeping.
- matt
aquamanA
New Member
yeah i used to like bonsai but i hate gardening now so yeah...Hi guys,
Ive been practising bonsai for 3 years now. Im really enoying it.
Is they're anyone else here that would like to get into it or is already engrowsed..
- matt
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