Anyone delve? Suddenly I’m interested! Questions to follow...while I’m reading online.
1. These plants use regular seeds from trees 30’ or higher. What makes them grow slow? I assume pruning and keeping them in small pots has a lot to do with it.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Bonsai Tree Basics
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Anyone delve? Suddenly I’m interested! Questions to follow...while I’m reading online.
1. These plants use regular seeds from trees 30’ or higher. What makes them grow slow? I assume pruning and keeping them in small pots has a lot to do with it.
Bonsai trees fascinate me.
And I do dislike (detest) winter, and some of the old Yuletide stuff, as did my mother.
Anyway, I do recall, shortly after my father had died, how my mother and I - snorting and chortling with shared laughter - debated whether we could (or should) have a bonsai Christmas tree, a heretical thought that was viewed with disbelief, appalled horror, and mute distress by my brothers and sister-in-law.
And I do dislike (detest) winter, and some of the old Yuletide stuff, as did my mother.
Anyway, I do recall, shortly after my father had died, how my mother and I - snorting and chortling with shared laughter - debated whether we could (or should) have a bonsai Christmas tree, a heretical thought that was viewed with disbelief, appalled horror, and mute distress by my brothers and sister-in-law.
You can also get them by stripping back the bark on a healthy branch and wrapping in fertile soil.
Once the root system grows you cut it off.
At around 8 years old they tend to become a bit more hardy
You can make cheap bonsai out of juniper bushes. You have to dig through the store's collection to find the ones that already look a bit like bonsai, then you trim them.
Real Bonsai require constant attention. Slip up once and miss the watering and it's all over.
They are definitely cool though. Especially the little fruit trees.
Real Bonsai require constant attention. Slip up once and miss the watering and it's all over.
They are definitely cool though. Especially the little fruit trees.
For anyone interested in inexpensive bonsai check out.
I was walking though the Kroger’s flower section and they had exactly that an inexpensive small starter juniper bonsai, which I purchased for $15.
Miss the watering once and it’s over? These plants are that sensitive? This might cast some doubt on my new interest. I’m imagining spending 10 years developing a plant to see it croak because you forgot to water to once. I’m wondering what the watering interval is? I have a how-to book on the way. Read online they need liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks.
Does it matter what part of the branch? As a teen I was interested in plants and forget where I learned this method, but you reminded me, that I used that with some mature philodendrons that had gotten about 8‘ tall to make cuttings, wrapping the trunk with a bag of dirt to get roots before cutting it. My job was for a retired policeman who had a green house, raised and sold Azaleas from cuttings.
I was walking though the Kroger’s flower section and they had exactly that an inexpensive small starter juniper bonsai, which I purchased for $15.
Miss the watering once and it’s over? These plants are that sensitive? This might cast some doubt on my new interest. I’m imagining spending 10 years developing a plant to see it croak because you forgot to water to once. I’m wondering what the watering interval is? I have a how-to book on the way. Read online they need liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks.
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Yeah, I'm exaggerating. I don't know exact watering requirements, but I have killed several bonsai, nothing real expensive. But you get the point, it's a long-term investment that you don't want to screw up.
Depends on where you live and what soil you are using. I’m in Florida and mine need watering every day in the summer.I read a common method of killing bonsai is overwatering.
In a hot climate, in a small pot, I could see the need for frequent watering. Set up an automatic watering system.
The other day I was walking through Kroger's and saw this cute little Juniper bonsai and purchased it ($14.95). The first thing I noticed that the nursery in Florida who had created this had glued a layer of gravel across the surface of the soil. So I went home did some research and have gotten interested in growing this and maybe others.
Now I did join the forum at Bonsai Empire and posted some questions there. If anyone here is interested in fielding them. Have at it!
* Would this Juniper be considered a good starter bonsai? Or was it sold as the "final product"? Any potential here?
* Is this the right kind of pot for training a bonsai? I am assuming no. It had no drain hole, so I drilled one in it. I removed the "glued-on" rocks and replaced them with pea gravel.
* This pot seems kind of deep as compared to what I've seen online, for training. Unless I hear otherwise, I'll assume it's not a good training pot.
* How important is a moisture tray, that this pot did not come with?
* What kind of plants are considered good starter bonsai?
* I have a weeping cedar tree (full size about 12' tall, out back that I took some cuttings from and if I get them growing might try to do a bonsai with them, but have no idea if they would be good or bad candidates.
* I live in Houston, Texas. It's lovely in the winter, but gets freaking hot here in the summer. I'm assuming with watering requirements, It would not be a good idea to keep some types of bonsai outside in the sun to bake, although Junipers like full sun I think. Comments?
Now I did join the forum at Bonsai Empire and posted some questions there. If anyone here is interested in fielding them. Have at it!
* Would this Juniper be considered a good starter bonsai? Or was it sold as the "final product"? Any potential here?
* Is this the right kind of pot for training a bonsai? I am assuming no. It had no drain hole, so I drilled one in it. I removed the "glued-on" rocks and replaced them with pea gravel.
* This pot seems kind of deep as compared to what I've seen online, for training. Unless I hear otherwise, I'll assume it's not a good training pot.
* How important is a moisture tray, that this pot did not come with?
* What kind of plants are considered good starter bonsai?
* I have a weeping cedar tree (full size about 12' tall, out back that I took some cuttings from and if I get them growing might try to do a bonsai with them, but have no idea if they would be good or bad candidates.
* I live in Houston, Texas. It's lovely in the winter, but gets freaking hot here in the summer. I'm assuming with watering requirements, It would not be a good idea to keep some types of bonsai outside in the sun to bake, although Junipers like full sun I think. Comments?
I would recommend you join this forum, they have a great section for people getting started:
One bit of advice, junipers need to be kept outside all year, they will slowly die if kept inside.
They also shouldn’t be pruned and repotted at the same time, as the shock can kill them.
Mine are outside all year round in Florida, but do require daily watering throughout the summer.
Have a look at a couple of these intro videos:
One bit of advice, junipers need to be kept outside all year, they will slowly die if kept inside.
They also shouldn’t be pruned and repotted at the same time, as the shock can kill them.
Mine are outside all year round in Florida, but do require daily watering throughout the summer.
Have a look at a couple of these intro videos:
Thanks. I’ll post there. At this point, I am not sure if keeping a bonsai tree in a little pot using aggregates versus a larger pot with organic soil is an esthetic design choice or one necessary for growing such a plant.I would recommend you join this forum, they have a great section for people getting started:
One bit of advice, junipers need to be kept outside all year, they will slowly die if kept inside.
They also shouldn’t be pruned and repotted at the same time, as the shock can kill them.
Mine are outside all year round in Florida, but do require daily watering throughout the summer.
Have a look at a couple of these intro videos:
There seems to be a lot of concern about roots rotting because too much water and not enough air. And there seems to be a choice to use aggregates instead of organic soil, so the water flows through, and allows air in, but due to lack of water retention, trees must be watered daily. Frankly we have many plants in large pots full of organic soil, and no issues with plant health, hence I’m trying to nail down the reason for aggregate to a degree where daily watering is needed.
I’m not going to be tied to a plant that requires daily attention. And if a larger pot and some organic soil can be used to reduce watering interval requirements, this would be my choice.
Here is a reply I got and my response at bonsaiempire.com:
You can pot the tree up in a much bigger pot with a lot of organic soil in it and you will be fine with watering once or twice a week. That is what I do to most of my trees until they are ready for refinement.
Most of us find watering trees relaxing and enjoyable. If you dont like to water, yes, you might picked the wrong hobby
Please tell me more about bigger pots and using organic soil. I'm interested in the "mechanics" of a bonsai, keeping it in a larger pot with organic dirt, or in a small pot with aggragates when it comes to refinement. Is the issue the plant growing too fast in the bigger pot with organic soil, or possibly becoming root bound? I am under the impression that a tree kept in a smallish pot, say 12-15" diameter would still be limited in how large it would grow. And we have plenty of plants in pots where the plants seem quite happy. Why are bonsai experts going with the teeny pots? Is this tradition, or is there a specific mechanic that makes the teeny pot a necessity? Thanks!
Of note, I keep many plants in pots outside and have an auto watering system for 1 or 2 times a week (2 times when it's really hot) that catches many of this large pots, the others either have drought resistant plants or we go out and water them. If we go on a trip, the pots get moved over to the watering zone for while we are gone.
Last edited:
I also think junipers would be tricky with watering, because by the time you see they are being under watered, more damage would be done to the plant, versus a deciduous tree where the leaves start to go limp quickly.
So Bonsai translates to a plant in pot, the idea behind bonsai is that it mimics what a larger tree would look like in nature. So a smaller pot helps with aspect and having the right proportions. A larger pot would tend to go against this.
As you mentioned the smaller pot does need watering more often and the use of specific bonsai soil is to make sure its free flowing, using a standard soil in small pot is going to hold water and potentially damage the roots, leading to the tree eventually dying.
The use of a smaller pot will also restrict root growth, most people will use larger pots /planting in the ground to develop younger tree as they will grow more with the extra space.
However, you do you - nothing wrong with growing in larger pot if it fits your circumstances. Some bonsai folk will say it's not a true bonsai without the pot. If it gets you into the hobby and you enjoy it why not.
As you mentioned the smaller pot does need watering more often and the use of specific bonsai soil is to make sure its free flowing, using a standard soil in small pot is going to hold water and potentially damage the roots, leading to the tree eventually dying.
The use of a smaller pot will also restrict root growth, most people will use larger pots /planting in the ground to develop younger tree as they will grow more with the extra space.
However, you do you - nothing wrong with growing in larger pot if it fits your circumstances. Some bonsai folk will say it's not a true bonsai without the pot. If it gets you into the hobby and you enjoy it why not.
Last edited:
Yah. Have some experience with Bonsai. The root restriction is the key to the smaller size. Sometimes the plants are purpose grown for bonsai and sometimes they are collected from nature, then worked to emphasize their characteristics. And there are some "large" bonsai out there - five to six feet. Still artistically sculpted and still kept in smaller pots.
There are some fantastic bonsai collections out there.
The Nation Arboretum's National Bonsai & Penjing Museum - https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/collections
Chicago Botanic Garden - https://www.chicagobotanic.org/gardens/bonsai
The Kennett Collection (PA) - https://www.thekennettcollection.com
Longwood and MoBot have small collections as well.
Most botanic gardens have at least a few and many with collections offer classes.
There are some fantastic bonsai collections out there.
The Nation Arboretum's National Bonsai & Penjing Museum - https://www.bonsai-nbf.org/collections
Chicago Botanic Garden - https://www.chicagobotanic.org/gardens/bonsai
The Kennett Collection (PA) - https://www.thekennettcollection.com
Longwood and MoBot have small collections as well.
Most botanic gardens have at least a few and many with collections offer classes.
If you live near Houston, visit Maas Nursery, Seabrook, Texas, they have a collection of bonsai for sale from the saddest $41, some in the $60s, $100, $200, lots of bonsai planter pots for sale.
This Money Tree is the second plant I have purchased at the local grocery store of all places. It’s an interesting looking plant and way it is presented reminds me of a bonsai-like plant. It was created by growing 5 stalks/plants together. I’m not sure if these are 5 separate plants or a single plant. The bases are woody and about 1” diameter each and gracefully reduce in size the further up the stalk making them look like miniature tree trunks. Do people turn these into bonsai? The reason I posted in this forum is a question about pruning. This plant wants to grow rapidly and has sent out longish shoots practically doubling the plants size in the matter of a month.
If the purpose is to keep this plant small and bonsai-like, the new growth is out of scale with the rest of the plant . For any bonsai experts, I’m going to assume, but am asking advice about, that to keep this plant under control, I should aggressively prune the new growth?
Thanks!
Before
After
If the purpose is to keep this plant small and bonsai-like, the new growth is out of scale with the rest of the plant . For any bonsai experts, I’m going to assume, but am asking advice about, that to keep this plant under control, I should aggressively prune the new growth?
Thanks!
Before
After
My little juniper got fried The end of May. I look at it often, but not daily, last year the routine worked all summer, this summer in this heat wave I walked out back and it had turned brown.
From this
To this
It either dried out or, with this heat wave, I’m wondering if the roots can overheat? I keep it in a location where it get’s part sun, but the heat has been brutal this year earlier than normal. I brought it inside and placed in a kitchen window to see if it would recover or not.
i knew the terms on bonsai, especially in a hot climate and it is making me rethink if I want to mess with this obligation. Another option, might be a heartier succulent style plant. I happen to have 2 potted Red Stem Elephant Bush plants (Jade plant, Portulacaria), one with variegated leaves that I am experimenting with shaping into a bonsai look. These guys laugh at sun and heat, asking for more, I just don’t know how shapeable they are. 🤔
unusualseeds.net
succulentthrive.com
From this
To this
It either dried out or, with this heat wave, I’m wondering if the roots can overheat? I keep it in a location where it get’s part sun, but the heat has been brutal this year earlier than normal. I brought it inside and placed in a kitchen window to see if it would recover or not.
i knew the terms on bonsai, especially in a hot climate and it is making me rethink if I want to mess with this obligation. Another option, might be a heartier succulent style plant. I happen to have 2 potted Red Stem Elephant Bush plants (Jade plant, Portulacaria), one with variegated leaves that I am experimenting with shaping into a bonsai look. These guys laugh at sun and heat, asking for more, I just don’t know how shapeable they are. 🤔
Is Your Elephant Bush Losing Leaves? Here`s Why - UnusualSeeds
Elephant Bush or Elephant Food (also known as Portulacaria afra) is one of the world's most popular succulent garden shrub or bonsai subject. This cutie is a perfect addition to both your indoor and outdoor succulent garden. Also being known as Miniature Jade or Dwarf Jade, it has nothing to do...
unusualseeds.net
Elephant Bush Bonsai | Where To Start ? | Succulent Thrive
Yes, elephant bush bonsai plants are pretty common in the world.
succulentthrive.com
I would recommend you join this forum, they have a great section for people getting started:
One bit of advice, junipers need to be kept outside all year, they will slowly die if kept inside.
They also shouldn’t be pruned and repotted at the same time, as the shock can kill them.
Mine are outside all year round in Florida, but do require daily watering throughout the summer.
Have a look at a couple of these intro videos:
Bonsai's are an art and require a lot of time to get to the sizes you see in some of these videos. I love this guy and have watched, what I think would be, almost all of his videos. You can also take a maple and turn it into a bonsai if you want, heck I would assume pretty much any of them.
We are going the route of the maple as that is the one I find most interesting. We have a local grower of bonsai's and they have classes. Patience seems to be the key.
Unfortunately, I have always been way to casual about this, don’t want to take the time to make it a serious hobby if it requires daily attention, and understood the chance of failure without proper attention. This is why I’ve latched onto the Elephant Bush, and as per @hg.wells suggestion will check in at a bonsai forum.