Bonsai trees.... help !
22 November 2006, 11:43 PM
#1
Bonsai trees.... help !
For the plant lovers 
Help needed as the wife has decided that she wants a Bonsai tree for x-mas !!
Anybody on here keeps these ? I just wondered if I bought a deciduous bonsai then at the moment it would just be a twig !!
Any help on what to buy and where would be a great help
Cheers
Shaun
Help needed as the wife has decided that she wants a Bonsai tree for x-mas !!
Anybody on here keeps these ? I just wondered if I bought a deciduous bonsai then at the moment it would just be a twig !!
Any help on what to buy and where would be a great help
Cheers
Shaun
22 November 2006, 11:50 PM
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They're quite difficult to keep, you can't just leave them to their own devices. Deciduous bonsai need to be kept outdoors virtually all the time, especially in the winter. I recommend a pomegranate as an indoor bonsai. Get a book on it.
22 November 2006, 11:54 PM
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Ive had a couple of em and they always died no matter what i did 
As bubba says, (this is where i went wrong) they need to be kept outdoors all the time as they are real trees (only ickle ones but still trees). Only bring them indoors for a couple of days and then take them back outside again. Also dont over water them, its really easy to do, basically if the soil is slightly damp then leave it alone, i always messed and interfered with mine and thats why they all died
As bubba says, (this is where i went wrong) they need to be kept outdoors all the time as they are real trees (only ickle ones but still trees). Only bring them indoors for a couple of days and then take them back outside again. Also dont over water them, its really easy to do, basically if the soil is slightly damp then leave it alone, i always messed and interfered with mine and thats why they all died
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23 November 2006, 12:40 AM
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Here is some basic info to get you started.
Cherry Blossom Bonsai
Easiest tree for beginners is a Chinese Elm as very hardy, grows well indoors but as mentioned before, correct watering is the most important thing.
Hope this helps.
Alas
Cherry Blossom Bonsai
Easiest tree for beginners is a Chinese Elm as very hardy, grows well indoors but as mentioned before, correct watering is the most important thing.
Hope this helps.
Alas
23 November 2006, 06:49 AM
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As Alas says - watering is very important. The trees will drink large amounts of water during their growing seasons (spring / summer). Avoid buying the stuff out of your local garden centre (they are normally naff) and find a specialist.
Depending on where your are in the country, try someone like Herons Bonsai - they have the best trees I've ever seen. Not cheap though - good ones can cost serious money, but they do have a very good range.
Good starter trees? Maples are very popular (the leaves will scale to the size of the tree, if the roots are pruned). Pines are quite easy too. Oaks can look great in the winter - if properly grown, but not so good in the summer as the leaves don't reduce in size.
If you want an indoor tree there are various sub-tropical varieties that will thrive in the warmer environment of your house.
Chris
Depending on where your are in the country, try someone like Herons Bonsai - they have the best trees I've ever seen. Not cheap though - good ones can cost serious money, but they do have a very good range.
Good starter trees? Maples are very popular (the leaves will scale to the size of the tree, if the roots are pruned). Pines are quite easy too. Oaks can look great in the winter - if properly grown, but not so good in the summer as the leaves don't reduce in size.
If you want an indoor tree there are various sub-tropical varieties that will thrive in the warmer environment of your house.
Chris
23 November 2006, 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Midlife......
Bubba
I'd rather not buy a book AND a bonsai LOL
I've not seen a pomegranate since visiting my local fair in the 1970's !! They sold them with a pin to pick the bits out !!
Shaun
I'd rather not buy a book AND a bonsai LOL
I've not seen a pomegranate since visiting my local fair in the 1970's !! They sold them with a pin to pick the bits out !!
Shaun
Pomegranates are awkward to raise from seed because they need bottom heat. There are some reasonable specimens at garden centres, but look to spend £50.00 for something decent.
23 November 2006, 09:41 AM
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Can't you just buy a normal sized tree and plant it a long way away so it looks small? 
I'm currently working on a bonsai starter - a couple of quid from the garden centre so not the end of the world if it goes wrong. A book (or a lot of research on the web) is definitely good advice. In the past I had quite a nice cerissa foetida which unfortunately kicked the bucket. I made the mistake of keeping it indoors in a position where it got too much sunlight - at least I think that's what I did wrong.
As for the sort of tree, my bonsai book says there are three things to consider when choosing the tree.
1) Do you actually like the look of it?
2) Where will you have the tree. Subtropical trees may cope with being indoors all year (even though they will benefit from being outdoors when the weather is hot enough), but others will need to be outdoors for much of the time. One interesting point is that if a deciduous tree stays indoors at a fairly constant temperature, it may not lose its leaves (as it would in autumn) and over time that can weaken the tree.
3) Is the tree healthy. There are a number of symptoms to look out for which may indicate disease or infestation. A good book or research should help on this one.
I'm currently working on a bonsai starter - a couple of quid from the garden centre so not the end of the world if it goes wrong. A book (or a lot of research on the web) is definitely good advice. In the past I had quite a nice cerissa foetida which unfortunately kicked the bucket. I made the mistake of keeping it indoors in a position where it got too much sunlight - at least I think that's what I did wrong.
As for the sort of tree, my bonsai book says there are three things to consider when choosing the tree.
1) Do you actually like the look of it?
2) Where will you have the tree. Subtropical trees may cope with being indoors all year (even though they will benefit from being outdoors when the weather is hot enough), but others will need to be outdoors for much of the time. One interesting point is that if a deciduous tree stays indoors at a fairly constant temperature, it may not lose its leaves (as it would in autumn) and over time that can weaken the tree.
3) Is the tree healthy. There are a number of symptoms to look out for which may indicate disease or infestation. A good book or research should help on this one.
23 November 2006, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Chris L
Good starter trees? Maples are very popular (the leaves will scale to the size of the tree, if the roots are pruned). Pines are quite easy too
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