Bonsai

[chrisj]

Just wondering if anyone here has a bonsai tree?

I just bought a juniper bonsai, its great.

Anyone have any tips?

[superADS]

date an ikebana master

[nyc_flash]

Read up on the care, dem bitches be sensitive.

Had 3 bonsai die on me, the 2 that survived are doing great.

I ain't to mister Miyagi, but still I spray regularly, check humidity levels, fertilize...

It's like kids except trees are more cheerful.

Had a fly parasite infection around my trees this summer ended up spraying with garlic and lime juice... so it's an adventure.

Def suggest reading up on the care.

Too much water, she die.

Not enough, she die.

She die anyway, unless she live.

you get the idea.

[RobZ]

Any good books in preparation of buying a bonsai? Saw a deal on Slickdeals for an indoor juniper but after reading around, it seems like I should do a bit more research.

Any reputable websites/stores would be appreciated as well.

I might go to Lowes/Home Depot and attempt to grow one with the knowledge I'll probably kill it, and then go for something a bit nicer.

[jyoni]

I never grew one successfully, but I remember it was a pain in the ass finding tree shoots.

Tried a birch and an orange tree.

[Charlie Delta]

date an ikebana master

Classic post right here!

Anyway, I had a period where I read up on them for quite a bit, really enjoyed how they looked, never seriously did anything with it, had one wich died after I went on a holiday, still had loads of the powerfood/pokon left so I gave that to a cactus instead.

Most aggrasive miniature cactus I have ever seen!

[jyoni]

MSP constantly amazes me. There is the coolest little public bonsai garden at the "Como Zoo" in St Paul. Some awesome trees there.

http://plantcrazy.blogspot.com/2008/04/bonsai-trees-at-como-zoo-conservatory.html

[soonami]

The best thing to do is take your bonsai outside and put it in full sun. If in full sun, you should water everyday and it should be fine. But do not fertilize until you know what you are doing, and the same goes for any trimming or training. Junipers are very hardy when treated right but can be finicky when mistreated. The worst thing about these trees though is that they stay green for weeks after they die, so you might buy a green tree that is already dead in the pot. For bonsai purchases, I would recommend visiting an actual bonsai nursery so that you know what you are getting and can get real help about care.

Imo, the best:

Forums: forum.bonsaitalk.com and internetbonsaiclub.org

Galleries: http://walter-pall.de/00gallery/index.html and http://www.artofbonsai.org/

--Walter Pall, is my favorite bonsai artist by far. Also, some of the people on AoB are annoying, but most of the articles are good and the photography is excellent.

Books: John Naka's Bonsai Techniques Vol.1 and 2, Colin Lewis' The Art of Bonsai, and Harry Tomlinson's The Complete Book of Bonsai are pretty good for beginners. --There are many magazines out there like Bonsai Focus (formerly Bonsai Today) and International Bonsai which produce good content.

[pragmatics]

On a less serious note:

http://www.crashbonsai.com/

[soonami]

on a similar note:

http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/bkgallery.html

[klue]

heres a shot of my indoor bonsai garden

[technicolour]

that is freaking rad.

[chubby]

I talked my mother into buying a 50 year old bonsai Crape myrtle a couple years back. It blooms every spring and is beautiful. I have a 20 something juniper in Fukinagashi or windswept style. I'll post some pictures next time I go home from college.

[jim_n]

I want to put a bonsai in my room but get limited light during the winter, is there anything else similar that doesn't need as much care and attention? my apartment really needs some greenery...

[mflo]

I had a pomegranate tree that would bloom and fruit, but I lost it to an insect infestation after a couple years. They are very easy to overfertilize and kill.

Juniper bonsai can be had for relatively cheap, and would be your best bet to get your feet wet. You will probably kill your first few trees, but once you get the hang of growing one you'll get great satisfaction from maintaining it.

The other thing that is really important is tailoring the care of your bonsai to the climate you live in. It would seem obvious, but your care regimen will be different if you live in the desert versus living by the coast.

[soonami]

Juniper is a bad idea for poorly lit rooms as evergreens love sunlight and thrive in it. A juniper brought inside in such an environment will stay green for several months, but the tree will infact be dead long before.

A much better idea for indoor bonsai are tropical species that can be grown under artificial lighting. What comes to mind immediately are Ficus species like retusa and benjamina, as well as Schefflera. These plants do relatively well in doors with cool fluorescent light.

If you are really looking for just greenery than you might want a house plant rather than a bonsai, but they can be difficult to care for.

[klue]

I want to put a bonsai in my room but get limited light during the winter, is there anything else similar that doesn't need as much care and attention? my apartment really needs some greenery...

ficus and jade are great for any human environment

a florescent light on a timer can be a very inexpensive and convienient supplemental light for dark place