Deciduous species such as Chinese or Japanese elms, magnolias, oaks, and crabapple trees are good selections if you’d like to grow your bonsai outside. Just be sure to pick out a species that can grow to full size in your region. [1] X Research source If you prefer coniferous trees, junipers, pines, spruces, or cedars all make excellent choices. If you want to grow a tree indoors (or if you live in a hot climate), consider a tropical species. Jade, snowrose, and olive trees may be grown as bonsais.
Buy a package of bonsai tree seeds. Soak them overnight before planting them in soil with good drainage and the right nutrient composition for your tree species. Plant the tree in a training container (as opposed to a ceramic display container, which is only used once the tree has been trained and reached maturity). Give the planted tree the correct amount of sun, water, and a consistent temperature, again dictated by the specific species of tree. Allow the tree to become sturdy and strong before you begin to train it.
Select a tree with a sturdy trunk, but one that is still quite young. Older trees won’t adapt well to being placed in a container. Choose a tree with roots that spread evenly in every direction, rather than growing laterally or entangled with the roots of other trees. Dig around the tree and extract a large amount of soil along with the roots. This will prevent the tree from dying of shock when it is moved to a container. Plant the tree in a large training container. Care for it according to the needs of the particular species. Wait about a year for the roots to get used to the container before you begin training it.
If you buy a partially-trained bonsai from a shop, talk with the person who trained it about its specific needs. When you bring the bonsai home, give it a few weeks to adjust to the new setting before you begin working with it.
Trees lay dormant during the winter; they aren’t producing leaves or growing, so they don’t use as much nutrition. During this season, watering the tree is about the only care it needs. Avoid trimming it too much, since it won’t be able to replace the depleted nutrients until spring. In spring, trees begin using the nutrients they stored during the winter to sprout new leaves and grow. Since your tree is in transition during this time of year, it’s a good time to repot the plant (adding extra nutrients to the soil) and begin trimming. Trees continue to grow during the summer, using up the rest of their stored nutrients. Be sure to water yours well during this period of time. In the fall, tree growth slows, and the nutrients begin accumulating again. This is a good time for both trimming and repotting.
Indoor trees may need a light shade cloth over the window during hot, bright summer months.
Chokkan. This is the formal upright form; think of a tree growing strong and straight with branches that stretch evenly around it. Moyohgi. This is the informal upright form; the tree has a more natural slant, rather than growing straight upward. Shakan. This is the slanting form - the tree looks windblown and striking. Bunjingi. This is the literati form. The trunk is often long and twisted, with minimal branches.
Use annealed copper wire for coniferous trees, and aluminum wire for deciduous trees. You’ll need heavier gauge wire toward the bottom of the trunk, and finer wire for the branches. Firmly anchor the wire by wrapping it around a limb once or twice. Do not wrap too tightly, which can damage the tree. Wrap the wire at a 45-degree angle, using one hand to steady the tree while you work. Trees have different wiring needs depending on the time of year and whether they have just been repotted. As time goes on and the tree grows and begins to take on the shape you have designed, you’ll have to rewire the tree and continue to train it until it holds the shape you want without the help of wire.
When you transfer from a larger container to a smaller one, trim the roots to the shape of the pot. Don’t prune the roots until the trunk has reached the desired size. Prune in the summer to direct new growth. If you need to remove an entire limb, wait until autumn when the tree is less active. Do maintenance pruning to remove dead branches in late winter or early spring. Over-pruning a tree can cause damage, so be careful not to clip away too much.
When you transfer from a larger container to a smaller one, trim the roots to the shape of the pot. Don’t prune the roots until the trunk has reached the desired size. Prune in the summer to direct new growth. If you need to remove an entire limb, wait until autumn when the tree is less active. Do maintenance pruning to remove dead branches in late winter or early spring. Over-pruning a tree can cause damage, so be careful not to clip away too much.
Choose a container that is as long as your tree is tall. The thicker the trunk of your tree, the deeper the container should be.
Be sure not to crowd the roots with stones or other objects. Adding some moss is a great way to create an intriguing display.
