Hey all! I've recently taken an interest in Bonsai and am wondering what trees in my area will be best for a Bonsai? i live in WI, USA...I'm thinking of using a crab apple..suggestions?? I'm a complete beginner. I've only read about them on the internet, so i dont know much. Does anyone know if their leaves become small or if you have to find a tree with naturally small leaves? Thanks! Wren
Also check the internet under "choosing a bonsai plant" found a couple of good sites. It looks like the minatureisation happens with time and pruning. Will be interested in your answers Liz
As a bonsai novice myself - I have been dabbling for about four years - I would say that the best plants to start with are junipers, since they recover relatively quickly from pruning mistakes and have naturally small needles. Small-leaved azaleas are also good for similar reasons. Pines are probably the hardest, since their natural pattern of growth - clusters of buds forming only at the tips of branches - makes it difficult to control the form of the tree. Japanese black pine may be the quintessential bonsai, but it takes many years and a higher level of skill than I have to train properly. Japanese maples are probably of medium difficulty. Others that I have played with and been able to get reasonable results in a fairly short time are wisteria and pieris. I have tried cryptomeria, but they seem to be hard to keep alive "in captivity." The leaves or needles of any tree will become smaller due to repeated pruning of the roots, but it is much easier if you start with a small-leaved tree. The mistake that I have made most often while learning the ropes is to be in too much of a hurry to plant the tree in a shallow pot. Once you prune the roots, the vigor - and some times the health - of the tree will decline, so it may make more sense to leave the tree in a nursery pot for a few years for training, then transfer it to a bonsai pot once it has reached a good size and form. Regards, Jim
Woah! Thanks loads for all the information! Most helpful ^^ I don't want to buy a tree for bonsai, i've heard on too many occasions that they rarely survive. I would much rather find one in the forest, seems a more natural process. Them dying on me is the least of my worries, i'm quite a natural with plants...they always have a wonderful reaction to me. Do you think Jade trees would be good for practice? Since they are a common house plant and all, so they're easy to get your hands on. I've seen some great bonsai from them. I'm so excited..cannot wait for spring! Wren.
Ficus Benjamina are a better choice if you want to use a common household plant. As for finding a tree in the forest, you will have more fun and luck finding one in the garden centre. Finding a tree in the forest would be hard for someone who is "a complete beginner" as they wouldn't likely know what to look for. Moreover, they are very likely to botch it. Still moreover, it takes at least a year for a collected tree to regain its strength. We NEVER train a unhealthy tree. The juniper suggestion by Jetoney would also be my suggestion as well. Basically, get some material that has a single trunk and some movement. Junipers are loved by beginners and veterans alike. At the top of this forum you will find "links to bonsai resources". Use them. Read, read, practice and read. Good luck!
Yes, jade trees work. They are far less work (watering and feeding) than a ficus, and tolerate indoor conditions. Junipers cannot be indoors - they quickly die. Due to being outdoors, I find that junipers tend to be messy creatures often attracting pests like spidermites which once infested are very difficult to be rid of quickly or easily. Remember that soil content is very important - make sure you know exactly what your tree needs in that tiny space and that it gets it.
crab apples require alot of care, and should be trained when you have a few years of skill in development. junipers are low maintenance, also check out barnes and noble to find a book on introduction to the arts of bonsai to get some ideas. you have to know what leaves on the crab apple to remove so it will flower the following season. they are fast growers and will quickly get out of shape. not for beginners, sorry.
i forgot to mention ulmus parviflora. they arent too difficult to keep, have naturally small leaves and are pretty low maintenance. they also have beautifull bark. a fine choice for any enthusiast!
^I definitely second that choice. Very easy maintenance and very vigorous and fast growth. Can be kept indoors. Bright light. I found a tree by chance and adopted it not knowing what to expect. It has amazed me many times since.
Consider the seasons and what you want. Deciduous drop foliage in winter, but most conifers hold foliage. Maybe colorful flowers are essential to you. But maybe autumn foliage. I didn't look at your location before I hit the reply button, but root killing temps may make a difference for people north of, say, Idaho or Nebraska.
Aside from the usual japanese bonsai specimens, Capsicums (chilis) make excellent bonsais, in a short time (possibly only 6 months). Fatalii is probably the master pioneer in this, here is his bonsai chilli page. They're aesthetically pleasing and functional plants. I'm growing a lemon drop (C. baccatum)bonsai myself, probably the best plant for the job. Yes, chilis can live for many, many years if not exposed to freezing temps.
