hello im new to this website , and i've been wanting to buy a bonsai tree for a long time , what is a good bonsai tree to buy for a beginner , and how much do they cost ? i appreciate the replies thank you
Hi, I strongly suggest that you don't go shopping yet.. you'll either end up with a little 'cutting-stuck-in-a-pot' from Wal-Mart, the kind that comes with pebbles glued(!) to the soil (not a great idea), a 'care' tag that fits all tree types (a worse idea), and a tree that's possibly half dead and just isn't showing it yet, OR a larger, more expensive tree from a more dedicated dealer (dedicated to selling bonsai, that is) that you have even less ability to care for, and it'll cost you a lot more to find out. Right now (season-wise), except for tropicals that grow indoors, all the trees that need to live outdoors (anything but tropicals) have gone dormant and shouldn't be touched til spring, and even if you want to grow trees indoors, you'll need extra lighting, humidity, etc. and still have to wait to be able to work on them til you learn how to keep them alive from day one. Please find a local club to join - it's the best place to learn, and start reading all the books you can on growing trees, and working with bonsai. You should decide if you want to grow indoor (tropical) trees, or 'outdoor' ones - those that are cold hardy to your climate and must live outside all winter. Your best bet for those (outdoors) would come from local nurseries - not as 'bonsai', but as 3-5 yr old, 1 gal., 6" to 1+' (deciduous or conifer) trees that are cheaper than 'bonsai', and larger, giving you more 'options' to work with for styling, and are all around better to learn on - just not til spring. Believe me if you get one of those Junipers in a little pot, they'll tell you it can be grown indoors (but it won't last long at all that way!), whereas trees for indoors (tropicals) can be found everywhere from a supermarket's plant section (again, not as 'bonsai', but any one that gets woody trunks eventually, as opposed to staying green, and has smallish leaves to begin with, like a ficus), or Wal-Mart's house plant section, and you'll have 'more' tree for less money, better established (don't have to pry pebbles off the soil!) and more likely to survive your learning curve, plus you'll have the satisfaction of creating your own work, not having to go with someone else's already 'trained in' styling. You'll also end up (in bonsai of any kind) learning to water much differently than you do for house plants, mixing 'soil' components for fast drainage - a lot of grit and small gravel vs. peaty potting soil, all about supplementary lighting (special fluorescents and others), how to increase humidity without spraying, and eventually, once you have a healthy tree that's done well over 1-2 seasons, how to style it, when and when not to prune roots and/or foliage, when to use bonsai pots and not to, etc. etc. Once you've done some reading, you'll have a much better idea of how to choose a tree, and which ones make sense to try out for you (where you live, etc.) and which don't. Really, I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but would like to see you succeed, and plants don't usually give you much time to goof up while you're learning!
B.C. bonsai club's inf. as follows: http://freeplone2.openia.com/abs/club-listings/canadian-clubs/british-columbia/
ok thank you very much for the info , i was just seeing what peoples insights on them would be , im not planning on getting one soon but i want to . Thanks for the advice i will definately learn more about them before i get one i just wanted one for a long time .
Greenthumbs, So you're in sunshine coast, then we're neighbours. First you need to ask yourself "How much are you prepared to invest in your first bonsai?" Although a black picture has been painted that you are going to lose this investment, I would still encourage you to try your hand. If you're a quick and intelligent learner, then keeping a bonsai alive is not such a big deal and does not represent a hobby that requires an extensive research. In fact I believe keeping a pet dog alive requires more research than keeping a bonsai alive, as plants are invaribly hardier organisms. Anyway you never stated whether you are interested in keeping and admiring a bonsai or in creating your own bonsai. From your tone, I suspect the former applies. If this is the case then your problem is drastrically reduced, as bonsai maintainence is so much easier than bonsai creation. Of course joining a bonsai club is good but not absolutely necessary in your case as is the case if you want to create your own specimen. As someone mentioned about his purchase of his bonsai from 'Ikae' (Grrr...can't seem to spell it right), I am sure it won't hurt you deeply to lose C$20-00 in your venture. Of course if you want to upgrade your level of appreciation, then you look for a finer specimen and here we can be looking at prices ranging from 200 to 2,000 dollars. Well Green thumb, take a positive attitude and make a start at the point you're comfortable with and I wish you loads of enjoyment. Remember "Rome wasn't built in a day'
