Great resources for a total noob?

[Clintaceous]

Hi everyone, just joined this forum. I'm from Canada and I've been thinking about starting a bonsai tree for a while now, but I've finally decided to dip my feet in and give it a try. My plan is to get one indoor bonsai, probably a ficus, and get some deciduous and coniferous seeds and see what works best for me. Because I'll be using some temperate trees, I figured now would be a good time to buy seeds so I can stratify them and grow them next spring.

I've grown many specialized plants like carnivorous plants, so I think I'm good with horticulture and plant care. What I'm looking for help with is how to start bonsai from seed, when/if I switch from soil to bonsai soil, the bonsai styles, what species/tree types look best with what style, what pot to use, pruning techniques, how to thicken the base of the tree and roughen up the bark, etc.

Obviously this site is a good resource and great place to ask questions, but I'm hoping to purchase a book and get help from here as needed. Others this site might be flooded with posts of mine!

 

[pandacular]

The books I’ve really liked as a beginner are Jonas Dupuich’s Little Book of Bonsai and Peter Warren’s Bonsai. Both can be had quite cheaply.

The best resource for a noob is almost certainly the local club.

 

[Shibui]

Local club is the best resource for most new growers. You'll get local knowledge and explanations rather than info for another climate and no way of clarifying if the info not absolutely clear in a book.

B'nut is also good because you can have that discussion though it may take a few days to drill right down to the crux of some issues.

There's a few online courses but can't say if any are good or comprehensive for beginners.

Just to let you know that starting from seed is the slowest way of getting into bonsai. It does work and your trees will be all your own work but growing a good bonsai from seed takes many years. Most bonsai are developed from existing trees or cut down from larger trees which can cut the timespan down to 3-10 years.

 

[rockm]

Hi everyone, just joined this forum. I'm from Canada and I've been thinking about starting a bonsai tree for a while now, but I've finally decided to dip my feet in and give it a try. My plan is to get one indoor bonsai, probably a ficus, and get some deciduous and coniferous seeds and see what works best for me. Because I'll be using some temperate trees, I figured now would be a good time to buy seeds so I can stratify them and grow them next spring.

I've grown many specialized plants like carnivorous plants, so I think I'm good with horticulture and plant care. What I'm looking for help with is how to start bonsai from seed, when/if I switch from soil to bonsai soil, the bonsai styles, what species/tree types look best with what style, what pot to use, pruning techniques, how to thicken the base of the tree and roughen up the bark, etc.

Obviously this site is a good resource and great place to ask questions, but I'm hoping to purchase a book and get help from here as needed. Others this site might be flooded with posts of mine!

There are no "bonsai" techniques for seeds or seedlings. There is simply years or growing time, not much more. FWIW, most bonsai are made from mature, or mature-looking trees taken from the ground and modified to containers. Bonsai are mostly "cut down" from larger stock and shaped.

Thick trunks, furrowed bark, and the characteristics of age that make a decent bonsai, are all decades, (or centuries in some cases) down the road for a seed growing in a pot. Pots restrict root growth and slow down the thickening and maturation of the plant inside them. Therefore, you have to have those characteristics BEFORE you put a tree into a pot. Growing in the ground for a couple of years at least, more preferably, is the only path to the characteristics you seek.

Many people love to work with seeds and seedlings, and more power to them, but it really ain't Bonsai, at least for a long while.

However if you want to actually learn bonsai techniques and have more than a seedling in a pot with a decade or two of growth ahead, sow your seeds in the ground (if you have land) and work with an actual bonsai. That means starting with more mature stock. Landscape nurseries can turn up decent 5-10 year old stock trees that can be turned into bonsai relatively quickly.

 

[Clintaceous]

I'll check out the books mentioned, see what I can find on Amazon. As for joining clubs, I wish! I live up in Northeast BC, and I can't imagine many people up here enjoy or partake in bonsai. That said, I'll check facebook and see if there is a group to join.

As for using a nursery tree vs. seed, I'll probably end up doing both. Again, being so far north the area is somewhat isolated and cold. Not much grows up here, and getting sensitive plants up here is more expensive and they may not survive. I did order seeds of Engelmann Spruce, Jack Pine, Japanese Maple and I'm going to look for a ficus or schefflera at the local department stores. Other than the Engelmann, I have no problem waiting 10-15 years before I can truly start to make a bonsai. I still consider myself young, so by the time I can really work on maintainence and shaping I'll be slowing down and have more time to work on my plants. As for the spruce, I'll try to find a nursery plant. Reading up on it, it can take I believe up to 20 years before the tree is 4-5 ft tall! Might have been 10, but compared to my other species it will easily take the longest to grow! I could put that species off too until I get my techniques down and pat, or not get it at all. One of the reasons I am starting with multiple species is maybe some won't do well in my care or like my climate.

So I'll see if I can find a FB group, watch Youtube videos, get a book, and ask questions/get opinions here!

 

[dbonsaiw]

I found the articles from Brent to be very useful in getting my bonsai bearings: https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/articles.htm.

 

[queenofsheba52]

Hi @Clintaceous , glad you found this great bonsai site!

This time of year is great for checking your local nurseries or even Big Box stores for plants on sale. Just two weeks ago I found a Pyracantha with a nice trunk that I can chop next spring -- for $8. Get yourself some inexpensive nursery material and make plans for next spring. If you are anything like most of us Nuts, you will kill lots of plants before you find your way...and I say that kindly, not in a critical way.

Have fun and enjoy the journey!

 

[MHBonsai]

Article - Progression threads

Big kudos to @MHBonsai for putting this together!!! For the past several years I've been compiling progressions that have been helpful to me. Typically I'm looking for good photo documentation of bonsai transformations, with descriptions of...

www.bonsainut.com

A good resource for what's possible with different types of trees - long term progressions.