Recently saw a “Bonsais for Sale” set-up along the road side and it got me to thinking of this.
We have never had any luck in growing and keeping alive the bonsai trees we have brought home despite a genuine and competent effort on the part of the caretakers.
The latest was purchased from an arboretum in Frederick, Maryland (not far from Burkettsville of Blair Witch Project fame) that housed a startling array of bonsais.
The gentlemen who worked there showed us around, didn’t try to hard sell us in any way, gave us the requisite literature on maintaining the little guys and sold two trees that we hoped to give a new home to.
Well the younger of the two wasted little time shedding its fruit (it was a miniature orange tree or something like that) then its leaves and then whatever life it possessed from inside. That one lasted but a few months.
The older more sturdy of the two put up a greater fight. It sprouted some fresh leaves but still seemed to be in the throes of a prolonged, withering demise. I’d say it could have been officially pronounced *morto *some months ago but its remains are still on display in the same decorative pot we bought it in now but an upright, lifeless, little stump.
This was the third (and final) round in trying to keep these suckers around for the long haul. I’m curious of any success stories (or tales to the contrary) that others might share.
I’m interested in bonsai’s because I have a maple that decided to grow in one of my otherwise unused pots. I figure I’ll turn him into a bonsai but it’s way too early to say I’ve got any luck with it.
From what I’ve been reading, I’m wondering if you were getting the right kind of trees. It’s my understanding that your best bet is to use trees that do well in your climate and keep them outdoors. I’d guess a miniature orange would have a tough go of it in Maryland.
During my first year of school, my teacher gave me an acorn. I planted it, it grew. Some years later my parents had it looked at by some bonsai experts. They repotted it, trimmed the roots, shaped it, showed my parents how to care for it, and sent us home with a book full of bonsai information. It lived for about 20 years, dying during one excessively hot summer.
I kept bonsai for about 16 years now. The major thing for beginners is to make certain the trees are appropriate for your climate, and to be diligent about watering. Usually I prefer to use deeper chinese style pots here is south Florida rather than japanese type show pots to help with water retention.
Most people think Bonsai trees are houseplants, and that is usually very wrong.
These are miniature, real trees that need the same environment as their bigger relatives. For many hardy trees, this means they actually do need the cold and snow in the winter and the sun and heat in the summer.
Thus an orange tree in Maryland is kind of doomed, unless you happen to have a greenhouse or a perfectly designed sundeck/porch with an environment equal to the weather in parts of Florida.
They also grow slowly - hence the word “tree”, not “plant”. Many toss away their Bonsai when it is probably still alive but dormant, forgetting the fact that trees look like that in the winter.
When I lived in Germany, I knew many people who had great Bonsai trees, but most of those trees were indigenous to Northern Europe (or at least the weather conditions there) and could survive living year-round on the outside window ledge of an apartment or house, somewhat sheltered from strong winds. The people I knew pretty much left them alone - allowing regular rainfall and temperatures to prevail. I believe they would only water them if it were a hot summer and the pot would dry out too quickly. Otherwise, I recall one German woman who basically did nothing but trim them on a fairly regular basis and add the occasional bit of fertilizer (some special mixture she had bought). She had several of them on her kitchen window ledge and it was quite beautiful to look out and see them at breakfast, sometimes with a dusting of snow in the winter, or in full bloom in the summer.
I wouldn’t even bother trying here in Las Vegas…ain’t a whole lot of trees that could survive this heat and wind and dryness.
I wanted so badly to be a good bonsai tree owner. I bought a few really good ones, I loved them. For awhile they flourished. But the watering finally did me in. I go off on a one-week trip and have to count on my husband to water them and he forgets. Taking care of the watering requirements of those trees became just too big an issue in my life–I’m at a point of wanting to simplify, not add stress. I loved the trimming, I loved the way they looked, but they are far, far too needy for me. Sigh.
More of back story: We went to the bonsai tree outfit in December as the tree was meant to be a Christmas present.
We also had our four year old daughter in tow and allowed her to pick out one inexpensive tree for herself that we would all agree to take care of. Predictably she wanted the one with the cute little oranges hanging on the branches that looked like tiny X-mas ornaments.
The owner of the greenhouses seemed a bit uncertain but said if we did x, y and z and with lots of luck, the tree might make it. To his credit and our gratitude, he managed to down sell and talk our 4 year old into getting the much less expensive starter tree.
Naturally the little guy never stood a chance and not with our daughter constantly wondering what the oranges would taste like musing that they probably tasted like the Skittles that they sort of resembled. I like to think that her curiosity never got the better of her but one never knows.
I love bonsai trees, I don’t have time to have one at the moment but I will definitely try to grow one. It is rather serious hobby I think that people should definitely experience something like that. I haven’t had any idea about bonsai trees and then I have found one little site, about kinds of trees,it has bonsai trees as well. Anyway, I really hope I will grow one impressive bonsai tree, when you buy it I don’t think it is the same experience.
I have a ficus ginseng bonsai. They’re not real bonsais, for some reason. They are house plants and, I believe, a lot easier. Mine seems to survive all sorts of crap. He got a fungus in his soil and I washed his roots and rinsed them with vinegar. He’s fine! He also doesn’t really mind if we’re away for a week and water him well before we leave. Hardy little thing.
So maybe a ficus ginseng bonsai would work for you?
I keep mine under 70% shade cloth, I water regular as bonsai soil drains very quickly. I also fertilize lightly once or twice a year. Aside from that I torture my trees an a regular basis for special affects not widely accepted my bonsai enthusiasts. I may tip them over sideways and expose half the root system, or put a pile of hay underneath them and give them a flash forest fire, I may rip off branches for long lingering scars. I have unsuccessfuly even tried to emulate lightening strikes. I have fun with them and if they die I toss them and just start some more. The great majority don’t die.
I would love to own a bonsai - have gone so far as to read books on them. It sounds like they really are a big commitment because of the watering if nothing else: you’re suppose to have them in very little soil (of which a large percentage isn’t even soil, but gravel or sand), so they aren’t as resilient water-wise as a regular houseplant. Appropriate feeding is required as well. I actually owned one for a few months, 20+ years ago, but it died under my not-so-tender care :(.
From what I’m reading though, as others have said they truly do require an environment similar to their natural environment. That means that they really do require the full sun, cold winter, etc. - but as noted they still require watering. For me, that would be the kiss of death - the one place we have to put such a bonsai would be outside our front door - which we never use - so it would die pretty much immediately due to neglect.
For a bonsai that lives in the house, you’re encouraged to go for a tropical tree. They still require quite a lot of sunlight though, so a place with a good exposure is needed.
I’d suggest finding out if there are any bonsai clubs near you and going to a few sessions to learn more about them.
“Bonsai” is such a broad category that it’s hard to generalize about their care. Many of the species used as bonsai are best grown outdoors (if they are hardy enough to tolerate the winter).
Ficus are well suited to houseplant life and that would probably be the best species for a noob to start with. My advice would be to buy yourself a small Ficus benjamina houseplant. Get comfortable caring for it, then you can either attempt to shape it into a bonsai or buy another Ficus that has been trained to be a bonsai already (probably easier than correctly training it yourself).
I suspect that the tree with the little oranges may have been a calamondin tree. I have a small calamondin tree growing as a houseplant. I have made no attempts to bonsai it, but with good light and proper watering calamondins can adapt to life indoors. I wouldn’t say they are a good beginner species though. Citrus plants are a bit more fussy than ficus are.
Again, my ficus is very easy. He doesn’t want direct sunlight, just a light room. I have a kind of gravel on top of his soil. When that looks dry you know to water again, keeps it very simple. I don’t know how you would kill him! I really like having a tiny big tree and lots of people comment on how nice he looks.
Here is picture. Sorry about the quality. I just thought maybe one of you could be persuaded to give one of these training-wheels-bonsais a chance!
He also doesn’t really mind if we’re away for a week and water him well before we leave. Hardy little thing.
I really like having a tiny big tree and lots of people comment on how nice he looks.
