# Bonzai!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 5, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018 "2002-04-05T16:41:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mr.Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Wilson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/1 "2002-04-05T16:41:15Z")
Any bonzai enthusiast out there? Just recently bought my first plant and I’m gonna try not to kill it. It’s a some sort of juniper I think. Any hints or helpful suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/2 "2002-04-05T17:12:12Z")
I’ve been meaning to try it myself, but you might want to spell it correctly. “Bonsi” are little trees; “banzai” is a battle cry. [sub]What, you never saw **The Karate Kid**?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![doyle420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5e9695/32.png) [@doyle420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doyle420)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/3 "2002-04-05T17:37:44Z")
Mr. Wilson, I just picked up this hobby as well. I bought a juniper, the “nana” variety that was recommended as a good plant for beginners (hard to kill) and pruned the hell out of it last week to try to get an idea of what direction I want to take. Now I’m waiting to see if it will survive. Check out these websites, lot’s of good info, pictures, forums, links, etc.: [http://www.bonsaiweb.com/](http://www.bonsaiweb.com/) [http://www.bonsaicenter.com/](http://www.bonsaicenter.com/) Good luck! I have found that the hardest part is remembering that it may take 10 years to get your tree to really be a bonsai. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/4 "2002-04-05T18:51:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*I’ve been meaning to try it myself, but you might want to spell it correctly. “Bonsi” are little trees; “banzai” is a battle cry. > > [sub]What, you never saw **The Karate Kid**?[/sub] \*\* \He has confused the two! He has dishonored himself! He must now ritually dis-embowel himself with a small shrubbery.\ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mr.Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Wilson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/5 "2002-04-05T18:51:39Z")
And here I was worried about spelling enthusiast. You’d think as much as I’ve researched to this I could at least spell it right. Oh well, at least I know the proper pronunciation. Thanks for the websites doyle, one of them I haven’t seen before ---
**Author:** ![horhay\_achoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@horhay\_achoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horhay_achoa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bonzai/102018/6 "2002-04-05T20:26:06Z")
I’m just starting my self. I bought one already pruned that is a pain to take care of, but I have another Juniper that i am going to prune myself. I just need to re-pot it before it dies on me!:rolleyes: