Hello all,

I'm a newbie to the site and a newbie to bonsai tress.

I'm Rob, I'm 27 years of age from the UK. I have horticulture qualifications where I was at college for 3 years. I have worked in garden centers and nurseries for 9 years.

Just joined the site after watching lots of the videos on YouTube, and starting my research on bonsai tress.

I would like to grow and getting into bonsai, If any one can give any advice or help it would be appreciated.

Any tips on tress?

Many Thanks
Rob

Wecome. What country are you in?
You are in the perfect place to find material to start off with, look around the reduced plants, those with samll leaves like cotoneaster pyracantha etc are good. Acers of course are a favourite, but there are many other species to use. Buy a book, and if you can find a club near you join them. You will not only have expertise of the members but also acces to good material which most clube will have for sale to members.
Leave the videos until you have some hands on. There is no substitute for experience working on trees.
Geoff

Thanks Geoff,

I'm from England. It something i have alway wanted to do but didn't have the time.
Yesterday I was looking at the soils and how to make my own, so many different ways.
As to day is farther-day over hear I will go looking to day for a starter tree. Anything I should look out for. A good size, a thick truck, lots of stems?

Many Thanks

Where in England? I am in Westbury in Wiltshire. Hornbeam can be good, or Scots pine, Mugo Pine, Maples Branches can be grown so the trunk is the most important part. Have a look at bonsai4me.com very good species guides etc, Harry has written two very good books.
Use a free draining soil, so John Innes 3 with Cornish grit if you can get it at about 30% You can't do any re potting now of course, until next spring.
Depending on where you are you could be near a bonsai nursery.
If you can find an ungrafted one I would look for a Maple. If they are grafted then look for a low graft and make sure that the graft and top are the same colour.
The best place for a young tree to grown on is planted in the ground, by far the quickest way to get girth on the trunk.
If you can't put it in the ground then a big pot will do.
Geoff.

m5eaygeoff wrote:

Leave the videos until you have some hands on. There is no substitute for experience working on trees.

I think it is a very good idea to watch videos. Not as a substitute for really working on trees, but to learn what bonsai really is, so you don't end up as yet another enthousiast that posts a topic on this forum asking for help for his dying mallsai.

My favorites:

This is a very interesting (and funny) series about bonsai in Japan:

The Bonsai Art of Japan

Very different but also quite interesting is this series, discussing tree design:

INTERNATIONAL BONSAI ACADEMY with Walter Pall 2013

About styling bonsai, including examples of bonsai created from nursery stock, collected trees and cheap material:

Graham Potter's channel

as you are also into horticulture, i am sure you will have a big jump start to this hobby. you would know the basics of care like watering, know a bit about feeding and life in a pot. but there are many door ways leading into more skills and learning more things in the world of bonsai.

happy bonsai-ing

jaimin

You don't have to not look at videos, but there are better ways. Look at bonsai4me.com as I said before, good advice and English.

there are also many books, as well, may i suggest "the complete practical encyclopedia of bonsai", it is a great help.

Thank you all so far for your help and feed back all I have taken in.

I have picked up a book called Bonsai Basics by Colin Lewis, Not sure if you no of it but not to bad so far.

Like I've said I'm in to horticulture and do it as a living so I have a head start. Don't get me wrong I don't haven't a clue about bonsia and I know there is a lot to lean but I will lean and dedicate the time to it.

I have found some young conifers and pin plants at my loacl garden center and at a very good price like £3.99 but a good size for a start tree.

Am I worth staring by doing something like that and work my way up?

Many Thanks
Rob

That is a small "shrub" yet. You should plant it in the ground first in order to thicken its trunk for a few years... maybe from 3 to 5 would be right, meanwhile water it, fertilize it and take good care of him. Then you could probably start styling it. A long road and a lot of time still ahead of you. Sorry, but patience seems to be a virtue regarding bonsai.

Alain