I purchased my first bonsai a bit over a week ago. So far so good it seems, I've just been trying to figure out what the maple tree needs. The person I purchased the bonsai from told me to water the tree once every day with about 100mL of tap water.

I've read here that you are not supposed to water on schedule, and that you're supposed to water it when the soil is dry. Due to the top layer of moss on the soil, I have not been able to figure out how to check if the soil is dry. Some guidance would be appreciate.

This morning I noticed some white fuzz growing on the moss. Kind of looks like spider webs. I assume that it is mold, rather than calcium deposits. Is this because I am overwatering? Is it a problem, and if so, how do I deal with it?

For reference, I have been keeping my bonsai indoors. South facing window, gets indirect sunlight for most of the day.

Thank you for your time.

maples need to be outside I am afraid. no matter what you do, inside it will be a short lived story.

Indeed, water when the plant needs it. depending on the substrate in there that could be once or twice a day, or once a week. you need to ee the soil to really tell.
cannot tell what the white fuss is.

Thank you for your reply. Following your advice, I've moved the tree outside. It seems to be doing quite well.

The moss doesn't seem to be too happy about being outside, but that's not too important. Mold seems to have disappeared. Was probably an overwatering / insufficient airflow problem.

I think I've gotten the hang of watering. Every morning, I check if the soil is dry, and if it is I give it up to 100mL of water. Started using some fertilizer, put in 4 pellets of BioGold a couple of weeks back. Just now I trimmed a couple centimetres of root that was poking out of the bottom draining hole.

My current plan is to repot this Trident Maple into a larger, more functional pot so I can keep it outdoors without worry. This current pot would be better suited for a smaller indoor plant. Haven't decided what type of tree yet, will need to some research.

I'm trying to figure out what the next steps are for this maple. I've been doing quite a bit of reading on bonsai care, but I haven't found too much material for young bonsais that have not yet established a significant trunk. As you can see in the photos below, the main trunk portion of the tree is forked, and is about 6cm long before it splits off into shoots.

The trunk of the tree is so short that the whole thing looks more like a bush than a bonsai. How do I go about establishing a strong main trunk? The resources I've come across have left me with the impression that at the moment the best thing I can do is let the tree grow freely, and next year once the shoots have hardened off I can start making some styling decisions.

I'm not a huge fan of how the trunk forks into two more or less equal branches so close to the base of the tree. I suspect I will get rid of one at some point (when?).

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

nothingness wrote: I'm trying to figure out what the next steps are for this maple.

Trident maples are strong growers. It really needs a bigger training pot or box or colander, but it is so young ...
Let it grow!

Clicio wrote:

nothingness wrote: I'm trying to figure out what the next steps are for this maple.

Trident maples are strong growers. It really needs a bigger training pot or box or colander, but it is so young ...
Let it grow!

Cool, I will just let it grow then Do you reckon its fine to keep it in this pot until next spring? At which point I will repot it into something more traditional like this 1.5L pot. (I'm sure this style has a specific name, pardon my ignorance) www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A4%E3%8...8C%B6/dp/B003B0UM2C/

Do you have any recommendations for an indoor bonsai that would be okay with a small pot? I haven't examined the inner soil capacity of the pot, but I estimate its no more than 300mL.