Hello all. I guess I should start with an introduction. My name is Mike, and I've been interested in Bonsai since I first saw Karate Kid in the theater way way way back when I was a kid (I'll be 40 this year). I've bought tons of "mall bonsais" over the years and never had any luck with them. I've bought "Bonsai Kits", I've bought bonsai trees from nurseries etc. and the end result was always the same. Dead bonsai trees.

During a recent trip to the nursery to pick up some starters for our garden I spotted some Bonsais and I pointed them out to my wife. She decided that I needed one for Father's Day. She bought me a tiny nana cypress bonsai (its trunk was slightly larger than 1/8th of an inch and it was about 4 inches tall) which was in a 4" plastic pot and a nice 8" glazed terracotta bonsai pot.

I did some reading that inspired me to return the above items and exchange them for a more mature plant. So, I headed back to the nursery and avoided the bonsai section entirely. Instead I focused on the one-gallon size stuff.

After a good deal of searching around I stumbled upon a large selection of Golden Mops Threadleaf Falsecypress plants and I fell in love with them instantly.

I wish I had taken a "before" photo, but in my haste to get started I neglected to. I do have a few questions which I'll ask after the photos, so please bear with me a little longer. So, without further ado, I present you with my "First" Bonsai.



And here is another image with a familiar prop to give you some idea as to the size.



So, my questions are as follows:

1. How does it look/ how did I do?

2. I would like to get this into a pot but I don't know how big of a pot I need. How deep it should be, if I should plant it in the center or off to the side, etc.

3. Is it safe to move it to a pot at this time of year? I live in the portland oregon/vancouver washington area

4. If it is safe to move it to a pot, how the heck do I do it. How do I prune the roots, etc.

5. What kind of soil should I use for this species in my area?

So many questions, I know...

The tree looks great. Nice job styling it. Your tree is most commonly referred to as a Sawara Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera).

Re-potting Info: www.bonsaiempire.com/care/repotting

Soil Info: www.bonsaiempire.com/care/bonsai-soil

Pot Info: www.bonsaiempire.com/care/choosing-pots


Here is some general info about Cypress bonsai.
www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Chamaecyparis.html

Cute tree. It is a little late in the season to do any root work so if you want to pot it, just slide it out of this one and into a new one until next spring. Then start the root pruning.