I am a complete bonsai newb but not a forum newb so will take the associated abuse...

I have been fascinated with bonsai's for a long time now but never really had the urge to get in to them. I am getting a little older, starting a family, looking at moving to a house, getting more patient, etc. I have started reading up on getting started but there are so many ways from starting with a seed, an already potted bonsai, a suitable tree transplanted, etc, etc.

I wanted to get an idea from experienced people what they recommend is the best way to start out so that I can learn as much as possible without risking too much. Starting from seed seems like a bad idea for a newb, for various reasons so I was thinking of getting an already potted bonsai or transplanting a suitable tree?

It is probably a good idea at this stage to mention that I currently live in a two bedroom flat which gets plenty of sunlight and is relatively warm in winter...

"Neuk"? Seriously? Guess it means something else in South African then in Dutch

Before I try to answer your question: what's your budget ?

Or wait, I forgot this bit:

I currently live in a two bedroom flat which gets plenty of sunlight and is relatively warm in winter..

Forget about it. Wait until you've moved to a house with a garden.

"Neuk" is a rather funny name to the Dutch, as Auk suggests

What Auk is trying to say so subtle is that bonsai, except for tropicals, NEED to be outside. If you have a balcony, you really might want to consider that spot for the bonsai, but if you don't I'd advise on a tropical specie, with the help of a very bright (heatin') lamp and perhaps a humidity enhancer too.

Contrainer wrote:

What Auk is trying to say so subtle

Hey, he said "so will take the associated abuse..."

is that bonsai, except for tropicals, NEED to be outside. If you have a balcony, you really might want to consider that spot for the bonsai, but if you don't I'd advise on a tropical specie, with the help of a very bright (heatin') lamp and perhaps a humidity enhancer too.

Yep. An indoor bonsai... rarely works. Very often that are mallsai that don't live long.
Best material are local trees, kept outside. Seems there's quite a lot that's suitable.

www.capebonsaikai.co.za/articles/214-how-about-indigenous.html - but there are other species that do well there too (can be found on the same page)

Ha Ha Thanks for the feedback so far, I thought my username might come up, I know what it means in Dutch as we have a local language called Afrikaans which is derived from Dutch. It is also a Scottish word, meaning nook...

I was and am still concerned about growing bonsai in a flat, besides it being indoors space can be an issue and my wife will murder me if I make a huge mess while watering, fertilizing, repotting, etc. I am no where near ready to begin, I wanted to do as much research as possible before buying anything, which led me to this website/forum as well as a few others...

If indoors, especially in a flat is not ideal then I will rather put it off until we have moved to a house, I can manage with most plants we have around the flat but I acknowledge that caring for a bonsai is a very different thing. At most, I might look at getting a small tree suitable for indoors like a tropical species as has been suggested and see how it does...

Thanks for the Cape Bonsai Kai link, I will definitely look at something local, I see Ficus (Fig) is on the list and from what I have read makes for an excellent beginner/indoor bonsai...

I found this regarding Ficus on a local South African website, looks promising...

www.bonsaitree.co.za/knowledge/tree-care-guides/65-ficus

Neuk wrote:

I know what it means in Dutch as we have a local language called Afrikaans which is derived from Dutch. It is also a Scottish word, meaning nook...

I'm Dutch so I know that. However, I am not sure if the meaning is identical. Here you won't find a guesthouse called 'the Neuk Guesthouse' (Durban)...

Yes, ficus would work, but know the difference between:

An ordinary ficus indoor plant
A Ficus Microcarpa 'Ginseng' - NOT a bonsai
A Ficus mallsai and
A real Ficus bonsai

Auk, I can't use the quote function for some reason but I had a good laugh when I searched for 'The Neuk Guesthouse'

Could you elaborate on the differences between those specie of ficus and what would make one or the other perfect for a bonsai?

Neuk wrote:

Could you elaborate on the differences between those specie of ficus and what would make one or the other perfect for a bonsai?

I think I can (and it's not different species, by the way), but it may take a while...

Auk wrote:

Neuk wrote:

Could you elaborate on the differences between those specie of ficus and what would make one or the other perfect for a bonsai?

I think I can (and it's not different species, by the way), but it may take a while...

Even if it is just the basics, I would appreciate it, here to learn...

P.S. Quoting worked which should make things easier