Good evening,

I've been looking around for a good local store or shop that carries some starter bonsai plants. I've found bonsaistore.ca and it seems good, I'll likely hold off on ordering for the cold months for fear of harming the tree during delivery. Which will give me extra time to study and prepare for it's care.

My local nursery doesn't carry anything of high quality and my knowledge is still very little as to make good decisions.

I'm looking at likely a Chinese Elm or a Ficus Bonsai, being indoors and somewhat forgiving to beginners. Has anyone had any luck with Canadian online vendors? Any recommendations?

Thanks!
-Justin

JustinR93 wrote:

Good evening,
I've been looking around for a good local store or shop that carries some starter bonsai plants. I've found bonsaistore.ca and it seems good,

Like that 2,5 year old juniper starter kit? You really should learn what bonsai look like, how to grow them, and how to select good starter material first.
I don't see anything good on this website.

Auk wrote:

JustinR93 wrote:

Good evening,
I've been looking around for a good local store or shop that carries some starter bonsai plants. I've found bonsaistore.ca and it seems good,

You really should learn what bonsai look like, how to grow them, and how to select good starter material first.
I don't see anything good on this website.

Do you have any suggestions instead of just always saying "No" to everything? How is one supposed to start if no actual answers are given?

You could have a look at Kim's Nature: kimsnature.ca/bonsai/

Getting a tree online is not easy. As bonsai aim at being 'unique', it is very dificult to judge the uniqueness of plants online.
You do not have to buy bonsai, you know right? I only have very few trees that were grown to become a bonsai. It is your work that will turn it into a bonsai.

I find that most people just getting into bonsai miss the size factor, and they try to achieve something which really is not possible with the very small plants used. Then, a good rootbase is important. After that the size & shape of the trunk. Some basic info I once put together here:

www.growingbonsai.net/size-matters/
www.growingbonsai.net/the-perfect-root-flare/
www.growingbonsai.net/good-trunks/
www.growingbonsai.net/how-big-should-my-bonsai-be/

Ficus and chinese elm CAN make nice bonsai. Unfortunately, all most shops carry are contorted S-shaped stems, bloated roots, etc. Try to find something that is somewhat elegant, and really has the potential to eventually come across as something that has been shaped by time and nature, and not by a grower, winding saplings around a bamboo stick.

JustinR93 wrote:

Do you have any suggestions instead of just always saying "No" to everything? How is one supposed to start if no actual answers are given?

I think I did give you a suggestion:

You really should learn what bonsai look like, how to grow them, and how to select good starter material first.

And obviously, this is not something I can teach you. You need to do this yourself by reading books, looking at movies, researching using Google, and mostly, by seeing real live examples.

leatherback wrote:

You could have a look at Kim's Nature: kimsnature.ca/bonsai/

Getting a tree online is not easy. As bonsai aim at being 'unique', it is very dificult to judge the uniqueness of plants online.
You do not have to buy bonsai, you know right? I only have very few trees that were grown to become a bonsai. It is your work that will turn it into a bonsai.

I find that most people just getting into bonsai miss the size factor, and they try to achieve something which really is not possible with the very small plants used. Then, a good rootbase is important. After that the size & shape of the trunk. Some basic info I once put together here:

www.growingbonsai.net/size-matters/
www.growingbonsai.net/the-perfect-root-flare/
www.growingbonsai.net/good-trunks/
www.growingbonsai.net/how-big-should-my-bonsai-be/

Ficus and chinese elm CAN make nice bonsai. Unfortunately, all most shops carry are contorted S-shaped stems, bloated roots, etc. Try to find something that is somewhat elegant, and really has the potential to eventually come across as something that has been shaped by time and nature, and not by a grower, winding saplings around a bamboo stick.

Thanks! Yeah the silly S shape is all I really see everywhere. Thanks for those links! I had found it through another one of your posts on this forum and had already begun reading! Very good information there!