How often do you need to trim a bonsai?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 27, 2009
I just got a japanese pepper tree bonsai. Not really sure as to how often i need to trim it, i mean i dont want to over do it, and end up killing it or something.
Hi,
Pruning of bonsai trees should be done mostly in the growing season of the plant. Basic pruning can be classified into form pruning and maintenance pruning. Form pruning is carried out to give a shape to your bonsai plant where as maintenance pruning needs to be done through out the year to remove dead foliage or cut the extra growth.
Hope this information was useful to you. For more information on bonsai pruning please visit the link
http://www.thebonsaihub.com/bonsai-pruning.html
What is the best Bonsai for me, a beginner?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 19, 2009
Japanese white pine, Japanese maple, Chinese juniper or Chinese elm?
It depends. It depends on you, your experience, your horticultural knowledge, your location and your environment. The trees you have listed all have unique challenges. All “can” be grown by a beginner, and would do best grown outdoors. I would suggest you find a local club and ask what others are growing in your area. If you can’t find a local club your next bet is to check a garden center and ask what grows where you are.
You need to make sure you pick a healthy plant and do your best to keep it healthy. This requires a well draining soil, plenty of water, sunshine, and fertilizer. All this depends, again, on a number of different variables.
For a list of local clubs check the link below:
http://absbonsai.org/USAClubs.html
bonsai tree's, for a beginer?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 19, 2009
i have never had a bonsai tree but i want one. i live in the UK so its cold and i want an indoor one. i would like a smallish one but not extremly small 10 inches will do. what types fit that criteria? any links to pictures? and i kno bonsai trees need looking after what equiptment do i need?
i looked on google its not very usefull!
Most bonsais are hardy trees so need to be outdoors, you'll have to go for a more tender tree. A few are commonly grown, you can even get them in garden centres or DIY stores if you just want a cheap tree. If you buy from a specialist nursery you'll get a better quality plant. Chinese elm, podocarpus or a succulent such as a crassula are some popular indoor ones.
Succulents can be good because they naturally have a fat trunk and don't need much water. Bonsais are generally hard work but a succulent should be pretty unkillable and fairly easy to keep in a tree-like shape.
Some tree-like succulents have leaves too big to look like a true bonsai but if you like the look you can gow them, for example the money plant.
Best Environment for Indoor Bonsai Plants?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 19, 2009
Hi. I've started a bonsai garden in my kitchen with plants tailored to indoor growth. Question: will I have to utilise artifical light (i.e., lamps) as my kitchen is rather dark and doesn't get much light. Also, I keep my house relatively cool (less than 70 degrees). Should I keep the plants warm and would I need to humidify the air at all. Any tips for a neophyte who likes things cool and dry?
Plants generally need more light than humans, but use grow lights only if you can keep them about 6" to a foot above the plants.
Indirect sunlight is the best. As far as the temperature….if you are comfortable, the plants will be also. You may want to read the Bonsai Care page on my site:
http://www.american-bonsai.com
how to raise a bonsai tree. I was given one and I don't know how to care for it?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 19, 2009
I need to know how to raise the tree . How much sun . How to water it ect.
check out this website…i found it very helpful….good luck with your bonsai 
How safe is the worlds financial markets a week ago the Japanese Sumo bank went belly up,then Kamikaze bank—
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 17, 2009
Took a nose dive and yesterday the Bonsai bank cut some of it's branches and today there was reported some fishy going on,s in the Sushi bank.Do you think it would be an honourable thing to do to withdraw from the scene
Yes, but don't mess up with them first, allow , Sumo bank to wrestle down Kamikaze Bank to crash on Bonzai Bank, and Sushi Bank assets shall be eaten up by Sumo Bank, and finally if you really want to withdraw your life time savings from Sumo Bank, Advise the manager that you shall harakiri your account harriedly, Oki, haik.!, Banzai Nippon!
Can one use 20W fluorescent tube lamps as a substitute to 40W lamps?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 17, 2009
I bought a second hand, mini sun bed to sustain a few bonsai trees, this winter, indoor. The sun bed has a build in ballast to power 6X40W fluorescent lamps, thus a 240W system (220V~50Hz). Unfortunately the UV-lamps do not emit the best spectrum needed for cultivation and growth. The lamps I need to replace the UV-lamps with, has to be 590mm in length, but the highest wattage, available in this length is 20W. I plan to keep 2 of the UV lamps in the system. I want to know if I am going to blow the 20W lamps by I replacing the old 40W lamps. If so, why?
Yes they will work if they fit the fixture…. They will only draw the 20 watts they need to operate, so No, you will not blow the 20W lamps….
Ensure however that the lamps you will be using are rated for 220 volt operation… I am guessing you are in Europe since you mentioned the 220V ~50Hz so that shouldn't be a problem.
What bonsai tree should I plant?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 17, 2009
I just want a type of tree that can be grown as a bonsai, is good for beginners, is good in moderate lighting and would survive Australian climate.
Any ficus ( fig family )specimen would fit the bill,except that it would need more than moderate light ,ficus is easy to handle by beginner bonsai enthusiasts,lends itself well to shaping & styling,the leaves are shiny & attractive & those that send down ariel roots add to the aged look of the tree.
I am from India & we use the banyan (Ficus bengalensis) & the Peepul ( Ficus religiosa ) a lot in bonsai displays,i know Australia has quite a few native ficus varieties .Those that yield small figs look very attractive.
My Dad just got me a Bonsai Tree and I was wondering if anyone had some tips for its care?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 17, 2009
It's a beautiful tree about 11 inches tall from the base to the highest point. It is called a Kengai Bonsai which I think has something to do with its shape and it appears to be some kind of evergreen with leaves kind of like what you would find on a Juniper. I really appreciate those of you taking the time to help I would hate to kill this beautiful gift from my Dad.
Congratulations on owning your first bonsai! Now you can search online for it's care. There are many websites. My favorite is called "BonsaiTalk".
Kengai is Japanese for the cascading style. The tree grows over the edge of the pot and looks a little like a cascading waterfall.
It sounds like you have a Juniper. I hope you are keeping it outdoors! They will die if kept inside the house. They don't like to be watered too much and they love sunlight.
Good luck!
Has anyone heard of that sicko in New York that sells "Bonsai Kittens"?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 15, 2009
This is so terrible. A site that we were able to shut last year has returned. We have to try to shut it down again! (www.bonsaikitten.com) A Japanese man in New York breeds and sells kittens that are called BONSAI CATS. That would sound cute, if it weren't kittens that were put in to little bottles after being given a muscle relaxant and then locked up for The rest of their lives! The cats are fed through a straw and have a small tube for their Faces.The skeleton of the cat will take on the form of the bottle as the kitten grows. The cats never get the opportunity to move. They are used as original and exclusive souvenirs. These are the latest trends in New York, China, Indonesia and New Zealand. If you think you can handle it, view www.bonsaikitten.com and have a look at th methods being used to put these little kittens into bottles.
It's a hoax – no one actually does it.
Here's more information:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/bonsai.asp
Can I grow an olive pit?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 15, 2009
I really want to start an indoor olive bonsai and I can't find any starter material since I live in Minneapolis Minnesota. Does anyone know how to start this and if the pits will grow? Thanks
Olives are treated with lye or brine to cure them before processing with spices. There are web site sources for olive trees though.
Monrovia nursery marketed Olea europaea 'Montra' under the trademarked name Little Ollie. You should be able to go to any good nursery, show them the info from Monrovia. and ask them to order it.
http://www.distinctivelybetter.com/PlantInf.nsf/709359cd399269ec8825684d0078b8fd/ec1ca51be83bdd288825684d0071ee17!OpenDocument
If you can't there are mail order plants.
http://www.treelandnurseries.com/index.php/page/product_view/item_id/9011278/LITTLE+OLLIE+(TM)+DWARF+OLIVE/
http://www.gardeningideas.org/bonsai/types-olive-bonsai.htm
http://www.dugzbonsai.com/olivehead.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Brussels-Black-Olive-Indoor-Bonsai/dp/B0000DGFCL
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/olive.htm
Some species suitable for bonsai:
* Olea 'Cailletier': small black olive.
* Olea europaea: common olive – This Mediterranean native grows to 25 feet, with leaves of up to three inches.
* Olea europaea 'Montra': 'Little Ollie' olive, dwarf olive – An excellent choice for miniature bonsai, as the leaves are much smaller than the species, the 'Little Ollie' is becoming popular with bonsai enthusiasts.
* Olea europaea oleaster: wild olive – A natural bonsai subject, it produces less oil than the species, but has smaller leaves.
* Olea europea sativa.
* Olea 'Picholine': green olive.
* Olea 'Tanche': black olive
http://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/olive.html
know anything about bonsai plants: sago palm?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 11, 2009
I bought this cool bonsai plant about two weeks ago. when i looked it up on the internet there was a picture like the one i have called sago palm. It looks like a half planted pineapple w/ the four leaves, branches, whatever, growing out the top, the same as the pictures i've seen. BUT, there is also for other stem type things growing from the middle, that honestly, i'm finding hard to describe. o.k. maybe they sort of look like(ha ha) a back bone w/ 1/2" ribs w/ the very tip of each one curling in. Now none of the pictures i've seen have any thing like this. and the description states that this plant grows very slow. WELL, the spine looking branches growing from the middle are growing at a phenominal rate. 2 weeks ago they were about 6" tall. today they are almost two feet high! that's about an inch per day! what is this and what the heck do i do w/ it? it's actually making my plant look really silly?
Whoops. Don't trim that plant. The growth you are seeing is a new set of fronds unfolding. This is called a flush. It will happed once (or twice in good conditions) a year. This is how the plant grows.
This plant can't be trained by pruning. You can keep it small by letting it get and stay pot bound, but eventually it will get big and burst the pot. In their natural state these are trees which can achieve 15 or more feet in height.
While popularly called a Sago Palm, it is neither a palm nor does it produce Sago. It is a Cycad, one of the earth's most ancient plants. You probably have a Cycas revoluta or Cycas circinalis.
Sago, an important food starch, comes from a tree called Metroxlyn sagus. In its native countries, the natives infect the trees with maggots which eat the Sago and then the natives eat the maggots. Tasty, no? Have a bite.
Cycads don't like a lot of water so be sparing. They do like lots of light. Fertilize once or twice a year. Follow label instructions. Mostly leave it alone.
How to care of a Lucky Bean Bonsai?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 11, 2009
I have this plant and I would like specific instructions for the type of plant that I have. Would appreciate the information. Thank You
http://www.bonsaisite.com/
Tell me what you know about the bonsai show?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 9, 2009
Has anyone ever heard of the japanese game show bonsai? Is it still on tv? Can i get it on DVD?
It's not about tiny trees so dont go there…
ok so its spelled Banzai…not bonsai or bonzai
yes i love that show it was on fox for about a moth but it got canceld. u can get a dvd season 1 at hasting or maby at wall mart ithink its there
what is the best way to get moss to grow on slate indoor?
Posted by Bonsai Care on Feb 9, 2009
i am trying to grow moss on slate to form part of a bonsai garden indoors
i would say to try to find a dark corner of the floor ,dig uo some moss with dirt attached and put it down where it recieves marginal light but alot of moisture, just a guess that would be how i try it
