Bonsai Trees

For Christmas this year I decided to teach the youth at work how to grow and take care of Bonsai trees.
I have read a few articles about the technique and will be learning along with them.
Anyone have any information which may be of help?
Should I start with Juniper's? Any info on where to purchase the plants and/or pots?
I'm excited to learn, I have always loved Bonsai, should be a challenge.

If you're willing to pay for a subscription, there's a whole forum devoted to Bonsai, I'm sure you'd find a ton of knowledgeable people over there to help you.

How much is the subscription?

$20.00 for one year. I just did it. I coudn't do without it.

Or you can buy a couple months trial for something like $5 if you want to just test it out before you totally commit to it.

Thanks, I'll have to do that for sure.

You can start this hobby by finding tiny sapling trees growing beside parent trees, in wooded areas or by starters from some garden centers, also the containers can be found in the same store, the secret of this growing, is that you are using ordinary trees that grow full size, but because you are restricting the roots with the minimal amount of soil and water, tying the branches with wires into shapes that the tree would never grow in the natural way, the trees stay very small, you also trim the branches to help form the shapes you want, but it is done over a good few years so the plant dont die due to heavy pruning, I found a good book for a sister-in-law as a gift in the book store and she has produced some really attractive specimens, but time and patience is a must, she now has a club formed in her neighbourhood for this and loves it, people buy the trees ready made and shaped, keep them indoors and wonder why the trees die on them, the trees are outdoor plants and she keeps hers on an outdoor shelving unit with a top cover to shelter them from the elements and rain, I would go to your library and look for a book to see if all the work is what you will enjoy doing and before you spend some cash on containers and tree, she has oak, pine etc growing and there are no bounds to the kind of tree you use, just some give a better effect than others, but she has great fun and has met a lot of nice people through her club. Good Luck, let us know how you get on, Oh by the way, you dont need special containers as you will probably have some shallow dishes around your kitchen cupbourds that will get you started off. WeeNel.

Great! I am excited and the kids are looking forward to it! Will help teach them nurturing and patience, and nice for them to give as presents for christmas...
Im glad you mentioned the containers, that could help me budget :)

flowerprincess-you might want to try a jade. I just got started with this as well and I LOVE my jade! Instead of pinching the new, I decided to do the old ones, and it looks great. The lady that got me started also did a rose for me, but I don't think it is gonna make it, but I'm sure I will be able to find something else to do with it. WeeNel-could you give some suggestions on how to use containers you have running around the house, please? I haven't looked into buying any yet, and would much rather use something I have laying around here. One covering I found that I like really well is from an evergreen tree of some sort that they had removed, but it left TONS of needles. They just make it look really cool. Thanks for any help! Misty

I gave my sister-in-law any shallow dishes that I kept but never used again after I used up whatever was inside them, she said it was best to use glazed pottery or stoneware with drainage holes, my brother drilled holes for her using a drill you would use for glazed tiles in the home, he put a sticking plaster on the spot where he wanted to drill the hole so the drill did not slide all over the shinny surface, Sticking plasters are what you folks call Band Aid you put on a cut finger etc, the containers need to be very shallow about 4 to 5 inch deep at the most as you only use the smallest amount of soil with very small gravel added and you dress the top of the soil after planting with either glass beads (very small) or coloured gravel specially for Bonsai, you also see it inside glass candle jars and comes in many colours, I just know that every so often, you have to remove everything from the container, trim the roots of your little tree as they soon fill up the container and you need to replace the soil, this treatment is what restricts the growth of the tree, then you have to eventually have to wind wire around the branches to secure them into the shape of the tree you want, sniping off bits to try shape it as it grows, but I am giving you the basics here, there is ofcourse a bit more to it than that which is why I suggest you go to the library for some books on the subject, the containers I passed on were things like shallow veg tureens that we had broken the lids, some clay/stoneware pate dishes, but I bet if you go along to a garage sale or fundraising sale you will get to be expert at what you could use for next to nothing money wise. Good Luck and hope you get started, lastly, I would say, this type of gardening takes a few years before you see any good results as these trees need gentle and slow growing conditions by the methods I mentioned so dont build your hopes up for results this Christmas. But go for it, what do you have to loose. WeeNel.

Thanks a million! misty

Thanks, I decided to buy a 2 month subscription and posting threads on Bonsai site!
Thanks

Good for you, now you have subscribed, you can also go onto lots of other forums, send some pictures of your new hobby, your going to love it, just be patient. best wishes, WeeNel.

I did another Jade Bonsai and it seems to be doing just fine! Also had to buy one of the red trimmed ones today! I am hooked on Jade, and got my sister hooked, too! LOL Misty

If it wasn't for people like you and many other folks on this site becoming hooked, I bet the whole garden industry would fold in a season, we are our own worst enemy when we go to the nurseries or garden centers, I sometimes go for one thing and come out with a truck load of plants that I dont even know where I have space for them, but hey, like shoes and bags, a girl cant have too many is my idea in life. good luck and happy growing. WeeNel.

Well, I had intentions of spending JUST $20.00 because a lot of plants was suppose to be 75% off, but we all know how that goes! (I went a little over that!) My honey thinks I have a shoe "problem", too! LOL If someone had told me a little over a year ago that I would be addicted to flowers/plants, I would have told them they were crazy! I always had a black thumb til last year, now look at me! WHOOOOOOOO Oh well, its fun! Misty

Misty, we're all glad you've joined us! Welcome! Lots of things to see, lots of good folks to talk to.

Thanks Kwanjin. I fully agree, exceptional people here! Misty

It's always nice to share in your gardening excitment with someone! Excited to access more forums.
December I start up the greenhouses again, so great to have so much information on hand and help from others!
Misty, I like the idea of Jade plants!
I'll have to get several different kinds to try.

They are awesome plants! I really didn't need the one I bought, but just had to have it anyway! The more you get the happier you will be! Misty

Then you DID need it, Misty!!! LOL

I suppose you are right, kwanjin! HE HE