iant
Chumono
One of my best friends in L.A. is starting out in bonsai and I wrote him an email of the top things I've learned over my first years. I've done bonsai about 12 years but I've only had a chance to really get into it (okay addicted) for the last couple. I thought I'd share with the forum my list. If I got anything wrong please let me know! Or if there's something you'd like to add as one of your favorite tips I'd like to hear it as this may be a mistake I'm just about to make!
Lessons I've learned as a beginner in bonsai:
1) It's all about horticulture. Styling doesn't mean squat if you can't get your trees growing healthy and strong
2) Placement is crucial in horticulture. The more sun you can give your trees without burning the better. Morning sun rocks for sensitive trees... but if your tree can take the afternoon sun don't let it languish in the shade!
3) Plants don't really like dry heat or reflected heat. (This is my biggest problem with my setup right now.)
4) Use a soil mix that drains very well for pines and junipers and holds just a little water but still drains well for deciduous. If I want it to hold water I use 1/3 turface or akadama. But no small particles in any mix. Sift your soil and toss everything less than 1/8 in.
5) Fertilize a lot if you have a fast draining soil mix (like weekly in the growing season.)
6) You can water daily in the growing season (where I live) if your mix is fast draining
7) If your plants are getting eaten don't be shy using a systemic insecticide like Bayer Advanced. Even if you haven't yet noticed that your plants are being eaten they probably are.
8) Don't do more than 1 major thing to a juniper in a year or it very well may die on you
9) Watch your wiring on deciduous in spring and early summer like a hawk. It's like garlic bread in the oven on broil... you turn away and it's burned
10) Prunus and Malus and Chaenomeles are harder than you think... Somehow you don't see that many good ones. Maybe it's the ramification challenge
11) Pomegranates are fussy
12) It's tempting to bare root trees when repotting but it's dicey. You'll lose a few trees if you're too aggressive. You have to know your species and what they can take. (I'm still learning obviously.)
13) Getting material that's been grown out already for bonsai or finding something with potential to collect gets you much farther faster than growing from small.
14) If you're trying to grow a bunch of things out from small you may have room for all of the pots but you wont have room for the canopies that it would take to make the trunks you think you're going to have (unless you have a growing field.)
15) Even though the goal is a long way off it's very enjoyable along the way to see your trees growing or making progress.
Ian
Lessons I've learned as a beginner in bonsai:
1) It's all about horticulture. Styling doesn't mean squat if you can't get your trees growing healthy and strong
2) Placement is crucial in horticulture. The more sun you can give your trees without burning the better. Morning sun rocks for sensitive trees... but if your tree can take the afternoon sun don't let it languish in the shade!
3) Plants don't really like dry heat or reflected heat. (This is my biggest problem with my setup right now.)
4) Use a soil mix that drains very well for pines and junipers and holds just a little water but still drains well for deciduous. If I want it to hold water I use 1/3 turface or akadama. But no small particles in any mix. Sift your soil and toss everything less than 1/8 in.
5) Fertilize a lot if you have a fast draining soil mix (like weekly in the growing season.)
6) You can water daily in the growing season (where I live) if your mix is fast draining
7) If your plants are getting eaten don't be shy using a systemic insecticide like Bayer Advanced. Even if you haven't yet noticed that your plants are being eaten they probably are.
8) Don't do more than 1 major thing to a juniper in a year or it very well may die on you
9) Watch your wiring on deciduous in spring and early summer like a hawk. It's like garlic bread in the oven on broil... you turn away and it's burned
10) Prunus and Malus and Chaenomeles are harder than you think... Somehow you don't see that many good ones. Maybe it's the ramification challenge
11) Pomegranates are fussy
12) It's tempting to bare root trees when repotting but it's dicey. You'll lose a few trees if you're too aggressive. You have to know your species and what they can take. (I'm still learning obviously.)
13) Getting material that's been grown out already for bonsai or finding something with potential to collect gets you much farther faster than growing from small.
14) If you're trying to grow a bunch of things out from small you may have room for all of the pots but you wont have room for the canopies that it would take to make the trunks you think you're going to have (unless you have a growing field.)
15) Even though the goal is a long way off it's very enjoyable along the way to see your trees growing or making progress.
Ian
