[Enchantra]

I've combined this thread and Joe's into one to clean up the forum a bit. (10/2/2006)

I'm writing this as a guide to everyone, though especially beginners and those venturing into the whole Bonsai scene for the first time.

Warning: I'm about to get verbose!

***

Situation one:
Picture this: You walk into a local store and you spot one of those badly formed, glued-into-the-pot pitiful trees that pass with the label of "Bonsai" at some local chain store. You like the tree. It's cheap. You purchase it and follow the instructions on the tag that came with the tree thinking this is all you need to do to have a bonsai tree. Several weeks or months later the poor thing is dead.

So what happened? Well first of all that poor tree being glued into the pot could not breathe via it's roots. So without oxygen, and without enough water, since water has a heck of a lot of trouble getting through glue, it hung on for as long as it could and then croaked. Secondly, the soil these mass produced bonsai are in is pretty nasty stuff. It's not suitable for growing bonsai by any means. Also, you may not have had the tree under the proper growing conditions for it's species.

So what should you do if you really like one of these "malsai?" Well inspect it before you buy it. Check for bugs and fungus. Check the root structure if you can see it - does it have a good Nebari? How does the branch structure look to you? Does it have any potential at all to be shaped into a tree with several years of training? If it has bugs, fungus, poor nebari or a simply worthless branch structure, leave it at the store and move on.

Now if it appears to be pest and fungus free and has some decent roots and might have potential, then if you feel the price is worth it, purchase the tree. You take it home, now what?

First get that poor tree out of that horrible glue/rock/nasty soil combination it's in. You're doing it a huge favor. Replant it in something free draining with some good grit in it. Soil recipes abound on this site, you're likely to find one that suits your purposes just fine by looking around. Now that it's resting in better soil in a new pot or the same one as before, do some research on your tree. Books and the internet are great resources, as are talking to people at local nurseries who deal with trees year-round.

Things you want to look for in your research:
-How often to water
-How often to feed
-How often to repot
-How often to prune/When to prune
-Climatic conditions it prefers (Is this an indoor or outdoor bonsai?)
-Do you have the proper area to keep the bonsai or do you need to create a climatic area for it? This is important as all to often I see people posting on these boards about how they wonder why their tree died. It turns out they had the tree where it was drafty or didn't get enough light or it was to cold or to hot. If you have a tree that needs a lot of light but no sunny windows for an indoor bonsai, you are going to need to compensate by getting lighting for it. Some trees need dormancy periods every year - can you accomodate them for a dormancy period?

If it turns out you are able to give your tree everything it needs without to much trouble, congratulations and enjoy your tree!

If it turns out your tree needs some special accomodations, it's time to figure out what to do using your research as a guide to get the tree what it needs for survival.

If you find you cannot provide it with the proper conditions for survival even after research and trying your hand at keeping it alive, it's time to find a new home for it. Find a friend who can give it the proper care.

*****

Situation Two:
You have seen a type of tree you really like and would love to have as a bonsai. Maybe you have a little experience and you think you can handle the tree. So you get the tree, you do a small amount of research and think everything is well. The tree thrives for a bit and then starts running into problems, or goes into dormancy but never emerges from it - it dies. So what happened?

First, the general rule of thumb BEFORE you buy a tree is to research completely if you have what is needed to keep that tree alive. Never buy a tree you don't have the resources for to keep alive.

Before I purchase a tree here is what I consider when buying from a nursery or an online site:
-Is the tree indoor or outdoor? If indoor, do I have the proper lighting for it?
-Watering regimen - Does it need a lot or a little water?
-Feeding - how much does it require? Any special nutrients?
-Repotting and pruning - when is it best to do both or when should the one be done independent of the other.
-Climatic conditions - This sort of falls under if it is indoor or outdoor to a point. With a tree being outdoor, do I live in the proper hardiness zone? Will the tree survive outside here? Do I get enough sunlight where I keep my trees? Does it like/dislike wet/drought conditions? Does it require dormancy?
Example: I've been drooling over an Acer pentaphyllum. It's a gorgeous tree. Rare if not extinct in the wild. It's listed most places as hardy only to zone 7. I'm in Zone 6a. This poses a problem. My winters are obviously much colder than this tree can tolerate. So do I still get the tree? NO! I research to see if I can easily shelter this tree to keep it from getting to cold for it's species. If the answer is that I cannot give it proper shelter, I don't get the tree, no matter how beautiful it is or how much I may want it, it is not worth buying the tree and then having it die.
-What kind of soil does the tree prefer?
-Does the tree have a good root structure/nebari?
-Does the tree have at least a fair branch structure you can work with and improve over time?
-Does the tree have any potential at all?
-Is the tree you are about to possibly purchase free of pests/diseases/fungi?

By considering all these factors and doing your research you have a much greater potential to have a tree that will thrive and develop into a mature bonsai over time. Not doing research can lead to many potential problems, up to death for the tree.

****
Places to look for research material on trees:
-These forums and other forums devoted to bonsai/gardening/horticulture.
-Local library: they should have books on trees and gardening that might have information you will find useful.
-Local nurseries: Hey these guys grow trees for a living - if they don't have a decent answer to your questions, no one probably will.
-Magazines on gardening/horticulture/bonsai
-Online informational sites other than forums
-Other bonsai enthusiasts who perhaps own a tree of the same species.
-Family members who do gardening/bonsai
-Online nurseries.
-Agriculture/Horticulture department at a local/semi-local University. Up in my area we have Cornell University which has a huge Agricultural Department and a large series of greenhouses where they grow a sample of almost everything. They have a wealth of information for those who seek it.

****

I do hope some of you find this information helpful or useful in your quest for satisfying your bonsai addiction. Goodluck and happy potting/pruning/watering etc!

This post has been edited by Enchantra: 02 October 2006 - 06:51 PM

[Joe Pelonio]

Last night I wish I had my camera with me. It was a perfect example of what to avoid if looking for a bonsai to buy.

I was driving home, along the lake with Mt. Rainier visible in the distance, at the end of a hard day.

I went to turn left up the hill and there in a triangular gravel area with "No Parking" signs posted was an old pickup truck with a beat up aluminum shell. There were 3 handpainted (and very tacky) signs. Without the camera I wrote down what they said to share with you all.

1. BONSAI SALE NURSERY DIRECT

2. BIG TREES STUPID PRICES

3. TODAY ONLY

I didn't stop and look at the "trees" as it might have spoiled my dinner but I could see that on the wooden racks were nothing but common junipers, and all of them looked like cheap home center 1 gallon shrubs that had been stuck into bonsai pots.

*****
8/14/2006

It might be helpful to explain why it's not a good idea to purchase a tree from
a street vendor. With street vendors, that is a truck parked on the side of a road,
you are likely to find something worse than mallsai. In the case of the old pickup
truck I passed last week junipers were in bonsai pots but looked like home
center shrubs, without training and likely just potted.

Why do these "roadsai" or "trucksai" find them to die within a week?

Look at it from the vendor's point of view. Parked on the side of the road for
one day, possibly in an illegal place. No business license. No phone number
for customers to call. No one is going to be able to find them if they become
unsatisfied with their purchase. The goal is to sell as many as possible and move on
to another location. The target is the person not knowledgeable in bonsai
who drives by, sees signs like:

"BONSAI SALE NURSERY DIRECT"

"BIG TREES STUPID PRICES"

"TODAY ONLY"

and stops to take a look. The trees have to look nice and green and healthy,
but only until they are sold. How do they do that? Pot them up that morning,
or the day before. A juniper can be cut down at ground level and still look good
for a day or two. Without proper root pruning, and proportional foliage pruning
to keep the tree in balance; without cleaning all of the soil from the roots; without
proper bonsail grit soil; without established feeder roots, they are doomed.
For what may be a decent price for a bonsai, you are buying a garden shrub.
For that garden shrub the price is much higher than you are going to
pay at a home center or even a good nursery. The pot's not going to be
worth much, and is probably too small for the tree.

Often you will find bonsai vendors at local craft shows, fairs, garden shows and
Farmer's markets. These are not necessarily what I consider to be street vendors.
Some of these may actually be representatives of a good bonsai nursery, taking the
opportunity to display their work, and possibly sell some trees, seedlings, pots and
other supplies and tools. Still, you have to be wary, because some might be selling
street vendor trees. If you are new to bonsai and see a tree you like, but are not sure
of the quality or the vendor, look around and ask yourself these questions:

- Does their display have a company name?
- How long have they been in business?
- Do they have flyers or business cards with an address and a phone number?
- Do they provide a "care sheet" specific to that variety of tree?
- Can they answer questions about the tree and how to care for it?

This post has been edited by Enchantra: 14 August 2006 - 11:21 PM