How to Grow Your Own Bonsai

Choose plants suitable for your climate. Not all bonsai trees are the same. Many woody perennials and even some tropical plants can be made into ornamental plants, but not all will be suitable for your site. When selecting a species, it is important to consider the climate in which the species will be grown. For example, some plants don’t survive frost, while others really need temperatures to drop below freezing so they can go dormant and prepare for spring. Before you start growing a bonsai tree, be sure the species you’ve chosen can live in your area – especially if you plan to grow it outdoors. Nursery staff can help you if you are unsure.

• One variety of bonsai trees especially suitable for beginners is the juniper. This ornamental green is hardy, growing throughout the Northern Hemisphere and even in the more temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, junipers are easy to grow – they respond well to pruning and “curly” styles, and because they are green year-round, they never shed their leaves.
• Other conifers commonly grown as bonsai include pine, spruce, and cedar. Deciduous trees are another possibility – Japanese maples are exceptionally beautiful like magnolias, elms, and oaks. Finally, some tropical non-woody plants, such as marbles and poplars, are good choices for indoor environments in temperate or cool climates.

Decide whether you will grow the plants indoors or outdoors. The needs of indoor and outdoor bonsai trees can be very different. In general, indoor environments are drier and less bright than outdoor environments, so you’ll choose plants that require less light and moisture. Here is a list of some of the most popular bonsai tree species, categorized by their suitability for indoor or outdoor environments: ^[2]

• Indoor: Da, Sake, Snow White apricot, Gardenia, Camellia.
• Outdoors: Juniper, Cypress, Cedar, Maple, Birch, Oak, Ginkgo, Pine, Du.
• Note that some cold-tolerant cultivars like juniper are suitable for both indoor and outdoor growing, as long as they are properly cared for.

Choose the size of your bonsai tree. Bonsai trees come in many different sizes. Mature trees can be as tall as 15.2 cm or as high as 0.9 m, depending on their variety. If you choose to grow bonsai from seedlings or cuttings from another tree, they can be even smaller. Larger plants require more water, soil, and sunlight, so make sure you have all the necessary conditions before you buy a plant.

• Here are a few things you’ll want to consider when deciding on the size of your bonsai tree:
  • The size of the container you will use
  • The space you have at home or office
  • The amount of sunlight the plant will receive at your home or office
  • The amount of care you can invest in the tree (larger trees take longer to prune)

Visualize the finished product while selecting plants. Once you’ve decided on the type and size of bonsai tree you want to grow, you can go to the nursery or bonsai shop and choose the type of tree you’re going to plant. When choosing, look for plants with healthy, vibrant green leaves or needles to ensure that they are healthy (keep in mind, however, that deciduous trees can change leaf color in the fall). Finally, when you’ve narrowed down your search to the healthiest, most beautiful plants, imagine what each tree will look like once pruned. Part of the joy of growing a bonsai tree is trimming and shaping the tree gradually until it looks exactly the way you want it to – this can take years. Choose a tree with a natural shape that closely resembles the shape you have in mind.

• Note that if you choose to grow a bonsai tree from seed, you can control the tree’s growth in nearly every stage of its development. However, it can take up to 5 years (depending on the species) for the seeds to grow into mature plants. ^[3] Therefore, if you are interested in pruning or shaping trees right away, you are better off buying a grown tree.
• Another option you can consider is growing a bonsai tree from cuttings. A cutting is a branch cut from a growing tree and planted in new soil to create a distinct (but genetically identical) tree ^[4] . Cuttings are a good choice – they don’t take as long to grow as seeds, but still give you control over your plant’s growth.

Choose pots. The characteristic of bonsai trees is that they are planted in pots to limit their growth. The most important factor in choosing a pot is to make sure the pot is large enough for the soil to cover the roots of the plant. When you water the plant, it draws moisture from the soil through the roots. A small amount of soil will cause the roots to be unable to retain moisture. To prevent root rot, the pot should have drainage holes in the bottom. If not, you can also drill those holes yourself.

• One side of the pot must be large enough to support the tree, on the other hand, it must also ensure the neat and tidy aesthetic of your bonsai tree. Pots that are too large can cause the plant to become dwarfed, creating an odd or unsightly appearance. Buy a pot that is large enough for the roots of the plant, but not too large – ideally one that complements the tree’s aesthetic but is not too revealing.
• Some people like to grow bonsai trees in simple, practical pots, then move them into nicer pots when they are fully grown. This is a particularly useful process if the bonsai tree you are growing is a weak plant, as it allows you to not buy a “beautiful” pot until your tree is healthy and beautiful.