Creating Your Own Bonsai

Plant Selection. It is safest to begin with common plants that do well in your area. Be sure that the plants you consider meet the requirements for good bonsai. Some old favorites for

bonsai specimens are Sargent juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargentii’), Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergiana), Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), Japanese flowering cherry (Prunus yedoensis), and Japanese or sawleaf zelkova (Zelkova serrata).

Nursery stock can be a very good selection since the plant’s roots have already become accustomed to being containerized. Look for well-rooted specimens with good branches. Plants for bonsai can be collected from the wild, but it is a slow method and there are many unknown factors. It is difficult to tell the age of a plant found in the wild and since they must be collected while dormant, it is also difficult to be sure that the specimen is healthy.

Take all the equipment needed to keep the plant in good condition after digging. This includes plastic bags to wrap the root ball, moss to pack around the roots, and water to keep the specimen moist if it cannot be replanted soon after

digging. Don’t forget the crowbar; roots are sometimes wrapped securely around rocks. Be sure to have permission before digging plants on property other than your own, and don’t forget to check the endangered species list for protected plants before you begin. It is not legal to take plants from national parks and other conserved areas. After the plant is selected, dug, and brought home, plant it in a protected area in your garden. Water the plant and feed it sparingly.

After one year, it is ready to be placed in a training container. A light pruning of the branches can take place at potting time, but training should not begin for another year. It is possible to propagate your own bonsai. It is a slow method, but it has the advantage of letting you shape the plant from the very beginning. Plant seedlings in the ground outside so that

Most bonsai are hardy trees and shrubs whose natural habitat is out in the open. They are not permanent houseplants; and even semi-tropical trees should be placed outside when weather permits.

the trunks will develop rapidly. They may need to stay outdoors for two to five years. Each spring, dig up the plant and prune its roots as you would if it were potted.

Bonsai can also be started from cuttings. Make cuttings in late spring before the buds open. Some plants that propagate easily from cuttings are olive, willow, cotoneaster, firethorn, azalea, and boxwood. Plants can also be propagated by layering and grafting, but these methods are not recommended for the beginner.

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