let's make outside bonsai

you can start by seedlings or cuttings, but the best is, to start with a little bonsai-like tree of a nursery stock.

bert

no questions?

Bert I have a question:

How do you make those beautiful Hosta bonsai? I would love to try this.

that's the easy one: take a small kind of hosta, blue cadet, ginkgo craig or similar mini-hosta. (mine is blue cadet)
take away a lot of soil, only let 30% of old soil to put in the new pot. 2/3 new soil of the place in the pot. us not to big pot. put the roots like an octopuss in the pot, fill it with soil. during summer put on a shady place, dont forget to water dayli.
carefully in winter, digg the pot with the hosta in the ground for winter. cover it with 1- 1 1/2 Inch of soil.

and good luck

bert

Thanks Bert!!!

Now...how do you keep small? Do you trim the roots, and how often?

Thanks
Jody

firstly I use small size hostas
second, repot and cutt roots every spring
tray it, it's sucessfull

bert

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hi patty
start with a middle sized bonsai, to small is to hard to keep alive (water, sun and so.)
start, if you can, with an outdoor bonsai: Maple, larch, pine-tree or hornbeam.

bert

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decription of bon-sai; bon=pot, plate/ sai=tree, plant. means tree in a pot!
the size and kind of plant is not determinated,
US ANY KIND YOU LIKE,
as maple tree us: acer palmatum "atropurpureum" or a.p. "bloodgood" (boths red leaves); also kind are acer palmatum "dissectum" (green) and "ornatum", red. twarf, weeping mapel.
verry succesfull is: acer palm. "shishingshira" /leonshead-maple.

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do you have a digicam to post a pic?

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let min. 30% of the old rootsystem. plant in a pot with 30% more space then this ball is.
other messure: lenght of the plate: 2/3 of the hight of final tree.

bert

if you use plants (shrubs or trees )to make a bonsai which arnt commonly,or at all used for bonsai is there a catagorie for these plants in bonsai shows or are they classed simply by the shape and size of the plant

how do you initially cut the roots back? And can you cut the limbs any way you like? I'm starting a Dwarf Hinoki Cypress. Thanks

Hey, Im glad I saw this. I want to try the hosta bonsai. I read in one bonsai book recently, that it is better to remove the plant from the pot and put it into the ground during the winter, what do yout think of that? I like different plants as bonsai. The book Four Seasons of Bonsai has the best pictures and plant selection that I have ever seen.

I don't want to scare or discourage anyone about Bonsai. On the contrary, I want to stimulate participation in the art form. I also hate to hear about dead plants!
Like anything else worth persuing, Bonsai is a hobby that requires knowledge. Not hard-to-get knowhow, but info specifically related to the development of a healthy plant. Where to find that knowledge? Books. Also check for a local Bonsai club. Google "Bonsai Clubs International". ( My hard drive crashed and I'm back up and running but my "favorites List" of Bonsai sights got wiped out so I can't give you hyperlinks to them) They are however, very easy to find.
"Bonsai Techniques I and II, by John Yosio Naka has been my bible for years.
Also, "The Bonsai Workshop" by Herb Gustafson Has a great deal of information.
Last time I checked, E-Bay had them both, and many more.
In short, if you want to get into Bonsai, and not kill a bunch of trees in the process, do some reading on the subject. Learn the different styles like formal and informal upright, slant, cascade, et al. Learn about "branch one, branch two, back branch."
Yes, you'll end up with more questions, but you will have learned the terminology to enable you to ask intelligent and pointed questions (when you find someone who can answer them) at a Bonsai club meeting.
Then, armed with a little knowledge, you can jump in with both feet and have a really rewarding time. I can't emphasize enough how much fun this hobby is, how rewarding it is, and what great "stress msnagement" it provides. ENJOY!

iblloy; thanks for bumping this thread back up. I just now found your posting and above info. Thank you.

Let's make outdoor Bonsai. I've this healthy but sad looking dwarf Alberta Spruce. It's sad looking because it was mistakenly brought inside along with my tender perennial at the end of our growing season.

Is it a good candidate? Please advice.

Bert: thank you so much for starting this thread. I have wanted to do some bonsai. I have yet to jump in with both feet. I am diabled with a degree in horticulture so I am thinking I should be able to do it. I have yet to jump in. I bought a juniperus procumbens nana a couple of years ago and have been just maintaining it.
It sounds like the 2 books you listed would walk me through the proper techniques. I want to do it properly. I realize its all in the fun of just doing it making mistakes as we go.
Would you or could you please do a step by step how to with pics on making bonsai?
Thanks Dave