Getting Started with Bonsai

“The basic pattern is not there in order to suppress, but to help him grow on to it, so that he can become inwardly free and independent in his creative acts.” -‘ Zen in the Art of Flower Arrangement’

Bonsai is a slow hobby, your ability to improve can seem limited by the pace of the plant. But this isn’t altogether true, there’s always something you can be learning. Much of which is done while not doing much at all. Thinking about your final goal, how your plant will look and what you’ll do different next time. What you want to experiment with and how everything you read was rubbish so you’re just gonna do it your way. With that said there are ways to maximise your early growth by considering your early steps.

One of the first things you should consider is getting multiple plants. I know, we might be a little bias on that topic. However keeping your options open will benefit your growth in the long run. A mixture of old and new plants will allow you to practice multiple skills at once. Younger plants offer more flexibility. Both literally and giving you long term control over its image. Older plants also have their advantages though. While you no longer have control over their early stages you can skip right to all the other stuff. Pruning, carving, repotting, maybe even complex arrangements such as forests or twin trunks. Rather than wait years to get involved with one side or the other you can learn them both at once.

Of course with this comes learning the rules. As discussed last time the rules of bonsai are more open than they first appear. There are things that look right and work well. Certain pots go better with certain styles of trees, and there are easier ways to attain certain aesthetics. If it ultimately doesn’t look right though then dogmatic adherence to the rules won’t help.

Though pots aren’t just about looks. Bonsai pots have very specific needs. Because we’re limiting the plant’s growth the types of soil, nutrients and amounts are more controlled than your average pot plant. This can cause issue for things like aeration or soil run off. Typically bonsai pots have large holes that are covered with a grate. They may also have wires in the bottom to help stabilise the plant after the roots are trimmed. So while your focus may at first be drawn to the best looking pot. It  might be wise to learn the technical aspects. By that I mean you’re going to break some pots drilling holes in the bottom.

Tools also play an important rule. You’ve likely been shocked at the veritable armoury of tools bonsai enthusiasts can buy, and then even more shocked at the price. But each does in fact have a use and it is worth having the right implement on hand. Branch cutters, conclave cutters and saws are your main shaping tools for stronger woody sections or roots. Various pruning scissors and tweezers help you pick at smaller foliage. While sets of small wire cutters and pliers will come in once you learn about wiring. Of course you can’t forget about wound sealant either to fight off infection. There will be no end of stuff you can buy. Some will not be that useful at first, and some you will regret buying.

So with all that said, maybe don’t spend all your money at once. You can get no end of fancy pots, imported Japanese tools, 100 year old bonsai that looks suspiciously like something a garden centre threw out. But starting out, you really don’t know what you want yet.

Experiment first. Pick some plants that always interested. Take mistakes in your stride. Like setting out to draw it will be a while before the image in your head can become reality. It is a craft none of which are easy. So make sure what you focus on is something you find fun.