Want to Bonsai, need some advice

[Ceretrea]

Hey there,

Unfortuantely my first attempt to post was unsuccessful so I lost all my text. Therefore this is a much abridged version

I would like to start this wonderful past time but I wanted to start with a tree that is native to my country, England. I bought a book on Bonsai but I see the same sorts of tree species in there like Elm and Maple. Can you Bonsai with any kind of tree?

My choice list is as follows:-

Hazel - Corylus
Willow - Salix
Rowan - Sorbus
Oak - Quercus
Ash - Fraxinus
Birch - Betula
Alder - Alnus
Holly - Ilex
Hawthorn - Crataegus

Others I would like to try are Vine, Reeds, Ivy and Elder (Sambucus) as possible interesting specimens.

Is it possible to create a Bonsai using one of the above list? Is there one that would be easier to start with, or one that presents a particular challenge.

I would certainly appreciate some guidance.


Edit to add:- These are outdoor Bonsai I'm thinking of and I'm not sure whether to go for seed or cuttings. I'd like to start with a new plant and track its progress over time...makes it more special I think even if it takes longer.

[bonsaiboy]

Almost any plant can be bonsaied as long as it fits these guidelines. First, and most obvious, it has to be a woody tree or shrub. Second, the leafs must be small or must reduce with pruning. And thirdly, the tree should probably have a long lifespan; it would be pointless to work so hard on something that will die in 20 years. That being said, I think any of your choices will work.

[Ceretrea]

Thank you very much for your reply Bonsaiboy.

Other than the leaf reduction I am sure all of my choices fit the bill. I'm not sure whether the leaf size reduces upon pruning but that is something I will soon find out The Oak of course I have heard being used for Bonsai so that one at least ticks all the boxes.

You have given me hope that my project will work, thanks again.

On a side note I think this forum is truly inspiring, the only UK forum I have found requires payment. This one is informative, with lots of pictures and great advice from what I have read so far. I look forward to reading more and asking (sometimes silly) questions.

[bonsaiboy]

Thats great! And, welcome to the forum!

[uzeyr]

ok I realise u wanna style your own tree and stuff but to be honest if u really wana enjoy the hobby , sure buy the plants that you wanna train but also it would help if u had a ready bonsai as well. an inexpensive one will keep u determined and happy I have seen the cheapest nice looking elms for ...£12 just go to ur local garden centre and u will see some get them and the are easy to keep
becuase if u decide to train the trees it will take many years before the young plants look anything like little trees so yeah just thought id tell u since that is how my intrest started with bonsai I bought a bonsai book
wish u luck in the hobby

[JTred]

My advice is similar to uzeyr's. I think buying an inexpensive ready made bonsai is a great idea, but also a great way to start is to get 1 gallon trees and shrubs and prune and shape them to start them. Part of having a bonsai is caring for and maintaining a tree, and another part is learning how to make the trees look how you want them to. Also, variety is great. This hobby is something that requires patience, and, if you are like me and have little, it will be helpful to have different trees, different styles, and at different stages of development. That way there is always a tree that needs something done, and if one dies it isn't so much of an emotional blow. Finally, keep your eyes and ears open. If you notice a neighbor or friend is getting rid of a shrub, ask if you can have it. Even shrubs and trees that seem overgrown can sometimes be cut down drastically, which gives you a nice thick trunk and a good taper.

[Ceretrea]

Thank you for the tips.

I have a stack of patience and would actually really enjoy startin in Bonsai slowly, exploring every aspect of it.

Having said that, my local garden centre often sells Japanese Maples and I have recently bought one (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Garnet') and wondered if perhaps this might become a useful subject. It's main trunk is only about a foot high as it has already been cut back (not by me). What would be the next step for me to start training this as a Bonsai?

I have also come by some Oak cuttings and followed the advice in my book regarding planting them. I presume I need to let them grow on for a couple of years but do I need to do anything different to them then I would any other tree?

I'll be going the cuttings route seeing as tree seed germination itself can take a long time..I'm patient but I'm not a sadist

[Gnome]

Ceretrea,

You've received some good advice so far.

Having said that, my local garden centre often sells Japanese Maples and I have recently bought one (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Garnet') and wondered if perhaps this might become a useful subject. It's main trunk is only about a foot high as it has already been cut back (not by me). What would be the next step for me to start training this as a Bonsai?

Probably the first thing I would look for is the presence or absence of a graft. I'm betting there is one and it may be located a little too high or be a poor match (visually) of the scion to the understock. An unsightly graft often precludes nursery Maples from becoming quality bonsai. You can try cuttings from the Maple or perhaps an air layer if it is large enough, this eliminates the graft union. You should know though that Maples are not the easiest to propagate via cutting but in can be done.

I have also come by some Oak cuttings and followed the advice in my book regarding planting them. I presume I need to let them grow on for a couple of years but do I need to do anything different to them then I would any other tree?

I'll be going the cuttings route seeing as tree seed germination itself can take a long time..I'm patient but I'm not a sadist

In this case you may be better off trying the seeds as Oak cuttings can be very difficult to root. A plant that is already established is another option.

Norm

[Ceretrea]

Hello Norm,

Some more good advice from you I can get hold of Oaks as saplings but I am curious, what makes them hard to root from cuttings? Is there a special method you know of or could link to?

I have so much good information so far, its really encouraging for a beginner like me.

edited to add:- I really like the formal upright and hope to achieve larger sized bonsai perhaps 3 feet high...

[Gnome]

Ceretrea,

I am curious, what makes them hard to root from cuttings?

Honestly, I don't know what makes one species or cultivar more difficult to root than others, that is just the way it is, not all plants respond similarly. I have never personally tried Oaks from cuttings but the information I passed on comes from a good source.

In their volume 'The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation' Dirr and Heuser note:

Although Oaks have been considered impossible to root on a commercial basis several researchers and nurserymen have had limited success with a limited number of species.

So, it seems, while not impossible, there are other more fruitful avenues to pursue. If you have saplings available to you why the desire to root cuttings? Unless you have a specific tree you wish to propagate it would seem that a seedling, sapling, or even better yet, an established tree, would serve your purposes.

Try to get past the notion that you need to start from scratch. This path, while rewarding, can also be fraught with numerous pitfalls. Look around you, try to find old landscape material that is unwanted, this is an excellent source for bonsai material. Grow young material if you must but don't limit yourself this way. Bonsai can be difficult enough with decent material.

Norm

[Ceretrea]

Yes I see what you are saying. Perhaps I should not limit myself so much. I will try the cuttings route but not with Oak. Oak, I will try for a more mature specimen. The seedling option I can explore with a species that is particularly easy to cultivate this way and so on.

I don't want to get so caught up in one aspect so as to set myself up for failure when I haven't yet begun.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

[Gnome]

Ceretrea,

I don't want to get so caught up in one aspect so as to set myself up for failure when I haven't yet begun.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

I'm glad to be able to help, even if only a little. Bonsai can be approached form various directions, seedlings and cuttings are only one. Old landscape material, especially in areas with a long history, can yield excellent material.

Nursery material is also useful for new enthusiasts, you get something a little more advanced and the opportunity to begin styling much more quickly than with very young material.

You might also consider a mass produced bonsai. I have seen some pretty nice Chinese Elms that have been purchased in the U.K.

Norm

[Ceretrea]

My problem is with the species I intend to use. The only one of those on my list I have seen as a bonsai is the Oak. Hence the need to do the training myself.

I will keep looking though.