Hi, I'm very curious as to what you base some of your tips on, such as 'get a sprayer'. That's not the way to humidity most trees. Occasionally very fine misting is recommended, and certainly humidity tray rigs, but spraying has been shown to encourage mildew on the soil, but not to humidify well as the spray dries so quickly it has little effect on the foliage. "Bending branches to get a better view of branching structures is almost always better than hacking away at obscuring branchlets." This is just bizarre and not good bonsai practice. "Garden stakes"?? Why? "Learn about water" - learn what?

I suppose this is advice I wish I got a couple years ago. I never hurt a leaf with the sprayer, but I've certainly removed many a branch with the pruners so whenever I get the bonsai bug, I'm sure to reach for the sprayer first. Mildew has not been a problem for me but I guess that could change. When I am in front of a bonsai stock plant I usually want to see the trunk and branch line clearly so I can visualize more options for design. Raffia wrapped around branches and tied to garden stakes is the means to that end. Early bending seems to create more shape in the branches and trunk. If that's bizarre or not good please fill me in. As for the water comment, well I'm an erratic waterer preferring random spot watering and occasional soaking to a regimen of strictly intervalled drenchings. That said,when I get the bug, I have soaked when I should have spotted and vice versa and have thus learned the goldilocks lesson about the just right amount of water. I hope that other beginners out there would heed my bend instead of prune and mist instead of snip and possibly avoid the more harmful aspect of the bonsai bug. Thanks.

Tyler 23,
Don't worry I caught your drift. As for me I use a sprayer for applying pesticides, and foliar feeding. I also watch my watering. Funny that in hot weather you need more than in cool rainy weather.

You can be as fancifull as you please with the style in which you write. There are those of us that can read between the line's. We can see the origins from which you speak and aren't threatened that you'll lead us a stray with all your well wishing mumbo jumbo.

Take care DLKSR

I just am trying to visualize the bend-instead-of-pruning thing and it seems like apples and oranges to me. One is used for shaping whatever branches you want to keep and style, the other for thinning, encouraging new growth and styling, and neither is mutually exclusive. Certainly you should water according to need, not some schedule, and if you have good instincts, that's great. I also do understand not giving in to the "I just got a bonsai now what should I cut off" thinking (Karate Kid syndrome :-), it all just came across a little odd at first.

The bending and wiring gives me a clear look at the sub-branching which can be hard to see in a densely foliated tree. I like to try to move towards a bonsai that would emulate a tree that has encountered ideal growing conditions and how I can bring out the specimens natural shape in a pleasing bonsai. Right now my main concern is for a five branched lavender. I've bent all five branches outwards to get a clearer view of the centre which will show me the secondary branches. Also this spreading increases the growing surface area for next years growth. IF my response seemed defensive it was. The bizarre label left me feeling as if I were some sort of bonsai deviant. In fact I'm interested in a more multidisciplinary approach to my work and intend to use arborsculptural elements with classic bonsai techniques to bring about something a little different. Thanks

Tyler,
I have found the best way to fight the pruning bug, is to start out with many cheap plants & a couple of nice bonsai. When the bug hits me I prune & shape & love & hate my "sacrifice" trees. I have been lucky enough to have found bulk lots of trees on ebay (In Australia) for as little as $1:25 US per tubestock tree. It is always a learning experience, despite whether they are successful or not.
Ron

Thanks buddaboy. A whole slew of geraniums will be my sacrifice plants. I've thought more about why I bend the branches and trunks. I heard that people that work with field grown nursery stock push and pull trees to mimic very strong winds and thus strengthen the roots and trunk. I figure that bending the branches on potensai serve a similar purpose.

Tyler,
Your post seems very familiar to me. Not because I have read it before but because I have read it all before. I think you have some interesting ideas, but none of them are new.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel (do you have any photos of geranium bonsai?) because as you said, this art form is centuries old. I recommend instead of going it alone and making it up as you go, is to look around on the web at www.bonsaitalk.com, www.bonsainut.com, www.bonsaichat.org, www.internetbonsaiforum.org, and www.bonsaisite.com, all interactive forums with a tremendous amount of information, good, bad, and ugly. Then see if you see trees you like. If you do, find a teacher who can show you how to achieve these things. You will save yourself years of disappointment and frustration. Trust me. I speak from experience.

Thanks bonsaikc. I've been researching bonsai on the net and surf many forums on a variety of horticultural techniques. Luckily I've begun correspondence with a couple more experienced enthusiasts and it has been a fruitful endeavour. My geranium 'bonsais' are only a year old and probably don't qualify as bonsai just yet. I adore the many masterpiece galleries out there and use them a lot. Thank you for the references for specific bonsai forums. Some of them I'll be visiting when I finish typing this message.

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Tyler, Nice Pics mate. ;)

My, quite a spirited bunch you are! That's good!

Short story: I live in Patzcuaro (southern Mexico in the mountains). I went to visit a new friend recently. Her gardener was in the process of cutting down a long hedge of boxwood - with lobbers - down to the ground. He had a bonfire going over to the side and was tossing the happless shrubs into the fire. He had only 4 to go before I came to the rescue. My reward? Three VERY nice boxwoods; one measures 11.5 cm at the base, all with beautiful trunks. Fabulous! I estimate they must be at least 7-8 years old.

Question: There are "blank spots" on the trunk that really need an extra branch or two. Short of "threadgrafting," are there any suggestions for encouraging such growth?

Gracias.