Who's right? That's like asking 5 politicians the same question... everyone's a little bit right that day about some aspect of his thing, but no one's right all the time and everyone has a different idea, but if you can read between the lines long enough, you get a general sense (consensus if you're lucky) about a lot of it, and that's doing pretty well! Just keep reading and watching (find a local club to join, it's a great way to learn! Don't buy 'Bonsai" at the big stores - not the cuttings (and that's all 99% of them are there) stuck in tiny pots with gravel glued to the soil(!!!) and tag info. that's as useful for African violets as it is for pine trees... i.e. lousy for both. Anyhow, blah blah... what Wal-Mart, etc. are good for is inexpensive stuff to learn on for 'indoor' plants, like ficus, schefflera, anything tropical that gets woody stems/trunks and has relatively small leaves. The thing is to learn to keep them alive... the 'bonsai' part can come later, or at least 1 step at a time - there's no such thing as 'instant' bonsai, not if you have any integrity or respect for what it's about. Take note of your indoor conditions, what you can supply in the way of hrs of light, from what direction, what temp. is the room, how's the humidity (in winter), etc. etc. You can improve most of them, but depending on what you grow, you may not need to change a lot... or you can spend a lot on liting and misting systems, bonsai pots (not really needed until your trees are well established, trained to the point (over yrs) of being the size and style you want, etc., and you want to 'display' them, either at some show, or just at home. You will want some plastic basic styles (rect., round, oval, etc.) that are shallower than terra cotta geranium pots - check out Bonsaimonk.com for mica pots of all sizes - lighter and cheaper than ceramic, but stronger and better looking than the $*&(% plastic the plants are sold in. You'll want to load up on good soil components, lots of perlite and that tiny aquarium gravel that's not the polished pea sized stuff, for faster drainage, organic soil that's not all peat (good luck finding it), but maybe with larger particles. Get a tiny brown bottle of 'No Damp' from any garden ctre (or even hardware) for potting and rooting cuttings without growing fungus or mildew, and some Safer's Soap Spray to deal with spider mites, mealy bugs, etc. (not as a preventative so much as treatment if the need arises - but never use it on Chinese elms/Zelkova). Keep reading (Amazon.com has a good 'used' bonsai bk list cheap), and find that club. Good luck and have fun.

Oh, should just mention that most bonsai are killed by kindness... watering too often (for that partic. tree), plus lower light conditions than they're used to - what's bright to us indoors is dark to a plant outside. And spend some $$ on just one tool (which you'll have for years) - a 6-8" concave cutter, from any good online bonsai dealer ($50. will get a decent pair... don't go a lot lower).

I kinda only have about fifty bucks, ya.

Just as you dont need expensive pots right away you don't necesserily need expensive tools either. If your choices are to either buy tools or buy plants obviously buy plants. Most of my trees are deciduous and are kept outdoors, however I like to grow Jade plants indoors over the winter. Pruning on jades can be done without expensive tools; I use scissors and a utility knife.

Hello, you may be able to 'prune' jade (just twist off leaves) with scissors and a utility knife(!!!), but bonsai otherwise have woody branches and you can't use scissors on them unless they're very young and small. I gave him basic info. and it's up to him to decide how to spend his money.

Lucy, Why so defensive? I have not discounted any of your advice, (at least not yet), merely offering an alternative. I cited Jade plants because that is the indoor species that I am most familiar with. I am well aware of the advantages of using concave branch cutters; they work particularly well if one actually has branches to prune. Yes it is his money to spend as he sees fit but to suggest that someone with no experience, limited resources and no plant material to work on, purchase expensive specialty tools is very much akin to putting the cart before the horse.

Bill, I stand by my previous remarks, acquire knowledge first, expensive tools later. The surest way to learn to care for a particular species is to do a little research and then go buy a plant and then attempt to keep it alive in the environment that you can provide. You may find that you will not need to do any substantial pruning for several months. Even then you can get by with a decent pair of bypass pruners, (available locally for a lot less than $50.00), until you are surer of your interest in bonsai. In the meantime search for information on this forum, and others, regarding pinching/pruning, soil mixes, repotting, etc.

Norm

Sorry Gnome, but it did strike me that of all the plants to use as an example (of not needing even a cutter), jade was so atypical of 'bonsai' as to lead him in the wrong direction, and what's the point of that?

Lucy:
I canÂt deny that Jades are somewhat outside the mainstream of bonsai culture although I certainly am not the first to grow them as bonsai. As I said they are not my primary focus, just something to satisfy my green thumb over the winter. They are readily available, adapt well to indoor culture and donÂt require any special tools. All of these things would seem to make them well suited to someone in Bills situation. But the point I was really trying to make, somewhat poorly, is that the beginner need not purchase expensive tools at the beginning of his journey into bonsai.

Norm

Oh well, I guess I was trying to narrow things down for him, but have it your way :-). Not knocking jade at all, BTW, just that it's not woody, and therefore not .. you know!

Oh poor, poor Bill
If he wasn't confused before...how must he feel now.

Sorry to add my two cents worth to an old post, but if you're still out there Bill, here's what I think. There is validity to both sides of the above discussion, be it at two very different levels.

Lucy is right
As you learn more not only about different trees and how to just keep them alive, you should also learn the philosiphy and respect behind the art (and it is an art).

Gnome is right
Jade would be a great tree to start with. It may not be the "standard" material for bonsai, but it is cheap to buy, easy to grow and does not require special tools.

I am right
You can pinch a branch from a jade plant, stick it in dirt and start another plant (free & easy). As these new plants grow, move them to different areas and experiement (free). If some die...well that happens to the best of bonsai and not much is lost.

We are all right
At this level, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Bill already has his hands full if he chooses to get involved. Realize this Bill, you are at the start of a very long road with a ton of learning, increased cost of pots, tools, trees and an education in the formal styling of bonsai. Keep reading the threads here. There is a wealth of information. Read books and join a club if you can, but in the end result, you have to please you and nobody else. If you are not happy...it is all for not.

Best of luck

hi. i have a new bonsai and its a juniper. The roots are forming a mound from which the root is coming outfrom. The roots are visible. do i re pot, get some moss, or leave i need help,
THANKS EVERYone

also, half the root system thing is sticking up on one sidethe moung is like tilted and the pot is flat. I will put some pics wen i get a chance
o

If the roots are brown and woody, you're ok, if they're white and not yet woody, if they're left uncovered, they'll die, so put more soil on top. Your description of the whole thing, though, is confusing... I'm really not sure what you mean by the first letter (of today) and the whole 2nd letter.

there is a mound of roots. they are black. one side of the mound (the back) is coming up and the edges of the roots are showing. Should i put these edges back in. like cover them with soil.

ill put some photos up wen i get the camera of my bro

Im only 11

in australia its 10:10 am on sunday the 18th and i posted that just after midnight

Don't 'put them back in' or you'll probably end up breaking them (nothing personal, but they're usually brittle), so covering them would be much better. However, I find the whole mound/roots thing strange enough to wonder if the tree's outgrown the pot and needs a larger one. Have you lifted the whole rootball out carefully to see how rootbound it is? Or has the tree been either planted cockeyed on purpose (you can't really know that I guess), or just gotten knocked sideways accidentally and stayed that way? But If you get a larger pot, with a layer of (fast draining gritty) soil on the bottom, then your straightened rootball and tree, then fill in all around it with the soil, it should be ok unless you like it the way it is for some reason (not being able to see it, I can only guess at the situation).