Bonsai is a great thing to learn about. And yes it can become quite addicting. I have only been doing it for about a year and already have about two hundred trees. This includes seedlings of various types and trees i have dug up. I am not pro by any means so i am still just playing around with it also. When i started last winter, i went around looking for whatever trees i could dig up (given they are not too big) to practice with. Some will make good bonsai and some wont. You can really practice with whatever you can get your hands on, but certain kinds will make a better bonsai than others. The jade and shefflera would be good practice but the cactus im not sure about. Cacti are not normally used as bonsai, Just houseplants. I would wait a few years before doing anything to the crab apple. Just put it in the ground or in pot and let it grow. Keep in mind that bonsai take many years to develop, so patience is definitely required. Firethorns are pretty easy to root, so i hear. I have not rooted any though. I have seen a few bonsai trees made with them though. It too will need a few years to develop. If you do get interested, just have fun with it. If you know anything about horticulture already, that is a big plus. Most things that apply to regular trees and plants apply to bonsai as well. Yes some info can be very helpful, but i have made many mistakes only to learn from them. It is definitely something that you learn as you go. Do read what you can about it. Wether it be from the internet or books or whatever. It will give you better ideas of what to look for or do in the future. The main thing is to enjoy it.. Have fun.

Jason

The most promising plants on your list are the Shefflera, crabapple and firethorn. The cactus is not a candidate for bonsai and the jade is possibility but not many are done as bonsai. The crab and firethorn should be outside in a protected place where they will not freeze too hard. You could dig a hole about 6-8" deep and sink the pot into it and cover with sawdust or straw. Cover the plant almost completely by mounding it up until just a little of the plant projects through the sawdust. The Shefflera can be kept indoors and even worked on during the winter probably. It is probably too tall if it has been a houseplant for any length of time so a complete cut back whould be necessary. I have a Shefflera that is about 3" thick at the base (twin trunks) and I cut it off at about 6" high. There were no leaves and only two branches. It leafed out in about two months and is now about 11" high and looks really good. I will defoliate it this spring to reduce the size of the leaves and refine it a little more. The most important thing you can do perhaps now is to find a bonsai club to join. There you will be able to get a lot of help from experienced people. Just Google bonsai clubs in your area. Most clubs have a web site now and that makes them easy to find. Good luck, Jack

Hi
Couple of suggestions from a "dwarfer" not a Bonsai freak lol
I'd chose from where you intend to grow them most of the time. In temp controlled areas tropicals are the best options.. Obviously those that require cool or cold rest periods would have to moved in and out of the house.
Sheff is a good example needs no seasonal adjustments tolerates low light can be pruned into anything lol.
Can you provide enough light for the jade and cactus??
Maybe bit drier in winter. Not good for Bonai imo due to slow growth??
Not familiar with the other choices but do they require dormant periods.?? Probably no problem for you in SC . For me almost impossible lol.
What about the GLORY of the South Camelia, Azalea. Magnolia??
You could winter out with no problem??? gary

Thanks for all the replies.
My shefflera is not very big. It came from a cutting 3 years ago of a favorite aunt who passed away so it is a very special plant to us. It has two trunks - one about 10 inches tall and one about 14 inches tall. The trunks are about 2 1/2 inches apart. With that being said, does anyone have any suggestions on what they would do?
Stupid question - I know I have alot of research to do - but what comes first - repotting, cutting back, or trimming roots?
Also - where do y'all get your tools from? An online source? And I have a very wide array of pots, not necessarily bonsai pots, but I did start buying up pots 3 years ago at every yard sale I came accross in the anticipation of having a small greenhouse someday. Any tips on what to look for in a pot?
Has anyone ever heard of a ZZ plant - it is a houseplant sitting on my desk right now, 4 trunks, growing straight up, shiny evergreen leaves. Looks like it might be a good bonsai candidate. I reckon I will go jump on google right now and research a little before work.
Thanks again

The only stupid question is the one not asked. For you, the next step would probably be cutting back. That is if the trunk of your tree is as big as you want it. Then you would want to let it heal. Later on you will maybe want to repot or trim the roots. Normally you wouldn't want to do it all at once. I bought my tools from an ebay seller. They are prolly not the best quality, but i only paid 50 bucks for like 15 pieces (the essentials). The only bonsai pots i have right now are plastic ones. They are a thicker plastic than normal nursery pots and a lot sturdier. They may not be as pretty as a ceramic pot, but they are alot cheaper. Not sure about the zz plant. Mybe someone else will have more knowledge about it.

dina,

You do have to realize that caring for potted plant that can't survive without your help takes perseverance, dedication and endless research and experimentation. Most would say it is not an addiction but a calling. Now if you love your Bonsai more than your husband or boyfriend that is another problem. It is like rearing a child but you don't have to send it out into the world to fend for itself. It only gets more beautiful with time. An accomplishment of which you can be very proud and enjoy endlessly. It is not an addiction but a dream.

There is plenty of info out there on google. There are sites to purchase plants and the tools to cultivate. If you need more info ask it here.

Jade is very forgiving, and a lot of joy to work with.
Mine aren't quite bonsai candidates yet, but one day they might be. Here are a few of my projects. The first Jade is a cutting that was sent to me about six months ago. Now that it's rooted, I plan on chopping it in half, so that I'll have a super thick trunk with minimal foliage as my focus.

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Josh

Josh - your Jades are beautiful. The second one is also what I have which I was told was a 'finger cactus".
I will try to get some pictures of it this afternoon and post to see if y'all think it is a good candidate.
My love is my plants. I have over 50 houseplants and only live in a small trailer. I hear the bonsai world calling to me.
Josh - can you tell me how to post more than one picture at a time as you did? I use photobucket currently and usually just attach a direct link - which I can only figure out how to do 1 link per post also.
Thanks again y'all.

Thanks!
To attach multiple pics, you can either select the boxes of all the pictures you want to attach and click "generate HTML" at the bottom of the page....or you can copy the "HTML code" option that pops-down when you put your mouse over the image. This is the 3rd line of code - there's E-Mail and IM, Direct Link, HTML code, and IMG code. Use the HTML code. You can copy and paste as many as you want. When you hit preview at GardenWeb, all of your images should appear.

That Jade you mention is a monstrose (combination) sport of both 'Gollum' and 'Skinny Finger' Jade leaves. The leaves on a strict 'Gollum' are trumpeted or flared, ending with suction-cup tips; whereas the leaves on a 'Skinny Finger' are narrow, and often pointed completely without the suction-cup tip. My Jades tend to be a mix of leaf characteristics, so I call them by the predominant leaf-style on the plant.

Here are two more: a *mostly* 'Skinny Fingers' and a 'Gollum.'
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Have you considered a local club. This one meets in Greenville.

Here is a link that might be useful: Upstate Bonsai Study Group

I did come across that last week and poked around late one night. The website does not seem to have any current information...the article links and gallery links do not have any dates posted this year as far as I could see.
I reckon I could call the nursery the meetings are supposedly to be held at and inquire.
And if the meetigs have ceased and the nursery still exists, I can at least start there and pick some brains.
Thanks for the push...

Let me know if you see anything more current on their website I may have overlooked due to tired eyes - I am a morning person and do all my computer research at night when my brain has already retired.

The website doesn't have much updated information, but the gallery should have some dates posted.

We meet every 4th Saturday of the month @ 10 am. The nursery is still in business too.

With personal and professional commitments, I doubt I'll have time to update the articles section of the website soon. I had the best of intentions when I started though. That has to account for something :) .

Seriously, come out this month. (We may or may not move it due to the Thanksgiving holiday ...I'll try to post an update if thats the case.) Send me an email from the site and I'll add you to the mailing list so you're reminded of the meetings. Our meetings are pretty laid back, and most of the people that come are too. We'd love to have you.