Learn how to avoid common problems with bonsai tree growing, in this free video.
Maintaining a bonsai garden is fun and easy with these tips from a bonsai garden professional.
Expert: Mike Hansen
Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.
Duration : 0:0:54
From emailing:
I am growing the tree from Jack Pine seeds. The booklet I bought said to grow it outdoors, but it said on the cover that it could be kept on a desk. I am just making sure I don’t kill the poor little tree.
Also, Can I just let it grow naturally? Sure, it wouldn’t technically be a bonsai tree, but I don’t like the idea of manipulating a bady tree just for some weird form of art.
Thank you.
"Bonsai" is translated "tree in a pot", so a bonsai can be made from nearly ANY species of tree. It is designed to be a miniature tree in nature. Some species can be kept inside and some MUST be kept outside. A Jack pine MUST be kept outside so it can go dormant in the winter. Where do you live? That is important to know.
Expert: Mike Hansen
Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.
Duration : 0:3:35
ok i have a bonsai tree but i would like to make a second one. its a ficus and i have had it for almost a year now so its about 4 years old but i dont know if it is possible to make a second tree with it. if you could help then please do. thanks!
You can propagate trees into bonsais either from standard or previously bonsaid trees, though you’ll likely have more vegetative growth from a plant like a Ficus that is not previously bonsaid. That said, many Ficus are fairly easy to propagate, usually I find the air layering technique to be the most succesful. Choose a reasonably mature piece of stem, either the previous year’s growth, or current years that’s a few months old. This involves making a cut an inch or so long on part of the stem, just lifting up some of the surface bark – it doesn’t need to be totally removed from the plant, though can be lifted, using something to keep it from sealing back up, like a little match stalk etc. You then start surrounding this part of the stem with something like sphagnum moss, and enclosing this by using some string tied around it. Adding some hormone rooting gel or powder will encourage rooting, before you cover it with moss.
Keep the sphagnum moist, enclosing within a tied down pieve of plastic, and you should start to see roots forming into it, from the Ficus stem. If the moss is too wet, it can cause some rotting, so beware of this.
When there is a good root system that’s formed, you can cut this piece of your plant away from the parent, using a sterilized knife, just below the area that is wanted, and immediately above your parent plant’s leaf buds, where it will subsequently grow shoots from.
Keep your new cutting enclosed in a polythene/plastic cover, to help preserve humidity levels, and plant into a well draining potting soil. Once more fully rooted, it can be fertilised, and managed as you would your other bonsai.
Otherwise you can propagate Ficus from seeds, produced by plants that flower and are pollinated – your current plant may not be at this stage at its current age. It doesn’t matter if the seed comes from a currently bonsaid plant or not, its genetic material will be the same, and it will grow according to the prevailing conditions.
Hope this helps.
I recieved a mini bonsai tree kit as a gift. It came with a pot, soil, decorative gravel, and the seeds. How do i set this all up. The pot has a 1 cm whole on the bottom, so how do i put the soil in there without it falling through to the bottom? Also, after i put the seeds in the soil, do i put the decorative gravel on top right away, or do i wait until the seeds have started to sprout? Also, how many seeds should i plant in the pot? The container is only 2in x 2in so it is not very big, so i am guessing you only want to end up with one tree, but do you want to plant more seeds then that? This is my first one and i am very excited about it, but obviously could use some guidance. Thanks for your help!
Put a screen over the hole. You will want this to flow freely for watering. Plant 2 or 3 seeds and the thin them down to one when you see which looks the healthiest. Don’t put on the rocks until this is done. When you water, put the entire plant in standing water,almost to the top. Let it sit there for 20-30 minutes,then remove. Pick up a book on beginning bonsai and learn about it. It requires patience and takes many years to grow one from seed. You probably won’t want to trim the roots for at least a year or two. Be careful not to over prune when shaping your bonsai. Have fun. It is a very satisfying hobby. Please get a book on the subject though,as you will probably have many questions as your bonsai grows.
