Anyone grow bonsai trees?

[sniperbob]

Recently I been intrigue by these neat little things, any of you have any experience with them? What would I need to get started, and what type of tree would be ideal for a beginner?

 

[notfred]

I don't, but I think they're cool

 

[TheVrolok]

I've got one growing in my room right now, I'll go try to dig up the info that came with it and post what I've got. They're really neat but pretty high maintenance. (Like a woman ) Expensive too!

 

[WarSong]

I've killed one and my other one is hanging on for dear life. I'm not a good person to ask

 

[sniperbob]

Yea they look pretty cool. But expensive eh? Are we talking about hot chick expensive or super model expensive ?

 

[Jzero]

I don't grow them, but I have certainly killed a few of them

THere's lots of good books out there and websites. Do some searching. There isn't really an ideal tree. It depends on your location and where you are going to grow it (indoor, outdoor, both). It is often a good practice to just find some little creeper growing near your house and see if you can start to train it - that way you know it is compatible with your climate. I once bought a juniper only to learn after it kicked the bucket that it wasn't fond of hot summers.

My next one was a ficus and that survived quite well, but my new apartment is just too dark and I have suspended bonsai operations until I have some freakin' windows.

 

[Looney]

I've killed quite a few myself. Really hard to maintain, but now that i'm older i might give it another shot.

 

[edro]

I have a Dwarf Schleffera.

Not the best pic of it, but I can take more.

 

[sniperbob]

Originally posted by: Moralpanic
I've killed quite a few myself. Really hard to maintain, but now that i'm older i might give it another shot.

How you kill them? Lack of maintaince or just not suit to be in your climate?

 

[sniperbob]

Originally posted by: edro13
I have a Dwarf Schleffera.

Not the best pic of it, but I can take more.

That looked really neat, but I'm more interesting in growing stuff like this

 

[Juniper]

how do you train them to stay small? just cut away excess growth?

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: Juniper
how do you train them to stay small? just cut away excess growth?

Constant pruning, root pruning, and by using a small growing container.

 

[Juniper]

hmmm, interesting.

 

[LordMaul]

Anyone grow bonsai trees?



No, no trees. Just kittens.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: LordMaul
Anyone grow bonsai trees?



No, no trees. Just kittens.

Do you grow them for the ritual slaughter?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

With bonsai trees, do you get miniature leaves?

 

[nativesunshine]

How would you kill them? I'd think they were pretty low maintenance. Just water it everyday (right?)...and it should do fine?


Unless there's some kind of skill required to grow these things....?

 

[ed21x]

I believe one of the guys who was at Dezign's House party worked for a big bonzai tree company.

 

[NFS4]

I can't believe that no one has thrown in any KK references yet

"Look eye, always look eye"

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
With bonsai trees, do you get miniature leaves?

Nope. In fact it is an interesting technique to grow trees with full sized leaves or ones that fruit because they will look like miniature trees at points during the growing season but then when they fruit or go full-leaf, you have an almost comical miniature tree with giant leaves or fruit. It's kinda neat.

Originally posted by: nativesunshine
How would you kill them? I'd think they were pretty low maintenance. Just water it everyday (right?)...and it should do fine?


Unless there's some kind of skill required to grow these things....?

The problem is that they are potted in such shallow pots with such loose gravelly soil that they lose moisture so quickly, especially if you are keeping them indoors. Additionally, you can over-prune them, or let the tree get too big for its roots, or not prune them well....it's like having a small fish tank...little changes can ripple into big effects.

 

[LordMaul]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: LordMaul
Anyone grow bonsai trees?



No, no trees. Just kittens.

Do you grow them for the ritual slaughter?

Yes. Of course.

Doesn't everyone?

 

[neosporin9]

Yep, I've had my Juniper for over a year now Bought it for $15 from a stand outside an asian supermarket. It's not high maintenance at all. Mine is sitting on my desk so everyday I turn on my flourecent desk lamp for it when I get home from work. I water it once a week with enough water so that the water seeps through the soil and out the bottom of the pot. A search on google will turn up a bunch of pages with some helpful info and tips. But there's not much else to it than what I've described. Have fun bonsai-ing.

 

[Shockwave]

I have probably $5,000 or $10,000 worth of tropical plants in my apartment.
My wife is an interior landscape artist......ie....She does plants. You know, like plants you see in banks or restuarants? Law offices? Stuff like that. She also does the plants for homes, but usually only for wealthy people. Hell, she told me one lady had over 10,000 worth of plants put in her house IN ONE DAY!
So, when a plant is sick or something, she gets to bring it home and keep it. If she gets it to live, she keeps it. Yeah, we have ALOT of frickin plants.

 

[Juniper]

shockwave, post some pics will ya

 

[Shockwave]

Ok, soon as I get home I'll take some and put'm up. Currently stuck at work.
Pics of my place or of some of her acocunts?