It is kind of funny to me that when I mention the word bonsai to some people, the first thing they ask is if I mean the little tree that Mr. Miyagi had in the movie 'Karate Kid.' Yes indeed, Miyagi was fond of his bonsai tree, even teaching the art to Daniel-son. Well, I'm not here to talk about Karate Kid today, but rather what you should do if you are thinking about taking up a bonsai hobby.
The main thing you should know first is that some bonsai trees are better for novices and some are suited for experts. If you are starting out, consider a tree that is more tolerant of your mistakes. And there will be mistakes. I understand this narrows down the selection some, but it's very smart to take on only what you can handle.
I want to mention one specific bonsai tree today because it meets practically all the 'good for beginners' requirements. I mean the ficus tree. Ficus is suited very well to bonsai, no matter what kind of weather exists where you live. Just about any nursery carries them, though some buy better quality ones, and you should know which ones those are.
Ficus bonsai really attracted me because they are known to do very well for beginners who are still figuring things out. As an example, they are more forgiving when you are trying to come up with set watering times; they won't dry out and die immediately.
Be very careful not to over water, as this will cause the roots to rot. But don't fear; it's not as if your ficus will die because you made a couple mistakes with the watering. The tree will forgive you if you try not to do it again. I can't overstate how important this is because of the many mistakes that beginners make that would be costly on any other tree.
Also, if you make a mistake while pruning your ficus, it will grow back rather quickly. As long as it is receiving plenty of sun and water, you can expect it to grow well enough to hide your mistake. I have made my share of mistakes and am very grateful that the growth came back as soon as it did.
And finally, if for some reason you can't put the tree in the ideal south west facing window, don't' worry because it will live. Now don't get me wrong, I advocate letting the ficus have all the sun it needs, but I also understand that not everybody can. If you give it a decent amount, you should be ok.
I personally think any person that buys a ficus bonsai will quickly turn into to a lover and an advocate of them. Just make sure to give it its share of h2o, lots of good sunlight, and don't it over grow, and it will thank you with good growth.
The main thing you should know first is that some bonsai trees are better for novices and some are suited for experts. If you are starting out, consider a tree that is more tolerant of your mistakes. And there will be mistakes. I understand this narrows down the selection some, but it's very smart to take on only what you can handle.
I want to mention one specific bonsai tree today because it meets practically all the 'good for beginners' requirements. I mean the ficus tree. Ficus is suited very well to bonsai, no matter what kind of weather exists where you live. Just about any nursery carries them, though some buy better quality ones, and you should know which ones those are.
Ficus bonsai really attracted me because they are known to do very well for beginners who are still figuring things out. As an example, they are more forgiving when you are trying to come up with set watering times; they won't dry out and die immediately.
Be very careful not to over water, as this will cause the roots to rot. But don't fear; it's not as if your ficus will die because you made a couple mistakes with the watering. The tree will forgive you if you try not to do it again. I can't overstate how important this is because of the many mistakes that beginners make that would be costly on any other tree.
Also, if you make a mistake while pruning your ficus, it will grow back rather quickly. As long as it is receiving plenty of sun and water, you can expect it to grow well enough to hide your mistake. I have made my share of mistakes and am very grateful that the growth came back as soon as it did.
And finally, if for some reason you can't put the tree in the ideal south west facing window, don't' worry because it will live. Now don't get me wrong, I advocate letting the ficus have all the sun it needs, but I also understand that not everybody can. If you give it a decent amount, you should be ok.
I personally think any person that buys a ficus bonsai will quickly turn into to a lover and an advocate of them. Just make sure to give it its share of h2o, lots of good sunlight, and don't it over grow, and it will thank you with good growth.
About the Author:
Bonsai can be addictive for people of all ages. Ficus bonsai especially are good for beginners. If you are looking for a tree to start out with, I highly recommend bonsai ficus.
No comments:
Post a Comment