Questions tagged [bonsai]

Miniature version of a tree curated in a small container by trimming its roots and branches. Each Specimen of bonsai trees needs different requirements such as soil type, amount of sun, watering schedule, NPK fertalizer levels and much more.

Bonsai (盆栽 Japanese) is a Japanese art form and tradition dating back over a thousand years.

bonsai of cotoneaster by OpenEye

A miniature version of a or bush is grown in a small or container, frequent trimming of the roots and branches shapes the plant's in a way as to grow no larger than the container().

Other cultures have similar practices such as penjing and hòn non bộ from China (where the art originated) and Vietnam respectively.

In English, "bonsai" is a catch-all term for all miniature trees in containers or pots.

Cotoneaster bonsai photo from OpenEye

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What are the different styles of bonsai trees?

I am interested in bonsai, but I'm having difficulty finding the design that I want because when searching the internet most of the bonsai styles don't have pictures. Could we create a compilation of bonsai styles here? It will be much better if we…
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I want to start a bonsai. I'm not sure where to begin

Background I have all the tools to do a bonsai from my family in Japan and my mother. I want to start my first real bonsai. Part of growing up was helping my mother with her Japanese Rock and Moss garden in Berkeley, CA which had a perfect climate…
Citizen
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Bonsai losing leaves

I'm a bonsai beginner; I purchased a 15-year-old tea tree 2 weeks ago. It began losing a few leaves each day since. I keep it by a window and keep the soil damp. Today I turned it 180 degrees and noticed the window-facing side looked much healthier.…
devth
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Should I be worried about this leaf residue?

I recently bought a bonsai tree, and today I noticed a white residue on one of the leaves (see photo). Is this some kind of normal plant thing, or is it a disease or fungus that I need to deal with? Some context in case it matters: The tree sits in…
crmdgn
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How can I tell when to water my Chinese elm bonsai?

I moved my Chinese elm bonsai from my office to home. In the office the soil was usually dry after 2 days without watering, so I'd water every 2 days, before it got dry. Now, at home, the soil is never dry! Does that mean I should no longer water…
Rodrigo
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'Dead' Bonsai Help

My wife bought me a small tree two years ago from a Garden Show. I am unsure of the variety, sorry! It had a great summer on our decking, and was thriving. It wintered well, and came back glorious .... however, when we went on holiday, the neighbour…
David B
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Can I make these impromptu bonsai work?

Yesterday, on an impulse, inspired by the Bob Ross of bonsai, I dug up two maple seedlings from my property and potted them. I had only one bonsai pot, so for the other one I had to use what I had on hand. (I did have a couple of flowerpots, but the…
crmdgn
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Growing bonsai using artificial lighting

So I bought Japanese ELM seed to grow my own bonsai. The thing is, I read everywhere that it need a lot of sun, especially in the morning. But where I live, I the sun doesn't reach the window until late afternoon and almost the same if I put it…
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keep bonsai leaves small

I want to make a bonsai with a ginko tree. The tree is two years old and has really big leaves that would not give a balanced impression on a bonsai. Just by googling "ginko bonsai" I can see that the leaves on such a kind of bonsai are generally…
shamalaia
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Bonsai Leaves on new shoots rather than existing branches

My second Bonsai (first one met its doom with a similar problem) Just recently received this plant (a couple of weeks ago) it was shipped. Its a Chinese Elm. All the existing leaves seem to be falling off of the existing branches. I am getting a…
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What type of bonsai tree do I have

I have just received this Bonsai tree and was wondering what species it was, Thank you for your time
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Chinese Elm Bonsai lost leaves apart from a few, tried everything

I have a Chinese elm that came in at spring time and placed it in the same location as the other Chinese Elms that came in on the same order. This tree had lush growth on it and after a week or two the leaves started to curl up and turn brown /…
Anglian Bonsai
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Never ending problems with my Crepe Myrtle

I'm growing a crepe myrtle to eventually make a Bonsai out of it. I've had to spray it against powdery mildew few months ago. Now it seems like I'm doing something wrong again as the leaf are curly and twisted, and the tips are burning. The only…
Jaythaking
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What gauge wire should I train my bonsai branches with?

I want to train my bonsai branches down to give the appearance of an old, tired tree.It's about 20cm high and the trunk is around 8mm thick and the branches tapper from around 5 to about 3mm. I want to know what gauge or (or diameter) wire I should…
Coomie
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How many seeds are you supposed to plant to grow a bonsai tree?

This sounds like a really dumb question, but I don't know anything about growing plants. I was watching some tutorials on how to grow a bonsai from a seed and they mentioned plant four seeds in one pot? What if I only wanted one bonsai tree? Won't…
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