subnet_rx

I've been kind of amazed at the number of beginner bonsai books that I've read that pretty much all say the same thing. By the time the bonsai goes into a bonsai pot, it's 90% done. Then they go on to show you how to take a 2-3 year old tree and put it into a bonsai pot. How many of them show you how to take care of and train a pre-bonsai in a training pot or in the ground? None. If that is 90% of the work, why don't more books tell me how it's done? Why can't I find more information on what to look for at a nursery or in nature? I've basically got a lot of information on the internet and in books on the last 10% of a bonsai's training.

What's the preferred or best way of creating a bonsai? Taking a 2 year old tree, putting it into a bonsai pot, and letting it grow? Or taking a 5-8 year old tree, doing a trunk chop, and training a new leader to get the required trunk taper?

Advertisement