newbie eager to enter the art of bonsai

sabitanclip

hey everyone, im a newbie with hands eager to take care of a bonsai. i have decided to start with a mini bonsai. but im ver confused of what mini bonsai suits best for southeast asia (i'm in the philippines) if there are any. well, if a mini bonsai will just die here, there's no use in trying. i'm afraid of failure and dying seedlings. i'd really appreciate replies!

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Macross

Hey there Sabitanclip!
Welcom to the wonderfull world of Bonsai.
When you say mini Bonsai, what do you mean? most Bonsai are miniture trees,
but in your country, I would reconmend a easy tree for a starter, like a fig (Ficus) of some flavour or another. Chinese Elm is also easy for beginners in my oppinion.

Hope this helps a bit?



Thanks, Mac

Joanie

The smallest trees are the hardest to keep healthy. Because the pots are so small, that the pot can quickly dry out or get too hot for the roots to live in. So start with a bigger tree, and learn how to care for it. Ficus and Chinese elms are excellent choices, but look around at what grows in yards and streets around you. The trees that do best in your area are always a good way to start.

Do a lot of reading, that's going to help you the most.

Joanie

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Mcspeed

Welcome Sabitanclip - you seem very unfamiliar with bonsai so I make this suggestion - Go to the following links, and do a bunch of reading, so you can see what it takes to make it in the bonsai world, there is a lot of information, some of it is not necessarily great info, but you should become familiar with what it takes before you start.

http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/f13/

http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/f83/

http://www.bonsaitalk.com/lug/link_...hp?link=11&c=59

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sabitanclip

thanks for the links, i'll visit each and every one of em! i'm really just a newbie, i had a bonsai when i was 10 (a gift) and it died. i guess i was too protective of it and too ignorant. if you're sure that mini bonsai are hardest to keep then i guess i should just start off with regular bonsai. i'm sorry but i just don't want a ficus or an elm as my starter bonsai, may be something smaller. i'm interested with a serrisa-is that ok? i'm just 14, so i guess i'm pretty stubborn to follow recommendations anyway thanks for the replies, still hoping for more!

Joanie

Serissas can be very difficult, depending upon your climate, but they may work for you. Also look into potentilla, they are impressive bonsai and I think that they work in your climate? Whatever you try, buy it cheaply, and make sure that it is healthy to start with. Bonsai is about patience, it works best if you learn to curb your impulses. Look at what is available easily in nurseries, and in peoples yards to see what grows well. If you choose something that is hard to keep alive, and it dies, you will be discouraged... but if you choose something that lives and grows well, you will be more likely to move into difficult trees.

I keep my minis in a sand tray in dappled shade, they can do pretty well that way. If you really, really want minis then you can try this. But you have to get trees that are pretty small with big trunks, and then slowly work them down into the small pot. It may take three growing seasons to do this, depending upon the tree. Or, you can take cuttings and them pot them into small pots fairly quickly. Minis need to be checked every day, sometimes twice a day in the summer, and extra care needs to be taken to make sure that they are in the best possible conditions. Just a few scale bugs or aphids can do a LOT of damage to a mini.

Starting so young, if you can keep with it you will have tremendous trees when you are older. And a lot of experience. Bravo to you!

Joanie

__________________
"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,
'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'" ~ Dave Barry

sabitanclip

thanks joanie for all the replies! this is a very active forum! i guess i should just try minis (as you call it ) after being successful in growing several "normal" bonsai. i'll look into potantilla! THANKS! i guess i don't have to speed things up. still have to graduate high school heheh....

saurak

Try joining a local bonsai club if you have one in your area. I'm sure they will

have good ideas on the trees to start you off.

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lagunamadre

Hi sabitan, welcome to bonsai. Joanie has some real good advice here. If you try a mini bonsai it will be more difficult than one in a pot say the size of a shoe box. Years ago I got a tree in a 2" by 2" pot, and of course it died. I still have that pot, and still can't grow anything in it. And don't short change a ficus. They can be made fairly small, and there are also mini varieties available, with smaller leaves. Have fun.