Any Bonsai tree Keepers?

[MrsE88]

Ebay has pre- bonsais , I collected most of mine as saplings, no need to spend $40-50,000 or more on em, even many rarer plants can be had cheap if you look hard enough, or ask the right people.

Why not start with a slippery elm sapling? They have a faster rate of growth which allows you to get an actual bonsai shape quicker, and are hardy as well.

I’m not sure about an elm. I was thinking more like a maple. I did have a sugar maple sapling I was going to train into a bonsai, but it died over winter.
I can grow most things, but trees indoors might be more then I can handle.
I do want to try again. That’s why I was thinking of getting one that’s already been started so hopefully I don’t kill it. Lol

 

[krichardson]

Y

I’m not sure about an elm. I was thinking more like a maple. I did have a sugar maple sapling I was going to train into a bonsai, but it died over winter.
I can grow most things, but trees indoors might be more then I can handle.
I do want to try again. That’s why I was thinking of getting one that’s already been started so hopefully I don’t kill it. Lol

You can't have those sorts of trees inside your house for very long,the dry air does them in.

 

[MrsE88]

Oh. So does that go for all bonsai trees?

 

[krichardson]

Oh. So does that go for all bonsai trees?

No, not all but it does apply to the deciduous(maples,elms oaks and the like) and coniferous(pine) trees.If you must bring them in an unheated garage or shed should do.

 

[MrsE88]

No, not all but it does apply to the deciduous(maples,elms oaks and the like) and coniferous(pine) trees.If you must bring them in an unheated garage or shed should do.

Ok. I’ll have some more reading to do before I commit to getting one. Thank you. I’m sure that’s what did it in then. My house gets very dry in the winter. The tanks have helped, but it’s still on the dry side.

 

[Steve_C]

As Krich mentioned, deciduous and conifers and other temperate trees won't work inside. They actually need a dormant period in the cold and if they don't get it they will die. For indoor trees look to tropicals. Things like ficus, bougainvillea, Schefflera, Brazillian raintree and such make great indoor trees. If you're new to bonsai then I would highly suggest getting a ficus like a tiger bark ficus for a first tree. I'm fully of the belief that apart from setting it on fire you can not kill them They grow great even indoors, are very resilient, and when trained properly make a great looking bonsai tree.

 

[MrsE88]

As Krich mentioned, deciduous and conifers and other temperate trees won't work inside. They actually need a dormant period in the cold and if they don't get it they will die. For indoor trees look to tropicals. Things like ficus, bougainvillea, Schefflera, Brazillian raintree and such make great indoor trees. If you're new to bonsai then I would highly suggest getting a ficus like a tiger bark ficus for a first tree. I'm fully of the belief that apart from setting it on fire you can not kill them They grow great even indoors, are very resilient, and when trained properly make a great looking bonsai tree.

Thank you. I didn’t really think about tropicals. Will Iow humidity be a problem for a ficus? I can keep it in my sunroom with my 4 running tanks so it’s in the one room of the house that has the most humidity in the winter. And in summer it will be plenty humid. Lol

 

[MrsE88]

So I just went to look at ficus trees and didn’t do a specific search. I saw this one with a “humidity tray”. Do those help? Or is it just a ploy to get noobs like me to get all excited. Lol
I mean it makes sense in my head. Fill the tray under the planter with water and the rocks basically just make it look “neat and tidy”. Right?

 

[krichardson]

As Krich mentioned, deciduous and conifers and other temperate trees won't work inside. They actually need a dormant period in the cold and if they don't get it they will die. For indoor trees look to tropicals. Things like ficus, bougainvillea, Schefflera, Brazillian raintree and such make great indoor trees. If you're new to bonsai then I would highly suggest getting a ficus like a tiger bark ficus for a first tree. I'm fully of the belief that apart from setting it on fire you can not kill them They grow great even indoors, are very resilient, and when trained properly make a great looking bonsai tree.

I meant to tag ya,glad you chimed in.

 

[Steve_C]

Tropicals love humidity, but even in a room without much humidity you can still have them grow well. A humidity tray is good to help catch water, but it doesn't do a whole lot for ptoviding humidity for the tree. You can help by taking a spray bottle and misting the tree 3-5 times per day. Just keep the bottle by the tree and every once in a while when you walk by it give it a few mists and that helps them. Plus in the summer you can take it outside and sit it in the sun for 6-8 hours per day. That will help get it growing well.

The ficus in the pic you posted is a ginsing ficus, I'd avoid getting one of those. They have big tuberous roots which actually go against one of the main goals of bonsai which is a nice taper starting from the nebari and going up the tree to the top. Look for things such as tiger bark ficus, golden gate ficus, willow leaf ficus (willow leaf are a bit harder to work with though). Something like this here would make a great start for someone just getting into bonsai and wanting a tree that they can enjoy and learn from
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ficus-tige...rentrq:e78016f01680ad7835f38d83fff99aa6|iid:1

Brussels bonsai also sells some good starter ficus as well https://brusselsbonsai.com/indoor-bonsai/ficus-bonsai/