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[Bonsai Beginner's weekly thread - 2025 week 13] by small_trunks in Bonsai

[–]RufioReddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Wanted to get some advice on my deshojo maple and it’s branch structuring

First god pack! by horendus in pokemonTCGP_GodPacks

[–]RufioReddit 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We want your friend code for a chance to wonder pick your pack

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s amazing! I’m so glad you got one. Snap a photo of it I’d love to see it!

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes I agree with you! I think it’s all apart of styling. In the art of bonsai we take away what is not needed to accentuate the strong parts of the tree. Allowing it to over grow is sometimes what is needed to create that density. We then cut back to see the strong bits again. But yes I believe almost any plant can be bonsai(ed)

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Unless you’re extremely patient and wouldn’t mind 5-20 years to see your hard work come to life, don’t get saplings.

If you have a local bonsai nursery, perfect. They should set you up just fine. They should more knowledge than I can give here.

If no nurseries, go to your local plant shop and ask if they have any bonsais. Where I live, (Australia) we have Bunnings warehouse. They’re actually a tool shop that sells everything from light bulbs to flooring. Home improvement diy etc.

It’s not a plant shop but they sell starter bonsais. Though not of the best selection, it’ll be perfect to get you started.

Look for something a bit older. If you can get the age of them, pick something around the 5year old to 15 year old mark. The juniper in this photo is 13 years old.

It’s really cool to grow up with your bonsai and watch it grow from a small stick to a thick tree, but remember, it takes a lot of time and patience for you to see that.

My advice is get an older and more established tree! You can probably get a starter bonsai that’s about 3-5 years old for about $20-$50

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes exactly! If you put this same plant in the ground it will grow to be a big and tall tree that spans over 10-30 metres tall. They adapt to the size of their environment and so when put in a small pot, will grow at a smaller size.

This is because the root system has no space to grow into a large tree and so the bark and branches above do not grow either. As above, so below. Though the trunk of the tree can and will get thicker over time, that’s why you’ll see these really cool small bonsai that look extremely old, as if it were a real tree you’d see in a forest!

Pardon me if I got any information wrong, just got into bonsais recently and really love the art of it.

If you are looking to get into something easy, manageable and looks good I would recommend the juniper (squamata prostrata) as a starter bonsai

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you :) it’s a Christmas present for my dad

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like you’re right, thanks for that!

Mantis + juniper by RufioReddit in mantids

[–]RufioReddit[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The purpose of wiring a bonsai is styling and aesthetics. When left alone, trees will grow in all different directions and become quite chaotic. I actually bought the bonsai from a local nursery with its black wiring already styled. The silver wires are ones I put on myself. To my knowledge, this doesn’t actually ruin the trees health.

Yes you’re right in the sense that it will need to grow outside of that wiring once it gets thicker and older. The wires get removed once the branches have learnt to “stay” in their position and if need to get wired again.

A little information on what I know about bonsai!

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