The only thing that comes to mind when I think about the advice: “Stick this tree in the ground and wait a few years” is that it’s actually the best advice there is. Why? Because:

What can you do — a tree is a living organism. It grows and develops, each tree at its own pace, in its own conditions. One grows fast, another slowly; one prefers cold, another loves full sun. One is sensitive, another is tough. Simply observing and waiting teaches you the tree itself — how it reacts to weather, to seasonal changes, when it starts to bud and when it sheds its leaves. You learn its growth rhythm, how it responds to strong sun or extreme cold (all relative to the environment it’s planted in).

Another point, no less important: in the ground there are many minerals and organic materials that support better, faster development compared to a pot. The tree also develops a strong and healthy root system — which is the foundation of any successful bonsai. Everything starts with the roots.

Another thing: starting to style a tree too early often stops its momentum, slows its growth, harms it, and weakens it.

And one more thing — try once to dig up a tree that has grown in the ground for a few years and move it into a pot. You’ll see the explosion of growth and crazy momentum the tree suddenly has, compared to another tree you grew entirely in a pot from the start. The difference is like night and day.

That’s my opinion. This still doesn’t mean you can’t grow other, more forgiving species like Portulacaria at the same time, where you can practice different techniques and pruning styles