Questions tagged [bonsai]

Miniature version of a tree curated in a small container by trimming its roots and branches. Each Specimen of bonsai trees needs different requirements such as soil type, amount of sun, watering schedule, NPK fertalizer levels and much more.

Bonsai (盆栽 Japanese) is a Japanese art form and tradition dating back over a thousand years.

bonsai of cotoneaster by OpenEye

A miniature version of a or bush is grown in a small or container, frequent trimming of the roots and branches shapes the plant's in a way as to grow no larger than the container().

Other cultures have similar practices such as penjing and hòn non bộ from China (where the art originated) and Vietnam respectively.

In English, "bonsai" is a catch-all term for all miniature trees in containers or pots.

Cotoneaster bonsai photo from OpenEye

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Can I use 12-6-9 fertilizer sticks for a Ficus Bonsai?

I have a bunch of plant food sticks described as "compound organic and inorganic NPK 12-6-9 fertilizer with micronutrients for ornamental plants". I wonder if this is suitable for a Ficus (Ginseng?) bonsai?
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Why is my bonsai losing brown/yellow leaves and developing white dots

I was recently given this beautiful bonsai and I water until the soil is moist nearly every day. But recently it has started dropping leaves and these little white dots are appearing. Why is this happening and what can I do? This was given to me for…
Kate
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How to make a bonsai into cascade style

I would like to achieve a Cascade looking shape for my bonsai and would appreciate advice as per how to trim my current tree. Here are the pictures:
samyb8
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What kind of plant is used for this bonsai?

One of my family members got this bonsai tree when I was kid. To my knowledge, it doesn't require food or water - as I've never seen them water it, but it has slowly and steadily grown. Presumably it pulls CO2 from the air to survive. Click on the…
Micah
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What pot should I use for my Chinese elm bonsai

I bought this Chinese Elm Bonsai yesterday and it came in a traditional glazed square pot. It was too small and the plant was very rootbound. So I repotted it in a larger pot but in all the pictures online I've seen of it its usually in flat wide…
Twurti
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Ficus bonsai dropping leaves and white powder

So I bought a ficus microcarpa bonsai from the store 2 month ago and I noticed a problem since then, some leaves turn partially brown and fall while it's still wet not dry, some new growth also falls while still green, it falls at a rate of 1…
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How can I save my tangerine tree after repotting and leaves curling?

I have a 10 year old tangerine tree. It put on a ton of new leafy growth this summer when I had it outside, but I pruned a lot of the branches to make it look more uniform. It was in a pretty big pot and I wanted it to look more like a proper…
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Saving an Underwatered Bonsai

I skipped a day of watering some time last week and my new powder puff bonsai (Calliandra tweedii i think, but another site says Calliandra Schultzei) has dropped all of its leaves and on the surface, looks pretty dead. Is there anything i can do at…
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When to repot a young juniper bonsai?

I live in an area of the United State where it's never really safe to say that winter is over. Just when you think it's spring, it can be blizzarding and below zero. Anyway, should I wait until it's for sure spring to repot my Juniper bonsai? Will…
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Oak sapling in pot is not branching

I moved a small oak sapling to an indoor pot last year and intend to keep it as a bonsai project, the tree seems generally healthy and had one growth this season allready (it didnt lose all its leaves in winter though) (as you can see in the…
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What gauge wire should I train my bonsai branches with?

I want to train my bonsai branches down to give the appearance of an old, tired tree.It's about 20cm high and the trunk is around 8mm thick and the branches tapper from around 5 to about 3mm. I want to know what gauge or (or diameter) wire I should…
Coomie
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Is a juniper suitable as an indoor bonsai?

I'm keen to have a bonsai by my desk at work. It will be on a window sill, but only have direct sunlight for about an hour a day (in the morning), the rest of the day it will have light reflected at it off a white wall. I could place it outside…
Coomie
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Bonsai growth stunted

I am out of ideas. We've just repotted our bonsai tree due to the fact that it became potbound. We found some beautiful compost and off we went. We previously repotted him a few months after we bought him but he rebounded wonderfully. And it was…
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When (and how) should I start seeds for bonsai?

On a walk through my neighborhood, I noticed that the trees are already dropping seeds, and I picked up several each of: Oak (exact species unknown) Maple (ditto) Japanese maple (ditto) If I wanted to try to start them as bonsai (yes, I know that…
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Is growing bonsai a special case of hydroponics?

I'm new to bonsai, and one of the many things I wonder about is how coarse bonsai soil is: it looks more like coarse sand or fine gravel. And, in fact, this site points out that that's basically true: bonsai soil isn't really soil at all. So can we…
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