Any1 keep Bonsai Trees?

topic..and i wanna start!

 

I killed a bonsai tree does that count?

I am going to try again when I go fishing and get some mangroves.

 

how did u kill one?

 

hmm must be nice to be able to get them out of your back yard!

 

Not anymore. At one time I had about 20 that were all the way to where I wanted them so I just had to pinch new buds. I had another 30 that were still in training. I also had about 500 cuttings because I was going to open my own business. When I was out of town, all my wife had to do was turn on the water and set the timer. When the timer went off, turn off the water. It required roughly 30 seconds of her time twice per day if I was out of town. Once she got mad at me while I was on a business trip for a week during August when it was 90 degrees outside. I'm sure you can imagine what happens when bonsai that are only in inches of soil aren't watered for a whole week during the dog days of summer. Did I mention that this was my EX-wife? LOL

 

Sounds like it was for good reason.

 

I've had them in the past, but they all eventually died. I've been meaning to start up again, but this time I've picked up a couple of books to help me out.

"The Secret Techniques of Bonsai," by Masakuni Kawasumi is really good. I picked it up at the Japan pavilion in Epcot though, so I'm not sure how wide the release is. It covers everything from growing them from seedlings to pruning, repotting, etc.

I won't say that they are as difficult to keep as a reef tank, but reading that book gave me the same, "wow, I'd need to do all that?" feeling that first researching reef tanks did. ;-)

 

so do u have any recommended websites to get me started to learn how to keep them? or have any general tips? im going in this thing blind and have no idea what to do.

 

this is a pretty rewarding, yet time consuming hobby to get into. like reef keeping, it requires lots of patience.

if you goto your local library they should have some books there on bonsai. everything from how to start, how to 'train' a plant, and some more advanced topics of how to grow the roots over the rocks etc.

you'll more than likely kill your first few plants but dont let that get you down.

edit: i personally wasnt into it long enough to really make anything awesome, but i have seen some pretty amazing bonsai plants. when i have more time ill try it again. im actually starting to replant my 55gal cichlid tank so i dont really care to be trying to provide good husbandry to multiple types of plants

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/refugium/anyone-ever-made-bonsai-mangrove-84513.html#post845323

there's alot of links to bonsai in my thread