You Don't Have to Kill Your First Bonsai

Almost everyone begins their journey into a bonsai hobby by killing their first tree. It's like a rite of passage. There are on-line support groups for guilt-ridden bonsai enthusiasts who grieve over making a Mudman homeless and for the loss of a green life. Sharing stories with sympathetic peers eventually enables forgiveness to replace self-loathing for committing this horrendous crime against nature.

While some guilt may be healthy in terms of learning from past mistakes, it may not be entirely your fault that the bonsai died. Many general retail outlets sell bonsai plants whose lives are already in danger. A bonsai in this condition is referred to as a Mallsai tree. As though the death certificate has been signed in advance, these poor plants even lack a name or the instructions that will keep them alive. Furthermore, they may not be suited to living inside, so bringing them home to your coffee table is the final nail in the coffin.

What is a Bonsai Tree?

The original bonsai were made by nature. Their unique dwarfed character was appreciated in China and Japan where the tiny trees were brought inside and shaped at a much quicker rate by human hands than could be accomplished by nature.

Every bonsai was once a wild tree. Bonsai are real trees (not a type of tree) that have been pruned into a dwarfed plant and placed in a small pot to retain their diminutive size. Bonsai have needs that must be cared for just like any other houseplant. Because a bonsai is a living tree, keeping it indoors or treating it as a mere decoration, is insulting. Bonsai will show their displeasure by dropping needles and leaves on your good table and looking neglected in the presence of visitors.

Some common mistakes that hobbyists make with their first bonsai are:

• • Too little water
  • Not enough light
  • Lack of fertilizer or healthy soil
  • Poor climate; not all bonsai are meant to be kept indoors

Caring for your bonsai by placing it in a sunny window, watering and feeding it and changing the pot or soil when necessary should be the only adjustment it needs to get it to grow and flourish, unless it was already gasping out its last breath when you purchased it.

Where Can You Get a Healthy Bonsai?

A bonsai can be created out of a tropical, deciduous or coniferous tree or seed. They can also be captured from nature. Successful cultivation of a bonsai is more likely if you know exactly what kind of tree you are growing and take care to mimic its natural growing conditions whether it is outside or inside. You don't have to kill your first bonsai! Even if you did, forgive yourself and try again.

You can order a Bonsai from a specialty bonsai outlet that caters to Bonsai trees. The trees are shipped with special care instructions and are accompanied by support, advice and education geared specifically to bonsai trees and their care-givers.

DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Bonsai Outlet. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. Happy bonsai gardening.