What To Know Before You Buy A Bonsai Tree

Whether you buy a bonsai tree, grow bonsai starters or begin with pre-bonsai.What a bonsai isn't. A bonsai tree is not a house plant. The word "Bonsai" means tree in a pot. Almost any variety of tree can be fashioned into a bonsai tree. But, these trees need special care. Bonsai must watered every day or two. If you go on vacation someone must care for it like your dog. A bonsai is a tree and needs the same conditions as any tree in nature. Almost all bonsai should live outside. Some trees need full sun, some need shade. Bonsai need to be routinely pruned to retain their shape. Most commercial bonsai are junipers and most are nothing more than seedlings slapped in a pot. Junipers will probably die if kept indoors. True bonsai are artistically styled over many years. Anything else is just a tree in a pot. Cost is a good indicator, like any good art it could be quite an investment. A true bonsai is not cheap, after all someone spent many years developing it. This list of basics will help you select and create good subjects:

• Healthy Plant – This may seem obvious, however, from time to time we find sickly plants that are nicely shaped. We want to save them!

No matter how tempting, buy finished trees and starters that are healthy.

This means appropriately green leaves or needles (depending upon the time of year), stability in the pot and lack of pests. A yellowing evergreen, a plant wobbly in the pot and/or misshapen or damaged leaves are all signs of problems.

• Trunk – Begin your bonsai with something that already has a good start. Bonsai that are basically small rooted cuttings or seedlings, are more than a long term proposition. Unless it is a rare plant, it is usually a waste of money. Short or tall, a proportionately heavy trunk makes a tree look older.

• Taper - Taper means the trunk is wider at the bottom and narrows towards the top. Branches should also narrow toward the tip. Trunks or branches shaped like 'poles' rarely become good bonsai.

• Proportion - Leaves, fruit and flowers must be in scale with the final height. If you want to create or buy a bonsai tree that will remain small, big leaves will detract from the idea of it being a small tree. Those same leaves may be fine on a larger bonsai of the same species. Fruit and flowers rarely reduce in size.

• Dead branches and or scars are signs of age. They can always be created, however, if they are already present you have a head start. If you are selecting a tree that has driftwood, be sure it looks natural.

• Nebari - is a Japanese word that refers to the surface roots that flair out from the base of the tree trunk. That flare is highly valued and adds to the look of age. This Ficus bonsai by Ed Trout is an excellent example of good nebari.

• First Branch - When you buy a bonsai that is an upright plant, a good first branch is important. It helps if it's approximately one third the way up the tree's finished size. It should also be the heaviest branch on the bonsai. If all or most of the big branches are in the top of a plant, consider another plant.

• Lots of Branches - When you buy starters to create your own bonsai, look for plants with lots of branches. You will not need them all. However, you will have more opportunities to find the good ones.

• Proportion - Leaves, fruit and/or flowers should be in scale with the height of your tree. Large fruit or flowers can take away from the "tree look."

Buy a Bonsai Online

Peoples most favorite Bonsai this year was the Juniper and most sell able tree, number one exporter this year was Japan followed by China. Though China is slowly overtaking Japan in number of Bonsai exports.

Checking through jungles of websites to detect authentic Bonsai online stores is not easy. The usual thing when buying online are the shipping costs. Some popular Bonsai retailers do not ship internationally and those that do are inevitably more expensive. Nevertheless, it's worth checking and perhaps get in contact with them directly and see if the retailers are willing to compromise. At the end of the day, we are all out there looking for the best and affordable Bonsai. You may find a dramatic difference in prices between Seeds, pre-Bonsai and Bonsai. Having said that, it would be easier and more convenient to start your passion with a pre-Bonsai. Please refer to my blog post on different tree species that will help you to detect the right Bonsai that matches your environment. Some tree types suit better to tropical environment whereas others like the Juniper for example, thrive in a non tropical environment. Therefore, its always good to check these matters in details before purchasing.

Here a small guide on Bonsai Online shops:

http://www.j-bonsai.com/ is a famous online website from Yoshihiro Nakamizu, he is been in the business for decades, and besides teaching and educating students, he offers Bonsai artworks online.

http://www.bonsaiboy.com/ Online store from New York, they grow a huge assortment of Bonsai trees. Although I have never purchased directly from them, it's worth checking. Please note that they do not ship internationally, US only.

http://www.kaizenbonsai.com Another fantastic online shop, Graham is very popular on YouTube. The way he wires and shapes Bonsai in his workshop is simply remarkable. Another good point is that they ship worldwide.

http://www.bonsaioutlet.com/ The most popular online store website in the US. They sell all kinds of Bonsai sizes and accessories. They ship to the US only and not internationally. Very competitive pricing and fast delivery.

http://www.aliexpress.com Aliexpress sells various types of Bonsai seeds. Sometimes it also offers Pre-Bonsai that have already been wired and styled. The good part of AliExpress is that it ships worldwide.

And if you still haven't found your Bonsai, then try on YouTube, artists are often very helpful to introduce you to the right counterpart. Most of them do it out of passion and not necessarily to make a living. Good luck!

         Japanese Av Star