Caporegime
Picked 2 up over the weekend, thought i start on something easy, an Acer palmatum (Deshojo Maple) and a Podocarpus (Buddist Pine). One outdoor and one indoor. Anyone else have a bonsai and how long have you had it?
Show your Bonsai
- Thread starter Raymond Lin
- Start date
You can make Bonsai out of any tree but some are easier to take care of than others. I have only started looking into so feel free if someone likes to correct me. A lot of trees needs to be kept outdoors, they need a certain level of direct sunlight in order to survive, some (not that many!) can be kept permanently indoors, Chinese Elm is one of them and is very hardy and they are normally the defacto first tree to get).
Some outdoor trees are quite tricky, particularly if they are not native to the UK so some of them will need protection from frost in the winter etc.
I really want a spruce or a pine but they are next level in difficulty.
Soldato
That acer has been grafted onto something else - I wonder what it was?
It's just a much younger branch when it was pruned at that point.
Soldato
Some wax around it normally protects it from the elements, if it is outdoors.
Soldato
I got a few at my ex's. Over 30 years old now. Not looked after properly. And thats me!
I have looked after them over the years but not recently.
I have looked after them over the years but not recently.
Just checked others from a completely different place.
https://www.herons.co.uk/Red-Deshoj...1GwjoI1YWm1Khi1hNuRTBsTyEb701MshoCGZAQAvD_BwE
They all seem to do this.
Soldato
Yes, it is quite common with acers. One of my outdoor ones was grafted.
I've used some clear boot polish to just smear around the join - the main purpose is just to avoid any water ingress and subsequent rotting until the graft has had an opportunity to take and harden the exposed areas. It won't take long, especially if there are no places where the water can collect.
I've used some clear boot polish to just smear around the join - the main purpose is just to avoid any water ingress and subsequent rotting until the graft has had an opportunity to take and harden the exposed areas. It won't take long, especially if there are no places where the water can collect.
I think its quite an old graft actually, should be fine.
4 months on, both my trees are still alive. 
So I bought a few more.
Although the maple hasn't really grown that much, I am not sure what i am doing wrong with it, it seems to just frozen in growth but not dying as such. The Buddhist pine is doing fine, noticeable more vigour and more leaves now.
So I bought a few more.
Although the maple hasn't really grown that much, I am not sure what i am doing wrong with it, it seems to just frozen in growth but not dying as such. The Buddhist pine is doing fine, noticeable more vigour and more leaves now.
Soldato
Are any of these suitable to be in a bathroom?
A ficus? If it’s by a window but the problem is bathroom windows are almost always frosted so light is massively reduced.
Soldato
Bathroom window = orchid! They love the steam from the shower.
Chinese elms are pretty hardy and like a bright window.
Nice collection @Raymond Lin. It’s been ages since I’ve had a bonsai, perhaps I should invest in an outdoor one. I especially like your Buddhist pine.
Thanks, I like the buddhist pine too, it is quite hardy and it is an evergreen. You can keep this by a south facing window and it will be fine.
I've been reading a ton, for outdoors, I want something that I withstand out winter (-10c), Golden Larch, Dawn Redwood and Maple can do that. You can leave them outside all year round and it will be fine. You could put the trees that loses all its leaves in the garage or shed for the winter, I plan to do that.