Q&A for How to Grow and Care for a Bonsai Tree

Allow the tree to grow for a few years before cutting it back. Pruning the roots is also important in limiting the size of your tree.

Yes. Beech saplings can be used as bonsai, and tend to work very well.

Buy it food and water it daily.

Copper wire keeps its shape, so when you wrap it around a tree, the tree has to go along with that shape.

Unless the roots of your bonsai have outgrown its current bowl (roots have filled out the shape of the container), then yes.

A training container is any container the tree grows up in. It may or may not look amazing, but it can be anything, as long as it holds the tree.

Make sure the plant gets plenty of sunlight and doesn't get very cold. It should stay at room temperature. If you want, you can spray it with water to keep the plant moist.

It depends on the specific type of tree you have. Some are best grown indoors, others out. Do some research on the different types of trees.

If the size of the display container is the same as the training container, and it was fully grown in that container, then it will not continue to grow.

No. It is up to you how you want to trim the tree. Trimming during spring or summer is not advised, because that is the growing season and if you do trim during that time it will interrupt the growth. Trim during the winter time or when it is dormant.

Yes. First you put screen over the bonsai pot's holes. Then you place a single layer, about half an inch deep of gravel, then the bonsai soil.

A ficus tree is usually the best bet for an indoor bonsai tree. The ficus is tolerant to low humidity and can withstand quite a lot.

A bonsai tree is usually kept outdoors, but you can bring it indoors in cold temperatures.

A bonsai is essentially a tree made small because of a pot and trimming. Any tree can be made into a bonsai, technically speaking.

Researching common trees online is the best option. Common bonsai gift trees are junipers and ficus because they are easy for beginners.

Juniper (outside tree) and Ficus (inside tree during winter) are two of the best trees for beginners.

Let it grow out over time. The cause of a weak tree is due to unhealthiness. This could be because of to much water or not enough water, along with too much sun or not enough sun.

Plant this in the ground and don't touch it for 30 years. Come back and you will have a 2-foot trunk. A lot of elms are fast-growing trees, however, 1-foot tall aids in 1cm thickness at the base of the trunk.

No need to do this because during the resting period of time (winter) the trees don't uptake resources during this time, only small amounts of water.

Yes, an oak tree can become a bonsai. You will see many images online if you search for them and they are very successful. If you have oak trees in your area naturally then you will be able to grow oak trees as bonsai with ease.

The main reasons would be either over-watering or not giving them enough sunlight/ too much sunlight. These are the two common beginner mistakes. However, you'll need to check the specifics for each tree species.

Yes, you can. Bonsai are regular trees that have been trained to be mature mini trees. Most trees respond to bonsai techniques.

There could be several different items that could cause this. The three main beginner mistakes are over-watering (happens more often than under-watering); too much or not enough light; and (but most likely not the case), too much fertilizer. Another possibility is leaf burn due to watering the whole tree leaves included which shouldn't be done on most trees; other than junipers, for which it is okay.

Depending on the type of seed, you may need to do different techniques in order to grow them. Look up seed propagation to find out the exact instructions for the certain seed you are trying to grow.

There is no time frame that you need to reapply wire to your bonsai. The best advice would be if you like your tree as is, then you can leave it. If you want to change your tree, then you can wire it. Normally 1-2 times a year is all you will be able to do and this is due to the amount of time it takes for the branches to set up the way you want them to, without the wire off.

You cannot do this without taking the tree out of its pot. Taking the tree out of its pot will normally not kill your tree if it is healthy. Pruning the roots too much can cause your tree to die though, so be careful if trimming.

You can do this during the spring. However, if you are wanting a thicker trunk, keep letting the tree grow up taller. Every foot gives about 1cm of growth in trunk thickness.

Yes, you can. Research how to propagate bonsai from cuttings. The more information you learn about this technique, the easier you may be able to successfully root a cutting.

No, you first wire the branch out very carefully and then bend while supporting. Some trees are more brittle and break easier than others. This comes with experience. The wire will set the branch where you want it if you have a thick enough wire. Over the process of 2-4 months or so your tree wire will start to bite in due to the swelling of the branches as they grow. You want to remove the wire before it bites in too much. Once the wire is removed carefully, the branch should stay in the way that you bent and you can put your branch into shape.

About every 3 years is a good time to repot this type of tree. f you see roots at the bottom of the pot coming out, it is very much time for you to repot the tree.