beginner project

I'm going way for the bank holiday so looking to buy new tree afterwards, preferably an indoor tree, any recommendations?

You can't go wrong with a Ficus, but preferably not standard F. benjamina.
Don't forget, indoor tree means only in the winter. The rest of the year it belongs outdoors in the sun.
Iris

bonsaisr wrote:You can't go wrong with a Ficus, but preferably not standard F. benjamina.
Don't forget, indoor tree means only in the winter. The rest of the year it belongs outdoors in the sun.
Iris

Very true...unless you have a grow room, but that is an expensive venture unless you have a cash crop. So outdoors is your best bet.

Midge lives in north east England and the chances of him getting anything other than an inferior quality mallsai ficus are small. He also wont have the advantage of the growing seasons that the guys over in warmer climates have. Frankly I wouldn't recommend Ficus to anyone in the UK unless they want something to use as a bathroom decoration.

Midge, can I ask if there's any reason why you specified an indoor tree? Do you not have access to any outdoor area - even just a balcony? If you have an outdoor space, then I'd suggest you go for something like a larch - good response to your climate, grows into a good starter bonsai on which you can hone skills relatively quickly, is virtually indestructible and is cheap as chips even if you do accidentally bring about its demise.

If you absolutely must go for an "indoor" tree then I'd suggest a Chinese Elm. Don't get one of the really cheap "S-bend" ones out of IKEA or garden centres; get yourself a decent one from somewhere like Kaizen or Willowbog. But bear in mind Iris's comments that even that must go outside in the summer if you want it to survive.

Hope that helps

Thanks guys after learning that there is pretty much no such thing as an indoor tree, i am now looking for trees that a very forgiving for practicing on, i have a firethorn (pyracanthia) and an ilex crenata, i think i will look for a larch as fiona has suggested anymore suggestions are more than welcome

Midge,

Florence,Italy is a zone 7 and should be colder than the UK. I grew a zelkova,a pomegranate, and you can grow a rosemary on the balcony outside.The zelkova was about 10 years old from seed at that time and I paid about 90,000 Lire for it and about the same for the pomegranate, both were under 10 inches in height and in Bonsai pots.
[ exchange rate for the Lire put it neck to neck with the T.T.$ so I paid $90.00 TT for the zelkova, not much. Say less than $30.00 US ]

Sadly, I had no refrigerator experience back then and had to leave both trees behind when I left Italy 3 years later.
I also grew a Cedrus libani for one year and the willow [ salix m.] from a cutting for 2 years.
The willow was so small, a 1 inch pot, I took it home for summer/fall.
So you can try a willow as well.
Later.
Khaimraj

You cannot grow those first three named trees in most places in the UK without giving them significant winter protection, and I'd certainly not advise them where Midge lives. He is a beginner in bonsai and would do well to select easy trees for his climate.

Willow is certainly do-able but for a beginner larch is a better bet.

Just to tease Fiona,

then how did I do it. The balcony had zero protection - chuckle.
AND the year I went to Florence was the coldest winter since Michelangelo built snowmen in the piazza.

But I respect what you have said and you know your country better than I ever could.
Later.
Khaimraj