Hello Everyone Lots Of Questions!

Hi everyone, i have just joined and im new to Bonsai so i have have lots of question !
Im hoping to learn lots here. I have two Bonsai at the moment possible a couple more as of tomorow!
Ive only had the two i have since last week. They are 3-4 yr old Spiraea s and one of which has loads of leaves on already.
The other is a little behind with 3 buds just opening and more of a messy shape!
I need some advice on what to do next with them really like should i be styling and wiring them yet ? I know they have a long way to go to become a Bonsai but i dont really know what to do next !

Thanks for any advice

Hello again.
Tifa

WELCOME!!!

Please post some pictures so we can help you better. There are some tutorials about posting pics here. https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/f4-testing-posting-images-tutorials

Thank you for the welcome
My pictures are stored on photobucket not on the computer.
Can i reduce the size of them and post them via photobucket ?

Thanks

Tifa

That's what I do actually and I don't even reduce the size.

Poink88 wrote:That's what I do actually and I don't even reduce the size.

Will that be ok if i do?!

I dont want to get into trouble on my first day !

Tifa

Welcome

From the sounds of your initial post, you have been "smittened" by the bonsai bug .

dick benbow wrote:Welcome

From the sounds of your initial post, you have been "smittened" by the bonsai bug .

Oh Yeah ! I was bought one for valentien s day, always wanted one, but now im hooked !

I am a beginner to bonsai but i love plants, i take after my grandparents. Ive loads of plants at the min,i like growing from seed mostly.
But now i have my first two bonsai i can see me getting more and more!
My bf killed two bonsai a few years ago and i would also like to try and grow something around the dead trees as they are quite nice to look at even though they are dead!

So ive got alot of questions to ask !

Thanks for the welcome
Tifa

Hello Tifa,

I've read a couple of books now about Bonsai, but I think there is one that helped me out a lot at the start in this art.

Bonsai Pocket by David Prescott
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Bonsai-Shaping-Repotting-Species/dp/1843306832

Cheers,

Tifa
Welcome to the fourm. Good luck on posting pictures, there is a good section on it in one of the first headings.
As you may know this is a worldwide fourm, so you have to be careful on advise on keeping your bonsai alive.
What works for me here in New Orleans LA. USA may be totally wrong for you in your climate zone. The best advise I can give you in your new hobby is find a local bonsai club in your area. They will more than willing in helping you get started.

The fourm is a great place for design and aesthetic advise.

Hope this helps

Mitch

Mitch Thomas wrote:Tifa
Welcome to the fourm. Good luck on posting pictures, there is a good section on it in one of the first headings.
As you may know this is a worldwide fourm, so you have to be careful on advise on keeping your bonsai alive.
What works for me here in New Orleans LA. USA may be totally wrong for you in your climate zone. The best advise I can give you in your new hobby is find a local bonsai club in your area. They will more than willing in helping you get started.

The fourm is a great place for design and aesthetic advise.

Hope this helps

Mitch

Thank you for the welcome, yes that does help !
I was in the process of putting a post on when you replied so i dont know what happened to it !?

I dont have one in my area unfortunatley and i dont drive so im a little stuck really!

thanks again
Tifa

Tifa
There many members from the UK here. There is a site from a member in the UK that is very good to start with. www.bonsai4me.com it was very helpful and still one of my favs.

The only other thing that you do is read all you can. Then you will have to adapt their techniques to your area and climate zone.

Now that your bitten it only gets worst with time.

Mitch

Mitch Thomas wrote:Tifa
There many members from the UK here. There is a site from a member in the UK that is very good to start with. www.bonsai4me.com it was very helpful and still one of my favs.

The only other thing that you do is read all you can. Then you will have to adapt their techniques to your area and climate zone.

Now that your bitten it only gets worst with time.

Mitch

Thank you! I will !

I guess there is no cure ? Like i havent got enough plants !

I dont know what happend to my earlier post but i was saying how dissapointed i was. I liked the look off 3 types of Chinese Elms ( not sure spelling is correct ) but they were Seiju, Hokkaido and weeping. But where i was going to order from doesnt seem to be there anymore and i cant find anywhere else to get these. They were starter trees.

So boxwood and Contoneaster were sugested so i will see what i can find tomorow.

Will have a look at the other site too.

I will post a pic and see what happens !

Thanks again

Tifa

Since you are in the UK you should try to get your hands on "The Complete Book of Bonsai" by Harry Tomlinson.

JimLewis wrote:Since you are in the UK you should try to get your hands on "The Complete Book of Bonsai" by Harry Tomlinson.

Ok i will look out for that thank you.
This site is great!

This is my first bonsai, although he's got a way to go yet ! My Spiraea Pic taken yesterday.


Im sorry its not a very good pic this was taken on my mobile.

This is him a week ago ..


He is kept outside, just bought in for the photos. And yes, it has a name !

Thanks again
Tifa

Hello Tifa-(ny) i presume??
Welcome and i'm sure you'll love this hobby,i would suggest you try to get a semi-finish bonsai to star up your adrelanine more,so that your other you don't get bored of your initial relatively young seedling.This forum has lots of friendly people who can answer your quiery.I too started like you but went easy later because i'm running out of space to put and this will hamper the growth of my tree..Anyway you'll choose and become good at it...Enjoy and Welcome again
Regards,
Alex

ogie wrote:Hello Tifa-(ny) i presume??
Welcome and i'm sure you'll love this hobby,i would suggest you try to get a semi-finish bonsai to star up your adrelanine more,so that your other you don't get bored of your initial relatively young seedling.This forum has lots of friendly people who can answer your quiery.I too started like you but went easy later because i'm running out of space to put and this will hamper the growth of my tree..Anyway you'll choose and become good at it...Enjoy and Welcome again
Regards,
Alex

thank you.
No just Tifa, my name is lisa. Tifa is from FF7.
Thanks, im not sure what to get to be honest. I would like a Chinese elm but not so sure really. Hopefully i will come home with something tomorow!...
The whole shop! I will have to restrain myself !
Im not sure how to go about shaping etc the two i have. The one in the pic has a definate shape. But my other i dont know!

Thanks again
Tifa

Im not sure how to go about shaping etc the two i have. The one in the pic has a definate shape. But my other i dont know!

It's nice to know that you don't know. But may I suggest that, rather than buying a plant when there's a 90% chance you will buy the WRONG plant, you buy a bonsai book, like Harry's -- or anything by Colin Lewis. Do some reading and learn what bonsai is -- and are -- before you try to create one.

JimLewis wrote:
It's nice to know that you don't know. But may I suggest that, rather than buying a plant when there's a 90% chance you will buy the WRONG plant, you buy a bonsai book, like Harry's -- or anything by Colin Lewis. Do some reading and learn what bonsai is -- and are -- before you try to create one.

Listen to the man...it will save you from grief later.

Thank you for your kind advice. Ive not long come back from my search !
I did manage to get a book! There wasnt many to choose from unfortunaltey but its aimed at beginners.

But.....

Im afraid ive been very naughty

I couldnt resist....

I bought.. A Chinese Elm, Chinese Pepper and a Ficus.

They just jumped into my basket when i wasnt looking Honest !

Im sorry !

here are some pics..







Im sorry the pics arent very good and they are big, i have resized in photobucket but they are stiil too big ?

Tifa

OK. So be it. Now do us, you, and the plants a favor and don't DO anything to them until you have thoroughly digested whatever book it is that you found.

tifa wrote:Thank you for your kind advice. Ive not long come back from my search ! I did manage to get a book! There wasnt many to choose from unfortunaltey but its aimed at beginners.

Hardly surprising as most UK bookshops will not stock them. You need to go on to Amazon and get some of the better ones. Harry Tomlinson's book has been mentioned and is a good start point.

Better still, if you haven't already visited that link provided to Bonsai4me, please do so. I'd go especially to this section CLICK HERE as it gives you a lot of great information and advice to get you started. The section entitled Starting Out is essential reading for you.

You will see that you have already done something it advises against - you have bought inferior cheap trees. Sorry if that seems blunt but there is no other kind way of putting it. Don't fret. Use them as practice trees to help you gain skills especially in how to keep them alive. Then move on to something more advanced - and more like what a bonsai should be.

I would also look at as many pictures of quality bonsai that you can find. Then you have something first to compare what you've got with, and second to aspire to. Go on to Tony Tickle's blog or read any of the posts on this forum relating to trees created by Pavel Slovak or Water Pall. And that's just two names to start with - there are a host of others on here who have trees equal )or beyond) in quality to those mentioned. With no disrespect to our colleagues, restrict yourself to people who are based in the UK or Europe. There are gorgeous trees on here but they are created by people who live in much hotter climates than us. Those trees are wonderful but only possible with specialist know-how and equipment over here.

Where do you live in the UK? There are many shows that you can go to to get first hand experience. Keep an eye on our Announcements section as that is where people notify members of forthcoming shows. Many UK ones are in major centres which you can get to by train or other public transport.

But I'd get down to reading those pages on bonsai4me now.

Regards

Fiona

Thanks, yes,
i have read all the info in bonsai4me,I spend around 3 hrs or more on line researching.
I have as looked up the three i have.

I started reading up over a week ago including my Spiraea.
The book i have is pretty informative. basic and covers quite alot.

I cant purchase products over the internet as i dont have a paypal account or a credit card.
I got this from a garden center. I did intend to use these to practice on, so im not concentrating too much on the first tree i have ( again advised )

I always reasearch first with any plant.
The reason i came home with a chinese pepper was due to the smaller leaves as i originally wanted Cotoneaster but could not find any suitable.

I do like chinese elms but was put off them, due to thier problems ,then i read up that one of the causes of yellowing leaves and loss of is
due to them being moved around too much.

Hopefully i can use some of my gardening and plant knowledge with this as i have been advised to.

Im sorry if i have offened anyone by comimg home with these. They were a reasonable price ( less than what i expected to be honest )
Around £ 15
but i thought they would do as ' starter' trees untill i get more and more experience.

thank you and i will keep studying !

Tifa

Here are a few of my favorite sites for inspirations...

http://www.animabonsai.com/
http://sandevbonsai.blogspot.com/
http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/index.php

Poink88 wrote:Here are a few of my favorite sites for inspirations...

http://www.animabonsai.com/
http://sandevbonsai.blogspot.com/
http://www.kaizenbonsai.com/shop/index.php

Bless you, thank you very much

Tifa

If you go to any garden centre you will get a cotoneaster at a reasonable price. It is a much better bet than the Chinese pepper which do not like our climate and don't seem to like indoors either for that matter over here.

A quick question: do you have a garden? It makes life a lot easier if you have, but even a patio or a balcony would do.