In striving for a natural presentation of how a mature tree looks in nature, the art of growing a well-formed bonsai tree is best achieved by following traditional bonsai principles:

White Serissa – Tree of a Thousand Stars

• The top of the bonsai, or apex, should look as if it has been sculpted by the natural elements.
• The upper branch structure should blend with the lower branches of the tree.
• Space between branches allows light into the branch structure and adds aesthetic appeal.
• The lowest branch of the bonsai tree should be the heaviest or most dense branch.
• The surface of the soil should look natural and can be enhanced by adding moss, lichen, miniature plants and stones that look like boulders.
• The surface root structure and trunk buttress should be very strong to appear mature.
• The depth of the bonsai pot should be approximately the same as the trunk diameter.
• The style of the bonsai pot must match the style of the tree. For example, a rounded, weeping bonsai tree should be in a round or oval pot, a rugged, primitive-looking bonsai should be in a rugged, angular pot.

If you have a cold frame, unheated porch or sunroom the Juniper is an excellent choice for a beginner bonsai tree, as is the Chinese Elm and the Trident maple. These are outdoor trees and need to be grown as such. Many people see them offered for sale indoors and mistakenly think they can be grown successfully under normal house plant conditions. It’s not surprising, therefore, that many gift bonsai trees are dead within a month or two.

Once you have determined the kind of growing conditions you will provide and have researched the kinds of trees that are indigenous to your area you are ready to choose your first bonsai and begin training.

The Art of Growing, Training and Displaying Bonsai Trees

Bonsai can be started from seeds but may take many years to become good bonsai trees. It’s easier and faster to start a collection buy purchasing bonsai from a reputable vendor. If this is your first attempt at bonsai you may want to start with an inexpensive juniper or ficus which are relatively easy to care for while learning how to prune and train bonsai.

Choosing a Bonsai Tree

Many factors determine the best bonsai tree for your growing environment. Will you be growing indoors or outdoors? In a cold-frame, greenhouse, or unheated porch or sunroom? If growing outdoors, what trees are indigigenous to your area? If you can provide or mimic the natural seasonal changes of the tree variety you choose your chances of success will be much greater. If you are planning on growing indoors you are more likely to succeed with a tropical plant such as a ficus tree, especially if your indoor temperature remains relatively static and you cannot provide a nighttime drop in temperature.

If you have an unheated porch or sunroom your options are greater, and if you plan to grow outdoors you can choose any tree native to your area as long as you provide some protection in the winter since container plants are more susceptible to freezing temperatures.

The first step in choosing a tree is to research the kinds of trees that grow in the type of environment you will provide, taking care to note any special requirements such as winter protection. Once you have a list of appropriate trees you’ll want to decide whether you want a flowering bonsai, an evergreen, or a deciduous tree (one that sheds its leaves and goes dormant for part of the year.) Bear in mind during your research that bonsai trees are susceptible to the same tree diseases and pests that attack regular size trees, whether grown indoors or outside.