Anyone have Bonsai Tree experience?

[No Nicolaitans]

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in the Homesteading forum...I don't guess Bonsai Trees qualifies as self-sufficiency? LOL!

Anyway, I've long been interested in Bonsai Trees. I've never bought one though. 

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with them, because I think I'm going to consider trying to make one out of a small tree that I've found where I work. Of course, I'll read up on how to do it if I move forward with this, but before I do that...if anyone has any experience, can you tell me if this is even doable with this tree? I've placed a regular Bic Pen next to it for size comparison...

[DaveW]

I'm sorry brother, but we seem to be a little short on bonsai knowledge here........

[No Nicolaitans]

1 hour ago, DaveW said:

I'm sorry brother, but we seem to be a little short on bonsai knowledge here........

short...

  

[DaveW]

Seriously, I have always been fascinated by bonsai, but I understand it takes patience and constant attention, and since I can easily kill most plants, I have never tried it. 

If you do go ahead, maybe you could document the process here?

[John Yurich]

On ‎4‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 11:01 AM, No Nicolaitans said:

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in the Homesteading forum...I don't guess Bonsai Trees qualifies as self-sufficiency? LOL!

Anyway, I've long been interested in Bonsai Trees. I've never bought one though. 

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with them, because I think I'm going to consider trying to make one out of a small tree that I've found where I work. Of course, I'll read up on how to do it if I move forward with this, but before I do that...if anyone has any experience, can you tell me if this is even doable with this tree? I've placed a regular Bic Pen next to it for size comparison...

Holler Bonsai when working on that Bonsai Tree.

[No Nicolaitans]

1 hour ago, John Yurich said:

Holler Bonsai when working on that Bonsai Tree.

Ha! 

I want to grow it...not kill it. 

[Ronda]

Hello, Brother "NN". I hope you are doing well. I'm still alive in a corruptible body, watching and waiting for the Lord to call me home or to catch me up in the clouds, to meet Him in the air... whichever comes first. 

I wanted to chime in here... and also want you to note it is not my intention to make fun or pick a fight... I just wanted to note some information to which you might not be aware. You may not realize, but "Bonsai trees" have their root in Taoism and later Buddhism.
"Bonsai was part of the ancient Chinese art of "penjing," also know as "pun-sai," which means the practice of creating a miniature landscape in a container. Chinese artists used plants, rocks, and other natural materials to craft tiny landscapes, often resembling sacred mountains, brooks, and other natural scenes, as well as dragons and serpents, all arranged on trays or in pots."
(taken from an articel: "The History of Bonsai in Buddhism" Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5253401

It later became a practice in Japan and part of "Zen Buddhism".

While to the unsaved world (especially in the US) the mixing of eastern religions into everyday life seems to be no "big deal".
Sadly, this has spread to many professing "christian" churches. There are even "yoga" classes in some churches today.
Martial arts also gives reverence and pays repspect to a "god" other than the One True God of the Bible.

It is not my intention to shame anyone here... only to offer factual reference in regard to eastern religions creeping into the homes of possibly unsuspecting believers. Not just the practices, but the terms.
The small sapling you show would not (in my mind) be a bonsai. I see nothing inherently 'wrong' with shaping and pruning a tree in and of itself for specific reasons (In my healthier years I pruned many a fruit tree so as not to have an overabundance of apples or peaches which the limbs could not bear).
Thus, it's the term "Bonsai" that I am making reference to.

[No Nicolaitans]

Hi Sis. Ronda! Wow! I've often wondered about you and how you're doing...it's good to hear from you, and I thank you for the input. Yes, I'm aware of the bonsai ties to the Far East's mysticism religions. In fact, there's this that I've found...

But to grow a bonsai it’s not only about gardening. It also has a therapeutic value, plus enables patience and fortitude and it’s a great activity for relaxing purposes. A bonsai can be with you until the end of your days. In fact, ancient Chinese believed that those who could take care of a miniature tree for a long time got eternity granted for their soul. For them a tree could be the connection between the holy and the human, between heaven and earth.

Sounds pretty whack-a-doodle to me. I just think they look neat, and I just want to grow a little-bitty, itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie tree (if I can). 

As far as the tree in the picture, from what I've read so far, finding a small tree like that is one of the recommended ways to start out. Whether I pursue it or not hasn't been decided. They say it takes years with lots of pruning and shaping and such...not sure if I want to tackle it. 

I appreciate your input. Take care!

[Invicta]

I did try gowing one once.  Without success.  I did read up on them at the time and if I remember correctly, you need to prune the roots as well as the branches, restrict root growth by keeping it in a very small pot and do not over water.  They also need fresh air so are not suitable to keep indoors all the year.

A similar process is used for growing vigerous trees in a small greenhouse.  You plant them and grow them in a small pot an their growth is restricted.  This is recommended for fig trees.  I once bought a peach tree in a pot which said it was a mini tree for patio growing in a pot.  I kept it in my greenhouse in a pot and it was a small tree with small peaches.  I was concerned that I might not be able to water it as often as it needed while it was in the pot, so I planted it in the border and the tree rapidly grew to twice the size and the peaches were more than four times the size.

[Alimantado]

I've heard that the Redwood is a good one for bonsai beginners.

[Invicta]

The one I tried was a red oak grown from seed.  There is an old peoples home near here that has a large Holm Oak in the garden, there were a lof of seedlings under it and I intended to ask if I could have one or two, but when I went to ask I notice that they had cleared them all.