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Subject: The rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ: Part3
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Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part3
Name: Part3  Version: 1.7         LastUpdate: 8/31/93 15:45:03

This is part 3 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt bonsai FAQ. 
This posting contains:
        Section 5 --  Frequently Asked Questions!
        Section 6 --  Soil

Section 5 -- Frequently Asked Questions!

Q: How do I start?

    Opinion 1)  Get as many books as you can. Read them..look 
    at the pictures. Look in your local phone book and see if 
    there is a bonsai club in your area. Talk to local Nursery 
    operators and see if they know of any clubs in your area. 
    Select a tree that has some of the basic design that you'd 
    like to have in your final tree, and buy it..use the info 
    you got from reading, and from the local club/nursery 
    owner (if he knows what bonsai is!).


    Opinion 2)    Indoors: Remember that immature plants should 
    not be treated as bonsai, they must be treated as the 
    houseplants they are. Give them plenty of soil to grow in 
    and don't use too little fertilizer, or they won't develop 
    branches and leaves when you cut them and the trunk won't 
    grow in thickness.


Q: As a beginner, should I purchase a mature or partially 
trained bonsai, or start from scratch?

    Opinion 1) I think you should start from scratch. Your 
    first attempts may never be 'show quality', but you can 
    make a few mistakes without damaging a tree you paid for. 
    It may take a bit longer to arrive at something that looks 
    the way you want it to, but bonsai is (usually) not one of 
    those instant gratification hobbies. If you get the proper 
    book and some guidance, starting with some inexpensive 
    nursery stock may yield some 'instant bonsai' which allows 
    the beginner to learn, while allowing you to own something 
    that looks like a 'real bonsai'. Stay away from trees 
    labeled 'Bonsai' in MOST discount stores. Numerous people 
    have seen some discount chains with dead or dying seedlings     
    planted in shallow trays with a solid mat of pebbles glued 
    down over the soil. The trees had not been watered, and 
    even if they were, the water couldn't penetrate the ground-
    cover. They were marked $10.00...

    Opinion 2)    The question should really be: Should I start 
    from scratch with a small seedling, or with a plant that is 
    larger. Neither will give you "instant bonsai". The larger 
    will have a thicker trunk from the beginning, and thus will 
    look "almost like a tree" sooner. A younger plant gives you 
    greater freedom in which shape to train it into. You get to 
    use different methods on them, the larger lends itself to 
    cutting down, the smaller to cutting away to encourage 
    other growth.



   (And by all means, if you see a shaped tree you really want,    
   the price is right, it looks healthy and undamaged, and is of
   a species you know is hardy or of a sort you already have, 
   and therefore know you can take care of -- it _is_ OK to 
   buy it.)



Q: Is there a list of which plants that are accepted as 'good' 
to start a bonsai? (Latin names, and if to be in- or out-doors 
please)

Ficus benjamina         Indoors
   Fast grower, hardy. Easy to get the leaves small. Suitable 
   for many different shapes.

Ficus retusa            Indoors
   Similar to benjamina, leaves grow in a different pattern.

Ficus pumila            Indoors
   If you want a cascade, this is the way to go. Cut often to
   prevent it from going long and thin. May die if the roots dry
   out totally.

Schefflera arboricola   Indoors
Schefflera actinophylla Indoors
   Can be cut down enormously, buy a 50cm plant and cut it down
   to 10cm! Must be shaped completely without wiring. Takes
   correct treatment to get the leaves small.

Crassula argentea       Indoors
Portulacaria afra       Indoors
   Succulents with small leaves, branch easily.

Malpighia cocciera      Indoors
   Slow grower.

Murraya paniculata      Indoors
   Slow grower. Gets beautiful structured bark when still young.

Myrthus communis        cool winters
   Must be kept at around +10C in the winter.



Q: I have trouble finding the 'right' pots for bonsai.
 (Either unavailable or too expensive) Are there alternatives?



Q: I assume that the time & # of times to prune the trees/roots
   vary with the latitude. Anyone have data on that?

   The answer to this is a bit more complex than it would seem.
   It isn't just a case of latitude. Localized climatic 
   conditions can and do play a much larger role in when to
   perform the common bonsai activities such as pruning, and
   repotting, than the latitude. For instance, in the US, the
   Great Lakes have a climatic effect in a strip around them 
   that extends from about 10 miles to well over 50 miles in
   width depending on if you measure on the eastern or western
   edge of the lakes. What you need is the USDA zone map and
   a chart comparing the climate of some of the cities in Japan
   for min. winter temp, earliest frost, last frost, avg.
   precipitation. etc. Unfortunately I've seen a lot of people
   try to do this and come to the conclusion that the climate
   (at least in the US) has no parallel to that of Japan.


Q: What are some good tools for beginners to purchase?  They're 
   rather expensive if you get true bonsai tools.  It would be 
   a shame to buy a $45 trimmer and then realize that it's only 
   used during odd procedures or only for specific types of 
   trees/styles.

Section 6 -- Soils

Special thanks to Reji Martin for most of the following section 
on soils. There has been some discussion of whether one single
type (or size?) of soil caould actually be used from top to
bottom in a pot, but I don't think there is a definite answer
as of yet. So, as a general guideline, this info is widely
accepted.

                             BONSAI SOILS


        Sorry about taking so long to put this together, anyway as
        promised here it is.

        A good general rule of thumb (green, I hope) for all trees is
        a uniform mix of loam, peat, & sand. A good compost (the mix)
        should be a well-balanced one. The proportions of each will
        change according to the species of tree. For instance pines
        & junipers will prefer a mix which is principally sand;
        rhododendrons & azaleas like a peaty compost; while fruity &
        flowering trees like plenty of loam. A good suggestion would be
        that you try to match the original soil(s) the tree came with,
        if possible, if not the following chart will help;

        NOTE: The sand should be a coarse grit like substance to
        promote good drainage!



        TYPE            SPECIES        SAND     PEAT   LOAM

      General mix    Most varieties      2       1       1

      Pine/Juniper                       4       1       0

      Conifer mix    Cypress, &
                       other conifers    3       1       1
      General
        deciduous mix                    2       1       1

      Fruit/Flower mix                   1       1       2

        Lately I have been experimenting with soil mixtures, which seems
        to be the best way to understand soil mixtures. And it became
        quite obvious to me that some of my trees had been set back a
        years growth because the soil wasn't right . . . there was very
        little new root growth. And when I transplanted it into a good
        mix the new root growth was triple the amount of old root!

        The importance of good drainage cannot be emphasised enough
        as the roots require some air too! I have been covering the
        base of the pot with small gravel and then the putting the
        proper mix for the particular tree and to top it off a finely
        sifted loam to promote moss growth. A proper soil mix will allow
        for drainage while holding enough mosture for the plant without
        causing root rot, etc.

        (Editor's note: The fine soil on the top should be a VERY thin
        layer and is only really there to allow moss a good footing.)

                              \\ || //
                               \\|||/
                                \||||
        /-----------------------||||-----------------------------\
 Fine   |::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|
        |--------------------------------------------------------|
 Mix    |;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;|
        |;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;|
        |--------------------------------------------------------|
 Gravel |o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/|
        |o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/|
        |     ----------------------------------------------     |
        |     |                                            |     |
        |_____|                                            |_____|



        Experimentation and observation is the best way to find the
        right soil mix for your tree(s). If you are in doubt use the
        above mentioned 'General mix'. Pines and junipers can be as
        much as 70-80 % sand!




End of section 6 -- Soil
End of Part 3 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ
Continued in part 4
