As well as a software person I'm an arborist as a side hustle. I love bonsai and I have started a few off myself in my garden (technically this makes them 'niwaki' - in garden, rather than 'bonsai' - in a pot. I went with scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, Wych Elm - Ulnus glabra and Quercus robur - english oak) as they're all native to where I live.

But I am somewhat conflicted because as awesome as they look, all that aesthetic comes from doing the exact opposite of what a tree needs. Deliberate wounding at non-meristematic sites to create deadwood, binding roots into and using wires to manipulate the structure and keeping the tree at a juvenile isolated state. Basically it would make Alex Shigo shudder in his grave.

That being said, if anyone is in their twenties and looking for a nice future hustle pension, then start off some bonsais today. In forty years, if you can keep them going, with a hundred or so you could be sitting on 300K plus of stock. The trees will teach you a lot (notwithstanding the above sentiment on treating them brutally) in terms of patience, planning and delight in aesthetic.

• mytailorisrich

  today at 8:52 AM

  If you are in your twenties and "start off some bonsais today" then in 20 years you will start to know what you are doing and then you can start off "good ones" ;)

  • jamiecurle

    today at 9:59 AM

    Yes, the best time to plant a tree....

When I was younger, bonsai always seemed to have a notoriety of being difficult to care for. I've got a ficus which I've owned for about 4 years now, and it's doing well because my apartment emulates tropical/greenhouse conditions on even mild spring days. I'm thinking about getting a large cloche for it to try and ramp up the humidity even more and encourage aerial roots. I've also got a Chinese elm next to it that's doing well, which I will move outside in the summer. The only worry with that one is how to keep it dormant over winter - I'll have to move it inside but I'm worried it will be too warm.

More recently I bought a Japanese maple shrub from a nursery. I was planning on turning it into a bonsai, but it's already re-grown its leaves for the season so best not to prune it harshly like I was planning. I think that's the main lesson to learn with bonsai - patience. It's going to be almost a year now before I can do anything major to it. Until then it will just be some extra balcony foliage.

My colleagues gave me a bonsai when I left the company. I loved it and it was georgeous. When I switched to my actual house, the bonsai felt it and started to dry out. I could not stop it, and even transplanting it to better soil and placing him in another room. It never went up. Right now I don't know if its alive anymore, and makes me very sad.

• leoff

  today at 6:41 AM

  Do you know the species?

  • Malcolmlisk

    today at 7:13 AM

    Yep. It's supposed to be an entry level one. Ligustrum sinensis. In my old house had like 8 hours of direct sun and right now it only has like 2... I don't know what to do anymore.

    • FrankRay78

      today at 7:30 AM

      Most of these are outdoor trees, regardless of size. Something more tropical might fare better inside.

    • pvaldes

      today at 8:07 AM

      Ligustrum are notoriously hard to kill so if is not showing any activity over ground, may be working hard building roots at this moment.

      The shadow is not really the problem. They love full sun, but can stand a lot of shadow. The lack of water or nutrients may be. Let it fully submerged in a bath for one hour. If is still alive, the bark or stems will turn greenish and new leaves may appear in a few days.

      Sinense is semi caducifolious (if I remember correctly). Are you in spring or in autumn currently in your timezone?

      (If you have pets take in mind that this is a poisonous plant with poisonous fruits only allowed for birds).

    • Siecje

      today at 7:47 AM

      Would artificial light work?

      • pvaldes

        today at 8:11 AM

        With this species, yes, for sure.

• samplatt

  today at 7:58 AM

  I had a fig at my work desk for a couple of years. Work moved buildings. The new aircon killed it. No matter how much I watered it, it kept drying out.

  It was still trying to live off its two remaining leaves, when I picked it up by its trunk and noticed it was completely hollow and almost made of paper. It was utterly desiccated.

I find bonsai fascinating, even if I would never be willing to put in the time and care required to do it myself.

I had the pleasure of seeing the bonsai collection in the Gardens at HCP (Horticulture Centre of the Pacific) in Victoria, BC, Canada recently. They have many different species of trees, and something like 60 individual trees in total. Well worth seeing, and the cafe just outside the entrance is nice too.

The oldest bonsai in this collection is over a 100 years old. Imagine training a bonsai continually for so long, the steady care and attention required across multiple generations…

• FrankRay78

  today at 7:29 AM

  Not that different to our two year old tortoise, who still has another 100+ years to go.

  • gerdesj

    today at 8:20 AM

    Jonathan is quite a lot older than your lower bound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise) and still going!

    Rumours of his death are greatly exaggerated.

Been living in Japan for a while and have come to appreciate bonsai. There is a lot that goes into it. I love the concept of such an intricate thing being carefully maintained across decades and generations of people.

Even better Man-Bonsai

https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%...

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