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What Should A Beginner In Bonsai Get First?

August 6th, 2009

It is kind of funny to me that when I mention the word bonsai to some people, the first thing they ask is if I mean the little tree that Mr. Miyagi had in the movie ‘Karate Kid.’ Yes indeed, Miyagi was fond of his bonsai tree, even teaching the art to Daniel-son. Well, I’m not here to talk about Karate Kid today, but rather what you should do if you are thinking about taking up a bonsai hobby.

First things first: know that some bonsai trees are best left for only the most experienced, while there are a lot for those who don’t have any experience at all. If you fall into the second camp, you will want a tree that is forgiving of beginner mistakes and can handle the time it may take you to become proficient. You may feel that this limits your choices, but it really is for the best.

Today, I will specifically talk about the ficus bonsai because it is especially well suited to beginners because of the reasons I stated previously. Although ficus only grow in humid or temperate areas, which most of the United States is not, they can still thrive indoors no matter where you give them a home. It’s no task to find one, but just be sure that whoever you buy it from has raised it well.

Ficus bonsai really attracted me because they are known to do very well for beginners who are still figuring things out. As an example, they are more forgiving when you are trying to come up with set watering times; they won’t dry out and die immediately.

The roots must not be kept wet or else they will rot. Luckily, the ficus will not die after one or two watering mistakes. It will allow the beginner to get it right. Trust me, this is crucial because it can take some time to really get the right schedule down so that the tree can grow optimally.

Also, if you make a mistake while pruning your ficus, it will grow back rather quickly. As long as it is receiving plenty of sun and water, you can expect it to grow well enough to hide your mistake. I have made my share of mistakes and am very grateful that the growth came back as soon as it did.

And finally, if for some reason you can’t put the tree in the ideal south west facing window, don’t’ worry because it will live. Now don’t get me wrong, I advocate letting the ficus have all the sun it needs, but I also understand that not everybody can. If you give it a decent amount, you should be ok.

Ficus bonsai trees really are great and I would be surprised if they didn’t convert anyone who buys one into an enthusiast. Just to recap, let it have enough water and lots of sun and you will experience some very nice growth.

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