In Chinese, the word bonsai means 'tree in a pot'. Bonsai are just your typical tree, shrub, or vine cultivated and groomed in a very confined space. They are not 'dwarf' plants as many beginners believe and they go through the typical seasonal phases of flowering, fruiting, and dropping leaves.
What You Need
Materials
Tree, bush, or vine starter plant
Ceramic container
Tray or plate
Pebbles
Bonsai specific soil
Mesh or screen
Copper wire
Tools
Scissors
Wire cutters
(Note: There are bonsai-specific tools such as a root hook, bud scissors, and concave pruner. They are designed smaller and for more precise cuts. You can use ordinary tools - and save money - as long as you are careful. Just clean tools prior with alcohol.)
Instructions & Guidelines
The basic steps to potting your bonsai are pictured and described in the thumbnail gallery above. Here are a few basic guidelines for selecting your plant as well as keeping it alive and thriving.
1. Selecting Your Plant: Since we are talking about indoor gardening, I'm only covering information related to tropical bonsai. For beginners, the Ficus species may prove to be your best bet as they can withstand a lot of abuse. Serissa and Bougainvillea are also widely available and relatively easy to maintain. A well-stocked garden store should carry starter plants, but you can also order them from many sites on the web, just be sure to choose a reputable one.
2. Light: Your bonsai will need ample light, but remember to keep them away from radiators or drafty windows during the winter months. South or west facing windows are your best bet to make sure they are getting a sufficient amount of sun exposure (You can also use fluorescent and incandescent bulbs if your home lacks light). Your bonsai will benefit from being placed outside after the threat of frost has passed. At first, put them out for a short period, slowly increasing the length of time they stay out. This will prevent them for going into shock by gradually acclimating them.
3. Water: During the growing season, your bonsai should be kept moist at all times. Misting the upper part of the plant is also beneficial. In winter, water sparingly never allowing the plant to dry out.
4. Soil: It's important to use a soil specifically designed for bonsai because it drains much faster than typical potting soils. You should be able to find the soil in any reputable garden store or nursery. As you can see, I'm using a soil specific for tropical bonsai.
5. Fertilizer: Fertilize with a weak mixture once or twice a month, but discontinue during the winter months. Fertilizer with either a bonsai-specific fertilizer or a general houseplant fertilizer.
6. Pruning: This is were the art form of bonsai comes into play. You will need to prune the roots and the crown of your bonsai tree to ensure your plant grows healthily. Re-potting after root pruning will promote growth as well. For root pruning, remove around 1/3 of the roots each year so new soil can be added to the container. This will also allow new roots to grow. For crown pruning, the most important part of pruning is revealing and accentuating the trunk line. To do this, give thought to which branches you will want to keep and then remove competing trunks and branches. The easiest point to remember is branches go on the outside of the curves. Also, try not to cut too much at one time as this can kill your plant. When it comes to choosing a style for your plant, there are five categories to choose from. They are formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, or semi-cascade. Click here to view the five different bonsai styling categories.
Additional Notes: There are many resources and books out there that cover this topic in great detail (I like The Complete Book of Bonsai by Harry Tomlinson). If you would just like a little awe-inspiring inspiration, and you happen to be in the Washington DC area, take a trip to the National Arboretum's Bonsai and Penjing Museum. They have a collection with over 150 plants and it's simply breathtaking!
One key point to remember, bonsai is not just about owning and growing a bonsai plant. Moreover, it's nurturing and artistically creating a living sculpture.
Want more smart tutorials for getting things done around the home?
See all of our Home Hacks tutorials
We're looking for great examples of your own household intelligence too!
Submit your own Home Hacks tutorial or idea here!
(Images: Kimberly Watson)
Tina Wilson's Striking Style 
30 DIY Projects for the 3-Day Weekend
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hose Jockey Wall Mount
20 Scrumptious Brunch Recipes 
Magic One-Ingredient Ice Cream 5 Ways: Peanut Butter, Nutella, and More
Comments (12)
I was JUST thinking about getting a bonsai for my husband! This must be a sign!
*ahem* Bonsai is Japanese, not Chinese.
Great timing on this post because I have a mini palm tree and it needs to be re potted because it has developed some mold so be careful not to over water them. This is helpful.
Bonsai is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word "penzai" roughly meaning "vased plant". The Chinese variation preceeds the Japanese.
They take great care and some skill to cultivate, so I've heard, and I've been too scared to try myself. :(
Oh no! Do not use your Gingher stork scissors to trim your bonsai!
Just get a pair of mini pruning shears.
undercover - bon, basin sai, to plant (from Middle Chinese). The art of bonsai originates from China over two thousand years ago. It was brought to Japan 700 years ago. The art is still practiced in China today, often under the name of penjing.
The word Bonsai (盆栽) when pronounced that way is indeed Japanese, not Chinese. However, the tradition and word both originate in China, so there is that connection-- but the Chinese pronunciation is generally romanized as Penzai. (Though, since it was brought to Japan centuries ago, this tradition is certainly not an identical/interchangeable concept between Japan and China-- the practice of bonsai is uniquely Japanese.) I think the author may have meant that the meaning of the Chinese characters (in both Japanese and Chinese language, in this case) is "tree in a pot" (actually, more like "tray/container" and "to grow/cultivate")... but this should have been more carefully worded.
I was going to point out those sewing scissors too! Those are a lovely pair of Gingher sewing scissors... not for bonsai trimming. clampers has it right for those.
And veblack, the Chinese do indeed practice bonsai. To wit, a photo of myself amongst bonsai in Beijing six and a half years ago:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fraise/2461700898/
Nice post but I needed you last year! Mine are gone now....
veblack, thank you. I had a feeling people would jump in to correct me, but I didn't feel like writing a long explanation. You covered it very nicely.
I actually am Chinese, and get a little sick of people who assume that "Chinese" and "Japanese" are interchangeable. As you pointed out, bonsai is derived from penzai but they're definitely not the same thing.
I feel bad for all the starter kits sold to people who think they look cute only to end up killing the plants because they don't know how to care for them properly.
There is no catch-all how-to since each type of tree is going to have different requirements - how you water and where you place a fir is going to be different than from a citrus or azalea tree. They're prone to different disease and infestation.
Nor do they retain a pretty shape on their own. It's called an art for a reason and while you need to start somewhere I've known too many people who buy one for decoration and just toss it after having over/under watered their tree. Orchids face the same problem - once the flowers are gone people toss them rather than pruning for regrowth.
It's not quite the same thing as buying a cute bunny for Easter and then neglecting it, but these trees are living things.
Any plant should be kept out of windows too - placing them too close to the glass can magnify the sun which will burn holes in leaves.
I once started three lime tree bonsais from the seed. The seeds were from the same lime. I had them for three years and didn't grow that much... If you're starting from scratch, a saint's patience is required since it is a tree you're growing... so you make the math.....
Even though coming from the same source they had different growing patterns, one grew branchy and nice but the leaves were pretty much as big as a young tree would be... the second did the whole "scale" perfect, good proportion... good small leaves, etc.... The third one tried very hard to grow as nature would have had it, even if i tried the contrary.
These is a fascinating and addictive hobby.....Keeping your bonsai or bonsais is a rewarding experience... You are somehow "playing god" taking this living creature through the paths you choose for it...