5 ms·

Person who sells bonsai trees says bonsai is a fun and easy hobby. And makes a good case. Yes, they made trees in pots sound cool and whimsical. A Don Draper of

Person who sells bonsai trees says bonsai is a fun and easy hobby. And makes a good case. Yes, they made trees in pots sound cool and whimsical. A Don Draper of shrubbery.

mbg721 5y ago
"Fun and easy" is almost the exact opposite of my perception of bonsai--when I think of it, I think "I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. This is a meticulous science and if anyone makes the mistake of letting me touch a bonsai tree, I'm inadvertently going to kill something that's older than my grandparents." The article doesn't quite have me convinced, but it does sound like they're having fun.
- sp332 5y ago
  What on earth did you do to the mint?
  - mbg721 5y ago
    I think I let the other variegated indigenous vegetation overtake it for a little too long. Whatever spiky leafy things we get here are even more aggressive than mint, apparently.
    - Agentlien 5y ago
      What kind of climate do you live in? I live in Sweden, I have several types of mint in the garden and it's a constant hassle because they overtake and smother absolutely everything else.
      - mbg721 5y ago
        Midwest US, so I guess that's some sort of continental temperate? I'm admittedly not the most diligent gardener, I just bought it to cook with and it came with the dirt attached to plant it.
        BenjiWiebe 5y ago
        Mint is very invasive in the Midwest too. You should advertise your mint-killing skills.
- boothby 5y ago
  I've got a brown thumb too, but I've started playing "doctor bonsai" with the seedlings that I uproot while weeding. And to be honest I only 'weed' trees because I don't want big problems in my very small yard. I put them in tapwater, in little cups in my office. One time, I tried to give them plant food and they all died. Should have used the liquid stuff? Oh well. They're just seedlings, I'll have a fresh crop next year. The one I didn't try to feed still has some fine roots, but the cat got its leaves. I figure I should try a drop of liquid food in the spring? Who knows. For now, I change the water every few weeks so it doesn't get manky. I guess all the failure means it isn't 'easy', but I'm sure having fun. Cheap as it gets, too.
  - jimsmart 5y ago
    Welcome to hydroponics, specifically water culture growing! It’s quite complicated, a whole science itself perhaps, but the idea is simple: grow a plant/plants in a soilless or liquid medium. It’s complicated because plants require certain nutrients in various quantities to be available at their roots to survive, their root system also requires a certain amount of oxygen to be available, and furthermore the whole root environment needs to be within a certain pH range for nutrient uptake to take place. All of this applies no matter the medium one grows plants in, but it’s because of all this that hydroponics is complicated, particularly on a micro scale with a single plant in a cup, where there is little buffering to allow for errors - unlike a medium like soil. But it was experiments like yours that lead to the field of both hydroponics, water culture growing, and aquaponics, and a greater understanding of plant functioning and plant nutrient requirements.
    - jimsmart 5y ago
      Furthermore, you might find the following four part article to be of interest - there’s plenty of other info easily googled, whether on the background history, or the specifics. https://gardenculturemagazine.com/history-of-hydroponics-part-i-the-beginnings-of-water-culture/ https://gardenculturemagazine.com/history-of-hydroponics-par...
      - 5y ago
- Gigachad 5y ago
  There are various plants for bonsai and some of them are super simple. I have had a ficus bonsai for over a year and it has survived all kinds of conditions. Currently it’s sitting on my apartment balcony with no direct sun and strong winds and it seems to be growing strong and healthy. I have done basically nothing but water it. I think I’ll have to re pot it soon but that’s about it.
- rnoorda 5y ago
  > I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. I'm jealous- some mint got from my planter into the lawn. The good news it smells nice whenever I mow.
- watwut 5y ago
  > I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. There is something that is killing it in your backyard. Mint should be difficult to get rid of and easy to grow.
lotophage 5y ago
Another lie by Big Bonsai to scam you out of your hard earned money!
- rei_ayanami 5y ago
  lol. Beware of the botanist chicks.

Person who sells bonsai trees says bonsai is a fun and easy hobby. And makes a good case. Yes, they made trees in pots sound cool and whimsical. A Don Draper of shrubbery.

mbg721 5y ago

"Fun and easy" is almost the exact opposite of my perception of bonsai--when I think of it, I think "I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. This is a meticulous science and if anyone makes the mistake of letting me touch a bonsai tree, I'm inadvertently going to kill something that's older than my grandparents." The article doesn't quite have me convinced, but it does sound like they're having fun.

sp332 5y ago
What on earth did you do to the mint?
- mbg721 5y ago
  I think I let the other variegated indigenous vegetation overtake it for a little too long. Whatever spiky leafy things we get here are even more aggressive than mint, apparently.
  - Agentlien 5y ago
    What kind of climate do you live in? I live in Sweden, I have several types of mint in the garden and it's a constant hassle because they overtake and smother absolutely everything else.
    - mbg721 5y ago
      Midwest US, so I guess that's some sort of continental temperate? I'm admittedly not the most diligent gardener, I just bought it to cook with and it came with the dirt attached to plant it.
      - BenjiWiebe 5y ago
        Mint is very invasive in the Midwest too. You should advertise your mint-killing skills.
boothby 5y ago
I've got a brown thumb too, but I've started playing "doctor bonsai" with the seedlings that I uproot while weeding. And to be honest I only 'weed' trees because I don't want big problems in my very small yard. I put them in tapwater, in little cups in my office. One time, I tried to give them plant food and they all died. Should have used the liquid stuff? Oh well. They're just seedlings, I'll have a fresh crop next year. The one I didn't try to feed still has some fine roots, but the cat got its leaves. I figure I should try a drop of liquid food in the spring? Who knows. For now, I change the water every few weeks so it doesn't get manky. I guess all the failure means it isn't 'easy', but I'm sure having fun. Cheap as it gets, too.
- jimsmart 5y ago
  Welcome to hydroponics, specifically water culture growing! It’s quite complicated, a whole science itself perhaps, but the idea is simple: grow a plant/plants in a soilless or liquid medium. It’s complicated because plants require certain nutrients in various quantities to be available at their roots to survive, their root system also requires a certain amount of oxygen to be available, and furthermore the whole root environment needs to be within a certain pH range for nutrient uptake to take place. All of this applies no matter the medium one grows plants in, but it’s because of all this that hydroponics is complicated, particularly on a micro scale with a single plant in a cup, where there is little buffering to allow for errors - unlike a medium like soil. But it was experiments like yours that lead to the field of both hydroponics, water culture growing, and aquaponics, and a greater understanding of plant functioning and plant nutrient requirements.
  - jimsmart 5y ago
    Furthermore, you might find the following four part article to be of interest - there’s plenty of other info easily googled, whether on the background history, or the specifics. https://gardenculturemagazine.com/history-of-hydroponics-part-i-the-beginnings-of-water-culture/ https://gardenculturemagazine.com/history-of-hydroponics-par...
    - 5y ago
Gigachad 5y ago
There are various plants for bonsai and some of them are super simple. I have had a ficus bonsai for over a year and it has survived all kinds of conditions. Currently it’s sitting on my apartment balcony with no direct sun and strong winds and it seems to be growing strong and healthy. I have done basically nothing but water it. I think I’ll have to re pot it soon but that’s about it.
rnoorda 5y ago
> I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. I'm jealous- some mint got from my planter into the lawn. The good news it smells nice whenever I mow.
watwut 5y ago
> I can't even keep mint alive in my backyard. There is something that is killing it in your backyard. Mint should be difficult to get rid of and easy to grow.

lotophage 5y ago

Another lie by Big Bonsai to scam you out of your hard earned money!

rei_ayanami 5y ago
lol. Beware of the botanist chicks.