5 ms·

The Beauty of Bonsai Styles

222 points by lagniappe 6mo ago

socalgal2 6mo ago
Even better Man-Bonsai https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%9B%86%E6%A0%BD&sa=X https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%...
Malcolmlisk 6mo ago
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 6mo ago
  Do you know the species?
  - Malcolmlisk 6mo ago
    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 6mo ago
      Most of these are outdoor trees, regardless of size. Something more tropical might fare better inside.
    - Siecje 6mo ago
      Would artificial light work?
      - pvaldes 6mo ago
        With this species, yes, for sure.
    - pvaldes 6mo ago
      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).
- samplatt 6mo ago
  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.
- naet 6mo ago
  Try putting it outside for a while if you can. Most bonsai are meant to live outside really. Sometimes a very dead looking tree can spring back to life if given the right conditions. But other times a tree can enter a death spiral that seems hard to stop.
badc0ffee 6mo ago
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.
- eudamoniac 6mo ago
  I would just like to note, that you don't have to "put in" hardly any time or care. Maybe three hours per year? You just have to be very patient. Amateur bonsai is pretty easy, it just takes forever.
divbzero 6mo ago
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 6mo ago
  Not that different to our two year old tortoise, who still has another 100+ years to go.
  - gerdesj 6mo ago
    Jonathan is quite a lot older than your lower bound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise) and still going! Rumours of his death are greatly exaggerated.
doubledamio 6mo ago
Growing bonsai is still on my hobby wishlist, but I haven’t been able to provide the stability it requires due to work : even keeping regular plants alive for a few years was impossible. Has anyone here started from scratch? I would appreciate it if someone could share their experience and point me to some relevant online content.
- dpflug 6mo ago
  You might check out bonchi. Using bonsai techniques with chili plants can get you pleasant results quickly.
jamiecurle 6mo ago
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 6mo ago
  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 6mo ago
    Yes, the best time to plant a tree....
    - drittich 6mo ago
      ...is the camera you have with you.
- naet 6mo ago
  I think it's a mixed bag. In some ways you are manipulating the tree in a way that could be harmful (trimming, putting in small pots, wiring etc). But in other ways you end up providing much more care and attention to your bonsai than you would for another tree. As a beginner you probably will accidentally kill some trees though. I don't really have space to grow 5 Cyprus and Juniper trees, and my landlord probably wouldn't appreciate it... but I can care for a dozen bonsai.
jbethune 6mo ago
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.
- Schlagbohrer 6mo ago
  It's an amazing economic example of value-add. Taking trees that grow like weeds and putting so much labor and time into them that they become worth a lot of money (and can exhibit tremendous aesthetic beauty). Similar to sushi.
cyberjar 6mo ago
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.
- Aboutplants 6mo ago
  I grow rare cactus and succulents and this is a similar lesson, patience. Also, more often than not the correct answer to anything is “do nothing”. You also become much more appreciative of the most minute changes, noticing things that previously you would not notice. It’s a great practice for all of life, slow down, notice the small changes and sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.
  - cindyllm 6mo ago
    [dead]
  - Schlagbohrer 6mo ago
    Excellent advice. I solved my problem of over-caring for many of my hardy desert plants by getting myself some more delicate plants which demanded more care, so that I was too busy with them and could give the hardier plants the neglect they needed to thrive.
bwiggs 6mo ago
Longwood Gardens (https://longwoodgardens.org/ https://longwoodgardens.org/) is one of the most incredible public gardens in the US, and maybe the world. If you are in the Philadelphia/West Chester/Kennet Square area, do not miss the opportunity to check them out! The Conservatory (and the new West Conservatory) is stunning. Checkout their summer concert and fireworks series for something family friendly. The Chimes Tower District reminds me of something you'd walk around and discover in Myst. https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/chimes-tower-district https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/chimes-tower-district This place is huge! And there's a bunch of trails and places to walk if you wanna get away from the crowd. Here's a 1hr video from QuietPlaces featuring the Conservatory, Lilly garden, Chimes District. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooR-f3vx_RY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooR-f3vx_RY Deep Link to the Bonsai area: https://youtu.be/ooR-f3vx_RY?t=1364 https://youtu.be/ooR-f3vx_RY?t=1364
- madcaptenor 6mo ago
  Seconded. They also have an excellent pipe organ; I'd recommend checking their web site to see when someone will be playing it.
yial 6mo ago
Long time member / supporter / donator of Longwood Gardens here… it’s a wonderful place to visit if able - while their Christmas display is well known - I personally prefer spring / early fall to be able to more easily walk around outside / when the fountains are open. When they have larger bonsai displays they have been some of the best I have seen anywhere. The Philadelphia Flower show recently had a bonsai display. I also know there is a bonsai focused garden somewhere near Philadelphia that I have yet to make it to. As someone who has tried to grow bonsai and never quite succeeded - I always find them enthralling.
wizardforhire 6mo ago
When I was a kid we had a bonsai book… I used to look through it for hours… Cut to the future and I not only can find that book again [1] but the author has a beautiful and hilarious youtube channel [2] Worth the watch if only for the lulz [1] https://a.co/d/06DuHIQs https://a.co/d/06DuHIQs [2] https://youtube.com/@HeronsBonsaiUK/featured https://youtube.com/@HeronsBonsaiUK/featured
LinuxAmbulance 6mo ago
I love bonsai, but it'd be nice if one could start a bonsai tree that looks like a mature tree in miniature without spending decades on the process. Is there anything that is fast growing, or is the only option buying a multi-decade old one?
- is_true 6mo ago
  Go explore your nearest rock formation. It doesn't have to be tall, in my experience the opposite is true. You have to chose the right time to get the tree out, soil moist level and the status of the tree itself are the top priorities, the latter depends on the season and the tree type.
lightedman 6mo ago
Don't forget to include your suiseki. I have several, extremely hard to find ones, high-silica volcanic ejecta found in silica-poor environments (like basalt) that are very prized by bonsai artists. I've had offers of tens of thousands of dollars for an organic-looking rock.
famahar 6mo ago
Interesting seeing this thread. I just bought a bonsai yesterday at a market in Tokyo. They were selling it for only 1000 yen. It's only after I bought it that I realized that it takes a lot of attention and care to keep these alive. The seller said this it was 10 years old. Felt the sudden immense pressure to keep it living. It has been a nice week of tending to it in the mornings though. No longer use the phone in the mornings. It's strait to the balcony to check up on the bonsai. Much better for the mind.
motoroco 6mo ago
if you live in the PNW and would like to see some world class bonsai in person, the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way is a great destination. this time of year is also good for visiting the neighboring rhododendron and azalea garden

222 points by lagniappe 6mo ago

Even better Man-Bonsai https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%9B%86%E6%A0%BD&sa=X https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%...

Malcolmlisk 6mo ago

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 6mo ago
Do you know the species?
- Malcolmlisk 6mo ago
  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 6mo ago
    Most of these are outdoor trees, regardless of size. Something more tropical might fare better inside.
  - Siecje 6mo ago
    Would artificial light work?
    - pvaldes 6mo ago
      With this species, yes, for sure.
  - pvaldes 6mo ago
    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).
samplatt 6mo ago
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.
naet 6mo ago
Try putting it outside for a while if you can. Most bonsai are meant to live outside really. Sometimes a very dead looking tree can spring back to life if given the right conditions. But other times a tree can enter a death spiral that seems hard to stop.

badc0ffee 6mo ago

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.

eudamoniac 6mo ago
I would just like to note, that you don't have to "put in" hardly any time or care. Maybe three hours per year? You just have to be very patient. Amateur bonsai is pretty easy, it just takes forever.

divbzero 6mo ago

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 6mo ago
Not that different to our two year old tortoise, who still has another 100+ years to go.
- gerdesj 6mo ago
  Jonathan is quite a lot older than your lower bound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise) and still going! Rumours of his death are greatly exaggerated.

doubledamio 6mo ago

Growing bonsai is still on my hobby wishlist, but I haven’t been able to provide the stability it requires due to work : even keeping regular plants alive for a few years was impossible. Has anyone here started from scratch? I would appreciate it if someone could share their experience and point me to some relevant online content.

dpflug 6mo ago
You might check out bonchi. Using bonsai techniques with chili plants can get you pleasant results quickly.

jamiecurle 6mo ago

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 6mo ago
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 6mo ago
  Yes, the best time to plant a tree....
  - drittich 6mo ago
    ...is the camera you have with you.
naet 6mo ago
I think it's a mixed bag. In some ways you are manipulating the tree in a way that could be harmful (trimming, putting in small pots, wiring etc). But in other ways you end up providing much more care and attention to your bonsai than you would for another tree. As a beginner you probably will accidentally kill some trees though. I don't really have space to grow 5 Cyprus and Juniper trees, and my landlord probably wouldn't appreciate it... but I can care for a dozen bonsai.

jbethune 6mo ago

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.

Schlagbohrer 6mo ago
It's an amazing economic example of value-add. Taking trees that grow like weeds and putting so much labor and time into them that they become worth a lot of money (and can exhibit tremendous aesthetic beauty). Similar to sushi.

cyberjar 6mo ago

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.

Aboutplants 6mo ago
I grow rare cactus and succulents and this is a similar lesson, patience. Also, more often than not the correct answer to anything is “do nothing”. You also become much more appreciative of the most minute changes, noticing things that previously you would not notice. It’s a great practice for all of life, slow down, notice the small changes and sometimes the best thing to do is nothing.
- cindyllm 6mo ago
  [dead]
- Schlagbohrer 6mo ago
  Excellent advice. I solved my problem of over-caring for many of my hardy desert plants by getting myself some more delicate plants which demanded more care, so that I was too busy with them and could give the hardier plants the neglect they needed to thrive.

bwiggs 6mo ago

Longwood Gardens (https://longwoodgardens.org/ https://longwoodgardens.org/) is one of the most incredible public gardens in the US, and maybe the world. If you are in the Philadelphia/West Chester/Kennet Square area, do not miss the opportunity to check them out! The Conservatory (and the new West Conservatory) is stunning. Checkout their summer concert and fireworks series for something family friendly. The Chimes Tower District reminds me of something you'd walk around and discover in Myst. https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/chimes-tower-district https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/chimes-tower-district This place is huge! And there's a bunch of trails and places to walk if you wanna get away from the crowd. Here's a 1hr video from QuietPlaces featuring the Conservatory, Lilly garden, Chimes District. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooR-f3vx_RY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooR-f3vx_RY Deep Link to the Bonsai area: https://youtu.be/ooR-f3vx_RY?t=1364 https://youtu.be/ooR-f3vx_RY?t=1364

madcaptenor 6mo ago
Seconded. They also have an excellent pipe organ; I'd recommend checking their web site to see when someone will be playing it.

yial 6mo ago

Long time member / supporter / donator of Longwood Gardens here… it’s a wonderful place to visit if able - while their Christmas display is well known - I personally prefer spring / early fall to be able to more easily walk around outside / when the fountains are open. When they have larger bonsai displays they have been some of the best I have seen anywhere. The Philadelphia Flower show recently had a bonsai display. I also know there is a bonsai focused garden somewhere near Philadelphia that I have yet to make it to. As someone who has tried to grow bonsai and never quite succeeded - I always find them enthralling.

wizardforhire 6mo ago

When I was a kid we had a bonsai book… I used to look through it for hours… Cut to the future and I not only can find that book again [1] but the author has a beautiful and hilarious youtube channel [2] Worth the watch if only for the lulz [1] https://a.co/d/06DuHIQs https://a.co/d/06DuHIQs [2] https://youtube.com/@HeronsBonsaiUK/featured https://youtube.com/@HeronsBonsaiUK/featured

LinuxAmbulance 6mo ago

I love bonsai, but it'd be nice if one could start a bonsai tree that looks like a mature tree in miniature without spending decades on the process. Is there anything that is fast growing, or is the only option buying a multi-decade old one?

is_true 6mo ago
Go explore your nearest rock formation. It doesn't have to be tall, in my experience the opposite is true. You have to chose the right time to get the tree out, soil moist level and the status of the tree itself are the top priorities, the latter depends on the season and the tree type.

lightedman 6mo ago

Don't forget to include your suiseki. I have several, extremely hard to find ones, high-silica volcanic ejecta found in silica-poor environments (like basalt) that are very prized by bonsai artists. I've had offers of tens of thousands of dollars for an organic-looking rock.

famahar 6mo ago

Interesting seeing this thread. I just bought a bonsai yesterday at a market in Tokyo. They were selling it for only 1000 yen. It's only after I bought it that I realized that it takes a lot of attention and care to keep these alive. The seller said this it was 10 years old. Felt the sudden immense pressure to keep it living. It has been a nice week of tending to it in the mornings though. No longer use the phone in the mornings. It's strait to the balcony to check up on the bonsai. Much better for the mind.

motoroco 6mo ago

if you live in the PNW and would like to see some world class bonsai in person, the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way is a great destination. this time of year is also good for visiting the neighboring rhododendron and azalea garden