What to Pay Attention to When Buying Bonsai

When you first get into buying bonsai, the key is to consider your growing environment first, and then choose a tree species suited to it.

How to Choose Your First Bonsai

Bonsai prices vary depending on the tree species, techniques, age and so on. For beginners just starting out, it is recommended to find a reputable bonsai nursery and begin with saplings or inexpensive bonsai material. Do not buy on a whim; if you do, you will only watch the bonsai wither day by day at home, and your love for bonsai will wither along with it, until you no longer want anything to do with bonsai.

When buying bonsai, pay attention to the following factors:

1. Choose healthy plants:

Check the leaves for abnormal signs such as yellowing, spots or curling, which may mean the plant is already diseased or infested with pests. Also check the undersides of the leaves, since some small insects hide there, so be careful when buying.

The branches and trunk should be thick, with many branches emerging, dense foliage, and strong, healthy growth.

Choose a root base that is slightly exposed above the soil surface, which shows the plant has been growing for some time and has adapted well and healthily. If it has just been repotted or recently propagated from cuttings and has not yet rooted, it may suffer from poor adaptation or fail to root, which is a greater risk; you can wait a while to observe the tree's condition before deciding whether to buy.

2. Environmental requirements:

(1) Sunlight and placement: full sun or partial sun. If an indoor bonsai is already used to an indoor environment, abruptly moving it outdoors may cause harm because it cannot adapt to the change.

(2) Climate and ambient temperature: spring, summer, autumn, winter, the rainy season and so on. Different tree species have different environmental requirements. Before acclimatisation, provide the same growing environment as its place of origin, then acclimatise it gradually. Beginners are advised to buy tree species that are already adapted to the local environment.

(3) Soil: bonsai must absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots, so soil is very important for plant growth. The soil used for bonsai must be breathable and well-draining. If the soil becomes sticky after watering and drains poorly, oxygen cannot enter the soil, and the roots suffocate inside, causing the root fibres to turn black and rot.

(4) Fertiliser: plants absorb more than 16 elements from the soil. Soil in the mountains is generally natural soil, and natural soil contains the nutrients plants need to grow. The soil in a bonsai pot itself has limited nutrients, so fertiliser must be added to supplement the shortfall.

(5) Watering: a saying often circulated in the bonsai world goes, "watering takes three years of skill," meaning it takes three years of learning to master watering. Watering a potted plant is not simply about giving the roots water to absorb; the newly poured water also expels the old air in the soil and draws in fresh air, which promotes the respiration of the plant's roots in the pot. Water only when the soil surface has dried. If you are too attentive and water often, the soil becomes waterlogged and cannot breathe, which easily leads to root rot.

3. Preventing and controlling pests and diseases:

If problems arise during bonsai care that you cannot solve, such as infection, pest infestation, or causes you cannot identify, contact the original seller or consult an experienced expert. Do not apply treatments at random, lest the situation become irreversible.

The above is a brief discussion of what to pay attention to when buying bonsai. May you get off to a good start with growing bonsai, and as you watch your beloved bonsai flourish day by day, you will naturally feel indescribable satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

In-depth reading