Version: 1.5 X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/24 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part1 This is part 1 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ I'll try to update the FAQ either weekly or as often as required based on the info submitted. (In other words..I'll do it more often if required and less often if nothing has changed). The FAQ will be posted bi-weekly, or when it get updated whichever comes first. If there are errors or typos in this text, or if your name has been left off of the contributor list, please just drop me a note. I'm very much capable of making mistakes...I do promise to do my best to correct all errors found before the next release of the FAQ. The bonsai Dictionary is still under construction. I have some of the most frequently used Japanese terms (according to my limited sources), and I have the Latin botanical terms (again within the limits of my knowledge/sources...) If you have additions or corrections, please e-mail them to me at the address below. THIS FAQ IS NOW AVAILABLE VIA ANONYMOUS FTP! This FAQ, and many other FAQ's are available via anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu in the directory pub/usenet/news.answers. The archive name for this FAQ appears in the Archive-name: line in the auxiliary header found in each of the 5 sections of the FAQ. This FAQ is known as bonsai-faq/part1. (Each part has a separate name..ie part2, part3 etc..) A mail server also exists for accessing the FAQ archives. Send a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the command 'help' in the body of your message. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ +The Bonsai Mailing List+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++ For those of you who for one reason or another can not currently get a feed for rec.arts.bonsai, there may be another way to get in on the discussion there. Subscribe to the bonsai mailing list! Subscription is easy. Send e-mail to: LISTSERV@cms.cc.wayne.edu. In the body of the letter, have the line: SUB BONSAI The mailing list software will extract your mailing address from the message header, so you don't need to put that in your command. The messages in the mailing list are automatically posted to rec.arts.bonsai, and all of rec.arts.bonsai is automatically mailed to the subscribers of the mailing list! For a list of commands, send the command: help to the LISTSERV address. If you have trouble, you can contact either me (Mike), or Dan Cwiertniewicz for help. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + FTP site for bonsai GIF files! + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ An anonymous FTP server for Bonsai GIFS (and other types of pictures) is available at bonsai.pass.wayne.edu. Login as anonymous and use guest as a password. You can put images in the /uploads directory, and get images from the /pub/GIFS directory. This allows the person responsible for the site a chance to check the files before anyone can get them, thus avoiding having the site terminated due to inappropriate material. +++++++++++++++++++ CALL FOR TRANSLATORS ++++++++++++++++++++++ If you like Bonsai, and you can translate this FAQ into another language, please do so...You can either e-mail me the translation, or post it directly yourself..I'll add it to the FAQ as TRANSLATIONS come in (if they come in...) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mike Bartolone bartlone@gemed.ge.com or cs688.freenet-in-a.cwru.edu (first rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ compiler) The rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ has now been broken down into smaller pieces to make mailer mangling less likely. part 1 Section 1 -- Introduction and Table of contents Section 2 -- What is Bonsai? Section 3 -- Dictionary of Japanese bonsai terms part 2 Section 4 -- Dictionary of selected Latin botanical terms. part 3 Section 5 -- Frequently Asked Questions! Section 6 -- Soil part 4 Section 7 -- Clubs, Associations Section 8 -- Reading material (Books and Magazines) part 5 Section 9 -- Suppliers and Nurseries Section 10 -- Junipers (Their own section!) Section 11 -- Indoor bonsai Section C -- Contributors... Section 2 What is Bonsai? This was at one time, the most commonly ask of all FAQ's, but, since the Karate Kid was first shown, the frequency with which this question gets asked has decreased a little bit..Bonsai is literally a plant, (usually a tree or shrub) grown in a tray, or dish. The first plants grown in pots were in Egypt about 4000 years ago, mostly for practical reasons, mobility, and convenience. The Greeks, Babylonians, Persians, and Hindus copied the technique. The Chinese were the first to plant trees in pots for aesthetic purposes about 200 AD. It then moved to Japan with the monks that also brought Buddhism in the 6th and 7th centuries. This data is supported in essence by a scroll from Japan's Kamakura period (1192-1333), in a scroll describing life in the Heian period (794-1191).* Bonsai as we now know it was perfected in Japan. The original bonsai trees were usually collected, dwarfed by nature. Today, however, it is probably better to allow such specimens to stay where they are. In many locations collecting them in the wild is against the law. In others the chance of finding a suitable specimen is almost zero. Over the years, techniques have evolved which allow the grower to change the height and direction of growth, and in some cases to dwarf the foliage as well as the plant. Today, bonsai is an art form, a living sculpture. There are certain classic or traditional forms that can be found and followed, but the basic rule of thumb for personal bonsai is 'If you like the way it looks, it's a good bonsai'. *(From The Masters Book of Bonsai) Section 3 -- Dictionary of Japanese bonsai terms Bonsai styles --- chokkan Formal Upright The chokkan bonsai typically has a single, upright trunk that tapers toward the top, branches are symmetrically balanced and well spaced. moyogi Informal Upright Moyogi bonsai have a single trunk like the chokkan, but the trunk is usually curved. The trunk generally tapers toward the top like the formal upright. kabudachi (multiple trunks) sokan Twin Trunk sankan Triple Trunk gokan 5 trunk Two (or 3 or 5) trunks growing from the same root. Usually one trunk is the largest and is referred to as the parent. Good conformation is based on the aesthetic balance of the smaller 'children' to the parent in trunk thickness. shakan Slanting A single trunk, similar to the formal and informal upright, but cultivated with the trunk growing at an angle other than 90 degrees to the ground. Branches are again balanced and well spaced. netsuranari sinuous sinuous bonsai have multiple trees growing from a single sinuous root. 5 needle pine are most commonly used for this style. neagari exposed root Roots growing up out of the ground, suspending the trunk in the air characterize this rare style of bonsai. ikada raft Similar in effect to netsuranari, but typically with one straight horizontal root joining the trees. This is usually accomplished by burying a larger tree horizontally and then training each branch as a separate tree. fukinagashi Windswept Similar to the slanting style, but all of the branches are swept in one direction as though it were growing in a place with a strong constant prevailing wind. kengai cascade An unusual form where the trunk and branches arch and 'cascade' over the edge of the pot. Usually planted in a deep pot to give balance to its unusual form. bunjingi literati upright or informally upright trunk bare of branches except at the top, characterized by a tasteful simple elegance. hokidachi broom broom style trees have an upright trunk, with branches evenly fanned out. It resembles an old fashioned broom standing on its handle. yose-ue Group A group planting of distinct separate trees, representing a grove, or forest. ishitsuki rock-grown There are two basic types of rock grown bonsai, root grasping the rock, where the roots do enter the soil the rock is protruding from, and on, or in the rock, where the tree is planted in a pocket of earth attached to the rock, or in a hollow in the rock. Growing techniques misho grown from seed yamadori collecting plants from nature sashiki grown from cuttings tsugiki grafting toriki layering and dividing Other Japanese bonsai terms -- nebari the rootball of a bonsai End of Section 3 -- Dictionary of Japanese bonsai terms. End of Part 1 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ. Continued in part 2 Version: 1.4 X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/24 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part2 This is part 2 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ. This posting contains: Section 4 -- Dictionary of Latin Botanical Terms Section 4 -- Dictionary of Latin Botanical Terms -- (Note: This section is complete within the limits of my documentation) abbreviatus -- short acuminatus -- long tapering point acutifolius -- with sharp leaves adpressus -- pressed together, pressed against adscendens -- going up aerius -- of the air, as air-roots affinus -- related, with an affinity africanus -- from Africa alatus -- winged albescens -- pale, whitish albidus, albus -- white albiflorus -- with white flowers alpinus -- of the alpines, mountains alternus -- alternating, usually means NOT directly opposite altus -- altitude, tall amabilis -- pretty amphibius -- adaptable either to land or water angulosus -- angled, turning every which way angustifolius -- with narrow leaves (seldom used, more commonly nerifolius) aquaticus -- of the water, water-loving arborescens -- growing like a tree, woody like a tree arenatius -- found in sandy places argenteus, argentus -- silvery aristatus -- bearded arrectus -- straight up, erect ascendens -- going up, ascending asiaticus, asiatus -- from asia atlanticus -- Atlantic atropurpureus, atropurpurea -- purple, sometimes dark red atrosanguineus -- dark blood-red atroviolaceus -- dark violet atrovirens -- dark green augustus -- important in size or appearance, imposing aurantiacus -- orange-red aureus -- golden azureus -- light blue, azure babylonicus -- Babylonian, from Babylon balticus -- from the Baltic bengalinis -- from Bengal biennis -- biennial biflorus -- two flowered bifolius -- two leaved brefolius -- with short leaves brevis -- short brevisimus -- very short brillian -- brilliant brittanicus -- from Britain brunneus -- brown bulgarius -- Bulgarian buxifolius -- with leaves like a boxwood, box-leaved calamifolius -- with reed-like leaves californicus -- from California campestris -- found in fields candelabrum -- having the form of a candelabra candicans -- white or frosty looking catitatus -- headed carneus -- flesh-colored cerefolius -- with waxy leaves coccineus -- bright red coloratus -- colored columnaris -- having the form of a column concolor -- similar coloring conglomeratus -- all close together contortus -- twisted, contorted cordatus -- heart-shaped cornutus, cornuta -- horned crassifolius -- with thick leaves crenatus -- serrated cuspidatus -- sharp tooth, or hard point deformis -- deformed deliciosus, deliciosa -- delicious dendroideus -- like a tree densatus -- dense densifolius -- with dense leaves densiflorus -- with dense flowers dentatus -- toothed, with a series of points dipterus -- two-winged discolor -- of two or several colors dissectus -- deeply cut leaves, an in fern-leaved maple divaricatus -- spreading domesticus -- domesticated edulis -- can be eaten elatus, elata -- tall elegans -- elegant, graceful elongatus -- long erectus -- upright excelsius, excelsus -- tall exoticus, exotica -- from another country fastigiatus -- having nearly vertical, close-together branches ferox -- fierce, thorny flaccidus -- soft, limp flammeus -- flame-colored flexilis -- bendable, flexible florepleno -- with double flowers florebundus -- with many flowers foetidus -- bad-smelling, having a fetid odor fragrans -- sweet-smelling, fragrant fragrantissimus very sweet-smelling frutescens -- bushy, shrubby, twiggy gallicus -- from Gaul (France), may also pertain to a rooster giganticus -- large, gigantic glaucus -- with a frost-like bloom, as on a grape gloriosus, gloriosa -- great, superb gracilis -- slender, graceful, lissome grandifolius -- with large leaves gutatus -- freckled haemanthus -- bright red flowers humilis -- dwarf, low ilicifolius holly-like leaves japonicus -- from Japan lancifolius -- with lance-like leaves latifolius -- with broad leaves leptolepis -- with thin scales leptophyllus -- with thin leaves leucodermis -- with white skin lobularuis -- lobed luteus -- yellow macranthus -- with large flowers nacro -- big, long, large maximus -- the largest medius -- medium megalophyllus -- with very large leaves microphyllus -- with very small leaves minimus -- very small mollis -- hairy, fuzzy myriophyllus -- with many leaves nanus, nana -- dwarf, small nerifolius, nerifolia, -- with narrow leaves niger -- black nodulosa -- with small nodes nudifolia -- deciduous, naked of leaves oblongatus -- oblong, oval officinalis -- medicinal parviflorus -- with small flowers parvifolia -- with small leaves patens -- spreading pinous -- line-like podocarpus -- with stalked fruits polydactylus -- with many fingers porphyreus -- purple praecox -- very early procumbens -- procumbent, lying down pumilus -- dwarf, small pygmaeus -- pygmy pyramidalis -- pyramidal repens -- creeping, low reticulatus -- with a netted pattern robustus -- strong, robust roseaflorus -- with rose-like flowers rotundifolius -- with round leaves scandens -- climbing semperflorens -- everblooming sempervirens -- always green serpens -- creeping serpyllifolius -- with thyme-like leaves serratus -- with a saw tooth edge stolenifera -- with runners that root and send up another plant strictus -- erect sylvaticus -- of the forest tenuifolius -- with slender leaves tomentosus -- very wooly tridens -- with three teeth or points variegatus -- variegated verrucosus -- warty virens -- green virginianus -- of Virginia, first defined in Virginia viridis -- green vulgaris -- common, vulgar, ordinary xanthinus -- yellow zonalis -- banded End of Section 4 -- Dictionary of Latin Botanical Terms End of Part 2 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ Continued in part 3 Version: 1.4 X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/24 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part4 This is part 4 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt bonsai FAQ. This posting contains: Section 7 -- Clubs, Associations Section 8 -- Reading material (Books and Magazines) Section 7 -- Clubs, Associations Clubs and Associations ------------------------- Bonsai Institute of California PO Box 6268 Whittier CA 90609 USA Bonsai - Zentrum Muenster Wolfgang Klemend Weselerstr. 57 D-4400 Muenster Germany (note: Club AND Nursery) Svenska Bonsais{llskapet c/o Margit K}berger Kornbodsg. 27 S-724 81 V{ster}s Sweden Milwaukee Bonsai Society P.O. Box 174 Greendale Wi 53129 USA Albuquerque Bonsai Club P.O. Box 6979 Albuquerque, NM 87197 Meets 1st Wednesday each month Connie Gardner, president (505) 268-6284 Prairie State Bonsai Society (formerly Morton Arboretum Bonsai Society) P. O. Box 2634 Glen Ellyn, IL 60138-2634 Meets 4th Monday of the month at College of DuPage. Section 7 -- Reading material (Books and Magazines) Books ------------------------- BONSAI The Complete Guide to Art & Technique by Paul Lesniewicz published by Blandford Press Indoor Bonsai by Paul Lesniewicz published by Blandford Press The Creative Art of Bonsai by Isabelle & Remy Samson Ward Lock Ltd ISBN 0 7063 7024 4 _BONSAI with American Trees_ by Masakuni Kawasumi published by Kodansha International Ltd ISBN 0-87011-246-5 "Bonsai Techniques" by John Yoshio Naka Published for the Bonsai Institute of California, The Complete Book of Bonsai by Harry Tomlinson Abbeville Press, 1991 224p $30.00 (Hardbound. ISBN:1-55859-118-4) The Complete BONSAI Handbook By Darlene Dunton Stein and Day Publishers ISBN 0-8128-6008-X Four Seasons of Bonsai by Kyuzo Murata The Beginner's Guide to American Bonsai By Jerald P. Stowell ISBN 0-87011-326-7 The Masters' Book of Bonsai Compiled by Directors of The Japan Bonsai Association published by Kodansha International Ltd ISBN 0-87011-453-0 Bonsai: Illustrated Guide to and Ancient Art Ed: Patricia Hart Clifford published by: Sunset Publishing Corporation ISBN 0-376-03044-5 American Bonsai Society-Bonsai Clubs International Book Service C/O Vernon Weeks Dept "B" 3740 Louisiana Ave. N. New Hope MN 55427 USA Telephone: 612 537-6984 ABS-BCI list... Title (Author) Prices ($US) List Member Postage Title ========= ====== ===== ==================================== 1. 24.95 20.00 2.00 The Art of Indoor Bonsai (Ainsworth) David & Charles, 1989. (Hardback. ISBN:0-943955-11-4) Trafalgar Square ( David & Charles ), 1992. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-943955-58-0) 128 p. $19.95 Good pages on basic techniques and basic ideas for growing indoors. 66 pages devoted to care and feeding of 33 species which work well indoors. 2. 44.95 36.00 2.75 Bonsai (Koreshoff) 3. 45.00 36.00 2.50 Bonsai, The Art & Technique (Young) 4. 29.95 25.00 2.00 The Bonsai Book (Barton) Trafalgar Square ( David & Charles ), 1990. (Hardback. ISBN:0-85223-742-1) 5. 17.95 17.95 Paid Bonsai Book of Practical Facts (Meyer) 6. 24.95 20.00 2.00 Bonsai Design: Deciduous & Conifer Trees (Adams) Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1990 (Hardback. ISBN:0-7063-6836-3) 143 p. 7. 19.95 16.00 2.00 Bonsai Masterclass (Chan) Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1993 (Paperbound. ISBN:0-8069-6763-3) $14.95 8. 25.00 25.00 Paid Bonsai Techniques I (Naka) 9. 35.00 35.00 Paid Bonsai Techniques II (Naka) 10. 27.95 22.50 2.25 Bonsai: The Complete Guide (Lesniewicz) 11. 14.00 12.00 2.00 Bonsai: Trees & Shrubs (Perry) 12. Brooklyn Botanical Gardens Handbooks: a) 6.95 5.75 1.50 first, Bonsai for Indoors Sewall Company, 1991. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-945352-59-X) b) 6.95 5.75 0.50 each Bonsai: Special Techniques Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-945352-02-6) c) 5.95 4.75 additional Bonsai: Dwarf Potted Trees d) 5.95 4.75 Japanese Gardens 13. 29.95 25.00 2.00 Chinese Bonsai (Lesniewicz) 14. 39.95 32.00 2.50 Chinese Penjing (Hu) 15. 100.00 75.00 Paid Classic Bonsai of Japan (Nippon Bonsai Assoc.) 16. 29.95 25.00 2.00 The Complete Book of Bonsai (Tomlinson) 17. 17.95 14.50 2.00 The Creative Art of Bonsai (Samson) 18. 24.95 20.00 2.00 Four Seasons of Bonsai (Murata) Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990. (Hardback. ISBN:4-7700-1498-8) 19. 29.95 22.00 2.00 Hagamos Bonsai (Botero) [Spanish Text] 20. 8.95 7.25 1.50 Indoor Bonsai (Ainsworth) 21. 14.95 12.00 1.50 Indoor Bonsai (Lesniewicz) 22. 14.95 12.00 1.75 Indoor Bonsai: A Beginner's Guide (Pike) 23. 19.95 16.00 2.50 The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees & Landscapes (Yoshimura & Halford) 24. 23.95 16.00 2.00 The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation (Covello & Yoshimura) 25. 40.00 32.00 2.50 Japanese Maples (Vertrees) 26. 39.95 32.00 2.50 Penjing: The Chinese Art of Miniature Gardens (Hu) 27. 29.95 25.00 2.00 Popular Bonsai (Pike) 28. 8.95 7.25 1.50 Successful Bonsai Growing (Adams) 29. 29.95 29.95 Paid Outstanding American Bonsai (Clark) 30. 75.00 60.00 Paid The World of Bonsai (Lesniewicz) 31. 14.95 12.00 1.50 Bonsai: The Art of Training Dwarf Potted Trees (Brook. Bot. Gard.) [Video] International Bonsai pub. by The international Bonsai Arboreum 412 Pinnacle Road Rochester, New York 14623 Phone (716) 334-2595 Plants and gardens, Brooklyn Bot. Gard. Record. -- Handbook Vol. 9 No. 22 Dwarfed Potted Trees, The Bonsai of Japan Vol. 22 No. 2 Bonsai: Special Techniques Vol. 32 No. 2 Bonsai for Indoors Brooklyn Botanical Gardens 1000 Washington Ave Brooklyn, NY 11225 Art of Bonsai(Adams) Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-7063-7116-X) $17.95 Very good book for explaining strategy of training certain trees. Unfortunately ignores maples. Part 1: Profiles on 1) Beech and Hornbeam 2) Elm and Zelkova 3) mixed Juniper species & Cryptomeria (~ 20 pages each) explaining conditions for growing and production cycle over the first 6 years of growing and training. Part 2: 16 case histories of authors own plants illustrating technisues and strategies. Simon and Schuster's Guide to Bonsai (Giorgi) Simon & Schuster Trade, 1991. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-671-73488-1) $14.00 Practical Bonsai (Lewis) Trafalgar Square ( David & Charles ), 1993. (Paperbound. ISBN:1-85223-661-2) $8.95 Living Art of Bonsai (Liang) Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. (Hardback. ISBN:0-8069-8780-4) $35.00 Bonsai Basics (Pessey) Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1992. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-8069-0327-9) $9.95 Probably one of the better inexpensive basic books. A nice section on how trees grow. Indoor Bonsai (Pike) Trafalgar Square ( David & Charles ), 1991. (Paperbound. ISBN:1-85223-254-4) $15.95 Beginning Bonsai (Student) Tuttle, Charles and Company Inc, 1992. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-8048-1729-4) $9.95 Bonsai (Sunset) Sunset Books. (Paperbound. ISBN:0-376-03044-5) $7.95 Masterpieces of Bonsai (Takayanagi) Farrar, Straus & Giroux. (Hardback. ISBN:0-87040-711-2) $22.95 Magazines ------------------------- Bonsai Today Stone Lantern Publishing Co P. O. Box 816 Sudbury MA 01776 Subscriptions are $42 a year. 6 issues a year. English translation of a Japanese magazine. Very detailed! "Bonsai" -- Journal of the American Bonsai Society Quarterly, ca. 30 pages Annual membership fee: individual $18, student $11 Information: ABS Executive Sec. Box 358, Keene NH 03431 "Bonsai Clubs International" 6/Year, 60 pages Annual Dues $25 Magazine office: PO Box 1326 Ft. Walton Beach, FL 32549 USA Phone (904 862-4619) End of Section 8 -- Reading Material (Books and Magazines End of Part 4 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ Continued in part 5 Version: 1.4 X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/24 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part3 This is part 3 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt bonsai FAQ. This posting contains: Section 5 -- Frequently Asked Questions! Section 6 -- Soil Section 5 -- Frequently Asked Questions! Q: How do I start? Opinion 1) Get as many books as you can. Read them..look at the pictures. Look in your local phone book and see if there is a bonsai club in your area. Talk to local Nursery operators and see if they know of any clubs in your area. Select a tree that has some of the basic design that you'd like to have in your final tree, and buy it..use the info you got from reading, and from the local club/nursery owner (if he knows what bonsai is!). Opinion 2) Indoors: Remember that immature plants should not be treated as bonsai, they must be treated as the houseplants they are. Give them plenty of soil to grow in and don't use too little fertilizer, or they won't develop branches and leaves when you cut them and the trunk won't grow in thickness. Q: As a beginner, should I purchase a mature or partially trained bonsai, or start from scratch? Opinion 1) I think you should start from scratch. Your first attempts may never be 'show quality', but you can make a few mistakes without damaging a tree you paid for. It may take a bit longer to arrive at something that looks the way you want it to, but bonsai is (usually) not one of those instant gratification hobbies. If you get the proper book and some guidance, starting with some inexpensive nursery stock may yield some 'instant bonsai' which allows the beginner to learn, while allowing you to own something that looks like a 'real bonsai'. Stay away from trees labeled 'Bonsai' in MOST discount stores. Numerous people have seen some discount chains with dead or dying seedlings planted in shallow trays with a solid mat of pebbles glued down over the soil. The trees had not been watered, and even if they were, the water couldn't penetrate the ground- cover. They were marked $10.00... Opinion 2) The question should really be: Should I start from scratch with a small seedling, or with a plant that is larger. Neither will give you "instant bonsai". The larger will have a thicker trunk from the beginning, and thus will look "almost like a tree" sooner. A younger plant gives you greater freedom in which shape to train it into. You get to use different methods on them, the larger lends itself to cutting down, the smaller to cutting away to encourage other growth. (And by all means, if you see a shaped tree you really want, the price is right, it looks healthy and undamaged, and is of a species you know is hardy or of a sort you already have, and therefore know you can take care of -- it _is_ OK to buy it.) Q: Is there a list of which plants that are accepted as 'good' to start a bonsai? (Latin names, and if to be in- or out-doors please) Ficus benjamina Indoors Fast grower, hardy. Easy to get the leaves small. Suitable for many different shapes. Ficus retusa Indoors Similar to benjamina, leaves grow in a different pattern. Ficus pumila Indoors If you want a cascade, this is the way to go. Cut often to prevent it from going long and thin. May die if the roots dry out totally. Schefflera arboricola Indoors Schefflera actinophylla Indoors Can be cut down enormously, buy a 50cm plant and cut it down to 10cm! Must be shaped completely without wiring. Takes correct treatment to get the leaves small. Crassula argentea Indoors Portulacaria afra Indoors Succulents with small leaves, branch easily. Malpighia cocciera Indoors Slow grower. Murraya paniculata Indoors Slow grower. Gets beautiful structured bark when still young. Myrthus communis cool winters Must be kept at around +10C in the winter. Q: I have trouble finding the 'right' pots for bonsai. (Either unavailable or too expensive) Are there alternatives? Q: I assume that the time & # of times to prune the trees/roots vary with the latitude. Anyone have data on that? The answer to this is a bit more complex than it would seem. It isn't just a case of latitude. Localized climatic conditions can and do play a much larger role in when to perform the common bonsai activities such as pruning, and repotting, than the latitude. For instance, in the US, the Great Lakes have a climatic effect in a strip around them that extends from about 10 miles to well over 50 miles in width depending on if you measure on the eastern or western edge of the lakes. What you need is the USDA zone map and a chart comparing the climate of some of the cities in Japan for min. winter temp, earliest frost, last frost, avg. precipitation. etc. Unfortunately I've seen a lot of people try to do this and come to the conclusion that the climate (at least in the US) has no parallel to that of Japan. Q: What are some good tools for beginners to purchase? They're rather expensive if you get true bonsai tools. It would be a shame to buy a $45 trimmer and then realize that it's only used during odd procedures or only for specific types of trees/styles. Section 6 -- Soils Special thanks to Reji Martin for most of the following section on soils. There has been some discussion of whether one single type (or size?) of soil caould actually be used from top to bottom in a pot, but I don't think there is a definite answer as of yet. So, as a general guideline, this info is widely accepted. BONSAI SOILS Sorry about taking so long to put this together, anyway as promised here it is. A good general rule of thumb (green, I hope) for all trees is a uniform mix of loam, peat, & sand. A good compost (the mix) should be a well-balanced one. The proportions of each will change according to the species of tree. For instance pines & junipers will prefer a mix which is principally sand; rhododendrons & azaleas like a peaty compost; while fruity & flowering trees like plenty of loam. A good suggestion would be that you try to match the original soil(s) the tree came with, if possible, if not the following chart will help; NOTE: The sand should be a coarse grit like substance to promote good drainage! TYPE SPECIES SAND PEAT LOAM General mix Most varieties 2 1 1 Pine/Juniper 4 1 0 Conifer mix Cypress, & other conifers 3 1 1 General deciduous mix 2 1 1 Fruit/Flower mix 1 1 2 Lately I have been experimenting with soil mixtures, which seems to be the best way to understand soil mixtures. And it became quite obvious to me that some of my trees had been set back a years growth because the soil wasn't right . . . there was very little new root growth. And when I transplanted it into a good mix the new root growth was triple the amount of old root! The importance of good drainage cannot be emphasised enough as the roots require some air too! I have been covering the base of the pot with small gravel and then the putting the proper mix for the particular tree and to top it off a finely sifted loam to promote moss growth. A proper soil mix will allow for drainage while holding enough mosture for the plant without causing root rot, etc. (Editor's note: The fine soil on the top should be a VERY thin layer and is only really there to allow moss a good footing.) \\ || // \\|||/ \|||| /-----------------------||||-----------------------------\ Fine |::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::| |--------------------------------------------------------| Mix |;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;| |;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;| |--------------------------------------------------------| Gravel |o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/| |o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/| | ---------------------------------------------- | | | | | |_____| |_____| Experimentation and observation is the best way to find the right soil mix for your tree(s). If you are in doubt use the above mentioned 'General mix'. Pines and junipers can be as much as 70-80 % sand! End of section 6 -- Soil End of Part 3 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ Continued in part 4 Version: 1.5 X-Last-Updated: 1993/05/24 Archive-name: bonsai-faq/part5 This is part 5 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ. This posting contains: Section 9 -- Suppliers and Nurseries Section 10 -- Junipers (Their own section!) Section 11 -- Indoor Bonsai Section C -- Contributors... Section 9 -- Suppliers and Nurseries ==================================== +++++++++++++++++++++ The Bonsai Farm 13827 Hwy. 87 So. Adkins, Texas 78101 USA Tel: (512) 649-2109 Owners: Edith & Leonard Sorge (Note: Good variety plants for indoor and outdoor bonsai tools, and pots) +++++++++++++++++++++ Greenwood Gardens Ollerton Road Arnold Nottingham ENGLAND. NG5 8PR Tel: 0602 205757 +++++++++++++++++++++ Bonsai Nursery 966 S. Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road San Jose, CA. 408-252-1458 Very nice selection of finished bonsai ranging from $40.00 on up, clay pots, tools, and starter plants. The starter plants are in 3" and 4" containers and priced between $3.00-$5.00. This is a very good way to begin a new bonsai. They also carry a good selection of plants in 1 gallon containers that can be "bonsai-ed". Friendly and knowledgeable service. +++++++++++++++++++++ Ken's Bonsai Gardens 471 Page Mill Rd. Palo Alto, Ca 415-325-4840 "Ken" is a master. I was very humbled by visiting his gardens which are located in his small front yard. Very high-quality "finished" bonsai. Prices ranged from $20.00 up into the thousands. No supplies to speak of...just a few pots sitting on the front porch. +++++++++++++++++++++ Ruukkupuu PL 32 36601 PALKANE FINLAND tel. (936) 2842 Finnish bonsai-equipment supplier (has been for about 20 years now). It has quite large selection of pots and other equipment, may have indoor bonsai's soon... +++++++++++++++++++++ Carter Seeds 475 Mar Vista Drive Vista, CA 92083 Predominantly a wholesaler, but they do carry 1 oz packets of Pinus thubergii (Black Pine) seeds. Write for a catalog. +++++++++++++++++++++ Yonemoto's Nursery and Landscaping 208 El Pueblo Rd. NW (on 2nd just South of Paseo del Norte) Albuquerque, NM (505) 898-0120 +++++++++++++++++++++ Midwest Bonsai Pottery 8311 Racine Trail Austin, TX 78717 Mike and Candy Hansen, the proprietors, have a stoneware pottery and bonsai-ery. They sell trees, pots, tools, soil mixes, and other equipment. +++++++++++++++++++++ Shibui Bonsai ??? Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 736-8256 (408) 248-5743 Hours: 1st Saturday of the month, 9-12am, 2nd Wednesday, 6-8pm and by appointment Shibui carries a large assortment of bonsai supplies, and specializes in Tokaname pots. If you're looking for a special pot, this is a good place to check. They also carry wire, fertilizers, pruning hardware, etc. In addition, they have a color catalog from which they can order pots from Japan if you don't find what you're looking for in stock. +++++++++++++++++++++ Bonsai Nursery 3750 S. Federal Blvd. Denver, CO 80110 303/761-3066 2-3 acres of plants. One 20x75 foot roundtop full of bonsai. Also nice outdoor display. $3.99 juniper starters. Assortment of other bonsai (maple, etc.). Cons: no moss or nifty ground cover for sale. The people are friendly enough, and they won't try to pull a fast one on a first-timer (the lady said I didn't need to spend $25 on a new set of shears--use a pair of cuticle scissors to see if I like bonsai, then come back and buy the shears). The clerks didn't know the answers to some of my questions, saying I should speak to "Mr. Ron" the bonsai guy. ========================================================= Note: The following may or may not still exist. I have not contacted them, and the listing I got them from is at least 8 years old! If you live close enough to verify any of these sources, or find any of them to have moved or gone out of business, please let me know so we can update the FAQ! Hillier Nurseries (Winchester) LTD,* 20/26 Lamb's Conduit Street London England WCIN 3LE (Note: Very complete and worthwhile catalogue) Armstrong Nurseries Box 473 Ontario CA 91764 USA (Note: Young starter plants, dwarf citrus) Crane Products 8432 Birch Bark Dr. Pico Rovera CA 94111 USA (Note: Handcrafted bonsai tools, starter plants) Hortica Gardens Don and Pauline Croxton Box 308 Placerville CA 95667 USA (Note: Bonsai stock..extensive selection) Phone (916) 622-7089 House of Bonsai 800 Trail Blvd., No., Naples FL 33940 USA (Note: Mature bonsai, young starter stock, pots and accessories) Plant City's Bonsai Tree 609 Shallowford Road Gainesville, GA 30504 Phone: 404-535-2991 Raw material, and trained specimens, pots, soil, tools, fertilizers and many other items. Classes available. ============================================================ Section 10 -- JUNIPERS The Juniper is one of the most recognised bonsai specimens and is frequently the first bonsai purchase many newcomers make. Junipers do make very fine bonsai, and although they are not 'difficult' bonsai to manage, they are frequently 'mistreated' and therefore do not last long. We have gotten LOTS of questions about brown junipers', and what 'first aid' you might give them. Well, we hate to break the news to you, but, if you have a brown juniper, it is probably dead. Don't get too depressed, even the best have lost a tree..or 5..or 10. The most common mistakes made with junipers are over watering, AND lack of sufficient sunlight. Junipers are outdoor trees, so if you have no way to grow them outside, find some nice person that knows about bonsai, and can give it a good home. If you want to try a juniper anyway, make sure it gets plenty of sun, don't over water it, and make sure it gets plenty of air. Section 11 -- Indoor bonsai A special thank you to Hud Norden for the following list of indoor bonsai. In Dorothy Young's "Bonsai the Art and Technique", for warm indoor temperatures (65-75 daytime), she suggests: Auraucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Island pine) Bougainvillea glabra Brassaia actinophylla (Schefflera) Calliandra emaginate (powder-puff) Carissa grandiflora (Natal plum) Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Citrus Limon (lemon) Crassula argenta (jade tree) Cuphea hyssopifolia (elfin herb) Cycas revoluta (cycad) Ehretia microphylla (fukien tea) Ficus Aurea (strangler fig), F. benjamina, deltoidea, microcarpa, neriifolia, pumila, runignosa [big win in the fig family!] Grevillea robusta (silk oak) Hedera helix (ivy) Lagerstroemia indica (crape myrtle) Malpighia coccigera & glabra (miniature holly & Barbados cherry) Myrtus communis (Greek myrtle) Olea europaea (olive) Pithecellobeum flexicaule (Texas ebony) Punica granatum (pomegranate) Pyracantha coccinea, fortunaea, koidzumii (everlasting thorn, Chinese fire thorn, Formosa fire thorn) Sageretia thea (sageretia) Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper) Serissa foetida (serissa) Severinia buxifolia (Chinese box orange) Syzygium paniculatum (brush cherry) 60 F - 65 F Daytime Temperatures Araucaria heterophylla (Norfolk Island pine) Brassaia actinophylla (Schefflera) Calliandra emarginata (dwarf powder puff) Ceratonia siliqua (carob tree) Chamaecyparis pisifera, thyoides (Sawara cypress, dwarf white cedar) Cotoneaster microphyllus (Chinese cotoneaster) Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) Cupressus arizonica, macrocarpa, sempervirens (Arizona, Monterey, Italian cypress) Cycas revoluta (cycad) Ficus benjamina, carica, deltoidea, microcarpa, nerrifolia, pumila, rubignosa (figs) Gardenia jasminoides (common gardenia) Hedera helix (English ivy) Ilex crenata, vomitoria (Japanese, Yaupon holly) Juniperus chinensis var. procumbens, squamata (procumbent, prostrate juniper) Ligustrum japonica (Japanese privet) Murraya paniculata (Orange jasmine) Myrtus communis (Greek myrtle) Nandina domestica (heavenly bamboo) Olea europea (European olive) Pithecellobium flexicaule (Texas ebony) Pittosporum tobira (Mock orange) Podocarpus macrophyllus (Buddhist pine) Polyscias balfouriana, fruticosa (Balfour, ming aralia) Punica granatum (pomegranate) Pyracantha coccinea, fortuneana, koidzumii (everlasting thorn, Chinese fire thorn, Formosa fire thorn) Rhododendron indicum, kiusianum (satsuki, kyushu azalea) Sageretia thea (sageretia) Serissa foetida (serissa) Severinia buxifolia (Chinese box orange) Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm, especially the Catlin) Cool (40 F - 60 F) Daytime Temperatures (Bring indoors in winter, and take them outdoors in the spring.) Buxus microphylla and sempervirens (boxwood) Chaenomeles japonica (Japanese flowering quince) Chamaecyparis obtusa, pisifera, thyoides (Hinoki, Sawara cypress, dwarf white cedar) Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) Ilex crenata (Japanese holly) Juniperus chinensis var. procumbens, squamata (procumbent, prostrate juniper) Nandina domestica (heavenly bamboo) Pyracantha angustifolia, coccinea (fire thorn, everlasting thorn) Rhododendron indicum, kiusianum (satsuki, Kyushu azalea) Thuja occidentalis (American arborvitae) Ulmus parvifola (Chinese elm) Section C -- Contributors This section is a listing of the contributirs to this list. I want to include this info so we all know who to thank..and who we can talk to. Here goes... Name netmail, Snail Mail etc Contribution ---- ----------------------- ------------- Andy Hart andy@cmptrc.lonestar.org creator of CompuTrac, Inc. alt.bonsai 222 Municipal Drive dictionary Richardson, TX 75080 USA contributions Mike Bartolone bartlone@gemed.ge.com 1st FAQ compiler cs688@freenet-in-a.cwru.edu 3459 S. 110th St West Allis WI 53227 USA Hud Nordin rkn@Apple.COM ABS-BCI Book service list ... Bruce Barnett barnett@crd.ge.com Bonsai Today address.. Reji Martin varmart@atlas.cs.upei.ca More books, Prince Edward Island, and suppliers Canada Linda Brigman Linda.Brigman@bbs.oit.unc.edu More books lgb@rcc.rti.org (internet) lgb@rti (bitnet) Kreg Webb kwebb@sedona.intel.com Book and Mag Intel, Corp. C3-36 addresses 5000 W. Chandler Blvd Chandler, AZ 85226 Klaus Zeppenfeld klaus@informatik.Uni-Osnabrueck.DE Club listing Breslauerstr. 23 D-4760 Werl Germany Jonas Flygare flax@mizar.docs.uu.se FAQ Questions Va\"ktargatan 32 F:621 S-754 22 Uppsala Sweden Marlon Cole cczcole@unicorn.nott.ac.uk or Supplier cczcole@uk.ac.nott.unicorn address Cripps Computing Centre University of Nottingham Nottingham ENGLAND NG7 2RD Urban Fredriksson urf@icl.se FAQ opinions (n.g.u.fredriksson.swe2001@oasis.icl.co.uk) club listing Janet Jakstys UUCP:{ames,pyramid!amdahl,hplabs}!ntmtv!janet Northern Telecom INTERNET:ntmtv!janet@ames.arc.nasa.gov Mtn. View, CA. supplier listing John & Jame Amoroso ja@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu additional history Gainesville, FL ja@ifasgnv Joel W. Collins, III jwcoll01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu FAQ (University of Louisville) question 1443 S. 2nd St., Apt. 2 Louisville, KY 40208 USA Bill Lindsay BILLL@HARVARDA.HARVARD.EDU Brooklyn Bot. Garden address Diane Jean Nakashian dianen@world.std.com More addresses Acton, MA, USA William A. Young (Butch) wayoung@n4wmt.b24c.ingr.com Huntsville, AL Suppliers addresses Ron 'Coyote' Lussier coyote@sti.com Supplier Address Software Transformation 1601 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd, #100 Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 973-8081 x315 Greg Bishop (bishop@baeyer.chem.fsu.edu) More book information Tallahassee, FL Gail Valentine gailj@ihlpl.att.comm Club and supplier listing AT&T, Naperville, IL End of Section C -- Contributors End of part 5 of 5 of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ End of the rec.arts.bonsai/alt.bonsai FAQ