I am frequently drawn to explore the bonsai trees at my local greenhouse but have thus far resisted doing more than just browsing. I've been reading what information I can find online but it's hard to know how much is trustworthy. Does anyone have recommendations for good websites, books, etc? I'd like to learn the basics of what's expected related to care and maintenance to know if I should take the next step and actually buy one. My thought is to learn how basic care differs for a bonsaI vs a regular plant and select a tree variety appropriate for beginners. (It seems ficus might be in the beginner friendly category but I find there's various ficus varieties as well.)
After I gain some experience caring for the bonsai and that goes well I'd eventually look for a local class or workshop to learn more about pruning, etc. Thank you 😊

I do not know where you are exactly in Michigan but I am pretty sure that there is a bonsai class offered at the Matthaei Botanical Garden. It is a U of M facility.
They have a very nice collection there as well.
I seem to recall there is a bonsai show there as well but I can be mistaken.

An extensive set of starter videos exists on youtube under the description "herons bonsai". You really have to see them.

Bonsai will give you a knowledge of plants which is scalable to any other horticultural art. You can grow any plant in any plant culture system with this knowledge. It will give you different perspectives and understandings and sensitivities to plant needs, resulting collectively in a feeling for the organism, not attainable through any other horticultural discipline. A communication exists between you and the plants that once learned is not unlearned. It should be the starting point really for all horticultural study.

I took classes (a million years ago). The recommended book was The Japanese art of miniature trees and landscapes by Yuji Yoshimura. Its still a great book.

I am a big fan of used bookstores and found a bonsai book that I personally like. Title is Simon & Schusters Guide to Bonsai. A great mix of history, art concept, techniques and suitable plants . Written by Gianfranco Giorgi, photographed by Enzo Arnone. Copy right date is 1990, so it is probably out of date, but you might find it on Amazon, a good source for out of print books.

Thank you for all these helpful suggestions. I'm excited to learn more.

Is your interest primarily how to care for a well-established bonsai or do you want to learn how to start a bonsai from scratch?

Hi Will-

My thought was to now learn how to select and care for an established bonsai and then continue understanding more of the complexities through caring for it by learning how to properly prune the tree and expand from there if I'm successful.

I asked because it is easy to get bogged down in the particulars involved in creating bonsai. Much of that detailed information is unnecessary for caring for a well-established bonsai.

First, make sure the bonsai you choose is a tropical species plant that can survive indoors without cold winter temps. Ficus is a good choice, but Juniper is not.

Leave the roots, soil, and pot of an established bonsai undisturbed. Make sure you have an appropriate location that meets its light requirements. Most bonsai species, but not all, do best close to a sunny window.

The bonsai should be planted in a planter that has drain holes with a saucer underneath. In general, most bonsais intended for indoor use do fine with a thorough watering once per week. But there are exceptions to that.

Fertilize at half strength every other month.

A well-established bonsai has been carefully pruned to a shape that makes it look like a miniaturized tree. So the key to proper bonsai maintenance is regular pruning that maintains that size and shape. If you simply let it grow out, as you might with a non-bonsai, it will soon lose its shape and purpose.

Pruning is more art than science because it is about maintaining an aesthetic look. For starters, you might simply pinch out or cut back new stem/leaf growth as it emerges. Pricing does not harm the plant in any way. It is simply a way to manage growth and appearance to your satisfaction.

You will be told that the roots also need to be pruned. I have found that not to be the case at all when maintaining an established bonsai.

Below is a Ficus bonsai that I have cared for over ten years. It has never been root pruned or repotted. It is not much bigger than it was 10 years ago.

That's really helpful, Will. I thought that root trimming was something I would need to be prepared to contend with which was a concern. Your bonsai is beautiful. Are there differences in water and light requirements based on the particular the variety of ficus ? At the greenhouse I believe I saw some trees labeled ginseng ficus, green island ficus, and simply "ficus". Do you feel ficus is a good beginner bonsai?

Hello Abby, it really depends what type of plant you are going to start to grow as a bonsai. I have seen many videos when they really do need to prune the roots. Ficus bonsai to me is rather different since, it can easily make a fat caudex, so at most what I do with mine is raise the plant from the soil line, and just keep the roots intact.

At times for my own learning purposes I visit plant shows, they have good demos there when they have a bonsai corner. Try to check around in your area by Spring, if you have a local bonsai society. first hand viewing of what they keep in bonsai gardens they maintain is quite a wealth of knowledge too, since it will make you think twice if you can provide/mimic similar growing requirements in your own home.

Thanks Tarev 👍🏻

Size is everything. I gave up years ago on trying to grow those adorable bonsais in the adorable 4 x 4 inch pots. Find a plant in a pot at least 12 inches on a side - it makes all the difference in the world for ease of care.

Eventually, you will have to prune a few roots just to keep it in the same pot but that doesn't happen often. The biggest problem with buying a ready made bonsai is the "instant bonsai" problem. Someone grew a plant, whacked off the top and the roots and shoved it into a tiny pot. Its a losing battle. I grow most of mine from seed or very young plants but, I have found plants I turned into bonsai by shopping in forgotten corners of nurseries. Plants that weren't potted up and pretty much ignored so only half the dirt is still in the pot.

Bonsai is a pruning technique. The art of taking a plant and pruning it to look like a small version of the adult plant. It doesn't have to have a caudex and it doesn't have to be a tree. Plants with short internodes work the best.

I have found that blue rug juniper is a good plant for someone who is a beginner bonsai person, but junipers are outdoor plants , and as bonsais, can't spend large amounts of time as a house plant. I did a juniper in a cascade style, mostly left it outside, and had it for two years. I got tired of it and having to pinch it so I gave it to a friend who was a gardener. It died. Should have kept it. I used a juniper I bought from Lowe's, found a tall, narrow pot, and put it in that. The juniper was already goofy looking, it leaned over to one side and the foliage grew that way, so it worked well for that style. I did not root prune. Maybe technically it was not a bonsai; but rather a bonsai style, but it still looked pretty sharp. Look for plants that are kind of quirky looking and envision what kind of shape it is, or what shape it could be. Helpful to take a good book with pics along with you when you go shopping.

When used indoors, virtually all Ficus species should be very close to a sunny window and all prefer soil that does not get very dry. As long as you have a sunny location and are diligent about watering, I do think Ficus' are a good beginner's choice for bonsai.

Bonsai is a conversation with another species.

Check out Kaizen Bonsai, his howto on youtube. He has a very good handle on the art. Shows how tolerant plants can be. What he does in procuring candidates for transformation, others here have mentioned above. He should give you more confidence on the subject. Don't allow uncertainty stop you, especially with over thinking.

Bonsai is not a spectator sport. Get the tools and get familiar with them. Use them and see how they feel, how they cut. How the practice plants recover.
Learn what cuts the tools are meant for and how to care for them.
You can practice on shrubs. This will help you get a feel for it when the plant talks back to you on the new growth. Your fingers are tools. Try it on conifers or any new growth in the Spring. See what happens. If you pinch first you won't have to cut as much. Try it on your tomatoes in the garden. Think of pinching as giving directions to the plant. Growth hormones are in the tips.

Memorize the classic shapes. Draw them as stick figures. So you will see them when you shop for prospects. Look at the bases, the emergent roots. Does it look tree like? A good start.

What happens above is going to be up to you. Having a base with character is like finding a fossil or an arrow head or a cool stone. Tip those containers and feel those bases, if can't you can't see them.

Decide on the classic shape from what you find and that's where you are going.

Chemical fertilizers are not a good option. Your growing a root biome community in a small area. It is complex and root trimming is important and refreshing media is too, for this reason. Chemical fertilizers lead to sour ground and other problems. Look this art is older than current tech options. Use the classic fertilizer regimes. It is not hard and make it your benchmark. It is a significant part of the biology of this enduring art.