First Pot!

My soil arrived and I have managed to get my first bonsai planted, a juniper virginiana. It is still a seedling and there are probably better ways to do this. It seems to have been raining ever since I got it into the pot and I am kicking myself for not taking pictures of the potting process.  I did get some of the final results.

The picture to the right is of the soil used, it is very large grained, like a fine gravel with a mix of pine bark, river gravel and turface.  The one below is of the final product, or rather the first stage of the final product, it still has a long way to go till it is a real bonsai.

The hardest part for me this potting was getting the wire staples to hold the mesh that goes over the pots drainage holes in place. It took a few practice attempts but eventually I got things looking decent and somewhat securely in place. Also when I got the plant out of its soil, just normal potting soil my dad uses, it had more roots but not what I was expecting. That's why the wire is wrapped around the base like that in the pictures. The wire both holds the tree in place and helps push that part of the trunk up, which was originally part of the tap root. I am going to leave the rest of the tree un-wired for now as I think the trunk might be taking on a nice shape and will see how it grows out. However I will have to check it often to make sure the wires on it are not biting into it. Under the soil they do not twist at all around the plant so I can inspect every part that is in any danger of wire damage. Hopefully when the time comes around to cut the top wire the roots will have grown enough to keep the plant securely wired in, as of right now without the wire wrap it isn't secure at all. If the root mass doesn't grow enough I'll have to get more wire and re-secure it.

Starting Out Bonsai

I am just starting out in the art of bonsai, and have decided that I want to grow species that are native to my back yard, species native to North Carolina. I got a book, some tools, some pots, and lots of small trees near bye that I could take to use as bonsai. I really have no idea what I am doing and am writing this blog in an attempt to chronicle my explorations into growing bonsais.

I got interested in trying bonsai a few months ago, after buying a tiny little desk bonsai kit that came with a peat pellet some seeds and a tiny booklet. I followed instructions sowed the seeds and waited...nothing happened, the seeds didn't germinate. So I decided I'd start out with older stock, after all there was plenty by the roadside and in my back yard, especially under the power lines where they'll get mowed down anyways. I collected a few small seedlings and put them in pots to grow, determined to eventually do something with them. I didn't know what I was doing then and still don't now, but I am learning.

A couple months later I attended an anime con, Animazement, in Raleigh and sat in on a bonsai demonstration panel. I had a lot of fun, took a lot of notes and became more convinced that bonsai was something I wanted and could do for myself. The week after that, I set about gathering tools and ingredients I needed. Since then, I have also been reading about bonsai both online and in a book I picked up “The Bonsai Handbook” by David Prescott-the only book at the bookstore I first got around to visiting on bonsai.

The soil was the hardest part to come by. Still as I write this, I am waiting for it to come in the mail, because I eventually decided to order soil from a grower out in Charlotte, “The Bonsai Learning Center”(http://bonsailearningcenter.com/ ). For a week my great debate was weather to try and find a local place, which I am still not sure exists, that carries bonsai soil, mix it myself, or order it online. I went with ordering it from a semi-local bonsai nursery simply because it would be about the type of soil I'd be mixing up and I would like to get it right for at least the first time with my plants. Given that it was 18 bucks plus shipping, and that was a third of the cost compared to some other sites I visited, I think I'll look into mixing my own soil next time. Still the site's service was good and very quick to send out my order.

Now as I await the arrival of my soil, I am contemplating what exactly I am going to do once it gets here.