alt.hn

4/21/2026 at 4:31:30 AM

The Beauty of Bonsai Styles

 https://longwoodgardens.org/blog/2023-05-17/beauty-bonsai-styles

by lagniappe

4/21/2026 at 8:22:31 AM

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.

by jamiecurle

4/21/2026 at 8:52:59 AM

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" ;)

by mytailorisrich

4/21/2026 at 9:59:17 AM

Yes, the best time to plant a tree....

by jamiecurle

4/21/2026 at 6:13:23 AM

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.

by Malcolmlisk

4/21/2026 at 6:41:45 AM

Do you know the species?

by leoff

4/21/2026 at 7:13:19 AM

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.

by Malcolmlisk

4/21/2026 at 7:30:35 AM

Most of these are outdoor trees, regardless of size. Something more tropical might fare better inside.

by FrankRay78

4/21/2026 at 8:07:04 AM

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).

by pvaldes

4/21/2026 at 7:47:12 AM

Would artificial light work?

by Siecje

4/21/2026 at 8:11:24 AM

With this species, yes, for sure.

by pvaldes

4/21/2026 at 7:58:53 AM

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.

by samplatt

4/21/2026 at 10:08:18 AM

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.

by cyberjar

4/21/2026 at 11:12:49 AM

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.

by Aboutplants

4/21/2026 at 12:34:00 PM

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.

by Schlagbohrer

4/21/2026 at 11:19:56 AM

[dead]

by cindyllm

4/21/2026 at 6:47:41 AM

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.

by badc0ffee

4/21/2026 at 7:26:16 AM

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…

by divbzero

4/21/2026 at 7:29:28 AM

Not that different to our two year old tortoise, who still has another 100+ years to go.

by FrankRay78

4/21/2026 at 8:00:27 AM

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.

by doubledamio

4/21/2026 at 9:00:15 AM

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.

by jbethune

4/21/2026 at 12:35:20 PM

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.

by Schlagbohrer