#BonsaiNews: Some good old solid basic bonsai care tips for beginne...

FOR some odd reason, those who wish to start trying their hand at bonsai almost always make the mistake of assuming that it is as easy as pie - well, sorry to burst your bubble but is really isn't.

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On average, most proper bonsai enthusiasts, can spend up to three hours maintaining their collection and when you've actually been doing bonsai like my neighbor has for the past 40 years, you can spend the whole damn day looking after your bonsai - he has well over a thousand bonsai trees in his care and since their all pretty much of high value, he doesn't allow many people into his property.

Long story short, he could pretty much spend the whole day in his yard and not get to all of his trees.

Best part, I'm just trying to be nice to him since he has no other family other than his wife and I am hoping I get to claim all of them once he kicks the bucket........ Just kidding. No really, I was totally just kidding...

So, you'd like to get your hands dirty and start experimenting with bonsai and perhaps you're thinking that you've really gotten yourself into some hot water now by not first reading up on bonsai - don't worry, I've got you covered with some of the basics which will greatly aid you in your bonsai future.

For me personally, I became interested in bonsai purely due to the severe amount of stress I encounter on a daily basis as a result of my job as a journalist - it can be daunting at times but I would not trade it for anything in the world - bonsai is my personal hobby which helps me get rid of stress.

Watering - not as easy as one, two, three:

First of all, watering your bonsai is super important but what is more important is knowing when to actually water it. Each and every bonsai is completely different from the next so, it is always best to familiarize yourself with what your specific tree's needs are.

If you have some time on your hands, you could do what I do every Friday. Since I leave most of my bonsai to dry out (not entirely of course, but just up until where if I push my finger into the dirt, I can't feel moisture.)

Every Friday afternoon, I fully submerge the pots in which my bonsai are planted and allow them to soak up water and I wait until I don't see anymore bubbles rising to the top - that is a sign that the pot has fully absorbed water.

Where to place your bonsai:

Next up, it is very important to know where to place your bonsai. Some prefer full sun, others partial sun some others don't really like sun at all and prefer to be indoor bonsai - again, familiarize yourself with the basic needs of your plant, especially if you have bought a plant which is not indigenous to your area. Each plant has different needs.

Pruning your tree:

First of all, don't you dare prune your tree using scissors, in fact, how dare you even consider doing that! Get yourself some bonsai clippers and keep one thing in mind, you do not want to cut off as much as possible. Bonsai is about maintaining the desired shape of the tree and allowing it to grow into that shape.

Pruning does also include the removal of dead branches.

Soil, soil, soil:

Bringing me to a close on the basics of bonsai for beginners has got to be one of the most important topics of all - what soil you use.

Simply put, not all soil types are the same and it would be best to research what nutrients your tree will thrive off most. Soils which are typically used for bonsai are soils or mixtures which allow for quick drainage so as to not allow the roots to rot, which can happen if the soil retains too much water for too long.

For an easy way out, visit your nursery and ask them if they stock a pre-prepared bonsai mixture - these generally are always good for most plants.

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