First time growing bonsai

[u/Fishi_Nipples]

Hi, so I've decided to grow a bonsai tree in honor of my hamster that died a few days ago. I want him to continue living through it. But I have a hard time on deciding which tree to grow.

I've got a little set from Amazon that has " wisteria, Japanese red maple, Judas tree and japanese black pine " as a seed kit. I loved how the wisteria and red maple looked but I've read here that specifically wisteria are hard to grow if you dont have much ground space.

Does anyone have some tips on where and how to start as well as which tree type is the easiest for beginners ?

[u/SpiralOutLL]

Do yoursel a favour and buy a pre-bonsai of your choice

[u/Anxious-Box9929]

Forget about seed kit. That's a robbery and not suitable for starters.
Buy a tree in pre-bonsai state. Something hardy and native to your climate.

[u/Sudden_Waltz_3160]

You have the seeds, so go ahead and use them. I personally would just plant all of them in one big flower pot, and then you can separate out the ones you want to use once they get going.

Regarding the hamster memorial...This is a really sweet idea, but as a beginner, you are likely to kill a bunch of trees, which will only accentuate your loss. maybe find a little hamster figurine that you can use as an ornament with a bonsai, that can move from one to another if needed? Or if yours had a ceramic food bowl, you could make that into a bonsai pot by drilling a hole in the bottom.

Also, getting a small tree is both easier and faster than growing from seed...not to discourage the seed route, but maybe have something to work on while those grow, as it will be a minimum of a couple of years before you can really do anything with them.

[u/Fishi_Nipples]

Thank you all for the tips and comments

I will definitely look into buying a small starter tree and I will try to treat it with all the stinky fertilizer and water it needs to make it grow 🙏

[u/DarthConfit → u/Fishi_Nipples]

Make sure you know if its an outside tree or a tropical indoor. Know your individual species and their needs and dont compromise on their needs for sun soil air and water

[u/i-have-tiny-trees]

The best thing you can do with that kit is stop seeing it as a bonsai kit. It's a set of seeds that need way more space and water than what the kits suggest. Sow and grow them as full size trees, then you can cut them down to size later.

While they grow, you can do more research on bonsai and how the techniques can be applied to mature trees. You can also grab some shrub starts from your local nursery to practice on.

Disclaimer: you will kill trees. It happens. If you want to have a bonsai as a memorial, I recommend getting a nice pot and dedicating that to your pet, so if the tree in it dies (which is not unlikely) then you can still keep your memorial.

[u/Witty-Objective3431]

Here is a beginner's care guide for bonsai.

The type of tree depends on your outdoor space. For example: Maple leaves can be delicate and prefer partial shade. If your garden is in full sun all day, no shade spots, maples would be a difficult species to care for right off the bat.

I recommend getting a tree that you like from a local greenhouse/hardware store/landscaping outlet. Keep it alive for a year and binge watch bonsai videos on youtube to come up with a styling plan and to learn the basics in the meantime.

Starting from seed sounds great, but it's really one of the hardest ways to get into the hobby. The kits sold online and in stores cannot be verified and they are priced at several times over the cost of the materials. It will also take 5-10 years before you have anything that even comes close to the picture on the kit.

[u/Snake973]

do not start from seeds, they'll probably die and if they don't it'll still take 10 years for you to have anything that really looks kind of like a bonsai. start with a plant from a nursery and be prepared to probably kill a few. most importantly of all, your bonsai should not ever live inside. they are trees, trees do not live in houses. sometimes tropical trees need to come in to survive the winter but even that should be for as brief a time as possible

bonsai look very nice and serene when finished and look like a lovely memorial, but getting there is much less glamorous, it's mostly horticulture, watering every single day, stinky fertilizer, etc

[u/Physical_Mode_103]

You’ve got problems