Has anyone ever bought one of these before? I bought a kit tonight from the grocery store ........ It says it needs indirect sunlight, so does this mean it will be ok @ work?
I've had several Bonsai trees. They can be lots of fun. Keep them out of any direct light. For instance, don't set them on a table that has a lamp on it that you frequently use. You will have to trim the new growth on it occasionaly too. After doing this the ends may turn brown for a few days but it will be fine. You can also use twisties to make the branches grow in the directions you want. I havent thought about bonsai trees in a few years. I'm gonna go get me one or two tomorrow.
It depends upon what kind of tree seed you are using. We've only grown pine-trees as bonsais from seed. We kept the seeds cool by keeping them in the fridge for about a week after planting them, and it took about that long for them to germinate. It was a another week or two before needles started to pop out of the little shoot. It was so cute!
If you're starting from seed, it will be several years before you need to worry about trimming new growth, although depending upon the type of tree you have, you may want to "train" it as it grows.
Make sure you use "bonsai" amounts of fertilizer in the Spring and summer (growing season), and let it think it's dormant in Winter (just make sure it has enough water - many of them need to be watered every day) if you have a "seasonal" tree. If you have a tree that would be in warm wet climate, you should definitely get a mister.
Whether you keep it a work or at home, just make sure it's out of a lot of traffic. They can be finnicky about "wind." ...although the irony here is that the whole idea of a bonsai is to mimic a tree that in nature has had to battle a harsh environment - thus the "stunted" or twisted growth!
Originally posted by Nenners I had a bonsai tree at work. We named it Mr. Miagi. I'm usually really good with plants, but poor Mr. Miagi did't last very long.