Make A Bonsai

Creating your first bonsai is not as hard as you may think. In this section we will take you through four stages.

Selecting suitable stock to work with.

Selecting a suitable style for your tree and creating it.

Potting soils and wiring your tree.

Care and maintenance of your new bonsai.

If you follow these steps in progressive order you should end up with a passable tree that will only improve with age. Don’t be upset if it is not up to show standard on your first attempt, you will learn all the basic techniques in this exercise and the more you look at trees the more expert you will become.

I still have the first tree I made although it has been through several incarnations and restyles and if I was doing it from start it would probably be quite different, but it still holds sentimental value.

So start at stage one and return to this page until you have completed stage four.

Then send me a photo I would love to put it on this site to inspire others to take up this absorbing hobby.

I have picked up a Juniper procumbens from our local plant store to give you a photo demonstration of each step as well as having the written instructions

This is a quick slide show of what we will cover.

Please follow the links below for more detailed instructions.

1. Selecting Stock

Stage One Start Here - Selecting Stock

2. Styling Your Tree

Stage Two Styling your tree

3. Potting & Wiring

Stage Three Potting & Wiring

4. Care & Maintenance

Stage four Care and Maintenance

Tell us about your new Bonsai

Please don't use this page to ask questions go to the contact us page. This is for you to display your new bonsai and keep an online picture of its creation. please give us a discription and the type of tree used if you know. If you have any problem click on the question marks for help.
Thanks Mark

Show Us Your Tree

Finished your tree why not show us? Put a picture and tell us about your new Bonsai.

Enter Your Title

Tell us about your new tree[ ? ]

Upload A Picture [ ? ]

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional)

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Sets of Potted Tree Collection
Old materials collected in the wild, indeed looks more mature aged tree.

Ficus Benjamin
I have this bonsai 3 years, then 1 month ago i decided to make bonsai :))

New Zealand Coprosma Bonsai
Inspiration for this tree has come from rural N.Z. I remember seeing trees similar to this standing alone on farms in the "King County" region and has …

Boxwood green velvet bonsai from NY, USA
This is one of my first soon to be bonsai started in spring 2011. I got the boxwood from local home depot. It's only been pruned/shaped, and is still in …

ORIGINAL BONSAI
MY BONSAI

Juniperus Procumbens 'Nana'
This is my first ever Bonsai, i have wanted to do it since i was a teenager, i love them so much, and i came across your website and decided its now or …

Ficus panda 4 years old
well, i just saw this site today and just wanted to share this photo i made on 3.10.09 of last year...i am into bonsai for 8 yrs now, though still in my …

PAKUR TREE
IT IS MY SECOND BONSAI, I TRIED HARD , BUT MOST TIME I FAILED , I WORKED HARD , HOPE IT WILL BE BIGGER IN FUTURE

alnus
this tree growth in north of iran, mazandaran. just have 5 years old.

my perfect bonsai
i made it using a ficus

sancang
i get the tree from Batam, Indonesia. when i bought it the layer still not there, but the main brach already develope. so i only need to do the 2nd, 3rd …

FICUS ROOT OVER ROCK
THIS IS MY FICUS ROOT OVER ROCK THAT I MADE BY CUTTUNG IN 2003..

Just planted Juniper Procumbens
I helped my youngest son make this Juniper Bonsai about 1 month ago. Quite a lot of fun. One of our favorites.

parrotia persica
this tree just growth in north of iran. that is an espicial tree with very pretty autumn. this picture that you see, just 15 cm. if you have any question …

NIKOLAI
MY TREE IS A NICE 17 YEARS OLD TREE. IT IS A CARPINUS, BUT IT IS TOO BIG AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE IT GROWED IN THE GARDEN ALL THE TIME. AFTER THAT I FOUND …

Juniper Bonsai Winter Care
I got my Juniper Bonsai tree about 2 weeks ago. It came in a small pot at first you can see from the picture. I've been keeping it outside to help it go …

my first chinese bot
it is about 3 years,6months ago I repott it on bonsai plate.so have a look on my bonsai and give me some suggetion.thanking you. Poonam hossain.

defeat to victory
I have this tree which has thick shiny leaves, and which was first introduced to me by the plant/tree supplier in the Philippines as "Cassandra", easily …

My first bonsai after his first hair cut!
This is a small bonsai I picked up at the local store. I have zero experience with bonsai and I am eager to learn.

Shavdog
A Japanese Maple, 3 y o. Informal upright style.

ficus - roots over the rock slanting
this tree is from my collection in 2000 from cutting.The rock that i collect from quarry was very unic because there was 2 parts red and white.

Ficus - Slanted/Winswept
A two year old Ficus, slanted style root over the rock.

bogainvillea
it is a mame bonsai of height 14cm.the flowers are golden yellow.

New to Bonsai guy.
I am a total beginner at bonsai. I did a SMALL amount of research and decided to try my hand at it. I decided to go with a Japanese dwarf garden juniper …

Click here to write your own.

bonsai - parrotia persica 1
this species name is "Parrotia persica". it just growth in north of iran, mazandaran (south of caspian see). it is a very pretty autumn and have very …

Juniperus Bonsai plant Not rated yet
Hi there! This is my my very first attempt to create a bonsai plant and i don't know if the cuttings i made were correct. Please comment so i can …

My Trees, Young Bonsai - Milano Not rated yet
These are my latest collection and need some more years to wait.

First one..... :) Not rated yet
i am planning to plant a orange bonsai.... i have planted a seed and am watering it daily to get the sapling. I then plan to work with this sapling to …

My First Bonsai Not rated yet
I do start my first bonsai by a single twig and a bush type of molave tree given by my friend who was in the industry for a quite long time. Not contented, …

Rare in Europe and almost any bonsai Not rated yet
I just started to Bonsai a "Picea Pung Glauca Globosa". I seems to have some time as I got it with a thick trunk and four good solid branches. I have been …

collected wild plum first styling Not rated yet
I collected this tree last spring from my dads property. Im not gonna repot it until next spring or the following spring but I figured i could get some …

japanese holly Not rated yet
Bought this as a nursery plant from home depot. I've trimmed it twice since I got it in april. Next year ill start looking for a more suitable pot! Open …

Alfonso Not rated yet
I just got a Bonsai tree (Cypress) for a father's day...i always like bonsais. However, i don't much about it. I just bought a new Bonsai book.Ahy guidence …

my baby bonsai Not rated yet
i have been wanting to create a bonsai for quite some time..i got my hands on a pot and realized..that i had no idea what i was doing. this website helped …

My Baby Not rated yet
well it's not realy new i've had it for a little while maybe about 4-5 months I think it's a Ficus Nitida i'm not to sure..... Ty for looking

FICUS ROOT OVER ROCK Not rated yet
THIS IS MY FICUS ROOT OVER ROCK THAT I MADE BY CUTTUNG IN 2003.. AND THE ROCK HAVE 2 SIDE RED AND WHITE