If you've a bonsai plant, it's important to remember that caring for them is akin to caring for a baby. Loving and caring is required but it's not sufficient; you also have to show certain "parenting" skills to ensure that your bonsai plant will enjoy a long and healthy life.

Tip #1 Water is the source of life for all creatures but it's especially so for bonsai plants. Even though they need to be watered more frequently than other types of plants, they also need a precise amount of watering. Anything that's less or beyond the ideal amount of water can lead to your bonsai plant's death so it's important that you ask for professional advice.

Factors that affect the amount of water required by a bonsai plant include but aren't limited to the type of tree you're taking care of, what season it is at present, if the tree's grown outdoors or indoors, and so forth.

Tip #2 Light is another source of energy for your bonsai plant. Just like any other plant, your bonsai plant will benefit from exposure to sunlight. If you're growing it in an indoor garden, however, you will have to arrange for artificial lighting. In such instances, it's important to use a timer so that you avoid risking overexposure for your plants.

Tip #3 Humidity is unfortunately one of the most important but overlooked factors when taking care of bonsai plants; the best way to ensure that best humidity levels remain constant is by using a humidity tray. You can use decorative pebbles to make your bonsai plant appear more attractive.

Tip #4 If you are determined to keep your bonsai plant indoors, you've to choose the pot for your bonsai plant very carefully. To be safe, make sure that you buy pots which are specifically designed for bonsai plants. These pots have pre-made holes for drainage and training wires.

Tip #5 Many people are confused as to exactly what role fertilizer plays in taking care of bonsai plants. Firstly, fertilizer is needed when you're keeping your bonsai plant indoors because this provides the added nutrition that your indoor soil lacks. Secondly, fertilizer isn't medicine so do not use it as treatment for sick or dying trees. Lastly, make sure that you thoroughly water your bonsai plant before fertilizing.

Lastly, do not risk your bonsai plant's health on the basis of any assumption. If you are not sure, always ask for professional advice!

There are two primary benefits you can enjoy if you select to build a bonsai nursery of your own and grow your bonsai trees from seed. Firstly, bonsai seeds are cheaper to procure than live bonsai trees. Whereas rare bonsai trees can cost you a considerable amount of money, a packet of seeds of the same bonsai tree species might just cost you $5.

Secondly, nursing bonsai trees from seed will give you God-like powers over each aspect of your plants. You can fully control all aspects of your bonsai tree to ensure that it grows according to your plans.

Tips on Nurturing Your Bonsai Nursery

Before planting any seed, take the time to prepare and plan about which shapes you desire for your bonsai plants to have in the future. Knowing what shape you wish to reach will consequently guide you as to which pot you should choose and how to wire your plant.

Since it will take you quite some time to see bonsai seeds sprout to life, you'll have no visible indicators to depend on when caring for your nursery. As such, make sure that you strictly keep a timetable for nurturing your bonsai nursery. Have a checklist for all the to-do tasks for your nursery to ensure that you do not miss anything important.

A clean environment is essential to your bonsai nursery's growth. Always make sure that your bonsai nursery itself as well as its surroundings is free from dirt, dust, or any other debris as these can easily affect the health conditions of your bonsai nursery.

Good ventilation and clean air are important for your bonsai nursery to grow to its fullest potential. Thus, if you're keeping it indoors, do make sure that you place it in the appropriate location. Anywhere near windows are ideal while placing them in proximity to fireplaces is undesirable.

Water and light are the main foods of your bonsai nursery. You can effectively satisfy the watering needs of your bonsai nursery even in winter by using a humidity tray. As for lighting, daily exposure to sunlight is sufficient but you will of course have to make plans for artificial lighting and use a timetable for it if you're keeping your bonsai nursery indoors.

A bonsai nursery definitely takes more time to nurture than procuring live bonsai trees but it's definitely a more rewarding goal. Good luck to taking care of your bonsai nursery!

Bonsai trees aren't difficult to care for. If you've the experience of rearing other household plants, then you're sure to succeed with a bonsai. The only difference of the bonsai trees to other plants is they're actually 'trees'. That being the case, they have the ability to be killed even if they are kept inside during the winter.

But if you think that planting a tree in a small container can magically turn into a bonsai, you're mistaken. It takes continuous shaping and pruning. It also depends on what kind of species you've.

Caring for bonsai is like a stylist caring for his client's hair. Not all cuts are essential. There's a particular cut or style that'll work better. The same goes out to a bonsai.

Bonsai trees are shrubs and trees. Their heights are stunted artificially tying the branches using wires or pruning the roots. This practice started in China and was later on adapted by Japanese.

Some bonsai enthusiasts go out and get a ready-made bonsai. Others like to make their own. What they do is they get seeds or cuttings and dig the bonsai plants themselves.

You can begin your bonsai hobby by taking care of a young shrub or tree. We advocate you rear bottlebrush, she oak, crepe myrtle, fig, silky oak and ironwood. Make sure to ask your nursery what are the recommended bonsai for your locale's temperature.

When selecting a plant, think about the following factors:
- the bonsai needs material which you'll work with so get a tree that has branches
- the bonsai's trunk should be wide, preferably its base
- the leaves should be small
- the branches should begin closely to the ground
- the plant must be healthy

Also, the pots must have holes for drainage. Pots that are glazed can be an obstacle for the plant to breathe. You can add your own creativity by choosing a pot for its texture and color, just as long as it is perfect for the plant you bought.

If you want to be guided thoroughly, in terms of pruning and shaping, there are hundreds of books about the subject in your local bookstores. Some even have illustrations of the works of renowned bonsai artists such as Matsuhito Kimura.

All you need is basic wiring and pruning skills. Soon enough, you will be able to change a rugged and mangy old bush and shrub into a well-shaped bonsai you can display in your centerpiece. Or if it's a bonsai tree you spent hours pruning, it can be the center of your garden.

Let's face it. Not all of us have a green thumb and not everyone has the luxury of time either. Other than that, we are not all born with the patience of a saint or a bonsai grower either.

If you have always wanted to grow bonsai but haven't got one for one reason or another, you have a choice: buy an artificial bonsai. They don't require any watering, pruning or pesticides and they'll last as long as the real thing. Here are some tips on how to get ones that are as good, or even better:

Choose the style or species.
There are dozens of bonsai species to choose from, such as pine trees and flowering trees and all of them look decidedly real. They also come in different styles - single-trunk, double-trunk, cascade, rock - and you can select one or two that'll blend with your home's overall design scheme.

Good ones to try: artificial Japanese pine bonsai, Chinese elm, maple or juniper. For artificial flowering bonsai, get the crabapple, jasmine, camellia, flowering plum or gardenia bonsai.

Seeing is believing
If the artificial can fool your eyes, it can fool others' as well. Look at the artificial bonsai from afar and then up close. Look at the trunk, the branches, the leaves and the flowers. The trunk shouldn't look painted on and the branches should blend well with the main trunk.

There should be a continuing, seamless line from the base of the artificial bonsai to the tip of the branches. If you see the joints, you might want to move to the next one. If it still looks like the real thing from six inches away, then it's top quality artificial bonsai.

Touch to test
The true test of a good quality artificial bonsai is its touch. The trunk should feel rough like the bark of a real tree and shouldn't feel plastic to the touch - slippery and smooth. Another test for quality artificial bonsai is its leaves. The leaves shouldn't be too thin or too fabric-like and avoid ones that unravel when pulled. They should be smooth with a partial sheen to mimic real leaves.

Flex to form
Another thing to look for is flexibility. Even though many artificial bonsai are shaped in various ways, there are some that let you manipulate their 'growth' by bending them anyway you like. If you're the kind who likes to work with your bonsai a tiny bit, pick ones that are made with flexible materials such as luna clay. These artificial bonsai let you bend and twist to create a plant that is all your own.