How to create a bonsai tree
Longtime team member and buyer at Yamagami’s, Ruben is a trusted resource for all things gardening.
Even though he knows the ins and outs of the nursery along with all of the plants and products that come in, Ruben remains humble and says he’s “always learning.” His curiosity about the dynamic nature of plants led him to bonsai.
It turned out that he has a knack for making beautiful bonsai: Any bonsai that he puts on display sells very quickly.
Ruben shares his prowess in this living art and shows you how to create a bonsai tree in 10 steps.
But first, here’s what you’ll need:
Tree to use as the bonsai
Bonsai pot
Bonsai pot drainage mesh
Bonsai tools - shears, gardening claw/cultivator
G&B Simples Bonsai Mix or a 50-50 mix of G&B Organics Potting Soil and G&B Organics Palm, Cactus & Citrus Planting Mix
Gravel
Accent plants
Stones
Step 1: Select your tree
Dwarf Japanese maple tree
Step 2: Select a pot
Glazed bonsai pot
Noticing that the tree branched out in all directions, Ruben selected a round bonsai pot to accommodate the tree’s growth habit.
Step 3: Prune the tree
Remove crossing branches and leaves that hide the trunk. Prune new shoots down to the next set of leaves.
The aim is to showcase the shape of the trunk and branches while creating a shape for the leaves. In this case, Ruben went for a rounded shape.
Step 4: Remove the tree from its nursery pot and prune the roots
Comb out the roots using a garden fork. Tease out the younger roots and remove thicker ones.
step 5: Place mesh over the drainage hole & insert the tree in its new pot
Remove enough soil from the bottom so that when the tree is placed in the pot, the top of the soil is one to two inches above the pot. Doing this will display the beautifully exposed roots at the bottom of the trunk.
Step 6: Fill the pot with soil
Bonsai require soil that retains water and nutrients but also allows drainage. Our recommended mixes do all three.
We recommend: G&B Simple Bonsai Mix or a 50/50 mix of G&B Organics Potting Soil and G&B Organics Palm, Cactus & Citrus Planting Mix
Step 7: Add accent plants & Stones
Flowering plants, bamboo, grass, ferns, and moss make excellent accent plants. Ruben used Dwarf mondo grass, moss, and stones. (The stones were collected during a hike with his family — a beautiful way to honor memories.)
step 8: Add gravel
Sprinkle gravel around the tree, plants, and stones.
Gravel comes in several types, colors, and shapes. The dark-colored gravel used here makes the green of the tree, grasses, and moss really pop.
