Choosing The Right Bonsai Plants
If you are new to Bonsai or you are thinking about taking up Bonsai as a hobby, one of the first choices you will have to make is to decide which Bonsai plants you will grow. Hundreds of varieties of trees and plants are available, and evaluating your circumstances will help you decide what kind of Bonsai plants to grow.
Indoor vs. Outdoor
Some Bonsai plants can only be grown indoors, and some can only be grown outdoors. If you have access to the outdoors, even the smallest niche or ledge, you can grow outdoor Bonsai plants. Outdoor plants need to experience the changes in season that occur naturally outdoors, including changes in temperature, frost, and the amount and level of daylight the plants receive.
While outdoor Bonsai plants may be evergreen or deciduous, indoor Bonsai plants are nearly always evergreen, and will not drop their leaves every winter like deciduous trees do. Bonsai trees are perennial favorites of apartment dwellers because they require so little space to grow. Most indoor plants can be kept outdoors at temperatures higher than 50 degrees.
Flowering vs. Non-Flowering
The next decision you need to make is whether you prefer a flowering variety of Bonsai plant or a non-flowering variety. Generally speaking, Bonsai plants that flower require more light, and brighter light, than plants that do not flower. If you are growing your plants indoors, you will need an area that gets direct sunlight several hours a day to grow flowering plants.
Fruit Trees vs. No Fruit
If you can grow your Bonsai trees outdoors, you can grow miniature fruit trees, Bonsai style. One popular fruiting Bonsai plant is the Wine Grape Bonsai-Cabernet vine. An 11-year-old tree produces tiny edible grapes, hanging in clusters from a Bonsai grapevine.
Another popular fruit tree is the Flowering Dwarf Pomegranite Bonsai, prized for its vivid orange flowers and small orange-red fruits. The Dwarf Banana Bonsai tree is another favorite, bearing clusters of pink flowers in the summer and adorable bananas, just three to six inches long.
Bonsai Plant Accessories
Once you catch the Bonsai bug, you'll want to buy accessories to keep your plants healthy. One of the most practical accessories you can purchase to keep your Bonsai plants feeling their best is a grow light to boost the levels of daylight your plants receive. Lamps vary in wattage from 60 watts to 150 watts. Use a desktop or tabletop grow light to keep your plants healthy and alert.
