Bonsai FAQ
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What is bonsai?
Bonsai is a Japanese term that is literally translated to mean, "planted in a container."
The colloquial definition refers to any tree planted in a pot and styled through pruning or wiring to imitate the scale, grandeur, and grace of a full size specimen.
Bonsai is a living, breathing sculpture that is never fully finished.
We will refer to trees planted in bonsai pots as bonsai and trees in plastic nursery containers as 'pre-bonsai.'
One additional note - Everyone asks what is
If I buy a tree, do I need to buy a pot too?
All trees come pre-planted in bonsai pots unless they are classified as pre-bonsai.
Any tree still in a plastic nursery container is classified as a pre-bonsai and does not include: pots, wire, soil, or drain hole covers. These items will need to be purchased separately if desired with your pre-bonsai.
Indoor Bonsai - Do I have to keep it indoors all the time?
No! Hopefully in warmer months you will be able to place your 'indoor' bonsai outdoors.
Your home is lovely but for trees, outdoor is always best (if possible).
We will have more in-depth species guides released by June 2022!
Outdoor Bonsai - Won't it die in winter cold?
No! Well, probably not. All of our 'outdoor' bonsai require an annual dormancy period.
Like bears, these trees also spend the warm months fattening themselves up, then when the outdoor temperatures start to dip, the trees prepare for winter in a number of ways.
They may change the makeup of their cell walls to be more pliable in order to expand as the water inside freezes. Or they flood fluids within their living cells with stored sugars in order to lower the freezing point. We (BRB, not science) are struggling to understand the third mechanism through which trees change themselves to survive winter, but will update this when we get it.
How do you pronounce bonsai?
"How tf do I actually say this word?"
Is it hard?
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID
For an actual answer, please see next section.
Is bonsai difficult?
Yes and no.
Does it require a lot of skill to keep these trees alive? Not really.
Does it take a steady commitment? Oh, you betcha.
Does it take a lot of skill to train my bonsai into the shape I want? Nope, but the links on our educational resources page will definitley help.
These trees seem pretty expensive, explain yourself.
Living trees need a lot of TLC to survive a few days in the back of a UPS, or FedEx, or sometimes USPS truck.
We hand-pack all trees to order and in a way that allows them to breathe as much as possible while minimizing the chances of damage.
We've killed enough of our personal trees. Killing yours in transit is not on our to-do list. Unfortunately, ensuring they get to you alive is not inexpensive.