The quickest way to obtain a fully formed bonsai is to buy one from a
specialist nursery. This is by far the easiest way to own a fully
formed bonsai tree but it is not without its pitfalls. Some of the more
common problems to look out for are:
Cost- Fully grown bonsai
can be very expensive, partly because of their age but also because
they are likely to have been imported from countries in Asia and
their price also includes shipping and handling costs.
Availability- although
many Garden Centres have a small selection of bonsai they can tend
to be of poorer quality as staff are unaware of how to care for
them appropiately, and sometimes young trees that are grown in pots
are sold as bonsai. Specialist Nursery's can be few and far between
so you may have to travel far to reach one.
Quality- Some knowledge
of bonsai is needed to ensure that the plant is of good quality
before buying. An unhealthy plant or one placed in poor quality
soil is unlikely to survive very long, particularly without a great
deal of knowledge and experience in caring for that particular
species. If you know someone who has some experience in raising
bonsai it would be extremely helpful to you if you could bring them
with you when you go to purchase a plant.
The Links page has a list of quality
suppliers who can even deliver a fully grown tree with little extra
cost. Otherwise they're a great place to find a great range of quality
bonsai supplies. Next Page ->
