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Hello everyone. I am new to bonsai growing and could do with some beginners advice. I was given a grow your own bonsai kit for Christmas last year. Knowing nothing at all I pressed on and started growing the trees. I made sure they were watered, and got a bit of sunshine and thought I was doing quite well.

But, then I started doing some reading... and I’m a little concerned that my laissez faire attitude is not going to get me much further...

I have included a picture of the trees as they are today and have 3 specific questions I am hoping for help with (but would be appreciative of any other tips).



1. I don’t actually know what type of tree this is. I know it’s a pine, but the gift package offered no further hints as to the exact species. I am aware there are different methods of care for different types of pine, but can’t tell which species this is. Is there a way to tell?

2. How long should I leave it before I do any pruning. I am aware that growth should be encouraged lower down the tree, but I can’t decide how long to leave it until attempting any pruning. Is a year too soon?

3. Probably the most obvious question... did I go wrong planting multiple trees in one pot? I had thought that a bonsai forest would look quite pleasing, but I don’t know if this is the best method in achieving that, or if this is making things too difficult.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to any knowledge you can share.

These seedlings need to be separated at some point, and depending on where you are in the world must not be inside. You may get away with it for a while as they are so small, but they will no survive inside for long. These plants need several years growing to get branches growing and a reasonable size.

2: that is hard to answer without knowing your vision for the tree. But it is minimum 5 years. No reason to cut for a very long time anyway.

3: bonsai forests is proboably the easiest way to achieve anything looking like a bonsai in shortest time. Hence a good approach for beginners. However, I would separate them in spring and grow to size before making a forest.

You do know that pines should be grown outside?

Thanks. No, I hadn’t realised about them being outside. I am in the UK.

Would it be best to repot them first before placing outside, or is it more important just to get them out there? We are currently experiencing colder than usual weather here so wondering if the shock may be too much at the moment?

Trees that are in season confusion can be damaged by frost. What you need is put it into dormancy just below 10 degrees until spring. After that you can keep it outside year round.

Hmm. I need to change that statement. This is seadlings that was started at the wrong time of the year. I am not sure it is ready for its first dormancy. Keep it somewhat colder until spring and then outside for the rest of its life.

Hmmm I see. So a cooler room in the house for a few months?

And regarding the reporting, best done once they have acclimatised to being outside?

Hmm, that is a tough one. Normally you would repot when in late winter or early spring as the tree breaks dormancy. But your trees has been in "summer" all its life and no real dormancy. I dont have a good answer. Maybe someone else?

The pot and substrate appear to be just fine, with lots of room for roots to grow. I see no need in the pictures here to repot or anything. I would put it in the sun and let it grow, then repot next year, assuming plenty of growth.

The stress of acclimating to outdoors is really enough for one year.

That’s great, thank you.

Sorry to labour the point but, if I have no suitably cool room in the house (only candidates are bathroom and kitchen which feel like a gamble to me), would it be better to wait until later in the year, when the city dictions outside more closely match inside? Just thinking that if the trees think they are in summer, then putting them outside when it actually is summer would be best?

Oh and also, just to return to the earlier query around a species ID - anyone got any thoughts on that?