(Part 2) Best bonsai tools according to redditors

Slip-potting is moving up a pot size without disturbing the roots too much. When I do it, I comb out the outer edge of the root ball. The correct tool is something like this or this or this.

I usually lightly trim any really long roots back to the root ball, but mostly try not mess with the roots too much this time. Then put it in a larger container with proper bonsai soil (see the soil section of the wiki).

What you do next depends on what you need it to do. We develop bonsai using roughly the following priorities: trunk/roots, major branches, minor branches, ramification/leaf reduction.

The trunk often takes the longest. If you want a thicker trunk, you never have a faster path to that than right now when it's already tall. Just let it grow completely unrestricted and the trunk will thicken. In fact, if you really wanted to speed up the process, you could plant the tree in the ground or use a large fabric grow pot.

But if you're happy with the thickness of the base of the trunk, or are willing to watch it grow a lot more slowly, then you could start reduction this season. Cutting it in half is safe. You still have the option of letting it just grow to thicken up, and you get to observe how it responds to a cut.

There are much more aggressive chops you could make, but given that you're just starting out, I'd recommend that you mostly just learn how to keep it alive first, and start with safe things this season. Keeping a tree alive for an entire year, including through the winter, is no small feat for somebody just starting out. Most people kill the first trees they work on, usually by over-working them. Slow and steady wins the race.

If you get bored just watching it grow, get more trees. That's how the rest of us cope.

We use these at my company.

Not at all crazy - I've seen many professionals only use chopsticks for repotting.

Btw I think $30 shears are better than a $50 set.

https://www.amazon.com/RYUGA-RC-04-OHKUBO-HASAMI-SHEAR/dp/B00KAJNQES/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=bonsai+shears+ryuga&qid=1566279489&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Then buy a selection of wire, later some branch cutters (always used too much at the wrong time by beginners, better not to own them), Jin pliers.

So this is what I would pick. Right, it's bonsai wire, but you might be asking yourself, "what the heck does that have to do with being outdoors?" Well, bonsai is an outdoor activity. Trees for the most part will die inside, no matter what. Bonsai wire is used on trees to wire branches to go a different direction than they would grow naturally. This allows the tree to look older, or to change the way a branch grows. I always need wire because you can't leave wire on all of the time, or it cuts into the branch and leaves horrid scars so it's a constant process of wiring, and removing wire, and putting new wire on.

Here is an example of one of my trees. This boxwood has wiring on the primary branches to move the branches in a more horizontal place.

Do you think these: 1 mm2 mm3 mm will be enough variation to start? I don't expect to have a ton to wire this year since I will mostly have a bunch of collected trees that will need to recover but I gotta do some wiring.

Wow, what an incredible reply with so much good information! If its okay with you, I'd like to follow up in numeric bullets below:

1. I'm a little tight on money, so now getting a fabric pot would be something I couldn't immediately do. I will keep it in the plastic for the winter, and then do you think it would be okay to repot (possibly to a fabric pot) come spring? Should I look for a pot that's larger than its current pot so it has extra room to grow?
   
   
2. Come spring, would it be okay to do a little pruning to begin to reveal some of the trunk, etc and help promote some growth?
   
   
3. Regarding reading, I joined the Reddit subthread, and also picked up Bonsai Workshop and have been going throw that. Any other great books you recommend?
   
   
4. I picked up some tools already - these Shears, and this wire. I'm hoping to get some concave cutters next. Also, here's the pot I had picked up thinking that I would already be translating -- anything i can put in here for time being? haha.
   
   
5. Allshapes Bonsai is only an hour away, so that would be a nice Sunday trip with my wife. If I picked up an indoor Tropical guy, I assume it would be okay to put him in the new pot and prune, etc right? Any certain types you recommend for this?
   
   
6. I'm 15 minutes into that Bonsai Mirai video and I'm in love already. This is going to be really helpful, so thank you!
   
   

I have really wanted to get into Bonsai for a long time. I am going to receive this starter pack this Christmas, which seems to look great. It looks like it just comes with everything to start you out okay.

Is there anything else I should pick up immediately? Any kind of special fertilizers to buy? A pruning compound?

I am also concerned about sunlight and indoor/outdoor growing. Right now it is winter in the Midwest US. Am I fine to just leave these in by the window inside? Is there a kind of special light I can buy for more optimal growth?

Alright, I just read the wiki and that was humbling..

I'll still end up getting this starter pack as a gift, even though now I know that it is kind of a silly thing for a person to try to grow bonsai from seed (especially a beginner). But, oh well, I guess I'll give it my best shot anyway.

So I guess the real questions I should be asking is:

Will the following trees

• pinus aristata
  
  
• picea mariana
  
  
• delonix regia
  
  
• jacaranda mimosifolia
  
  even have a chance at growing in Illinois, USA, Zone 5b? If any do, should I begin germinating them when I get them, or hold off until Spring? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Its not just the temper its also the amount of carbon and impurities in the steel. the manufacturing will play a role as well, china tools are stamped causing a lager gran size that is prone to cracking. the sets are the worst and a wast of money, we should not recommend them. i made that mistake and there all broken. something like this for the same price will last and is all you need that you cant find in the hardware store.

Thanks for those comments.

So based on that knowledge, which of these would you suggest? I see references to Joshua Roth a lot but have not seen anything about the TinyRoots stuff... Which would you suggest going with?

TinyRoots

[Joshua Roth 1]
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X9GDNQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3NXCE6RJIY9N2)

Joshua Roth 2

Mu Tian


Joshy' Ohkubo Hasami


I am ok spending a few extra dollars for shears if they are better in the long run.

Thanks!

Looking for a decent tool set of some kind for my wedding registry.

My question is do I go for a couple small stainless pieces?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E1CJJA

Or should I go for one of the larger sets of carbon steel?

http://www.amazon.com/Stanwood-Bonsai-Tool-10-Piece-Carbon/dp/B000IEJ4A0/


Or should I just say screw it and just put down 1 nice set of shears?

There are lots of options, so it's tough to make recommendations beyond price points to look at.

I've found that decent shears tend to start around $30-35, and good concave cutters are rarely under $50. The home depot wire cutters will obviously cut wire, but the nice japanese ones let you get right up to the bark without making a mark on the tree, which is really important when you are removing the wire later. Here's an example of what I mean:
http://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Boys-Heavy-Duty-Cutters/dp/B002C6BOQY/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1368845322&sr=1-5&keywords=bonsai+wire+cutter

This is probably about the cheapest I would personally go for this type of wire cutters, but you may be able to get something similar for less.

The important thing is to get the nicest tools you can afford without blowing your budget on any one item. For $100, you should be able to get a pretty decent set that will last you a while. The first couple years I did bonsai I only had a $15 pair of shears and a cheap radio shack wire cutter, so you're already way ahead of the game. ;-)

Or you could just get the $48 ThinkBamboo set and get one of everything - I'd just want to hear from someone else who has it first. It just seems way too cheap for that many tools.

I personally tend to slightly overspend on tools, because I've learned that the money you save sometimes gets paid back in frustration from using crappy tools.

EDIT: Don't forget to save some money for trees!

I need some help with this one and I am really nervous. I had to cold stratify these seeds for 6 months and then got about 30% (3/10) to grow. They sprung up in April and have not grown any more leaves since, but they seem to have developed more roots and thickened up a bit (though they are very slow to do so). I have no real experience, am a complete novice, and really need some expert opinion.

The leaves are browning/scorched looking starting form their tips... some are around 50% dead now, they are indoors in a south and east facing window. It has been hot out, but I water them nightly and they are in this soil in this pot.

What do you think of this kit?

http://www.amazon.com/6407am-Bonsai-Scissors-Set/dp/B0014B046E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457622110&sr=8-1&keywords=kikuwa+bonsai