Indoor Bonsai for Beginners: Selection Care Training

I love the section on individual tree care. Now when I find a bonsai that I love, I just pull out my copy of Indoor Bonsai for Beginners: Selection, Care, Training, and find out if the tree will thrive in the location I have available. If not, I do the tree a favor and leave it for someone who has the proper location.

Thanks to this book I know which trees will fair well in an office window with only the morning sun. I know to have a drip tray, sprayer and other supplies waiting for the trees to arrive. I know to find out when the bonsai was last transplanted and fertilized. This book is definitely my Bonsai Trees' best friend and a MUST READ for anyone thinking about owning a bonsai. Just do your tree a favor and read it before you make your tree selection.


Indoor Bonsai for Beginners   June 19, 2000
Alberto D Gomez
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

This is an excelent book about indoor bonsai. I've been buying books looking for tips in selection,care and training of indoor bonsais but most of the authors insist that this is an outdoor activity. In Indoor Bonsai for Beginners I found helpful information and a lot of pictures and drawings


Not many books on indoor bonsai!   March 1, 2008
Kathy Busch (Sandwich, IL United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The first part of this book is general information and it is written for indoor bonsais. The pictures of the bonsais are of smaller trees, not the large bonsai trees that you see in many books. These are trees that the average person can have in their home. I think that indoor bonsais are smaller than outdoor bonsais. The author says much of the fascination of this hobby is derived from the experience of watching a plant grow. So the first section he describes in detail how to grow a bonsai from the very beginning.

An indoor bonsai does not mean that it lives indoors all year. All bonsais grow better if they are outside as long as your area will permit. An indoor bonsai is one that can live in the house during the winter without a dramatic set back. Outdoor bonsais on the other hand must spend the winter out doors. If you try to keep them in the house for the winter they will eventually die. Most bonsai books include many of the indoor bonsais, but they don't label them as indoor bonsais and they don't tell you how to keep them thriving in the house for the winter.

The second section is the "A-Z of Indoor Bonsai Species". There are 45 indoor bonsais in this book. Each bonsai has a brief description of the tree or shrub. Position, Soil, Watering, Feeding, Training, Acquiring a plant, and Pest are described for each bonsai. It ends with any particular features that make it suitable for training as a bonsai. There is a picture for each bonsai described. The name and age of the bonsai are under each picture.

There are not many books that are devoted to indoor bonsais. The section on each species gives you good information. There is more information in this book than you will often find in a larger book. It's a good book for indoor bonsais. This book is not only for beginners it is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to care for indoor bonsai.


Bonsai for Beginners   October 17, 2009
Lynn Maize (El Cajon, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is an excellent book for anyone just getting interested in Bonsai. It gives you just enough information to make informed decisions - without overwhelming you.


INDOOR BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS   May 3, 2008
Rebecca M. Blue (San Juaquin Valley)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This is an excellent step by step book for the absolute beginner of either a "gift" bonsai or a gardner wanting to learn and play. I followed the instructions given and my birthday gift is doing beautifully, three months later. Originally I checked out about six books on bonsais from the library to find the most helpful before I bought; this book covered everything I needed.