When choosing a bonsai, the following factors need to be taken into consideration.

Style: Decide what style you prefer for your tree. There are various styles of bonsai and you can select a specimen based on the style you prefer. Moreover,one single type of tree can be pruned and shaped into several different styles of bonsai offering dramatically different looks.

Soil: Avoid bonsai with compacted, airless or waterlogged soil.

Pots: Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes and see to it that it does not have a glazed interior.

Roots: Select a Bonsai that has well established roots. Gently tap the tree in its pot and if it seems loose, the root structure may not be well-established.

Trunk: An evenly-tapered trunk line is desirable. The trunk should appear proportional to other parts of the tree. Avoid trunks that have scars or swellings.

Branches: The lower branches should be the heaviest, and branches should be distributed evenly around the trunk. All branches should look natural as they emerge from the trunk. Trunks and branches should not have any scars from training wires.

Infestation check: Check to see if the trees are healthy. Avoid trees that have discolored foliage, stunted branches and infestations of mites or scale insects.

Indoor or Outdoor: If you plan to grow the Bonsai tree indoors, then tropical and semitropical trees are ideal. If you plan to grow the tree outdoors, you can choose any of the temperate trees too. Ideal Bonsai starter trees are Japanese Red Maple, Semi-tropical Sea Grape and Chinese Elm.

Apart from those mentioned above, adaptability and affordability are the other factors that influence the choice of a Bonsai tree.

Pruning serves two purposes in bonsai tree care. Firstly, pruning removes branches that clutter and hinder the aesthetic design of the tree. Secondly, pruning directs and controls the growth of the tree. There are pruning forms such as Branch pruning which include pinching (finger pruning) and leaf pruning to help encourage branching. There is also root pruning where roots are pruned.

Here are some Bonsai tree care tips on pruning:

Branch Pruning
o   Pick the branches that you wish to keep and carefully remove the others.

o   For new plants, allow the trunk to develop before pruning. Pruning branches from a developed trunk will increase the chances of survival of the tree.

o   Always have a hand-sketch or image of what you want your tree to look like, at your disposal. This will help you to identify and remove branches that clutter the chosen style and obstruct the basic design.

o   You should start with a light pruning then give it two or three weeks and wait for the bounce back to decide if you need to do more.

o   If you need to redirect growth, then prune one area heavily and another much less. Thus, growth will be directed to the less pruned area.

o   Always remember when you are pruning your bonsai that you can always remove something later but it is very difficult to put it back after you have cut it. So if in doubt leave it for now.

Root Pruning
o   Select the roots you want to keep and get rid of the bad ones.

o   When pruning you need to keep the branches and roots balanced for optimum results.

With limited space and small amount of soil in a bonsai pot, regular attention is needed to ensure the tree is regularly watered. Sun, excessive heat and exposure to wind can dry out the soil in a short period of time. Hence, moisture levels should be monitored regularly.

Here are some Bonsai tree care tips on watering:

During winter, if the trees are kept outside where rain can water them, then you need not worry about watering them, except when the weather is hot or there is little rain.

During summer the plants need to be watered several times a week.
During very hot periods, it is advised to water the tree at least twice daily. It is also suggested to move the trees into shade. If the soil appears to be drying excessively fast, group the pots together so that the foliage creates a canopy to help shade the soil and keep it cooler.


Clay pots allow additional evaporation from the sides of the pots and watering must be done more often.


If there are two or three bonsai trees, you can use a watering can with a fine hose to water the soil and roots. But if you have a large number of bonsai trees, located at certain distance from each other in the garden, then you can invest in a drip irrigation system.


If you are away from home most of the time, then it is a good idea to consider an automatic drip irrigation system or automatic watering system for Bonsai trees. The timers in the irrigation system can be set so that the bonsai are watered every day in the summer and every three days in the winter.