Acquiring & Caring For Bonsai

Most bonsai trees sold at garden centers and nurseries are of excellent quality, but there are a few points to bear in mind when buying a new plant.

- Age and shape of the tree

- General health

- Soil should be damp but not soggy, unless it has just been watered

- Leaves should look bright and healthy, not burnt around the edges or spotty

- If buying a deciduous tree in winter, last year's growth should be smooth and plump, with no sign of bark wrinkling

- The tree should be steady in its container, which should have at least one drainage hole

- A white fungus in and around the drainage hole is natural and harmless