Is Growing A Bonsai Tree Hard?

Bonsai can look very majestic and are works of art, but is it hard to grow a bonsai? The simple answer is both yes and no.

Really it comes down to knowledge. If you know how to do it its actually very easy. You will find that you just repeat the same few techniques over and over again for a number of years and your bonsai will start to develop into something amazing with time.

The hardest part is first acquiring the knowledge and then consistently using it for a long time, probably decades. It really is a lifelong commitment, almost like raising a child. You need to nourish and allow your tree to flourish over time.

Why Do People Find Growing Bonsai Hard?

There are a number of reasons why people think growing bonsai is hard, which I will go through below.

Poor Expectations

When you show someone a beautiful bonsai, they will have no idea the amount of work that has gone into the tree.

Some people think that bonsai grow the way they do naturally and do not need any extra work, or that they are a special kind of species. Other people think they are really just fancy looking house plants.

This lack of knowledge leads to problems such as them being grown inside, or caring for them like they are house plants. They do not realise that there is much more finesse with bonsai trees and you need to understand what they need and how to do it.

Once you discover this, it then becomes a whole lot easier to grow them.

Learning Bonsai Techniques and Understanding Timing

Knowing what to do and when, is one of the most important things in bonsai. If I just hand someone a tree and say “make it into a bonsai” they will have no idea where to begin, let alone know how to properly care for it.

Even if you think you know, you will probably still find it hard. This can be said for every aspect of growing a bonsai and even for its basic care to keep it alive. If you don’t know what to prune and why, you will struggle. If you are not sure why we repot, or why we use certain soils then you are going to find making progress difficult.

Luckily the techniques are not hard, but you need to know them. You will find that as time goes on you will realise you are just doing the same things over and over again and you will start to get good at them and you will start to get good at understanding how the trees respond to them.

Take the time to learn how to make a bonsai and you will start to make a lot of progress and start to find it a whole lot less intimidating.

(You can read more about – How To Get Started In Bonsai For Beginners)

What Type Of Bonsai Material Are You Starting With?

The material you start with will determine how hard it is to grow a bonsai. If you are starting with a seed is going to take many years before it starts to even look like a bonsai.  

If you start with something that is already on its way, then you are going to find it is a lot easier to get it to a more refined state and you can easily get it to look like a bonsai, where then all you need to do is maintain it.

However, the quality of the material is also important. Often beginners are sold poor quality “bonsai trees” that have terrible soil, and even worse roots. My Chinese elm is a good example of this (You can read my article about – Buying A Chinese Elm Bonsai On Amazon).

This tree was a “bonsai” but it had so many problems and trees like this often die in the hands of beginners, not through any fault of the beginner, the trees are just set up so badly.

Having poor quality material like this will make growing a bonsai much harder. 

What Species Of Bonsai Are You Growing?

The species you use also plays a role in how hard it is it to grow a bonsai. Some species are just perfect for it. They grow fast, they look in proportion and they respond well to techniques. Working with trees that will work with you is very enjoyable and turning them into bonsai is actually a pleasure.

If you are using a species that is a little fussy, or that does not have ideal characteristics (You can read more about –What Actually Makes A Bonsai Good?) then you are going to be battling against the tree the whole time and it is very difficult.

I have a lot of species in my collection and you can very quickly tell the difference between those that are easy and those that are difficult to grow as bonsai. 

The Daily Care

There is nothing difficult about caring for a bonsai, the problem is that it is a daily grind. You need to be constantly looking after them by making sure they have enough water.

You have to be committed to caring for them every day. You can’t forget about them or ignore them, even once, or they will die, which isn’t idea and is why I say they are like children.

If you have the commitment and patience to do this, then you will find growing bonsai easy. They do not take up much time, but it is still time you need to dedicate to them.

You will Always Be Learning More About Bonsai

Bonsai is also one of those hobbies where you will never master it. Your tree will always be changing and you will always face challenges.

You will find it gets easier as you start to get into a rhythm over the years and as you practice more and more, but you still will always be learning and improving your skills. It never becomes “easy”.

You need to remember this and stay humble, just because you feel comfortable doing certain techniques doesn’t mean you cannot face difficulties in the future.

Learn Through Experience

The best way to learn bonsai is through experience and you will find it very hard at first and learn some tough lessons.

Learning bonsai this way means you will wreck some trees and even kill them, but the next time you deal with a similar situation, it will be a little easier.

Pairing this difficult hand on experience with taught knowledge is going to be the best way to improve fast, and start to feel like growing bonsai isn’t actually that hard.

(You can read more about – The Top 6 Most Common Bonsai Mistakes And How to Avoid Them)

Conclusion

Growing bonsai can be difficult for a beginner, but as you start to gain knowledge and experience, it can actually start to become easier.

If you think it’s hard, or you are struggling, just stick with it. Just keep trying to learn and keep practicing what you know, as you do this you will start to find it becomes easier and more enjoyable. With enough time you will find that growing bonsai is actually easy.