Things You'll Need:
- Small pot
- Humidity tray
- Training wire
- Bonsai soil and fertilizer
- Bypass pruners
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Step 1
Start trimming your bonsai tree while it is still in its 1-gallon container from the nursery. Remove enough of the branches and leaves until you can clearly see the trunk of the plant, which will ultimately help you to decide the angle from which you want to display your tree. Be careful not to remove too much of the foliage, which can discourage growth in too young of a plant.
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Step 2
Transplant your bonsai tree from its nursery container into the bonsai container you have chosen. If the root ball of the plant is too big for your container, gently soak your bonsai tree in water until enough soil has been removed from the roots. Trim about one-third of the root system until your bonsai tree fits in its new container.
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Step 3
Finish planting the bonsai tree in its new container by adding bonsai soil and fertilizer and packing the mixture firmly into the container. You may want to add a humidity tray or screen along the inside of the container to prevent too much soil from draining away as the tree is watered.
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Step 4
Use bypass pruners, which have a sharp edge on both blades, to trim your bonsai tree. Trim often in order to achieve the shape that is desired, keeping in mind that a bonsai tree can quickly lose its delicate features if left unattended for too long.
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Step 5
Use training wire to help the branches grow in the directions that you envision. Training wire can be gently attached to existing branches to pull them up or down as required.
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Step 6
Allow new growth to expand freely and fill out the shape of your bonsai tree. By aggressively trimming new growth, your bonsai tree will eventually look "woody," with too much of the branches and trunk exposed. Let nature take its course and provide you with additional foliage, and see how it enhances your bonsai tree naturally before you decide to trim it.
