Question
I have been growing bonsai trees for 2 years now.?I have recently begun the process of growing my own trees from seeds, but it didn't take me long to see how time consuming and slow this process really was.?I was hoping you had a solution for me.?I want to start growing smaller sized bonsai trees, but I do not have the patience to start them from seeds.?I know how to take cuttings, but I live in Oklahoma and I really enjoy growing unique bonsai trees such as coast redwoods or banyan trees.?Buying small bonsai trees one at a time is SUPER expensive.?What should I do?I hope this is ok, but I do have a second question.?I have a miniature orange tree and I was wondering what type of fertilizer would be best for it.燭hanks!

Answer
Hi Cale,

Growing a tree from seeds definitely requires a lot of patience. The advantage of growing a bonsai from a seed is that you can control the growth / shape, but it takes time.

Have you tried bartering with other gardeners? You would be amazed at the number of bonsai gardeners that will sell you cutting and/or barter with you. I would suggest posting a question of bonsai communities like http://www.learning2bonsai.com however the community is only a few months old and may not have enough member to help with bartering. Also consider website like eBay.

Regarding your orange tree. I think it's important to vary your fertilizer based on the growing season. Are you familiar with NPK? I've written a few articles on Learning 2 Bonsai about fertilizing bonsai trees that you may find helpful.

This may not be the exact answer you were looking for, but hopefully its a bit helpful.

thank you