Welcome to the resource page that expands upon the information from Get Started in Bonsai for Around $100. Here, we offer additional tips, references to helpful articles, and a curated array of suggested products to consider as you start compiling tools and supplies.

We’ve waded through available options to suggest those with good reviews at reasonable prices to help make it easy for you to get started in bonsai. In some cases, we’ve highlighted additional products for those who might wish to spend more.

Scroll through the entire selection of items, or jump directly to any section by clicking the category links below.

Bonsai Soil

Fertilizer

Bonsai Wire

Spray Bottle

One of the first tools a new bonsai practitioner needs is a pair of concave cutters. This tool is used to cut branches in a way that helps them heal flush with minimal scarring. For more information, read our article about the five tools we recommend for beginners. 

Long-handled pruning shears are a recommended early purchase when assembling a bonsai tool kit. This tool is used to trim foliage, and its thin design helps get into tight spaces.

Beginners who happen to own a good pair of bypass garden shears can start with those and acquire the bonsai shears a bit later.

Beginners will need scissors for root pruning their bonsai creations. While bonsai scissors are nice to have for this purpose, regular scissors can also work until you get deeper into the hobby. 

We assigned a zero dollar cost to this tool under the assumption that you will be able to repurpose a household pair for your bonsai toolbox. Just be aware that using scissors for root pruning will dull them over time. If you’d rather purchase a dedicated pair of regular scissors or spend a bit more for bonsai scissors, we’ve found a couple of options. 

While specialized bonsai wire cutters are an important tool, beginners have the option of making this a down-the-road purchase and opting for regular wire cutters to start.  

Because we suggest that beginners try to avoid wiring trees for their first couple of projects unless they have help from an experienced hobbyist, wire cutters are needed only for wire intended to hold the tree in place in the pot and for securing screens in place over pot drainage holes. 

If you have a regular wire cutter in your home toolbox, that will work fine in the beginning and you can add the bonsai wire cutter later.  If you don’t have need to purchase a wire cutter, you might want to spend a bit more to get the bonsai version so you don’t have to purchase two tools. We offer options for both below.  

Because chopsticks are reusable in bonsai and readily available for no charge when ordering Chinese food, we have assigned a zero dollar cost to this tool. However, for those who might prefer to purchase nicer quality chopsticks, we outline a couple of low-cost options.

We recommend that beginners start with small, container-grown plants purchased locally. Smaller plants are easier to work with and less expensive. Your neighborhood garden store, nursery or big box store should have plants that make suitable bonsai specimens.

Before heading out to the nursery, check out our article about plants that make good bonsai. It offers suggestions for 10 varieties to keep in mind while you shop. We also recommend you read our article on choosing nursery stock for bonsai. It offers tips on characteristics that make individual plants good bonsai subjects that can help you choose the best plant to take home.

We recommend the nursery stock route over ordering pre bonsai and bonsai online. It is less expensive, plus you have the opportunity to personally evaluate and select your plants. However, for those who prefer to purchase a tree online, we’ve offered a few options below for pre bonsai and plants that come potted as bonsai.  Since plants are unique living things, keep in mind that the plant pictured online may look quite different from the one you receive.

Before buying a bonsai pot for your first project, we recommend that you obtain the plant you plan to use determine the most suitable style for your new bonsai. This will help you determine the size and type of pot to purchase. Read our article about pots for guidance on how to choose an appropriate pot and how to properly size your pot to your tree.  Below are just a few options you might consider when selecting a pot.

Bonsai pots feature large holes that promote rapid drainage during watering. To keep the loose, coarse soil from washing out of the pot when watering, we install a screen on the inside of the pot over each drainage hole.

Bonsai need coarse soil mixes that allow water to drain freely and promote development of a compact system of fine roots. For many years, hobbyists created their own soil mixes out of necessity. Now, however, practitioners can enjoy the convenience of purchasing commercially prepared bonsai soil mixes. We recommend that beginners check out our article about soils, then start with a commercial mix such as the ones highlighted below.

Bonsai soils, as we explain in our soil article, contain very little organic matter. For that reason, frequent fertilizing is important when practicing bonsai. Hobbyists can use a solid food that sits in the soil and releases nutrients with each watering. Alternatively, they can occasionally mix a liquid fertilizer with the water. We’ve highlighted a couple of fertilizers specifically made for use with bonsai.

Bonsai wire is used to shape branches, to secure drainage screens and to anchor the tree in its pot. Traditionally, annealed copper wire was the material of choice, but in recent years, aluminum wire has become very popular among hobbyists.

During the repotting process, it’s essential to make sure the roots don’t dry out. A spray bottle. comes in handy for this purpose and also to spritz tropical bonsai kept indoors.