10 things to know about growing a bonsai

Interested in transforming a dwarf potted plant into a living green sculpture? That's the idea behind the ancient art of bonsai. If you have a deck, patio or balcony, you have the perfect spot to grow beautiful bonsai.

It's best to begin with plants that adapt to many climates and have a strong natural structural growth habit.

• A dwarf Japanese maple is an excellent choice for beginners, as are Chinese junipers and dwarf cotoneaster.
• These plants can be kept outdoors year round in many areas.
• Where winters are very cold, they can be kept in an unheated garage.

• Check the roots by examining the clump; the roots should spread evenly from the trunk and not overlap.
• The structure of the tree should look natural and untrained, and the leaves should be bushy.
• Deciduous trees, which lose their leaves in winter, should have pleasingly shaped trunks and branches.

• For care and grooming, it's good to have a revolving stool that you can set the plant upon, making it accessible from all sides.
• Most bonsai grow best in filtered light in a place where they are shielded from the scorching midday sun.
• Also be sure to provide protection from strong wind.

Aside from being decorative, moss is a good indicator of the plant's water needs.

• When the moss appears parched, spray it with water.
• If you can't water for several days,wrap the moss-covered base of your bonsai in a clear plastic bag, which acts like a greenhouse and maintains high humidity.

• If an outdoor bonsai gets flooded by a heavy rain, prop the pot on its side to help drain off the excess water.

Also watch for very dry conditions. In hot summer weather, you may need to water your bonsai twice a day.

• When cold weather comes, wrap the pots in bubble wrap or several thicknesses of newspaper, burlap, wool, straw, strips of tarp or old rags.
• Or place the tray inside a larger pot filled with peat moss to provide insulation.

If your outdoor bonsai is completely covered with snow, don't brush it off; it makes excellent natural insulation.

Buy fertilizer that is released slowly, and never use fertilizer on young or newly transplanted bonsai.

For healthy older specimens, fertilize fairly often in small increments in both spring and fall.

Train the plant's trunks and branches so that it appears to have been shaped by natural forces, especially time and wind.

• Copper or aluminum wire is used to bend branches to desired shapes, which may be slanted, twisted or outstretched.
• Branches may be wired to the trunk or to other branches, or they can be pulled downward by small fishing weights.

Landscape the base of the plant so that it looks like a miniaturized version of a time-hewn outdoor scene.

• Exposed roots, stones, moss and other natural elements combine to create this illusion.

• Use broad, shallow containers called bonsai dishes to have a strong dwarfing effect on long-lived plants.
• Plants are further dwarfed by regular root pruning. Prune the roots of evergreens every three to five years, deciduous plants every two to three years and flowering or fruit trees every year.
• When root pruning, cut off a third of the roots and provide a fresh supply of soil.