Forgotten plants reborn

One of the easiest methods for obtaining bonsai - and the one best for the novice - is revitalising tired old nursery stock.

Nurseries have a wide variety of plants and your nurseryman can fill you in on a particular specimen's growth habits.

Plants in one to five-gallon cans have been essentially in training pots for some time as their root systems have become adapted to cramped conditions.

Inspect plants from the ground up watching for those with a twisted or dwarf-like character.

A multi-trunk structure may be desirable or side trunks can be cut off when the plant is re-potted.

Another way to get a good look at the trunk structure is to up-end the can and knock it a few times to slide the root ball out of the can. This doesn't harm the plant.

Watch for plants with small leaves, a heavy, thick or twisted trunk, and with an open branching system or one full enough to be pruned and shaped into interesting forms.

Look for large roots that protrude above the soil. Although this is sometimes a sign of the plant being pot-bound, such roots add a lot of character.

After you've chosen your tree, don't let the nurseryman cut the can unless you expect to re-pot the plant immediately. When cans are cut, roots dry out fast.

Don't expect to chop back enormous amounts of roots all at one time to get a canned tree into a small bonsai container. Chances are that the plant won't survive such brutal treatment.

Thin back the root ball instead by a third and put the tree into a container slightly smaller than the one you took it from. In eight months or so, thin the roots some more and transfer the tree to a still smaller container.

By working progressively, you'll be able to get the root system safely down to whatever size you need without risking the plant.