Personally recommended bonsai tools and supplies
Thomas chooses for everyday work. Walter explains materials as part of a system of substrate, water and feeding. Start here with six clear recommendations.
Thomas recommends
Practical, robust and easy to control: three essentials for regular work on a tree.
Sharp bonsai scissors for everyday pruning
Thomas's practical choice for clean, controlled work on shoots and fine branches.
A comfortable pair of scissors that closes cleanly and can be sharpened reliably matters more than a large tool set.
Watering can with a fine, even rose
For thorough watering without washing fine substrate out of the pot.
A fine rose distributes water gently across the whole surface. Water according to the tree, location, weather and substrate, not a rigid calendar.
Wire cutters with short, strong jaws
Thomas uses a dedicated tool here: it cuts wire close to the branch without placing unnecessary stress on the bark.
The short jaws should cut thicker aluminium wire in a controlled way. Cut biting wire into sections and never unwind it from the branch.
Walter recommends
Substrate, water and feeding belong together: three recommendations that make this system easier to understand.
Pumice and lava as modern substrate
Walter's technical recommendation: structure and particle size matter more than searching for a secret ideal mix.
Pumice and lava can form part of a stable, well-aerated substrate. Never apply this recommendation in isolation: frequent thorough watering and suitable feeding belong to the same system.
Substrate sieves for even particle size
Walter's point is to understand the principle: stable, airy particles without dusty fines.
Sieves remove fines and prepare a reasonably even particle size. Substrate, watering and feeding must always be treated as one connected system.
Fertiliser with a clear NPK declaration
Walter favours verifiable information over bonsai myths: what matters is what the fertiliser contains and how the whole care system works.
Adapt dosage to growth, season, substrate and watering. Never copy a high dose from another care regime; follow the label and observe the tree.