A good soil mix must:
• anchor the tree in the pot
• hold moisture and nutrients
• drain well and allow the roots to breathe

Coarse-textured peat or sludge, coarse building sand and garden loam are the three ingredients of good bonsai soil.
We use more or less equal parts of Okhla sludge, Badarpur (red) building sand and garden soil.
A handful of leaf mould per pot improves texture and nutrition and a layer of broken earthenware pot shards or gravel at the bottom of the pot assists drainage and absorbs extra water.

Earthenware pots available from potters are a good choice for trees in training as excess water can evaporate through their walls.

Basic pot wisdom:
• it must not be glazed on the inside
• it must drain completely
• its base should be completely level

As a thumb rule, the pot length should equal 2/3rd. of the height of the tree.
Earthen colours go best with Indian trees— browns, ochres and deep reds are ideal. Bright colours— blues, greens, whites and creams compliment flowering trees such as bougainvillea.

Out there in the world are power saws and drills, huge jinning pliers etc., but all you will need are:
• A pair of concave cutters for heavy branches and trunks.
• A heavy pair of scissors for branches and roots
• A fine pair for twigs and soft growth

The important thing with tools is that they must be kept sharp.
Milky sap from ficus trees really dulls the tools. This should be regularly cleaned off with surgical spirit.
Dust and mud should be scrubbed off with a cloth and the pivot of the tool may need a drop of machine oil once in a while.

Bonsai are trees and need to be kept under the same conditions as trees in the wild.They should ordinarily be in the open enjoying full sun, light, air, rain and dew.If brought indoors for display, they should be returned to their growing stands in two to three days.
Stands for bosai should be high enough to allow the bonsai to be viewed at eye level. A plain background of a neutral colour helps to show the bonsai at its best. Companion plants or scrolls that depict the season can be used to enhance the effect when displaying indoors.