To practice the art of bonsai, you need the right tools. I'll list and explain the more common bonsai tools. You won't need all of the tools listed when you start, and depending on your involvement with bonsai, you may not need all of them.
Pruning Tools:
Use a pruning tool to cut areas that are difficult to cut with scissors.
Concave Branch Cutters:
These are heavy-duty cutters constructed similarly to bolt cutters. They are used to cleanly and smoothly remove properly sized branches.
Spherical Knob CUtters:
Similar to a branch cutter, except that the cut pieces are spherical. These are designed to cut through heavy heavy knots or knobs.
Folding Pruning Saw:
This is a small rough saw with a blade that folds into the handle like a pocket knife. It is used when cutting very heavy branches or when you need to cut down a bonsai tree trunk.
Shears:
Use shears for a variety of moderate-to-light cutting tasks.
Woodworking Gouges:
Grooves are used for various artistic purposes in bonsai. They are often used to remove bark or make cuts in the trunk to simulate natural damage to trees.
Scissors:
Scissors are a staple for all bonsai enthusiasts and come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accomplish different tasks.
Leaf Cutting Scissors:
As the name suggests, these are primarily used for light work such as trimming and removing leaves.
Shoot Trimming Scissors:
These are heavier shears designed for cutting small to medium-sized shoots or branches.
Heavy Duty Shoot Scissors:
These are even heavier shears designed for shoots that are too large for regular shoot shears but too small for pruning shears.
Potting Tools:
The tray you store your bonsai in is very important for both the health and proper growth of your bonsai. Bonsai trees often need repotting or root modification. These are the most useful tools for these tasks.
Root Hooks:
These are used to separate root balls into manageable shapes for trimming and pruning. They are thick wires bent at one end, usually sharpened to a moderate point.
Potting Trowel:
This is a small garden trowel used to dig and manipulate the soil in the bonsai pot.
Soil Scoops:
A small metal or plastic cup with a handle and an open end cut into a scoop shape. They are used to remove or add soil from pots.
Brush:
A soft brush makes it easy to clean and care for the trunk, branches, and leaves of your bonsai.
Wire Tools:
Wire is often used to shape the bonsai into a suitable artistic form. There are various tools used to work with wire. Most of these are available at home centers and auto dealers.
Common Wire Snips:
These are the usual wire cutters commonly used by electricians. It must be heavy enough to handle the aluminum wire used for bonsai.
Heavy Duty Wire Snips :
These are heavier versions of the above scissors that you may need when working with heavier than average wires.
Pliers:
Household pliers are used to bend and twist wires into the correct shape and position.
Needle Nose Pliers:
A plier with a tapered tip that is convenient for working in tight spaces around trunks and branches.
Miscellaneous Tools:
Some common tools that don't fit into any other category.
Chop Sticks:
Great for hitting or working on the soil around the roots of a tree.
Gardeners Knife:
This is useful for many heavy and non-delicate cuts.
Rake:
Small rakes, similar to garden rakes, are used to clean and condition the surface of the soil.
Tweezers:
Tweezers are often needed to avoid the limited space of many bonsai.
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