I'm not trying for the expert approach with my attempts... I'm amazed at the depth of knowledge and artistry that bonsai can entail. I think of what I'm trying with a few plants as utilizing a technique, which is much less intimidating for me!
I've read through the book Sharon shared with me and tried to glean some general principles from it, like the need to prune back vertical tap roots in order to get more lateral roots, as well as the idea that changes don't need to be so drastic.... for instance, after severely pruning a tree into its initial bonsai form, it's not necessary to also severely prune the roots and put it into a 2 inch deep container right away.. give it time to recover between steps. Bonsai seems to be as much about practicing patience as about growing a specimen plant.
