Cannabonsai

We all love houseplants, and if you’re here chances are you love marijuana too! Lets combine the two!

The term “Cannabonsai” is an obvious combo of Cannabis and Bonsai.

It is an sculptural art form is a celebration of both growing cannabis and traditional bonsai art. Customizable cannabonsai projects come in all shapes and sizes, to fit self-expression through sculptural form rather than traditional goals like yield.

This work is Commonly referred to as bonsai weed or cannabis bonsai, and can be used as a geat relaxation tool or hobby.

So what do you need to create your very own postmodern art? We suggest you find a ceramic glazed bonsai pot, and for the sculptural elements try some round rock, driftwood, other natural elements that you may find at the beach or in the woods. It’s best to use traditional bonsai wire making traditional tree shapes.

Some cannabonsai artists take a more modern approach and are more light stress training (LST) focused, shining a light on the incredible lengths cannabis can grow through. These artists grow plants in knots, spirals, and over illuminated crystals, with their imagination being the only limitation.

There is a community on Reddit: cannabonsai subreddit with plenty of example, tips and tricks to using Cannabis plants in bonsai. As cannabis isn’t a tree, there are some tradition bonsai enthusiats that disagree with cannabis as bonsai.

It will be interesting to see that line become firmer over time as artist styles develop along with the community, but for now, lets show them that it can be a fantastic art form, hobby and sculpture piece!

Best To Use Autoflowers Or Photoperiods For Cannabonsai?

Cannabonai can also be grown with autoflower plants OR photoperiod clones, so those looking to get started just need to grab a pot, some clones , and few other items to give it a go.

Please send us your project photos as we love to see the different styles and personalities come out in these cannabonsai!

Auto Blue Gorilla Informal Upright Cannabonsai – Grown Outdoors

Of course, photoperiod varieties are also fun because you get to grown them as long as you’d like (but be sure to keep them on at least 18 hrs of light per day). This allows you to make all kinds of cool cannabonsai art you can’t really pull off with autoflowers like this East Coast Sour Diesel roots over rock that’s about five months old:

How To Get Started With Cannabonsai?

Getting started with anything can be stressful, but if you have any experience with cannabis cultivation or even keeping houseplants, you’ve got this. Zero plant experience or someone who kills plastic plants? Cannabonsai uses small pots, so it’s a little tricky in general, but YOU CAN DO THIS TOO.

I started growing with absolutely zero knowledge or people to show me the way in person, but there are infinite amounts of growing knowledge online for free. From forums to subreddits, the world is your library for growing weed.

YouTube has been a game-changer for basic knowledge as well! On my YouTube series Zen Cannabonsai I have a beginner video for Autoflower Cannabonsai and a ton of other videos where I start and maintain my various projects.

Another solid intro video is Episode 4, where I went down to my local dispensary and grabbed a clone. I wanted to show how anyone can start one of these with a clone, and I’m happy to say that the Venom OG clone is alive and kicking to this day.

Manny’s Cannabonsai also has a series for auto-enthusiasts where he walks you through the process of growing an Autoflower Cannabonsai from start to finish. On top of that, he has a book called Cannabonsai: A Beginner’s Guide that’s really sharp visually and can show you the ropes in an afternoon.

As you dive deeper into the art, you may enjoy my Roots Over Rocks episodes as well as Cannabonzai’s videos and books on more advanced photoperiod techniques. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing their books as well, and while distinctly different than Manny’s, they offer a TON of valuable info and lovely pictures.

Cannabonsai Supplies

Besides knowledge, the only other thing you need to get started is supplies and a thick skin. Growing anything can be tough, and while cannabis is actually relatively easy to grow, shit happens! From cats eating plants to overwatering, there are countless pitfalls that can face a grow. But keep your chin up and JUST KEEP GROWIN!

As for supplies, I’ve outlined most of what you’ll need on the Supplies page here on Zen Cannabonsai. I only listed the products I’ve used and recommended and linked to the two seed companies I trust right now.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do Cannabonsai Plants Smell?

Yes and no. The two things that make traditional cannabis smell strongly in flowering and drying phases are genetics and surface area. Some strains like Sour Diesel have a FUNK and smell in any amount. Others have less of a smell, and if the plant is small, there isn’t a ton of surface area for the smell to emanate from as air circulates over the plant.

Regardless, cannabonsai are not a solution to your grow being smell proof and it’s always a good idea to use a carbon scrubber kit (or DIY if needed).

How Long Do Cannabonsai Live For?

Autoflower cannabonsai live for their pre-bred timeline. This is usually around 60-100 days. They can’t be regrown and die at that time.

Photoperiod cannabonsai can live over a decade but require ongoing maintenance and rootwork after around the 6-month mark. This variety can also be “revegged” after flowering, though this is definitely an advanced technique.

How Do You Train A Cannabonsai Into A Shape?

Any way that works for you! I personally use traditional bonsai wire, but I’ve used rubber bands and binder clips, hemp cord, zip ties, and whatever else I had around in the past. When deciding on a shape, I like to look at traditional bonsai shapes and draw inspiration from there, but other cannabonsai artists take a more whimsical approach and shape their plants into plants Dr. Suess himself would be proud of.

Another material I see folks often using for shaping is horticultural wire. It has a soft exterior, and I should probably switch to this at some point.

When Do You Start Training?

It’s super tempting to start messing with the plant as soon as it’s broken ground, but patience is key. I like to wait until the 3rd or 4th node before shaping at all due to the cell walls being really weak before that point. It’s super easy to accidentally “fold” a fresh stem where it doesn’t break, but all vascular movement is severely impacted, leading to crappy overall health.

It’s fine to move the plant around a bit, and I even recommend lightly flicking seedlings to build up those cell walls (adding water-soluble silica to your water helps enormously, too), but less is more. At about $10 a pop for seeds, there’s no reason to rush that first bend. You can order seeds or plants by texting us at 424 262 8420.