Bonsai journal with tree profiles, care logs and styling sketch pages

This bonsai journal helps you remember what each tree has been through, how it was cared for and how its shape has changed across the years. Its 45 undated pages hold a profile for each of 12 trees, a care calendar you fill in by season, logs for watering, feeding, pruning and wiring, repotting records, sketch pages for styling and frames for progress photos. You get US Letter and A4 PDF files as an instant download, with nothing shipped.

Bonsai is a slow art. A good record lets you actually see the progress.

Why a bonsai journal makes tree care easier

Every tree has its own profile page: species, where it came from, a rough age, the style you hope to reach, its size, pot and spot, plus two frames for photos. One look tells you its past and its plan. In the pruning and wiring log, a wire watch table with check dates reminds you to remove wire before it cuts into the bark.

Repot records gather the old and new pot, the soil mix in percentages, root work and aftercare, with the date of the next repot noted beside them. Sketch boxes for before and after, along with dated photo frames, make gradual change visible. It suits a single tree on a windowsill as well as a full bench.

Who this bonsai care log is for

• New growers learning the watering, feeding and pruning rhythm of a first tree
• Collectors, with a few trees or many, who want each tree's history kept together
• Club members and workshop students who like their notes and styling plans next to their trees
• Lovers of slow hobbies who enjoy looking back on how a tree has changed over time

Design and printing details

• Clean, minimal white pages with soft blush pink touches that save ink
• Roomy margins, so a home printer will not trim anything
• Portrait pages in A4 (210 x 297 mm) and US Letter (8.5 x 11 in)
• Undated, so you can begin in whatever season or year suits you
• Fits indoor and outdoor trees of every species
• Use it in a binder or on a clipboard, or have a print shop spiral bind it

Inside the bonsai journal: 45 pages

1. 1Cover and contents
2. 2Welcome and how to use these pages, why bonsai matters to me, what I hope to learn this year, where my trees are kept (outdoors, indoors, balcony, greenhouse, windowsill), my growing zone, the sunniest spot, winter shelter and a care note
3. 3Bonsai space and tools, with a checklist of 10 common tools I own, tools and supplies still to buy, a table of soil, wire and supplies in stock, the best spot for each tree and a plan for winter
4. 4Styles and terms reference covering 10 classic styles, formal upright through root over rock, 8 useful words (nebari, apex, front, taper, jin, shari, pinching, defoliation) and the basics of wiring
5. 5Seasonal care calendar to complete yourself, one row per month for watering, feeding, pruning and pinching, wiring and repotting, protection and notes, along with your zone and frost dates
6. 6Checklists for spring, summer, fall and winter, each with a handful of starter tasks, room for your own and a list of trees to keep an eye on
7. 7Collection index for trees 1 to 12 showing name, species, style, date acquired and profile page, plus trees I dream of growing and trees given away or lost
8. 8 to 19Tree profiles, a full page for each of 12 trees: name, species, date acquired, source (nursery, seed, cutting, air layer, collected, gift), where it came from and what it cost, estimated age, the style I am working toward, height, trunk width and spread, pot, placement, two photo or sketch frames (on arrival and most recent), care notes and a long-term vision
9. 20 to 25Styling sketch pages, each with big before and after boxes, the goal style, branches to keep, branches to cut back or remove, a wiring plan, next steps and notes on front and angle
10. 26 to 29Progress photo pages with 6 dated frames each, plus season and what changed, ready for taped-in photos or quick drawings
11. 30 to 31Watering log covering two weeks per page, 10 tree rows on a Monday to Sunday grid with weather, notes and an easy marking key
12. 32 to 33Fertilizing log starting with your feeding plan, then 20 rows a page for date, trees, fertilizer, amount or strength, next feed and notes
13. 34 to 36Pruning and wiring log, 18 rows a page for date, tree, work done, branches or area, wire size and a check or remove by date, with a wire watch table
14. 37 to 38Repotting records, 4 altogether, each noting tree, date, old and new pot, why now, a soil mix table in percentages, root work, how the roots looked, aftercare and when the next repot is due
15. 39 to 40Pest and problem notes, 6 altogether, with tree, date spotted, tick-box signs, where on the tree, likely cause, what I did, when to check again and the result
16. 41Species care notes, 4 cards covering light, watering, feeding season, pruning and pinching, repot timing, winter needs and the source you read
17. 42 to 43Club and workshop notes with a topic line, lined space, a box to sketch the demo, key tips, ideas to test on my own trees and questions to ask
18. 44Looking back, a seasonal review of trees I have now, new trees, repots, styling sessions, which tree grew most, a sketch of my favorite and plans for the next season
19. 45Lined notes

What you download

• Bonsai Journal, US Letter PDF (45 pages)
• Bonsai Journal, A4 PDF (45 pages)
• Read Me First, a brief PDF with printing tips

How to download and print

• Check out with PayPal, a debit or credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your download page opens as soon as the payment goes through.
• We email the same private download links to you, so you can download your files again later.
• Open the PDF in a free reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and print at 100% or Actual size.
• Print only the pages you need, as often as you like, for your own personal use.

Good to know

• The PDF is designed for printing and is not a hyperlinked digital planner. Most note taking apps can still import it so you can write on the pages.
• You receive a digital file only. Nothing physical is mailed.
• Printed colors may look a little different from your screen.
• Personal use only. Sharing, reselling or redistributing the files is not allowed.
• Digital files cannot be returned. If a file will not open or print correctly, email us and we will help right away.
• These pages are for general hobby notes and do not give care instructions for a particular tree. Always follow care guidance for your species and your climate.

How this was made

Designed and written by PetiteDiary. AI tools helped draft parts of the text, and some background scenes in the preview images were created with AI. Every page was designed, reviewed and checked before release.

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