6 You need more wire to secure the tree. Pass it through the hole in the pot, from the bottom.

7 Place coarse soil in the pot until it is about one-quarter full. Choose soil that is porous (for air passage) and moisture-retaining. In Japan, bonsai growers often use a slightly acidic soil that is made primarily from red volcanic ash crushed into granules.

8 Place the tree in the pot, examine it from angles it will be viewed from, then orient it. Place so that the trunk base will be a little higher than the pot rim. Fasten wire to the tree to steady it, cut off excess wire, and bend ends down to protect fingers.

9 Take soil left over from Step 7, sift through a mesh and mix the finer material with river sand, seven parts soil to three parts sand.Fill pot about four-fifths full. Add more soil, while using tweezers to push in the soil and release air from between roots. When finished, the soil surface should be a touch below the pot rim.

10 Water thoroughly. If pot is small, you can soak soil in a bucket of water. Cut pieces of moss with shears, then use tweezers to plant the moss. Leave soil close to the trunk bare, to let sun strike the tree base and to give the impression that the tree is anchored firmly to the ground. Pat lightly with fingers.

11 Bonsai ready for its first display.
Pot: height 3 cm, diameter 7.5 cm.
Pyracantha size at this stage: height 11 cm, maximum width, 17 cm.