When selecting your bonsai tools, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind. First, the quality of the tools you purchase may affect how well your bonsai turns out. Low quality tools run risk of damaging your tree and leaving unpleasant looking scars on the bark of the tee. Low quality bonsai tools tend to be duller, lacking the ability to cleanly shear when needed. However, there are other types of trees that you can tend to that have a shorter grow period, letting your Japanese maple mature until it is ready to be designed into the forms that you desire. If you are planning to work with dwarf Japanese maple bonsai trees, you will need to learn leaf trimming and pruning techniques to ensure the proper growth and design of your maple. If you do not have wire that is strong enough for your size of tree, it is very easy to rectify. You can use a smaller wire that is double layered. This will provide equal strength to the thicker bonsai wire and do no extra damage to the tree. This is extremely convenient, especially if you already own wire for a smaller tree and want to work on a tree that has since matured. For example, like many other bonsai, the maple bonsai must be replanted once every year or two, dependent on the type of maple that you have. Japanese maples tend to be used, as this species of tree is traditionally associated with bonsai growing. However, as the art of bonsai growth has evolved, other forms of maple bonsai have come to the forefront, especially in the United States and Canada. The more familiar you are with the quirks of any piece of equipment you use, the more efficient you are at using the item. This is particularly important for those who have to tend to a lot of plants. The more bonsai one owns, the more time is saved by not having to fight with poor quality gear. When you are buying through a bonsai sale, most of the goods being sold will be a year old, possibly several years old. These are fired clays that hold their shape and absorb moisture well, which the roots can then feed off of. This is important as these soils have good drainage, which prevents root rot from occurring. As high quality fired clay tends to be absorbent, there is enough moisture to allow the roots to get what they need while the excess water drains away.