Root maintenance and potting of the tree are two aspects not typically dealt with for maples, as these trees are usually grown to their full size. Root maintenance and proper trimming is a requirement in order to maintain the health of the tree. When looking for this information, you should use resources specific to the maple bonsai tree, as typical tree tending does not include this information. For the experienced bonsai grower, a good soil makes the difference between a thriving, healthy tree and one that will only survive a few months to a year. When you are selecting bonsai soil, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind, regardless of whether or not you are an experienced grower. There are many basic bonsai tools used to care for a tree, and these are typically sold as beginner sets. The four basic tools include a bonsai shear/scissor, a broom, a rake and tweezers. Typically, the highest quality tools for bonsai care are from Japan, where there are companies dedicated to the building of these tools. This takes a subtle amount of pressure on the branch of the tree, and consideration on how to place the wires. Wires that are placed incorrectly may permanently scar the tree, damaging the overall appearance of the tree, as well as impacting its lifespan. When placing your wires, you should be careful not to place them too close between where the branch and the trunk meet, but not so far that it encourages the branch to break. This lets the beginners experiment with wiring and caring for bonsai without having to wait for five to ten years to see the results of their efforts. There are many places that you can acquire bamboo. You can purchase it at many stores carrying plants, buy new shoots online that can be grown and transplanted into bonsai pots, or you can cut shoots from other bamboo plants and transplant them to begin your new plant. If you are adventurous, or have owned a bonsai tree previously, you can choose to acquire a young seedling and sculpt your bonsai tree yourself. If you are planning to sculpt your own bonsai tree, there are several things that you will want to remember. First, sculpting a bonsai tree takes years. Many of the trees that can be purchased are somewhere between seven to fifteen years old, gradually sculpted until the bonsai tree has taken the shape that the artist wants.