There are a few maintenance items you may want to purchase before you leave the bonsai shop or garden center, particularly if you don't live close to the shop. Fertilizer is the most important. The bonsai dealer will most likely be equipped with the right fertilizer for your tree, and may have it packaged in small quantities. Make sure the fertilizer you purchase has trace and minor elements included, as bonsai soil contains very little in the way of supplemental nutrients. Nutrients sold for hydroponic use are generally excellent fertilizers for bonsai trees.
Extra soil is also a good idea.
You may have to replace soil that washes away during watering, and the dealer may have special bonsai soil also packaged in small quantities. Your tree will eventually need some pruning to keep its shape. Leafy trees will need to have long shoots, or shoots that appear in the wrong places, trimmed back or snipped off. A basic and inexpensive pair of bonsai shears is a good investment. Sharply pointed, these shears can reach areas that household scissors find clumsy.