Bonsai Trees

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Bonsai Trees

• By Stephanie Husak

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Introduction

• Lets start by saying that bonsai trees are not
  genetically dwarfed plants, they are full size
  trees and are kept small by planting them in
  small planting pots. Given the proper care they
  can live for hundreds of years being passed on
  from generation to generation. Overall bonsai
  trees are something that are quite personalized
  and there are no strict rules to abide by. Only
  if you undertake it merely as a hobby which to
  gain enjoyment out of it.

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Maintenance

• They are developed from seeds or cuttings, from
  young trees or naturally occurring stunted trees
  transplanted into containers. Bonsai are kept
  small by pruning branches and roots, by periodic
  repotting, by pinching off new growth, and by
  wiring branches and trunks so that they grow into
  the desired shape.

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History

• The bonsai first appeared in China over a
  thousand years ago on a very basic scale, known
  as the practice of growing single specimens.
  They displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled
  trunks which often looked like animals, dragons
  and birds.

• In an ancient Japanese scroll written in Japan
  around the Kamakura period, it is translated to
  say To appreciate and find pleasure in
  curiously curved potted trees is to love
  deformity. Whether this was intended as a
  positive or negative statement, it leaves us to
  believe that growing dwarfed and twisted trees in
  containers was an accepted practice.

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Tips to Remember

• Bonsai is an Outdoor activity. Putting trees in
  pots doesnt transform them into indoor plants.
  If you keep them inside they will die.
• You will make mistakes, everyone does, learning
  and experience is the best teacher.
• You will kill trees. That is the sad part of the
  activity, especially starting out. Learn from
  your mistakes and do your best to prevent them in
  the future.
• Learn to care for different types of plants and
  grow your collection from their.

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Watering

• More bonsai are lost due to improper watering
  than from any other causes. The length of time
  between watering can vary quite a bit depending
  on conditions such as humidity, soil moisture,
  and size of the pot. Bonsai should be watered
  every day or two. The best time is in the
  morning or late afternoon.

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Repotting

• A bonsai must periodically be repotted to supply
  a pot-bound root system with fresh soil. It is
  also necessary to keep the root system balanced
  with the top growth. Most require repotting
  every two to three years and should be placed in
  specialized pots. This should be done in early
  spring. Do not let root system dry out while
  repotting and do not place in direct sun light
  for at least on week.

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Fertilizing

• Feedings vary from plant to plant, A
  water-soluble fertilizer is usually applied every
  two to four weeks. Miracle grow and Mir-acid are
  commonly used, but check label directions for
  your tree. Do not feed right after repotting
  (wait 3-4 weeks). Dont feed if the tree is in a
  sicken condition. Pre-moisten the plant soil
  first. Never fertilizer a very dry bonsai youll
  burn its roots and any decorative moss.

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Trimming Pruning and Training

• Trimming and pruning are the means by which a
  bonsai is kept small. You should trim the tree
  when the new growth comes in the spring. It is
  important however never to remove all of the new
  growth. The roots are trimmed and the tree limbs
  are wound with annealed copper wire to assist the
  branches to grow in the special way you want.

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The Desired Looks

• The tree and the pot from a single harmonious
  unit where the shape, texture and color of one
  complements the other. Then the tree must be
  shaped. Every branch and twig of a bonsai is
  shaped or eliminated until your shape is desired.

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Additional Features

• There are many factors, other than the main
  subject plant, which contribute to make a genuine
  bonsai. To make your bonsai stand out more, you
  could use mosses, alternatives to mosses as
  ground covers, and using ornamental rocks or
  stone with the bonsai.

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Formal Upright

• A tree with a style such as formal upright only
  occurs when it has grown in the open under
  perfect conditions. The most important
  requirement for this style is keeping the trunk
  perfectly straight.

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Informal Upright

• In nature, these trees bend or alter their
  direction away from wind or shade. An informal
  upright bonsai the trunk should slightly bend to
  the left or right, but never towards the viewer.
  Neither the trunk or branches should be pointing
  towards the viewer.

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Slanting Style

• Trees that slant naturally occur a result of
  really strong winds or deep shade during early
  development. Whether curved or straight, the
  whole trunk leans at a definite angle. The
  stronger roots grow out on the side, away from
  the angle of the trunk lean, to support the
  weight.

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Cascade

• The growing tip of a cascade bonsai reaches
  below the base of a container. The trunk has a
  natural taper and gives the impression of the
  forces of gravity. Branches appear to be seeking
  the light. All that is needed to require this
  shape is a tall narrow pot which will enhance the
  style.

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Semi-Cascade

• Like the cascade projects over the rim of the
  container, but does not drop below the base.
  The style occurs in nature when trees grow on
  cliffs or overhang water. The angle of the trunk
  in this bonsai is not precise, as long as the
  effect is strongly horizontal, even if the pant
  grows well below the level of the pot rim.

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Gallery
Fukien Tea
Maple
Jasmine Orange
Chinese Elm
Flowering Quince
Fukien Tea
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Gallery
Serissa Foetida
Yew Podocarp
Fukien Tea
Honeysuckle
Maple clinging to rock
Japanese Maple
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Gallery
Ko-Mayumi
Prunus Mume
Lilac
Japanese Juneberry
Howthorn
Crepe Myrtle