Bonsai Trees

If you are considering buying a bonsai, it is recommended that you gather enough information about general horticulture and basic care for potted plants. Growing a bonsai will not be accomplished successfully unless you have gained sufficient knowledge about plants and have acquired deep understanding on the specific bonsai care instructions.

If you are in a possession of a bonsai that you do not have any idea what specific specie it belongs to, then you won’t be able to properly take care of it. Thus, before you try knowing the basic bonsai care instructions, make sure you have determined the type of plant you have. For instance, if it belongs to the deciduous bonsai type and you decide to place it indoors, then you are likely going to kill it. Likewise, a tropical bonsai placed outdoors in intensely cold temperatures will also die. If you can’t figure out the particular bonsai specie, get help from people who will be able to identify the plant for you.

Your research will probably tell you that watering is the most challenging among the bonsai care instructions. Your bonsai is more likely going to die with improper watering technique more than all the other causes combined. Check daily the moisture content of the plant’s soil by inserting a chopstick or toothpick through the soil. If the chopstick or toothpick is not wet but merely damp, it is time to water the plant thoroughly.

Light and the site where you will be putting your bonsai at, are also part of the bonsai care instructions. Bonsai needs light. However, its light requirements differ according to location, plant specie, and climate. Thus, some plants may need the sun’s full impact, while others may simply require a dose of indirect sunlight throughout growth season. If you live in places or houses where it is impossible to let your tropical bonsai get its required share of sunlight, then it should be placed outdoors all throughout its growing season. If your bonsai is seeing the sun less often than it’s supposed to, you may use artificial light to compensate for the absence of real sunlight.

There are really no specific bonsai care instructions that will work for all types of bonsai. Since various species have different needs, they all should be treated distinctly from one another. After all, no two species are ever alike. They may look the same, but they are always varied in some other way.

Bonsai wire is used to hold the branches of a Bonsai tree in place in order to shape them. The bonsai wire remains wrapped around the trunks and branches until the tree is able to maintain the desired shape, during which the bonsai wire is removed.

You can get bonsai wire from any supplier of bonsai tools and accessories. The types that they will have are plain silver aluminum and a copper-colored anodized aluminum wire.

You can choose either bonsai wire. The advantage of a plain silver bonsai wire is it will be easier to see under developed branches than the anodized one when you need to check your wiring later. On the other hand, the copper or brown color of the anodized wire will blend well with the tree branches so they would be more pleasing to the eye.

If you cannot obtain bonsai wire, you can substitute a wire any type of wire that is easily bendable and removable. Bonsai wire comes in different sizes from 1 mm to 7mm, usually weighing 100 to 150 grams and can be over 100 feet long.

Choosing the right size of bonsai wire can be tricky. Some find it easier to buy coils in different sizes but still, you do not want to waste money buying wires that you will not be able to use. One way to determine the size of bonsai wire that you need is to find a wire that you can bend with the same effort as you would bending your tree’s trunk or branch.

If it is easier for you to bend the wire than the wood, then you would need a thicker bonsai wire. Alternatively, if you find that the wire you bought will not be strong enough to do job properly, then you can try double wrapping the wire by applying two wire pieces.

Mid to late summer is the typical season for applying bonsai wire because this is the time when the tree is actively growing so it will set into the desired position faster. It is very important to ensure that the bonsai wire does not cut into the tree to avoid scars. When wiring deciduous or coniferous Bonsai trees, make sure not to confine or damage the foliage with the bonsai wire.

Apply the wire at a 45º angle to the part being wrapped. Do not place the coils too far apart as it will not produce your desired results. When it is time to remove the bonsai wire, cut it from the tree. Unwinding the wire may damage your bonsai.

Bonsai is an ancient art that originates from East Asia, but has now grown to encompass a worldwide following. This is a true gardening art form, because in order to make bonsai growing work, you need gardening and artistic creativity, plus patience, discipline, and knowledge. Originally from China, and later expanding to Japan where it has taken root and flourished, the requirements for bonsai are not a lot, as some people imagine. The higher levels do require more “masterful” knowledge; however bonsai is also one of the most convenient forms of gardening out there for urban dwellers.

Anyone can take up bonsai even without sufficient land space. Bonsai suits those living in apartments and condominiums with only a balcony to garden in. But, most bonsai trees are not adapted to grow indoors. This is a common misconception, that although you can grow almost all types of tree species as bonsai, only a few species can be grown “indoors.” Even then, it is not their natural behavior to grow indoors, but these few species can better tolerate indoor conditions compared to most others.

As a general rule, trees growing in temperate climates need a dormancy period, and in the warmth of an indoor environment, they will die. The one’s you see being photographed indoors are almost always juveniles. On the other hand, trees from tropical areas are often from forests with high canopies that shade the forest floor; they are better able to tolerate lower light conditions and the modular temperature of indoors. So, tropical/subtropical trees are often the only choices for indoor bonsai.

Some of the bonsai tree species that can be grown Indoors are:

• Serissa Foetida
• Adenium Obessum
• Ficus Benjamina
• Holiday Cactus (Schlumbegera)
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
• Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia)
• Olive family species
• Brush Cherry (Eugenia mytrifolia)
• Schefflera arboricola
• Pomegranate (Punica sp)
• Azaleas (Rhododendron sp)
• Chinese Sweetplum (Sageretia thea)

Bonsai has been grown indoors with only artificial light as their light source. Most species adapt well to artificial light, and will bloom even during winter. Examples of this are Serissa and Punica, while the Chinese Elm and Brush Cherry will enter dormancy during winter. It is a good practice to take the trees out during the summer, as they will benefit from the sun’s rays, rather than keep feeding them artificial light. Fluorescent lights measuring about a meter long are commonly used to provide the artificial lighting.

Good air circulation in and around the pot is highly beneficial for the plant. Small fans installed above the lighting and running at low speed is adequate. You can actually combine a “mini” greenhouse with a sufficiently large cupboard, fluorescent lights and proper ventilation, just like what you see being done in aquariums. The leaves of the bonsai should be as close as possible to the fluorescent unit without getting burnt by the light, because the light intensity falls rapidly away the further the bonsai is from the lighting. For best lighting settings, consult an aquarium specialist near you; these guys often have good knowledge on how to grow aquatic tropical plants which can be applied to growing bonsai as well.

For soil and feeding concerns, try to get soilless mix because these are the easiest to handle, and whatever nutritional inadequacies can be rectified with adequate mixtures of peat or bark. A typical bonsai soil composition is one third sand, one third peat, and one third regular soil. Or you can try Akadama. Akadama and other pumice based soil are often regarded as the best “soil,” because they are porous and absorb water, while still being able to drain water easily.

The important thing to remember for the soil, is how deep the water can penetrate and how well it drains away. Typically, very small trees require watering daily, while larger trees can be watered 2-3 times a week. One advantage with Akadama soil, is you can tell if the soil is damp or not by looking at it. If it’s damp, it is dark in color and vice versa if it’s dry.

There are several causes why bonsai go into permanent dormancy, but most bonsai are lost because of inappropriate watering techniques. The proper bonsai care does not really require your 24 attention, but it does necessitate some real understanding of the bonsai plant.

Watering is known to be the most important aspect in bonsai care. However, watering is a learned skill, and there is no one strict rule regarding it. Water requirements differ for each type of bonsai, the type of soil used for each, and the kind of pot each is in. There are other factors that may affect water requirement and the time that watering needs to be carried out such as moisture retention of the soil, weather conditions, size of the pot, and humidity. But even if water requirements are variable, it is still crucial that the tree does not totally dry out. You can check the soil’s dampness by inserting a chopstick or toothpick into it.

Pruning is another element of bonsai care. Although pruning is not necessarily done on a new bonsai plant, it is necessary for those who have achieved some growth. Pruning is the process of trimming the plant into a desired shape. Since trimming and pruning are expressions of art, there are really no definite shapes to follow. However, there are guidelines on how to properly carry out the act.

Not a lot of people know that lighting plays a vital role in bonsai care. Every living thing requires various amounts of sunlight to grow, so consider that when you choose a site for you bonsai. If there is too little sunlight in the area you have in mind, make sure that artificial light is available to suffice for it.

Generally, fertilization is not a huge requirement in bonsai care. The number of times you need to put fertilizer is based on the type of bonsai and potency of the fertilizer used. However, it is not advisable to fertilize a very dry and unhealthy bonsai.

Repotting has also an impact on bonsai care. This process is recommended done on a bonsai in order to give it a good root system and a fresh supply of soil. Most bonsai necessitate repotting after two years, although this also depends on the plant’s growth and the size of its pot.

The proper bonsai care is not that complicated. If you have real passion for the plant, it will all come out naturally.

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is probably the best tree to start with for a new bonsai gardener. These trees are excellent bonsai material because it is a hardy tree which doesn’t require a lot of attention and is easy to take care for it. Bald cypresses grow in USA from Delaware to Texas all the way by Mississippi and in north in state of Missouri.

These trees can reach up to 40m in nature, but bonsai is usually about 160 times smaller reaching the height of 25cm. The diameter of the trunk is around 2m and sometimes up to 5, but usually not more than 3. Bark can be a bit gray to red-brown.

Leaves grow on small branches (branchlets), which grow in spiral in two horizontal lines from 1-2cm long and about 2mm apart. Despite the fact that most of the species from this family don not loose their leaves in winter bald cypress does, and that is where it’s got its name from Bald cypress.

Bald cypresses grow on alluvial soil usually near waters, but they can tolerate some salinity but are unable to grow in brackish coastal waters. Bald cypress’s best climate is warm climate where it grows pretty fast, but it can also grows more to the north where the only problem is ice that damages the seeds.

So if you are beginner in bonsai area, get yourself a bald cypress to start and when you will know how to handle this tree you will be able to take care of some more exotic and sensitive trees.

To get seeds of Bald cypress and learn more about bonsai visit My Bonsai