Pruning bonsai trees is important if you want them to stay healthy and looking their best. If you’re new to the process, there are a few things you need to know. This article will give you a few tips to get you started.
Timing
You should make sure that you prune your bonsai at least once every year. Most gardeners do this during the growing season. By pruning away new growth, you will help maintain the shape of your tree. If you’re looking to get rid of old season’s growth, you should do so in the fall.
Pruning bonsai trees can also be done during the winter if you want. If you have a deciduous tree, it will be a little easier for you to see what needs to be cut. However, you shouldn’t prune if the temperature outside is below freezing. The wood will likely shatter when you cut it.
Branches
You will most likely need to cut some branches away. You should start out by removing small branches that are growing toward the center of the tree where they’ll get little sunlight. Also, it’s important that you remove any branch that is intersecting with another branch.
Leaves
If you own a certain type of tropical or deciduous tree, you may also need to prune some leaves. This is done to get rid of ugly leaves and also to trim away large ones. You should cut leaves using very fine scissors. Make the cut directly behind the leaf instead of further up the steam. Also, if you cut away a lot of leaves, you need to make sure that you leave enough so that your tree can maintain enough energy.
These are a few tips for pruning bonsai trees. In addition to pruning, there are many other things you need to learn about proper bonsai tree care. So, click here now to learn everything you need to know about growing bonsai trees.
Most beginning bonsai artists will purchase a tree at some point of development and step by step learn to care for it. The beginner will graduate later on to pruning, trimming, wiring and other more advanced practices. At some point in his or her education, the enticement to undertake the challenge of producing a bonsai from seed will seem irresistible.
Here are some tips on how to grow your first bonsai tree from scratch.
Trees develop from seeds. True, many begin as seedlings, prunings or offshoots of mature trees. But the whole enterprise begins with seeds. In order for those seeds to become trees they pass through a stage called germination.
Sitting in the cold, wet soil of wintertime and springtime slowly dampens the seed’s casing or coat and induces early growth. Soil bacterium aid the process along. Nature provides the clues the bonsai artist should follow in order to give the young plant a proper start.
Planting in the autumn allows for the seeds to undergo this process, slowly and naturally. An artificial, and perfectly valid, method of seed preparation is known as ‘cold stratification’. It consists, essentially, of preparing seeds artificially by placing them in a container in the refrigerator to imitate natural conditions.
Whether preparing the seeds artificially or allowing for nature to do it for you, this discontinues the seed’s dormancy and leads to germination. It often happens that this will take a year or longer, with seeds beginning to germinate in the springtime a year and a half after the autumn sowing.
The length of time will vary by species, climate and even individual seed. Plants, like any other species, is composed of individuals with their own timetable.
You will be able to give your seeds some help by suitable fertilization, but exercise moderation. Once per month in early spring to mid-summer with 10-10-10 NKP (nitrogen (N), phosphates (P) and potassium (K)) is plenty. Fertilization should begin when the soil begins to warm up. If you maintain the pot indoors, this can be controlled artificially with a heat lamp, but this is more effort.
It’s important that the soil be kept moist, but not too wet. Moisture is important, but overly wet soil will kill a developing plant as quickly as soil too dry.
Naturally, finding out the correct balance will require some experimentation. Those experimentations can be sharpened by the usage of a moisture gauge, a thermometer-like device that measures water content in the soil. In point of fact, it’s helpful to have a thermometer, too!
Sow them in a container of beneficial soil, and then monitor occasionally as the year progresses. Seeds should be planted about 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch below the surface in soil with good drainage.
Once you have a little tree thrusting a tiny trunk above the surface you are on your way. But keep in mind that producing a bonsai from seeds takes several years. Brace oneself for a long term project!
I am a Horticulturist with over 30 years experience in the UK,I have been keeping bonsai for over 20 years – and still learning.
My website incorparates articles,auctions, books ebook and video.
There are many things that you have to do when growing a bonsai tree. One of the most important is being able to water the plant properly and at the right time. People who are growing them for the first time will usually kill them due to a lack of watering or too much of it. When you do not give them enough water they will die from dehydration. Too much water and you will drown them.
How you water them will depend on the type of bonsai tree you are growing, the soil you are using, and the type of plant pot that you are using. Certain species of trees will require different amounts of water. There are some types of soils that will soak up water fast and others that will take a few hours to drink it all.
The Japanese began the art of growing a Bonsai tree so it is no wonder that we are looking to them for the Bonsai watering tips that will help. According to an old Japanese adage it is important to water your plant three times for the soil, tree, and the pot. This process allows the water to thoroughly work itself into the soil and the pot. It will also leave a little bit of water behind for the tree to use later when it needs it the most.
Because all parts of the tree need some amount of water you cannot just pour the water into the soil and be done with it. At least 35% of the water that goes to the tree is not for the root system. Use some of the water to keep the leaves clean and dust and dirt off of them. The dust will also close up the holes that it uses to breathe.
It is better that you water your Bonsai a little bit even when it is raining. Just because it might be getting some amount of water from the rain doesn’t mean that it is getting in the right area. To make sure that it doesn’t drown you need to prop the pota few inches to remove excess water.
Once a week you need to place your pot in water making sure to cover the top completely. Keep it there until you stop seeing little bubbles rise to the surface. This step helps to make sure that the whole of the plant and soil is getting watered and will also help to make sure that they stay thoroughly watered throughout the rest of the week.
Do you know what the most common cause of death for bonsai trees is? Believe it or not, it is improper watering.
Most people think that watering should be the simplest of matters when, in fact, for bonsai trees at least, it is the most important thing that you can do and not do it correctly can kill your tree. In fact, improper watering kills more bonsai’s than anything else.
Bonsai trees root in special soil that is rather porous and has quick drainage. For this reason the bonsai must be watered frequently, however, care must be taken to not overwater as standing water can cause fungus to grow and contribute to root rot.
Here’s some steps that you can take to avoid under watering or over watering your bonsai:
In order to determine if your bonsai needs water or not you must test the soil to see how moist it is. Touch the top of the soil with your finger and if it feels dry dig a little deeper to see how far the dryness extends. If you want a more precise method you can buy a moisture gauge which takes into the soil and will tell you what watering is needed.
It’s a good practice to set the container you’re bonsai is in into a buck of water so that water can be soaked up from the bottom about once every four weeks. let the water soak in for 20 minutes or so and then remove the pot. Be sure to always lift by the container and never by the trunk of the tree.
Your container should have a drainage hole in the bottom and a tray underneath to catch the excess water. If you find water pooling in the tray for too long you might want to make sure to remove the water so that it doesn’t collect from the roots causing rot and contributing to the buildup of mold.
When the bonsai is growing during the spring and summer you want to water daily making sure that water flows through the entire container and out the bottom but not so much that it is standing in water. You may actually have to water more than once a day depending on the soil in your climate as well as the species of tree. In the fall and winter when growth has slowed you will not need to water so much.
Some types of bonsai like flowering and deciduous trees need more water and other types such as conifers need a bit less. You’ll need to experiment to find out what the right amount of water for your bonsai is. Be on the lookout for wilting flowers and curled leaves which can indicate lack of water and adjust accordingly.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://bonsai.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about bonsai trees.
There are a lot of places that you can get a bonsai. Even though they are from the Japanese culture originally, you will be able to take care of a bonsai tree no matter where in the world you leave. There are a lot of people who will want to plant a bonsai tree outside, however, you will need to take inconsideration the climate and soil conditions before you order yourself one of these trees, because it is so hard to plant a bonsai outside in many of the climates and conditions of the world. That doesn’t mean that you will have to give up the idea of purchasing a bonsai tree, since you can purchase a miniature tree and plant it in a pot or indoor rock garden.
When it comes to purchasing a bonsai tree you will want to keep inconsideration that there are many places. You could go to some of the local department stores, nurseries, and you will also be able to go online and order yourself one of these trees. You will find that these trees will be very valuable to you, but they will cost little to nothing for you to purchase. You will find that when it comes to purchasing these trees that you consider a few things.
First, you will want to make sure that it will be a safe transaction. Basically this rule is for purchasing online. You will want to make sure that the site is legitimate and you will also want to make sure that it is a trusted site. You need to learn how to purchase things cautiously so that you can be aware of the hazards of buying things online and identify theft.
Secondly you will need to think about the quality of the plant. Make sure that you check to see if there is a warranty on the plants because they may end up shipping you a dead plant and you may have no idea rather or not it is salvageable. The last thing that you will want to do is spend some money on the tree and then not be able to give it love and attention that it needs to grow. You will need to learn how you can protect yourself and your investments.
Thirdly, you will want to read what the kit says. There are lot of kits available online and offline that does not truly include the plant. Make sure that you understand what you are purchasing.
There are a lot of places that you will be able to purchase the bonsai tree at, however, you will need to consider all the research that you will have to put into working with the tree and the upkeep. You may find that there are a lot of things that you will want to consider when it comes to taking this type of tree into your home. You’ll want to make sure that you can handle the bonsai so that you can keep your investment growing.
Who else wants to discover the step by step secrets the bonsai masters use to create stunning bonsai trees – with very little work? Find out here at http://www.palalu.com/bonsai/
If you are looking for a great gift idea to give to someone that you love, you should think about the dwarf bonsai tree. They are a great way to show someone that you love them and how special they are to you. These are a great idea for a friend or family member that you want to show how much you are thinking about them. You will find that someone that you give these great dwarf bonsai trees to will appreciate you more and love the plant or tree too.
The look of the dwarf bonsai tree is going to be something that you love. This great tree is so easy to take care of. You will not have to do much work for these superior plants. You do not have to worry about how or where you put these plants. The best thing about these great dwarf bonsai trees is that you can put them anywhere. They are going to do well in low light and you should not have to keep on moving them around all the time to get the right light that they are needing.
If you are looking to cheer, someone up you should think about the dwarf bonsai trees that are on the market today. There are so many great looking trees and plants that you can pick from. The dwarf bonsai trees are going to be one idea that is going to make your space look and feel even better. Do not be afraid to use them in and around your home so that you are able to make the statement that you are looking for. Do not worry about what type of space the receiver of one of these dwarf bonsai trees have. They are going to do well in just about any environment that you have.
You can get one of the dwarf bonsai trees for a low price. You do not have to spend a fortune on these great looking plants to create a special feeling for someone. No matter what type of occasion it is, you will bring a smile to someone’s face. You should not have to worry about these plants dying on you too soon. The great think about the dwarf bonsai tree is that they are going to last a long time and the maintenance is going to be one of the easiest for any tree or plant on the market today.
The next time you are looking for a great gift for someone that you love, you should think about the dwarf bonsai tree. You will surely get a great reaction when you are using this as your special gift idea for any holiday or partying gift.
Who else wants to discover the step by step secrets the bonsai masters use to create stunning bonsai trees – with very little work? Find out here at http://www.palalu.com/bonsai/