Taking a knife to your bonsai tree for the first time can be a daunting prospect. The fear is that something will go wrong and your tree will end up looking ghastly, or you might even kill it. However proper pruning is an essential component in the care of bonsai trees
Pruning is necessary to give your tree its desired shape, then maintain that silhouette. Bonsai masters have, over centuries, devised stringent rules to provide growers with guidelines on the proper shaping and care of bonsai trees. For instance, the first branch should be about one third up the height of the trunk. If the first limb branches to the right, the second should grow from the opposite side with the pattern repeating as branches rise up the tree. They should also reduce in size as they ascend and there should be plenty of space between them.
The best time to prune depends largely on the type of bonsai you have. Some varieties prefer spring when the tree is about to undergo its most vigorous growth. Other varieties thrive better if pruned in the fall. You will probably need to do a little research on the maintenance and care of bonsai trees to determine the most suitable time for pruning your particular plant.
Your next step is to determine which branches detract from the appeal of your tree and earmark them for removal. That will mean taking out any that cross over the trunk or each other, as well as any that are growing on the wrong side or are too close to another.
Proper care of bonsai trees means it is usually necessary to prune hardest at the top of your tree where the growth is the most vigorous. If left alone, this top growth will pull nutrients from weaker, lower branches and spoil the look of your tree. Conversely, heavily pruning in one area will encourage growth in a weaker area.
When pruning branches it is best to cut them back to a bud that is pointing in the same direction in which you wish the tree to grow. This means any new growth will branch in that direction. A word of warning though – think carefully before making a cut and don’t get too carried away. You can’t put a branch back once it has been removed.
The best tools to use are secateurs or scissors,but make sure they are sharp enough to give a clean cut. Also ensure they have been cleaned first to minimise the risk of the wound becoming infected. A protective coat of suitable paste should be applied to any large cuts to minimise the risk of pests or diseases getting into the wound. Your pruning instruments should always be sharp and clean as blunt tools will leave a ragged cut more likely to lead to trouble in this regard.
Proper care of bonsai trees also involves pruning the roots. This is generally done every two to three years. Ideally you remove around a third of the root ball, snipping off the larger thicker roots. The mass of finer, hair-like roots left behind will be much more efficient at absorbing water.Very importantly, once you have repotted your bonsai after root pruning, you should give it a good soaking.
Once your tree is the desired shape you may still need to do what’s called maintenance pruning. This is a simple procedure able to be done using a finger and thumb to pinch off unwanted new growth.
As I stated in the beginning, pruning is essential for the proper maintenance and care of bonsai trees, and it can be scary wondering whether you are doing the right thing. However it’s this act which determines the shape of your tree, creating its unique appeal and thus providing the most satisfying aspect of this hobby. You simply need to think carefully, plan your moves and do your homework first.
To find more information on pruning and all aspects of the care of bonsai trees care of bonsai trees
Some gardeners confuse the concept of dwarfing with the practice of bonsai tree growing. Dwarfing is when a tree is genetically breed over time and over generations to reflect a specific attribute. For example, dogs might be breed over time so that they are faster for racing. A similar concept happens with dwarfing except the tree is breed to be smaller over successive generations. Bonsai tree growing on the other hand is when the bonsai is genetically the same as any other tree and is not breed to be smaller. Instead, by controlling its environment the owners can restrict its size and control its shape.
This is done through the techniques of wiring, pruning, clamping, defoliation, root reduction, grafting and by other means. These techniques take years to master and learning them is said to produce a calming effect on your life. In fact many spiritual and holy men from East Asian countries practice bonsai tree growing as it is said to be similar to meditative practice. This may be because whilst your everyday life is fast and busy, growing bonsai trees is said to be a slow, time consuming process so this helps to contrast and put things in perspective. Also the rewards from watching your tree grow over the years can be very powerful.
When you’re growing a bonsai tree you can start out by choosing a seedling. You can get this from a local gardening store along with a pot, soil and a few other tools to start yourself off. You can also take a cutting from an existing tree, which will slowly grow into its own separate tree. Both of these methods require quite a bit of time for a beginner and so new owner might instead want to pick a young, small premade bonsai that is ready to be styled for the future.
Most people would think of bonsai trees as indoor plants and that most of their time is spent on the windowsill. Actually, Bonsai trees are usually grown outdoors although there are some species that require inside care. This perception of the trees as normally indoors is probably because during exhibitions and competitions the trees are normally displayed indoors. However, in practice most bonsais are grown outdoors as long as the species is suited to the climate in which they are growing.
There are many differences between bonsai tree species and so great care must be taken when choosing the correct plant for your climate. But because of misinformation, bonsai trees are often badly cared for and unfortunately sometimes end up dieing. However, by following the correct instruction and techniques, bonsai tree care doesn’t have to be difficult and can be a very rewarding experience to be had over years of your life.
Tim Green has been looking after bonsai trees for many years and loves helping others do the same. For more information on bonsai tree care visit his website at www.bonsaitreecarecenter.com
Coniferous trees can be used to make lovely bonsai specimens, and among the most popular of conifers for bonsai is the juniper. The hugely popular juniper tree has over 50 varieties that can be found all over the world. Juniper are also one of the easiest bonsai trees to take care of, hence their popularity, particularly among novice bonsai growers. The juniper bonsai tree can be grown both indoors and outdoors, nonetheless, poor humidity, lack of decent light, and lack of a dormant period will ultimately kill them. A Juniper bonsai tree will tolerate short periods of being inside but if you really want it to thrive then keep it outside.
Juniper trees have two distinctive types of foliage that they display at different stages of their life. Young juniper trees have foliage that is like needles, and when they mature the foliage is more scale-like. Foliage will range in color from blue-greens to light-greens, even showing silver or gold hues on occassion.
A traditional juniper for bonsai is at times referred to as a Chinese Juniper. Another very popular species for bonsai is the Needle Juniper. The Needle Juniper gets it name from it’s very sharply pointed needles.
Watering Your Juniper
With most bonsai trees it would not be a good idea to let them dry out between waterings – not true with the juniper, it likes to dry out. Test the soil everyday to determine when it is time to water your juniper tree. If the soil in the pot looks and feels dry on the surface it is time to water it again. Put your finger into the soil to a depth of about one half to one inch. If the soil feels dry then you have to water your bonsai. Never allow your bonsai to go completely dry or it may suffer damage and die. Set your bonsai in the sink or in a container of water, practically up to the rim, for 15-30 minutes or until all the air bubbles stop rising and the soil is saturated. After watering using this suggestion you want to make certain that you allow it to drain completely because junipers are vulnerable to root rot if the roots sit in water. If you can’t soak your plants using this method then water thoroughly from the top, wait a few minutes, and then water again. You may need to do this a few times until the soil has been thoroughly soaked. A complete water cycle will go from the soil being completely soaked to being sort of dry.
A frequent spraying of your juniper bonsai’s foliage will help keep them free of dust and help them to breathe. This is particularly important for trees that have recently been repotted. Your bonsai is at risk of becoming dehydratred until the roots have recovered from the repotting and can bring water to the whole tree. A good spraying will also cut excess transpiration from the juniper’s foliage.
Make Sure Your Juniper Gets the Right Amount of Sunlight
Outdoors are where most Juniper bonsai trees are typically grown. A juniper bonsai tree will tolerate full sun, but the ideal circumstance would be to allow it to get low strength morning sunlight with afternoon shade. Alternatively, filtered or shaded sunlight all day would be fine.
Humidity
Almost all trees and plants love humid growing conditions. You can use a humidity tray beneath your potted juniper bonsai to maintain a higher level of humidity. Place your bonsai pot on top of the stones in the tray. After you’ve given your bonsai a good watering from the top the tray can also serve as a collection area for excess water. Again, a good spraying should be done in between waterings.
Fertilizing
Use a high nitrogen fertilizer in the spring and fertilize every three weeks, then use a more balanced fertilizer during the summer months, and then reduce the nitrogen for fall fertilizing. A diluted, half strength fertilizer will keep your roots from being damaged if you are using a chemical fertilizer.
Mike Andrews is a gardener and author and has been a devoted enthusiast of the art of bonsai for many years. Read his additional articles relating to the Juniper bonsai tree on his website at www.myjapanesebonsai.com. Please visit and sign up for his FREE 7-part mini-course on how to grow and train miniature bonsai trees. Peace.
Ever looked in awe at the stunning, miniaturized beauty of a Bonsai tree and wondered how hard Bonsai trees care is? Or, like me, have you had one, and it died? Well let me let you into a secret – care of bonsai trees is not hard. All you need is a little knowledge.
Bonsai is the art of growing trees and shrubs in miniature – and training them into beautiful art forms. Growers use special techniques to help create those aesthetic shapes. You do not need much in the way of special tools – just a basic tree, a small pot and the know how. That makes it a relatively inexpensive and very satisfying occupation.
Did you know the oldest living bonsai tree is around 500 years old? It is a five-needle pine first posted around 1610. It’s now housed in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. How has it survived so long, and could you start a bonsai that can be handed down from generation to generation within your family for hundreds of years? Of course you can. You just need a few clues on bonsai trees care.
The easiest way to start is to buy a bonsai from a garden centre or specialist. There’s a huge variety to choose from as almost any woody-stemmed tree or shrub can be turned into a bonsai.
The trick of bonsai tree care is getting the right one for your climate and knowing when to keep it inside or put it outside. Choice will come down to which sculptured silhouette you find most pleasing.
If you have an already-potted bonsai, it can stay in the pot for many years – but eventually is going to need repotting. Again you need to know when and choosing the right pot can also be critical.
But like any plant , basic bonsai tree care comes down to watering, soil, temperature and light.
It is crucial to know just how much water. The bonsai’s whole world is bound in one little pot. Too much water and it’s suffering a flood – too little and it’s a drought, and going from one to another is a vicious cycle will quickly kill your treasured plant.
To care properly for bonsai trees, you also need to ensure they are checked regularly for pests and diseases. Indoor trees tend to suffer most of these, as insects also love the shelter provided by being indoors. The leaves and branches of your tree will also benefit from gentle cleaning.
It’s vital you choose the right soil and also that you apply just the right amount of fertilizer and in the right season. Pruning is another crucial element to correct care of bonsai trees. Pruning of a bonsai involves not only the branches, but also the roots. You need to know how much root to cut off and how to select the right roots to keep. Pruning branches must be done carefully and thoughtfully to ensure you end up with the your desired, and most aesthetically pleasing shape.
It might seem like a lot to consider, but once you have mastered the techniques of bonsai trees care, it takes very little time especially when you consider the hours of pleasure your bonsai trees will give you, your friends and generations of your family to come.
There is a five needle miniature pine bonsai tree in the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, which is known as the Sandai-Shogun-No Matsu. It is one of the country’s national treasures and it was first trimmed and potted in 1610, just a few years after Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the British Parliament and a few years before William Shakespeare died. It’s still thriving today because its keepers have known the secrets of bonsai trees care.
Bonsai is, as I’m sure you know, the art of growing miniature trees. But just because they’re tiny doesn’t mean they’re less hardy than their full sized cousins nor does it mean they do not live as long.In fact, many of these dwarfs often outlive their fully grown counterparts.
There is something extremely therapeutic about creating bonsai trees, and at the same time it is an art which requires little in the way of expensive or specialist tools. The trees are a living art – with no two exactly alike – and they can change with the seasons and the years. Deciduous bonsai grown outdoors, for instance, lose their leaves in winter just as normal trees do, then they grow them back in spring. For added visual effect you can choose bonsai trees that flower such as azalea or white star jasmine.
The easiest way to start is to buy a tree already trimmed and in a pot. It has usually already been shaped, often with the sculptor using wire to give it a unique, twisted appearance. But it is up to the keeper of the tree to trim leaves and branches as the years go by, deciding which to keep and which to cut. Bonsai masters, those that are involved with bonsai trees care, attempt to create not just an aesthetically pleasing shape, but a spiritual sense of age, beauty and timeless endurance.
You will need to know how to prune the trunk and roots of your tree as well as the branches. It may sound rather daunting but, as I have said before, all that’s needed is the right knowledge to know what to trim and what to leave.
Another very vital factor for bonsai trees care is watering. Because they are in shallow pots and have less roots than normal , bonsai trees are particularly vulnerable to dehydration. But give them too much water all at once and it’s like subjecting them to a 100 year flood! Watering needs depend on the humidity, type of soil, size and shape of the pot, the type of tree you have and whether it’s inside or outside.
Bonsai do need to be re-potted and the roots pruned but when depends entirely on your particular type of tree and how vigorously it is growing, but it is most often done, as with normal gardening, just before spring when the plant is in a reasonably dormant state.
Bonsai generally need a loose fast-draining soil – but again it depends on the type of tree, its pot and where it’s sited. Pots come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. The pot should complement the tree in both colour and shape and is considered as much a part of the art-form as the tree itself.
Bonsai trees care is not particularly onerous if you have the right knowledge. They don’t require a lot of effort or expense, neither are they particularly time consuming. Bonsai trees can die very quickly – it they do not have the proper care.
With the right knowledge you will not only create something that will give you hours of pleasure but also a treasure your family can pass down from generation to generation. By understanding the principles of bonsai trees care, you can grow a living treasure to pass on to your grandchildren, which in turn, they can pass on to their children with the duty of care for bonsai trees handed down through countless generations, outlasting most other forms of legacy.
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A hotly debated topic among bonsai followers is about soil. While watering is vital to the care of bonsai trees, so too is the type of soil as the soil is involved in delivering nutrients to the tree.
With the care of bonsai trees, we are trying to keep the tree small and the root system shallow, so we need to use a different composition of soil than that of an ordinary house plant.
We want our house plants to grow larger and to do this, they require their root systems to become deeply established so that they can retain as much water as possible for growth. Potting soil is heavy and can stay damp for a long time. If we were to use this ‘heavy’, water retaining, soil for our small trees with their shallow roots, rot will start to set in.
There are so many types of soil specially for bonsai trees. Bonsai generally need a loose fast-draining soil – but again it depends on your type of tree, its pot and where it is sited.
With bonsai soil, you must look for two things. The first is whether it will retain water properly and absorb nutrients from the air around it. Bonsai trees are very sensitive towards moisture and need gases in order to survive.
The second most important quality that you should look for in bonsai soil is that it will drain water quickly. If the soil retains too much moisture then the roots will be subject to rot which will kill your tree very quickly.
While all bonsai soil will do essentially the same thing, some soil mixtures differ in their composition which will have an effect on the way that they work. Some will have more nutrients and some will have less. Again it is important to know what type of tree you have to you can ensure it’s potted in the right soil for your specific plant so you should investigate the needs of your individual bonsai before making a choice.
Generally speaking, experts on the care of bonsai trees recommend a mix of around 30 percent sandy grit and 70 percent humus for deciduous trees and vice verse for evergreen needle plants.
There are many premixed soil solutions that you can purchase that will cater to the needs of your tree.
To make sure that I was getting relevant information for my particular plant, I took a visit the nursery where my plant had come from to ask for some help on the proper care of bonsai trees. I was told that due to the shallow root system of a bonsai, it is important that the tree receives adequate amounts of air circulation via free drainage, while at the same time retains enough moisture and nutrients necessary for growth and good health.
They told me that the secret in the care of bonsai trees is in providing the right amount of water, air, nutrients and light. Bonsai comes in several varieties and each has different requirements in terms of these vital ingredients.
So for the present time, I decided that I am staying with the pre-mix solution from my local nursery. After all, the tree has remained alive and well in their care – up to the time I got it. They seem to be a decent quality and its saves me from having to work out the percentages and materials required to mix my own.
When I have learnt more about more about the care of bonsai trees, I intend to take a more “hands on” approach and mix my own.
But for the present – the pre-mix will be fine for my bonsai tree.
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