The practice of Bonsai began in China and Japan hundreds of years ago, and is simple the miniaturization of naturally occurring plants and trees. Bonsai trees are not “special small” trees, but rather trees that ave been slowly miniaturized from their full size.
The main areas of tree care are the following:
Watering your Tree
Bonsai Trees require more watering than most plants, as they are grown in less soil and the soil itself is free draining (meaning it doesn’t retain the water and lets it pass through). The type of tree, the sunlight it is exposed to all factor in to how much watering should be done. You can tell if your Bonsai Tree needs water by looking at it, feeling the soil and if you prefer; by using a moisture meter to be certain.
Fertilizing your Tree
Bonsai plants are grown in smaller amount of soil compared with other trees and plants, therefore fertilizing and feeding your tree is key. You will want to fertilize once in the Spring and once again in the Fall to ensure maximum health and growth. Your fertilizer should contain chelated iron, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. Make sure before you fertilize, to water your tree and then apply less than the recommended amount.
Misting your Tree
Bonsai trees and plants in general thrive in a humid environment, something that is somewhat uncommon in most of the world. Some gardeners would recommend misting your plants, to recreate this humid environment. The issue with misting is that it’s only a short term benefit to your plant. We recommend placing a tray below your tree, which you fill with water and allow natural evaporation to do the work to create humidity. Make sure the plant is setup off the tray so the roots are not sitting in the water constantly.
Sunlight for your Tree
Bonsai trees thrive in a sunny location, and only with a few exceptions (repotting, extreme trimming) it should live permanently in a sunny spot. It’s a good idea to leave your plant within a foot of a direct source of ultraviolet light. Southern (east/west okay too) exposure is best, if you plan to grow in a northern exposure location you may need the assistance of grow lights. Do not use Incandescent light as it is much too hot and does not provide a complete spectrum of light. Choose your type of tree wisely as some do better in less light and some require lots of light.
Trimming & Pruning your Tree
One of the main attractions of Bonsai ownership is the possibility to shape and mold your tree to meet your vision and desire. However there are fundamental concerns you need to keep in mind whilst pruning your tree. Balance is very important, and keeping a nice even distribution of branches over the your roots below is key to keeping your tree healthy and complete. You begin shaping your tree when it’s very young, and continue to shape even as your tree ages year after year. Butterfly shears are used to remove leaves and branches as needed. Large branches should only be removed with a concave cutter. Maintaining your trees appearance while minimizing the appearance of pruning is essential.
Protecting your Tree (from disease and pests)
Similar to many other trees and plants, bonsai are vulnerable to attacks by diseases and various pests. If you keep your bonsai in excellent health, you can ward of insects who are attracted to dyeing and weak trees. A healthy amount of light, fresh air and clean soil will ensure your bonsai stays healthy and gives you years of enjoyment. Insecticide soap spray is an option, however you should re-apply on a regular interval to prevent attacks from coming back.
Training your Bonsai
Expanding on the training idea of pruning and trimming, bonsai can be further trained using copper wise or hemp rope. The copper wire is rooted at the base of the tree and than wrapped around the trunk and branches, which allows your to train the branches to grow in your desired direction and shape. The wire should be wrapped closely but not too tight and the bends created should not be too extreme as to damage the branch. Once the wire starts biting into the bark, it should be removed. Removal should be done by snipping the wire at each bend, do not un wrap the wire as it can damage the branches and bark.
Soil for your Tree
When discussing watering above we noted that Bonsai trees use free draining soil, which means that it passes the water through and does not retain like typical potting soil. The makeup of the soil allows the roots of your bonsai to breathe freely. Bonsai soil comes in two main types, conifer and tropical mixtures. When you repot your tree make sure to do so with dry soil.
Repotting your Tree
As your bonsai grows and matures it will need to move containers. However unlike most repotting we do not upgrade our pots to larger sizes. When the bonsai is repotted the roots should be trimmed to fit the previous container size. Average time between repotting is 5 years, however it should be checked annually to verify root ball size. When trimming the root ball, do not remove more than 1/5 of the root material. Finally when repotting keep the bonsai out of the sun/light for at least a week.
Product Description Informal bonsai with small, shiny dark green leaves which are thicker than the standard ficus leaf but thinner than a Jade leaf. Develops a thick trunk and aerial roots at a relatively early age. Very easy indoor care. The tree is one of the best of the ficus for indoor and tropical bonsai. It is tough, durable and responds well to normal house plant care. Proper Name: Ficus The plant you will receive is growing in a 4″ pot, about 8″ tall, 3/4 inch diameter … More >>
Product Description These are 3, 8-inch classic deep brown bonsai humidity trays, a must have for any bonsai tree. These trays are a great compliment to any color bonsai pot gives your bonsai trees a decorative element and keeps water from seeping out of your bonsai pot and running all over your table. Made of a poly-resin with a slightly matted finish. These trays are durable won’t crack in the winter retain their color for years and are extremely economical. Like their bonsai pot p… More >>
Learn about growing bonsai trees from seed, in this free video. Expert: Mike Hansen Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.
Growing an indoor bonsai tree can be a great hobby full of rewards and relaxation. Or, it can be a frustrating experience that ends up costing a lot of money with nothing to show for it. What makes the difference? There is a plain and simple answer – knowledge and patience. Does this mean that the beginner has no hope of being successful? No! It just means that before starting the wonderful journey into the world of bonsai, you must make sure that you have the basic knowledge to maximize your chance for success. Two of the first steps are choosing a optimal location and choosing the correct species.
Indoor Bonsai Tree Location
The first thing you need to consider is where you want to keep your bonsai tree. Since a bonsai is, after nothing more than a miniature tree – the only difference between a bonsai tree and a regular ordinary tree is the size and care – they are best grown outdoors. This doesn’t mean that you can grow an indoor bonsai tree – just that extreme care is needed on such things as type, location, tools and supplies. Indoor bonsai trees in general should be placed in a sunny area near a window where there is minimal exposure to variations in temperature. Do not place a bonsai tree on a window sill however, as there is a high chance of temperature variation there. Also avoid areas near heating ducts or vents, as the temperature will vary there.
Indoor Bonsai Species
Indoor bonsai trees generally range from 8 to 12 inches in height. There are several species that do well indoors provided there are the correct conditions. In General you want to choose a Tropical or Sub-tropical species, as these are types that generally thrive at a temperature around 65 degrees. Since this is close to the temperature that most people keep their homes and offices, these species do very well indoors. Some of the most popular types of indoor bonsai trees include: Baby Jade, Chinese Elm, Ficus, and Japanese Maple. The primary factors to look at when choosing a tree are to look at which one or ones thrive in an environment that matches your home, which styles have availability of good quality trees, and of course personal preference.
Choosing a good location and the correct type of tree are among the most crucial elements for indoor bonsai tree success. It is well worth the effort to learn important details before purchasing your indoor bonsai tree. If you correctly place your tree, and choose a species that adapts well to an indoor environment, you will be well on your way to a successful bonsai experience. Bonsai is a hobby and art form you can enjoy for a lifetime!
Kathleen is an Internet Marketer and author of the Indoor Bonsai Tree blog.
Just getting started in bonsai? This video with tips for beginners will help you learn how to grow bonsai trees. Expert: Mike Hansen Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.
There happens to be a lot of bonsai trees on the market to sale, however, there are a lot of people who just don’t know what to do with the tree. There are a lot of places in the home that you can have a plant, but what about the bonsai tree? The bonsai tree is a very nice and unique plant to have in the home. You will also find that there are a lot of things that you can do with the bonsai tree; however, you need to show some of your creative side. You need to show everyone who comes into your home or office that you are enlightened. You will find that the bonsai tree is the one tree that tends to light up the room with light and years of knowledge. The bonsai tree goes back years and years. This type of tree has been used in American culture for years; however, it has been apart of the Japanese culture for centuries. You will want to think about the culture when you are placing a bonsai tree in your home.
You may want to devote one little corner to the bonsai tree and have this whole oriental decor and look going. You will also find that there is a lot of things that you can do with the bonsai tree itself. You will find that there are many kits that you can put together and you will also want to take the time to find a place in the house that suites the whole family well. A lot of people will put the bonsai tree on the table so that the whole family can have something nice to look at. You will also find that the kitchen or bathroom will be a great place because when you come home you will need a place to stop and sit back and relax. You will find that there are a lot of things that you can do to enhance the beauty of your home or a gloomy room or office is getting a plant. The best type of plant that you will want to have in the home or office is the bonsai tree because it is so unique.
You will find that this type of small plant is unique because you can make it your own. You don’t have to have a bonsai tree that looks like that of the neighbor down the road, but you can have a plant that is truly unique in style and is a great way to learn how to devote some time into a hobby. The bonsai plant is very unique and you’ll find it relaxing to take care of the plant and you’ll always want to show off the this plant to the many friends and clients that come in and out of your home or office.
There are lots of people who will use their bonsai tree as part of the bonsai decor. You will want to make sure that you think about the way that you can incorporate the bonsai tree into your decor. You will want to make sure that you look at the bonsai tree as a different way to decorate. You will want to keep in mind that the decor of the home can be more than just the normal greenery and flowers, but you can do so much to make the decor of your home blend into something wonderful and fantastic. You will be able to incorporate the basic bonsai decor into any room and still be comfortable.
When it comes to the bonsai decor, you will need to think about ways that you can incorporate the Japanese culture into your home. You will want to keep in mind that there are a lot of things that you can do to make the home look good, but also allow the bonsai trees to flow into the decor of the room.
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Bonsai trees, similar to all other living things, require food for survival. In contrast to the roots of ordinary trees that grow for long expanses searching for nutrition, the roots of bonsai trees are constrained to grow inside the tray & therefore they’ll be able to obtain merely whatever nutrition is available in the soil inside the tray. So, the soil inside the tray requires to be often refilled with the apt quantity of nutrients.
The method of furnishing nutrients to the soil in which plants grow is called ‘Fertilizing’ & it’s a major part of bonsai tree care. The nutrients existing in the fertilizer will help the bonsai tree to make its own food by a method called ‘Photosynthesis’. The quantity & kind of fertilizer to be bestowed for bonsai tree care is mostly dependant on conditions such as: * Kind of bonsai tree * How old is the bonsai tree * Time of the year in which the bonsai is fertilized
The fundamental nutrients in fertilizers are Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Potassium, mixed in various quantities for various manures. You should apply fertilizer throughout the development season of the tree; starting early spring till mid autumn. Indoor trees nonetheless can be fertilized around the year. It is desirable to apply higher amount of fertilizer regularly (like once in two weeks) for young trees, & carry on lowering the quantity & rate of recurrence as the tree matures.
So as to offer correct bonsai tree care, by no means over-fertilize. Surplus fertilizer causes burning of roots & leaves. Burned roots are not competent enough for absorbing water from the soil & relaying it on to the other sections of the bonsai tree. On account of over-fertilizing, continue watering the plant till the water comes outside the drain hole & allow it to drain. Then re-water it. This method is known as leaching & will help to wash away excess fertilizers.
Things to keep in mind: * For all times water the bonsai tree before adding the fertilizer. * Try to utilize a water soluble fertilizer. * On no account fertilize a sick plant till it has grown healthy. * Even if it’s a development season, do not add fertilizer to a inactive outdoor bonsai till it demonstrates symptoms of development. If it is inside, you can add fertilizer less frequently, like once in a month.
With apt bonsai tree care, by providing the correct quantity of fertilizer at the correct time, you’ll be able to grow & uphold a healthy bonsai tree.
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