Basically, bonsai trees thrive outdoors; however, as peoples appreciation grew towards these miniature trees, more families have preferred bonsai trees to decorate their homes rather than putting up expensive paintings on the wall. With bonsai trees, its like bringing natures bounty right inside your living room. BeginnerBonsai.com
The technique of growing bonsai trees is an old technique which was originated from Japan many years back. This technique is mainly used for decorating the exposed corner of the house. But before growing this tree you need to know some important things in which care for bonsai tree is the most crucial step.
The most important elements which come under consideration here are fertilizers, water and light.
FERTILIZERS:
The soil which surrounds the roots of the bonsai tree is not rich in nutrients. Due to constant watering, the minerals and nutritional particles are washed out. Like all the other trees the bonsai tree need regular supply of food for surviving. Food which is required by the tree is extracted from the soil. For this purpose, it’s important to fertilize the soil on regular basis.
In order to take proper care of bonsai tree, you must know which types of elements are required for its survival. Most important elements which are required for its survival include potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. The fertilizers which are rich in these 3 mineral contents should be applied. The selection of a particular type of fertilizer may vary according to the species of the bonsai tree.
WATER:
Water is the most essential component which is required by every tree. To take care of bonsai tree, you must water the tree on constant basis. If the tree is not watered for continuous 48 hours it might die within its tub. For identifying the proper time of watering, you need to consider few things.
The most appropriate way of identifying the right time for watering is by judging the soil. You need to consider the inner part of the soil. For that, you have to dig the upper surface of the soil. After digging, if you found that inner surface is moist then it means that you do not need to water it any more. If you found the inner surface dry then you must start watering immediately.
LIGHT
Sun rays are considered as basic necessities of every plant. Bonsai tree is mostly used for the decoration and is kept in a corner of the room. Due to lack of sunlight the tree often become weak and gradually dies.
To take proper care of bonsai tree, you must place your tree in the place where it can consume sunlight for several hours. But you must remember one thing that high temperature and extreme heat of sun is harmful for the bonsai tree. Keep your bonsai tree under some shade where it can consume the necessary amount of sunlight but avoid stark light.
Growing and caring for a bonsai tree can be both easy and difficult at the same. Therefore it is important that you know how to properly care for a bonsai tree. Care for this type of tree involves watering, pruning and proper planting. A bonsai tree requires a certain amount of sunlight and water. Too much of either can cause more harm to the tree than good and it can actually kill the tree. This is why it is important to know how to take care of the tree before you decide to grow one in your home. One of the most favourite of the bonsai trees is the ficus bonsai tree.
Caring the for the ficus bonsai tree requires a great deal of patience. This type of tree needs to be kept inside all year long. Since it is a small tree and is planted in a small pot, you can occasionally bring the tree outside to give it some fresh air. Just like with other bonsai trees the soil should be given a chance to dry out in between watering. To test the soil you can stick your finger into the soil about an inch down; if you feel moist soil then you should wait to water your tree. However, the key is to not let the soil stay dry for an extended period of time because this could kill the tree. There is a specific way to water a bonsai tree as well. You should allow the tree and the container it is in to soak for about ten minutes. Once it has soaked, you should allow the water to drain from the soil until no more water drips from the bottom of your container.
Replanting of a ficus bonsai tree is an important part of caring for a bonsai tree. It should be repotted once every two years. This is a type of tree that has a tendency to grow slowly but there are times when the bonsai tree will go through a growth spurt and if its container is somewhat small you might want to consider repotting before the two year period has expired. If you allow the tree to grow in a small pot it will begin take over the pot and as a result it will cease to grow after a period of time. If you need to change the pot in which you are growing your bonsai tree you should wait until the early months of spring to do so. After it is in the new pot, it should be watered thoroughly and then kept in the shade for at least a period of three weeks. This will give the root system time to take hold in the new pot.
Caring for the Ficus Bonsai tree means that you need to understand how your tree will react to the different temperatures and weather conditions during the different seasons. It is important that the bonsai tree is kept indoors during the winter months because it is not able to withstand cold temperatures. However, while indoors the tree must be kept in a sunny area so that it does get the proper amount of light. The temperature should be kept between 60 and 65 degrees at all times.
For more information on bonsai tree care,tips to help you care for a bonsai tree and other bonsai tree related information visit http://www.MyBonsaiTree.com
Hello all bonsai devotees. How are you? My name is Suhendra. I want to tell you my experience on how to keep, treat and create black pine bonsai. Perhaps this experience is only suitable for tropical area and I hope those who plant black pine will also have different experience to share. I have tried to plant black pine since 5 years ago (around 1980) when I got the seed from a friend traveling abroad.
I have known and fallen in love with black pine bonsai, since I had learn about bonsai for two years from a foreign book on how to treat and create bonsai by practicing directly, so that I gradually master it. When I learned that book, I saw a picture of black pine and Cemara (Juniperes) bonsai that were so beautiful and robust. Even more so the black pine with its cracked bark so that it looked old, antique and elegant. According to Taiwanese bonsai grower, black pine could live in both winter and summer. In those seasons, its leaves are still green and thriving, so that we can call it evergreen tree. From books I have read, I’m sure that this tree could grow in tropical area. From that time, I had been determined to get that kind of tree and tried to plant and grow it in Indonesia.
In the mids of 1980 I and my elder went to Taiwan to attend an international exhibition of bonsai. While looking for special new trees to enrich the variety of bonsai in Indonesia, from Taiwan I brought home some kinds of bonsai that I’d been always seen on some foreign bonsai books that we couldn’t find in Indonesian market (before 1985). They are: Hokkian Tea (Carmona mycrophylla), Pyracanta (Pyracanta Grenulata), Ulmus (Ulmus Parfiflora), Karet Kimeng (Ficus Microcarpa). After buying those bonsai, one thing I shouldn’t forget to be my prime target of searching is Black Pine. Setting aside my pocket money for returning home, I spent the rest to buy various kinds of pine, starting from seeds, young trees, half-grown bonsai, and grown-bonsai.
Some Taiwanese bonsai grower told me that Black Pine (Pinus Thumbergii) grows best compared with any other kinds of pine they plant. There are three kinds of Black Pine:
1. Those with long leaves (which is generally spread out in the market).
2. Those with short leaves (Seu Sung).
3. Those with mini leaves (Zuen Sau Hei Sung).
The three Black Pines are the most preferred by Taiwanese bonsai grower to be dwarfed. Beside that, I have learned some techniques on how to plant and treat black pine that I want to share with you.
PROCESS BEFORE PLANTING
Coming home, I had all my trees washed because it’s forbidden to bring the soil from Taiwan. This is the regulation among countries to prevent the spread of plant pest. Then I opened the plastic cover of mos (soil substitute covering the root so it stays moisturized along the trip) one by one. After that all the roots that had been cleaned from mos was soaked with plant vitamin or organic fertilizer liquid for about one hour. Last thing to do was to keep the plant out of soaking liquid and planted it on the pot.
MEDIUM FOR PINE (Suitable for Casuarina=Juniperus too)
3 bg sand of 1-2 mm (do not use powder sand) +
1 bg loose soil (Do not use sticky soil such as clay, etc.) +
1 bg humus (or compost to substitute humus).
After being mixed well, it can be used to plant (you can see how to plant in a pot on article of Loa Variegata). I’ve got a little story about sands. In around 1990 in Indonesia there has been found a kind of pit sand (pasir gunung) from perimeter of Malang, so that it is called pasir Malang (Malang pit sand). This kind of sand was found by hobbyist and raw-material (bakalan) bonsai hunter in the nature. The specialty of this sand is clean and has no powder or waste. We may say that it’s been free from pests and germs that are usually found on soil or pit sand. So there’s no need to have it washed it anymore and it has pores to keep water and air. There are several kinds of plant that are better being planted on this sand rather than any other media, i.e. Santigi (Phempis Acidula), Cemara Udang (Casuarina Equisetifolia), Black Pine, Cemara, etc. Naturally Malang pit sand is beneficial for bonsai hobbyists and some devotees of ornamental plants such as cactus, adenium, sansivera, etc. Then I use this pit sand as composite for media to plant Black Pine and other bonsai.
PROCESS AFTER BEING PLANTED
After black pine is being planted in a pot, the trunk always has to be tied tightly into the pot so that the tree is more stable. It’s because any repotting tree is in critical period. Its root hasn’t been converged with its new media so that it hasn’t been normally functioned. Moreover when we cut some of the roots and new roots grow, the latter is still easily snapped off if it is shaken, and the tree will be possibly died. After being tied, put it in the shade then water it perfectly (until the water comes out of the pot bottom hole). Let it be there for about two, but please not to let it be too wet or too dry. We’d better to keep it a little bit dry than to keep it too much wet, in order to prevent its root from getting rotten. This will be different from what we should do to growing black pine (see the description below on watering). After two weeks the trees will look healthy and strong with its green leaves. Now it’s time for the tree to have sun bath gradually. Then wait until new bud comes up, which is a sign that its new root has grown and the tree is ready to have a full sun bath.
There are some bonsai hobbyist who don’t know the media and the planting process, or don’t have much patience in planting and treating black pine (which is different from maintaining ficus or any other kind of bonsai). Doing treatment improperly will lead to the death of black pine. When this happens, they will easily say that black pine could not be planted in Indonesia or will be dead if it’s being re-potted. The worst is when there are bonsai hobbyists and sellers who has just seen black pine picture on bonsai books tell the same things. This makes bonsai newbies or collectors being defrauded and don’t want to treat black pine.
TREATING GROWN BLACK PINE BONSAI
The pruning (cutting the leaves), can be done when we see the old leaves has been grown yellow or looked a little bit dull. We can do it in two ways: shearing or pulling out. The best way is the second one, that is gradually pull out the old leaves. To prevent pulling out the whole group of leaves, use your left hand to hold the lower end of the leaves group, and use your right hand to pull out the old leaves one by one, and leave the young ones. If you prefer the first way, shear the old leaves at about 1 cm higher from the leaf stalk. This is to provoke the new bud from the rest of those old leaves. Unfortunately, shearing will leave brown traces, and these unsightly traces will stay there for months before they disappeared.
To keep the twigs and the leaves short and dense (to avoid disfigured or to keep the good shape), do the following:
1. Gradually pull out the old leaves every year.
2. Cut the twigs, small twigs, and new buds once every two or three years. This is to keep the shape from being undesirable. Two or three new buds usually come up once a year naturally. Cut off the very thriving (big) bud and the very weak (small) bud by shearing from the lowest part. Leave the moderate growing buds until they release their new leaves. Then cut it at the length we intend to. Two weeks later, there will come up the second bud from the trace of cutting. If it is needed, do the same to the second bud, so that we will get the third bud. The second and the third buds will create the short twigs and leaves. This theory is he same with bonsai tree that will have big leaves in the country but after making it bonsai planted on the pot by cutting its leaves several times, the leaves become small such as Sancang (Phemna Microphylla), Beringin Karet (Ficus Ratusa), etc.
3. When the leaves of the new bud have grown, do not cut off too many twigs when the leaves of the new buds has blossomed because in this phase, the trace of cutting will release much turpentine (sap) that will possibly kill the tree. The best time to shape and shear the twigs is when we start to see its old leaves (looks yellow and dull). This shows that this tree is stop growing temporarily and is saving energy before releasing its new buds. It’s the safest time to prune black pine by pulling out or shearing, and cutting the twigs too, because it’s the strongest period of the tree.
THE WAY OF REPOTTING / CHANGING THE SOIL OF BLACK PINE BONSAI
The process of repotting bonsai to be black pine can be done once in three or four years, because black pine’s root grows slowly. Do not repot before two years because its roots haven’t been old enough. If we repot after 4 years, the roots will be too dense in the pot, and this will retard its growth and fertilization.
Please repot this way. After pulling bonsai out of the pot, we may see the lump of root that has been converged with the soil. Throw 1/3 part around the lump by scraping the soil and shearing the roots that is too long. Then put it again into the pot with the medium described above, by scraping, so the tips of the old roots can directly penetrate into and converged with new medium. This will guarantee its life after repotting. Don’t even repot by cutting or sowing the lump of soil and root flat as if we’re slicing the cake and then plant it again. This way make the old root lump covered by the new medium, causing an undistributed heat in the lump and will finally make the root rotten.
According to my experience in planting black pine, we shouldn’t do pruning while repotting. Once my gardener didn’t follow my instructions. When I went out of town and didn’t supervise him, he was repotting and pruning at the same time. This caused some half-grown black pine trees died.
In Indonesia which has two seasons, the best time to repot black pine is between the end of dry season and the beginning of rainy season (around the beginning of September), but pay attention to black pine condition too. Repotting should be conducted when new bud has just come up before the leaves blossom. When the leaves have blossom, then the tree will be weak and the risk of repotting will be bigger.
Well, that’s my experience on treating black pine bonsai. Hope it’ll be useful for those who want to treat or collect black pine bonsai.
Suhendra is the owner of Bonsai Star Gallery (http://www.bonsaistar.com) and former chief of Bandung-Indonesia Bonsai Society (2003-2004). In his site you will get information on bonsai Tree, bonsai plant, bonsai for sale and everything about bonsai.
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/