About Bonsai Trees
Around 500 years ago the Chinese were practising the art of bonsai, where they would take ancient wild trees and style them in pots. This practise became quite popular and they started exporting them to Japan. The art of bonsai, and learning how to grow a bonsai tree in the west was thought of as a novelty, until early 20th century, when people started to consider it as a serious form of art! Pun sai is the Chinese word that it originally comes from, translating directly to tree in a pot. The Japanese word for bonsai is bone-sigh which also translates to tree in a pot.
What is a bonsai tree? It is basically a dwarfed tree grown in a pot instead of in the soil outdoors. Learn how to grow a bonsai tree because it is not a specific kind of tree but rather a tree that is grown in miniature form that closely resembles an aged outdoor tree. There are hundreds of different kinds of trees that can be grown and trained into bonsai trees. The old or more mature a tree is the more valuable it becomes. So a tree in a pot is a bonsai? Placing a tree in a pot does not automatically make it a bonsai tree. The person who learns how to grow a bonsai tree needs to be skilled and have vision, and know how to grow a bonsai trees branches with wiring techniques as well as trimming the foliage and guiding the bonsai into its shape. You will also need to prune the roots to keep it small and use other techniques to have the tree take on the mature look of a tree grown in the wild. Feeding your bonsai is also a crucial roll in the development of your small tree when learning how to grow a bonsai tree. What soil do they use? They grow in a rather small amount of soil. You will need special fast draining soil to be able to grow bonsais successfully. Soil that doesn’t drain fast enough could give your tree root rot. You also need to remember that because the soil is fast draining, the bonsai will need frequent small watering’s. As with all plants, keeping your bonsai tree healthy is necessary so that you can enjoy its beauty for many years. Bonsai care is an essential part of growing bonsai trees. Summer bonsai care In warm climatic regions, you can keep you bonsai trees outdoors on a balcony, patio or in the garden. If you do place your tree outside, make sure you water your bonsai enough, especially in really warm and humid conditions. Your best choice is to make sure it gets sunshine in the morning and shade in the afternoon, considering how temperatures rise throughout the day. Winter bonsai care In winter time or cooler climatic regions, bring your bonsai inside if it is not a plant that can withstand cooler temperatures. The best place to keep the plant is in a window facing south, but it’s not necessary. If you place it on the North side of your home, you will need to set up grow lights to ensure it stays healthy. A typical Bonsai Tree needs at least four to six hours of sunlight each day. Do not allow the bonsai’s soil to become completely dry. If full sunlight is on the tree every day, it will dry out faster. How much water you use will depend on the size of the tree and the tray in which it sits. If the tray is shallow, the soil will dry faster. At the same time, if it rains, do not re-saturate the soil unless it needs more water. Bonsai care and fertilizer If you use a fertilizer to feed your bonsai, make sure it is water-soluble and add more every month. During the winter, add fertilizer every other month. Bonsai trees need to be re-potted if their roots fill the tray. The tree grows better and stays healthier if the root system is compact and it is given new soil. Evergreens only need to be re-potted after four or five years, while others need it every two to three years. Bonsai care conclusion In caring for bonsai trees, its beauty and peaceful essence will last a long time with proper attention. Often, people use the excuse that they cannot grow anything. Actually, with practice and careful attention, bonsai trees will flourish even for the beginner. |