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Bonsai Tree
Bonsai trees can be a great hobby and a wonderful way to add interest to your garden or inside your home. They take a minimal of care and the ability to train and prune them can be a great creative outlet. Not all bonsai trees are the same and there are many different types of trees that can be interesting to grow. A favorite for bonsai enthusiasts is the braided money plant tree as it is easy to grow and makes a great indoor plant.
The braided bonsai money plant tree, also known as Pachira aquatica, is a miniature tree characterized by multiple intertwining trunks. Each tree is actually four to five separate trees with their trunks braided together. Its size varies anywhere from 10-18 inches tall. (Full-grown money plant trees can reach 7 feet tall.) The tree is topped with large, bright green leaves that form a tuft at the tip of each stem.
The braided bonsai money plant tree is usually given as a gift, as it is reputed to bring good luck. Generally, the more leaves the money tree has, the better! While it is common to find money trees with five to six leaves on each stem, it is quite rare to find one with seven leaves. Like a four-leaf clover, a money plant tree with a seven-leaf stem is considered to bring incredibly good fortune.
The braided bonsai money plant tree is also a mainstay in feng shui. Feng shui practitioners believe that the braided bonsai creates positive energy for any room that it placed in. According to this belief, you should place your money tree in the “financial” part of your home or office. Each new leaf of the tree will then bring added financial blessing and success.
The Pachira aquatica is an easy bonsai to grow; it is ideal for indoor cultivation. Unlike other bonsai, it is quite hardy. It can thrive for many years with minimal care. It is tolerant of both low light conditions and dryness. All you will need is a little bit of soil to hold the roots. Other than that, brief exposure to sunlight and weekly watering will be enough to make the plant thrive.
The amount of water you give your plant is critical and one common mistake that many beginning plant owners make is over watering. This can actually kill your plant! You want to be sure to water so that the soil is moist but you don’t want to put so much in so that d may even appear green and healthy despite having an entirely dead root system.
Bonsai should not be allowed to become waterlogged, as this may lead to root rot. Neither should the soil be allowed to dry too completely before rehydration. Watering techniques vary, with some growers preferring to water with a fine rose on a watering can or hose, while others immerse their trees in a water-filled basin to the height of the container lip.
Repotting -----------------------
Bonsai are generally repotted and root-porned around springtime just before they break dormancy. Bonsai are generally repotted every two years while in development, and less often as they become more mature. This prevents them from becoming pot-bound and encourages the growth of new feeder roots, allowing the tree to absorb moisture more efficiently.
Wirin -----------------------
Bonsai wiring is one of the most powerful tools to control the shape of the tree. The best time to wire a tree is in spring or fall when there is not as much foliage and the tree will not be too stiff. (Trees become stiff in winter while dormant because the sap pressure of the trunk and branches is much lower.)
To wire the tree, wrap the trunk. Then wrap each branch in spirals of bonsai wire so that the branch may be bent. The tree will then train the branch to grow in the desired direction. Another method of wiring involves attaching weights to the branches, causing them to sag and creating the impression of age.
Generally, wire is left on for one growing season. The tree should not be allowed to outgrow the wire, since this could cause the bark to become bound to the wire, making removal traumatic. When the time comes to remove the wire, it should be cut away in small pieces (rather than winding it off) as this will cause less damage to the foliage.
The thickness of the wire used should be in proportion to the size of the branch— larger branches will require lower gauge wire. Two pieces of thinner wire paired together can be used in lieu of heavier wire. It is bad form to let any wires cross; this is most readily accomplished by starting from the base of trunk and working up.
When bending the branches, one should listen and feel for any sign of splitting. When bending a branch near the trunk extra caution should be used, as the branch is generally most brittle near the trunk. It is possible to gradually bend a branch little by little over the course of several months.
When working with the branches, consideration should be given to the style desired.
Tools --------------------------
Special tools are available for the maintenance of bonsai. The most common tool is the concave cutter, a tool designed to prune flush, without leaving a stub. Other tools include branch bending jacks, wire pliers and shears of different proportions for performing detail and rough shaping. Anodized aluminum or copper wire is used to shape branches and hold them until they take a set.
Fertilization and soil -------------------------
Opinions about soil mixes and fertilization vary widely among practitioners. Some promote the use of organic fertilizers to augment an essentially inorganic soil mix, while others will use chemical fertilizers freely. Bonsai soils are constructed to optimize drainage [3]. Bonsai soil is primarily a loose, fast-draining mix of components, often a base mixture of coarse sand or gravel, fired clay pellets or expanded shale combined with an organic component such as peat or bark. In Japan, volcanic soils based on clay (akadama, or "red ball" soil, and kanuma, a type of yellow pumice) are preferred.
Containers ----------------------
Every bonsai pot is equipped with drainage holes to enable the excess water to drain out. Each hole is typically covered with a plastic screen or mesh to prevent soil from escaping. Containers come in a variety of shapes and colors (glazed or unglazed). The ones with straight sides and sharp corners are generally better suited to formally presented plants, while oval or round containers might be used for plants with informal shapes. Most evergreen bonsai are placed in unglazed pots while decidous trees are planted in glazed pots. It is important that the color of the pot compliments the tree. Bonsai pots are produced all over the world, some are higher quality than others and some are highly collectable such as ancient Chinese or Japanese pots made in highly touted regions with experienced pot makers such as Tokoname, Japan. However, highly collectable pots are not just confined to Asia, European Artists such as Byran Albright and Gordon Duffett produce unique pots which Bonsai artists collect.
Pre-Bonsai material are often placed in "growing boxes" which are made from scraps of fenceboard or wood slats. These large boxes allow the roots to grow more freely and increase the vigor of the tree. The second stage after using a grow box is to plant the tree in a "training box" this is often smaller and helps to create a smaller dense root mass which can be more easily moved into a final presentation pot.
Location -------------------------
Contrary to popular belief, bonsai are not suited for indoor culture, and if kept indoors will most likely die. While certain tropical plants (Ficus, Schefflera, etc.) may flourish indoors, most bonsai are developed from species of shrubs or trees that are adapted to temperate climates (conifers, maples, larch, etc) and require a period of dormancy. Most trees require several hours of direct or slightly filtered sun every day.
Overwintering -------------------------
Some trees require protection from the elements in winter and the techniques used will depend on how well the tree is adapted to the climate. During overwintering, temperate species are allowed to enter dormancy but care must be taken with deciduous plants to prevent them from breaking dormancy too early. In-ground cold frames, unheated garages, porches, and the like are commonly used, or by mulching the plant in its container up to the depth of the first branch or burying them with the root system below the frost line.
Mallsai ----------------------------
Inexpensive bonsai trees often sold in chain stores and gift shops are derisively referred to as "mallsai" by experienced bonsai growers, and are usually weak or dead trees by the time they are sold. Often these bonsai are mass produced and are rooted in thick clay from a field in China. This clay is very detrimental to the bonsai, as it literally suffocates the roots and promotes root-rot. Very little if any shaping is done on mallsai, and often the foliage is crudely pruned with little finesse to resemble a tree. Due to the conditions under which they are transported and sold, they are often inadequately watered and are kept in poor soil, usually a clump of sphagnum moss or the aforementioned clay with a layer of gravel glued to the top, which leaves them susceptible to both drying and fungal infections. Some "mallsai" can be resuscitated with proper care and immediate repotting, although this is reportedly rare. This top layer of glued-on gravel should be immediately removed once the bonsai is purchased, and the plant should be repotted in a good bonsai soil such as akadama.
Collecting ------------------------
Bonsai may be developed from material obtained at the local garden center, or from suitable materials collected from the wild or urban landscape. Some regions have plant material that is known for its suitability in form - for example the California Juniper and Sierra Juniper found in the American West, and Bald Cypress found in the swamps of Louisiana and Florida.
Collected trees are highly prized and often exhibit the characteristics of age when they are first harvested from nature. Great care must be taken when collecting, as it is very easy to damage the tree's root system (often irreparably) by digging it up. Potential material must be analyzed carefully to determine whether it can be removed safely. Trees with a shallow or partially exposed root system are ideal candidates for extraction. There is a legal aspect to removing trees, so the enthusiast should take all steps necessary to ensure permission from the owner of the land before attempting to harvest. If not, consider the right of the plant to stay where it is undisturbed..
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