Introduction to Bonsai

>>  Click Here To Know HOW You Can Grow Your Own Bonsai Tree

Bonsai is a Japanese term applied to dwarf trees grown in shallow containers. By pruning the roots as well as the branches, these trees are trained into the same stately shapes of their gigantic counterparts. Bonsai may consist of a single specimen tree, two twined closely together as if growing from the same stump, or a group of trees growing in a dense clump. They may have high, exposed roots, or the tree may be drooping down as if over a cliff. Another popular bonsai style is for the tree to grow on the top of a rock with the roots coming down over it, as is sometimes found in ancient rainforests.

The special shallow dish in which they grow is an important part of bonsai. While this pot can be any shape, it’s sized must be in proportion to the tree grown in it. It must also have a central hole for drainage so that the roots don’t rot. The vacant space in the pot is meant to represent plains or distant mountains.

Let's take a look at the basics of what you will need before you begin to create a bonsai.

Pick a tree that you really like. You may have access to tiny tree seedlings that would be ideal for bonsai. Maples and conifers are both suitable for bonsai. Japanese maples are particularly good for leaf colour, some turning brilliant red in fall. Deciduous or evergreen trees may be used for bonsai.

If you can’t germinate your own seed, start with pre-grown nursery stock of about two years old, then choose your bonsai pot. A lot of Bonsai masters will tell you that you need not even use a proper bonsai pot until you have trained your plant for a few years. This will give it time to grow in a much larger pot and attain some good structure in the roots, trunk and limbs. This larger form of bonsai is actually called ‘hachi-uye’ meaning ‘pot-planted’. However, if you want a true, dwarf bonsai go for the smallest you can find.

Trim the plant down in size by pruning the roots and limbs back where and when necessary. Once you have it in a preferred bonsai style, transplant it to your selected bonsai pot and continue to train it in the style that you like. You may need to wind special wire around the stem to create an interesting shape. Don’t expect it to be finished in a few weeks. It will take some years to achieve, as trees are slow growing at the best of times.

The art of growing miniature trees is a fascinating hobby that can be pursued by anyone. If you are serious about doing bonsai, it’s best to purchase a book to give you more comprehensive instructions.

Beverley Boorer is a freelance writer and gardener whose articles on a wide range of topics continue to be published both online and off. Her gardening website may be found at http://www.top-garden-tips.com.

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Growing A Brush Cherry Bonsai In Your Garden

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The Brush Cherry can add wonderful color as well as interest to your garden. This evergreen shrub will enhance your gardening efforts by yielding puffy white flowers along with round berries all in contrast with it’s glossy leaves which can have a lovely red tint.

The Brush Cherry Bonsai is an evergreen shrub that loves a warm climate like that of it’s native Florida. They do grow best outdoors, but if you live in a cold climate and simply must have one, you can try growing one indoors provided that you can give it enough light. This shrub can grow to upwards of 35 feet in it’s natural state, but will reach a height of about 14" as a Bonsai.

If you are thinking about planing a Brush Cherry in your garden, be sure that the winters will be mild. The tree does fine in hot weather but ideally should be grown in temperatures ranging from 46 to 68 degrees.

Plant your Brush Cherry Bonsai in a slightly acidic soil and be sure it gets plenty of water in summer months, but don’t over water it. You should give it enough so that the soil is moist, but not so much that there is standing water in the pot. Let the soil dry between waterings. Bonsais love humidity so you might want to mist your plant and use a humidity tray. The bonsai should be set on top of the humidity tray so that it collects water that drains from the freshly watered bonsai.

Fertilize your Brush Cherry Bonsai every two weeks during the summer and a couple of times over the winter. The best type of fertilizer to use is an organic liquid fertilizer such as a seaweed fertilizer or fish emulsion. If you use a chemical fertilizer make sure you dilute it to half strength.

Pruning should be done with care and kept to the summer months. Pinch the leaves with your fingers and try not to use sharp objects like sheers on your Bonsai. Your Bonsai should be wired during the active growing season. Don’t forget to prune the roots as well, the Brush Cherry can survive quite well even with a two thirds loss of roots so you can be a bit aggressive in this task, however you want to be sure not to prune them too much when repotting as this can cause a negative reaction.

Bonsais should be repotted every two years, and the Brush Cherry is no exception. Repotting should be done in early spring and the plant should be watered thoroughly and kept in the shade for several weeks after repotting to help the roots grow into the new pot.

Although it is fairly hardy, pests can be a problem with the Brush Cherry especially the Caribbean fruit fly, aphids, red spider mites, meal bugs, and scales. You should treat your Bonsai with organic pesticides and insecticides and be sure to inspect it regularly for pests and other disease.

To add the finishing touch to your beautiful Brush Cherry Bonsai, think about adding moss to the pot which will help improve moisture retention as well as add to the beauty of this fun garden plant.

Lee Dobbins writes for many gardening online publications. Visit Bonsai.garden-corner.com for more articles on Bonsai care.

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>>  Click Here To Know HOW You Can Grow Your Own Bonsai Tree

Growing bonsai trees is a great hobbie to take up and can be very rewarding for you when you get to see your efforts turn into a beautiful bonsai tree, you can use the trees for decoration, your own enjoyment, admiration or whatever it is that you want to grow them for, in this article I am going to share some tips with you about growing these stunning trees so that you can grow them yourself.

The shape is not usually formed naturally - Yes, there is a shape that the bonsai tree forms into naturally and yes it is very beautiful, however, the really amazing shapes and effects are formed by you actually shaping them yourself, when you know how to properly shape the trees then you can create much better and more stunning appearnances with them and it can be muc hmore enjoyable and rewarding this way.

You need to look after it regularly - Mnay people believe that they will get a stunning bonsai tree if they just check up on it every week or so and give it a little trim, well, yes you can do it this way, however, if you have a specific shape you want it to form then you will need to look after it regularly, I would recommend you check up on it once every day and make sure it is growing and shaping nicely.

Different seasons can affect it - This is one that catches quite a few people out as they do not realise that the different seasons will have different affects on their trees, you will need to make sure you know what sort of affects the different seasons will have on your trees and take action to keep it growing the way you want it to, if you don't then you could find your tree in a bad way one day.

These are just a few tips for growing bonsai trees for you and I hope you found them helpful, remember that you really can grow amazing looking bonsai trees if you want to, you just need to learn more about how to do it and get started growing them.

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Are You Killing Your Bonsai Tree?

>>  Click Here To Know HOW You Can Grow Your Own Bonsai Tree

Does your Bonsai tree look like a twig in a pot? Have you all but given up trying to revive your once beautiful miniature tree? Well don't despair just yet, help is at hand with the following tips

It may be time to prune your Bonsai tree. If you haven't touched it since you bought or received your tree its probably a good idea to whip out your secateurs and give it a haircut. There's no need to go mad, but a quick prune could be just what the doctor ordered in helping to revive your Bonsai tree. However, pruning the top of your Bonsai may not be enough; you may also need to trim the roots too. In actual fact, if you do any major pruning to the top of the tree you should also do the same to the base. Again, there's no need to go mad as a lot of damage can be caused but generally its ok to trim about one third of the root system.

Is your Bonsai pot the best possible match for your tree? Although colour and shape play a critical part in the art of Bonsai they are not critical to the growth of your tree. What is critical however is the size of your pot in relation to your Bonsai. In general, your Bonsai pot should be about the same size wide as the longest branch, and about as deep as the trunk is wide. If your Bonsai pot is either too big or too small it may be worth investing in one that your tree will appreciate better.

Correctly watering your Bonsai tree is essential. Too much water and you run the risk of rotting the root system. Whereas, too little water will cause your miniature tree to dry out and shed its foliage. Remember most Bonsai trees like to be moist all of the time. This will generally mean watering your tree a little everyday so as to keep your tree healthy. Its also worth mentioning here that most Bonsais will shed there foliage naturally around autumn as they prepare for being dormant through winter. So if your Bonsai has started to drop leaves it maybe just the time of year and nothing to worry about.

Often changing the soil of your Bonsai can work wonders. A good quality potting compost mixed with sand or grit to aid drainage is normally sufficient. However, it may be a good idea to use specific Bonsai soil. These are specifically designed to have better water retention than standard soil and also provide better nutrients and gases all essential in growing a healthy Bonsai tree.

For the very best tips on caring for a Bonsai Tree make sure you visit http://www.growing-a-bonsai-tree.co.uk/ today.

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