Styles of Bonsai Gardens

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It is very important to realize when you are considering a bonsai garden exactly what style garden you want. Not all gardens are created equal, and some are easier to maintain than others are. This means that if you are a bonsai gardening novice you would be best suited towards a simpler style of garden to begin with instead of tackling the most advanced forms. Once you have mastered the basics you can certainly feel free to jump into the advanced forms of gardening and you will have the knowledge and confidence you need in order to have a beautiful garden.

While the professionals at Bonsai Boy can help, you select the right plants that will match the style garden you select. The first style is the Chokkan; this style is considered the best for beginners because it is one of the easiest and simplest to learn. The trees in this style are typically upright and straight. If you are looking for a tree for this style look for something with a straight trunk and a balanced branch structure. Typically, the plants from this style are planted in rectangular shaped pots, which accent the shape.

Next is the Moyogi, this form is a bit more advanced style. The top of the trunk leans forward slightly instead of growing straight up. Young plants tend to be much easier to locate in this form because they are more flexible. This style also looks great in an oval or even rectangular planter that helps to accentuate the style of the plant.

Shakkan is next with a trunk that slants more than the Chokkan or Moyogi styles. This tends to be considered an intermediate style of bonsai garden and the plants are typically planted in round or square planters so that the tree bends out over the planter.

Kengais the next, it is one of the more advanced styles available. This style tends to be very difficult because of the sloping style of the plant that is required. For this style to be best used it is helpful if a round or hexagonal planter is used that is higher than it is wide to help the plant cascade in the proper direction better.

Han-kengai is next. This requires the trunk to grow straight before cascading downward on a slight angle. The angle is very slight and not dramatic at all compared to many of the other styles. The shape of the pot is usually a round or hexagonal pot same as with cascading plants, however they planter does not need to be as high in order to achieve the same effect.

Funkinagashi is a style that simulates extreme exposures. The branches tend to be empty and blank which represents the loss of greenery when extreme weather conditions occur. Lastly is the Bunjingi style, this style has several shapes but is often called the strangest form of bonsai gardening. The shapes are typically unnatural and strange, which is meant to symbolize trees surviving in nature under awful conditions.

Chris Wight has been developing a green thumb for years and has recently fallen in love with the art of Bonsai. To learn more about Bonsai Gardening, please visit his site:
http://www.BonsaiBoyDeals.com

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Bonsai trees are a wonderful hobby to enjoy for a lifetime. However, when most people start out, most of their bonsai trees fall sick and die within a few weeks. Bonsai trees are extremely sensitive to their conditions and the caretaker needs to learn how to properly take care of these wonderful and attractive plants. Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about caring for bonsai trees, and their answers.

Q: What about selecting the proper containers, and should they have drain holes?

A: All containers have one or more drain holes; otherwise the trees will not be healthy, they will soon look sickly and finally die.

Q: What proportion between tree and container do you advise?

A: What is generally considered the ideal or artistic proportion is the tree 80% and the container 20%; or for dwarfer shrubs or low spreading trees, the plant 60% and the container 40%. In general, the smaller containers are better.

In a shallow oblong or elliptical container, the tree should be planted at a point 70% of the distance from the right or the left end, according to the spread and shape of the branches, so that the bulk of the tree greenery is centered in relation to the container. In a square or round container, the plant is placed in the center, except cascade forms; these are planted toward the edge.

Q: I need information on pruning, both theory and practice.

A: Both root pruning and proper pruning of branches are important elements in caring for bonsai. The constant renewal or re-growth of the root system is essential to the proper health of the trunk and branches above ground. The root system will itself remain healthy only if properly pruned. This operation is associated with transplanting, and detailed directions of that can be found for free at http://www.BonsaiTreeGuide.com -- the fundamental rule in root pruning is to keep the root system "happily" within the limited dimensions of the container.

Q: Suppose I find a tree 3 feet tall at a commercial nursery that has healthy low-growing limbs and other qualities that would make a good bonsai. Shall I buy it?

A: Yes. But understand that it will need special culturing. When you get home with it (assuming that it was balled and bur-lapped at the nursery), here are the main steps to take:

1) Pot it in a container large enough not to disturb the root ball. This may be a large commercial clay pot or a small wooden tub. Better yet, make a square or rectangular container, 6 to 8 inches high and just wide enough to accommodate the root ball. Fill in with additional soil around the root ball, and press firmly. Leave an inch at the top of the container to facilitate adequate watering.

2) A tree 3 feet high is too tall for a good bonsai. Cut off the terminal 1.5 feet (approximately). Make the cut just above a side branch that can then be wired into the terminal position.

3) After 2 years in the container, with appropriate and continuous pruning and wiring of side branches, as needed, the tree should be transplanted to a container of smaller dimensions, both shallower and smaller in diameter. After a year or two in the smaller container, transplant to a still smaller authentic bonsai pot, and you are on your way!

Q: Should one deprive the little trees of as much water as possible?

A: Bonsai should be kept drier than ordinary ornamental plants in pots; but if the object is to dwarf the trees or to keep them dwarfed, it is no use to make them bone-dry. Want of water only makes them stunted or unhealthy.

If there is such a thing as a fundamental principle in watering bonsai, it is this: water liberally but be sure that the soil drains amply. In most cases, it does not matter how many times a day bonsai are watered if the soil has perfect drainage and does not hold the slightest excess of water.

This fundamental principle may be modified to suit the individual case, according to the kind of soil obtainable, the climate, the kinds of trees grown, the containers used, and the amount of time one can spare each day for bonsai.

Q: What do I need to know about winter care?

A: Winter care differs for hardy and non-hardy or tender plants.

Hardy plants are those that can live outdoors in the coldest weather without danger of winterkilling. They are not house plants but are real outdoor plants. Hardy species growing in bonsai containers present a special problem if left outdoors in below-freezing winter weather. Soil in the containers will freeze, and the containers will break. Moreover, it is impossible to properly water bonsai growing in firmly frozen soil.

If a sun porch or cold but light room is available where the night temperature never falls below about 36 degrees F, this would provide a good place for wintering hardy or semi-hardy bonsai.

Here is another suggestion for wintering hardy or semi-hardy bonsai in a freezing climate: keep them in an insulated deep cold-frame. It should be shaded by a lath house. The soil in bonsai pots, with such protection, should never freeze if the night temperatures do not go much below 0 degrees F. The bonsai should be watered as needed, and on warmer non-freezing winter days, it is well to remove the protective covering and give the plants full air. Be sure to replace the covering sash before sunset!

Many non-hardy or tender species trained as bonsai should be treated as house plants and never left out in the cold.

Just follow these few tips to help ensure that your bonsai trees stay healthy and attractive for decades to come. However, as with most hobbies and skills, experience will be the ultimate teacher.

FREE information on how to grow, train and care for Bonsai Trees. Advice, tips and tricks for beginners and advanced growers alike. It's FREE! Click here: http://www.bonsaitreeguide.com/

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First and foremost think about the conditions the tree will be in. Indoor Bonsai will generally need to be close to a window or be supplemented with artificial light. A small tray with gravel and a little bit of water under the tree will add humidity around the tree. It may not need to be watered every day but it should be checked daily as the small pots can dry out rather quickly.

Steps in bonsai care

Watering
Watering is the most important part in bonsai care. This is the crux of the art of bonsai. Most Bonsai tree that die are lost due to dehydration, either from lack of watering or from being kept in a low humidity environment (indoors) for too long. How often you should water is a common question people ask about bonsai trees. There is no hard and fast rule prescribed for the same. When the soil begins to dry out water your plant thoroughly until the excess water runs out of the bottom of the pot, signifying you're done. Remember, over-watering is as bad as under-watering, thus all the fuss about getting it just right.

Pots and soil
The soil you use affects rooting, feeding, watering and transpiration, it is where half your tree lives so this is the second biggest consideration in maintaining your bonsai. While the needs of individual species vary greatly a good rule of thumb is 30% grit, 70% humus for deciduous trees, and 70% grit with 30% humus for evergreen-needled plants. Bonsai trees should be fertilized with a water-soluble fertilizer once or twice per month during the growing season. However the choice of fertilizer may vary depending on the species you've chosen to miniaturize. Always apply fertilizer when the soil is wet. Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned.

Pruning
A bonsai plant is pruned in two ways viz. branch pruning and root pruning. Pruning of branches is performed in spring. Much, but not all of the new growth is removed. Branches are selected early on as the only branches to be allowed to prosper, while the excess branches are mercilessly pruned off. The main factor in maintaining bonsai is the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. Bonsai is all about the reduction of everything just to the essential elements. Also Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned. But root-bound plants won't thrive forever in that condition and, indeed, bonsai trees must be re-potted every two or three years to furnish the roots with fresh soil.

Changing the shape of the tree
Bonsai tree wiring is an advanced skill to grow the bonsai into an art form. Desirable branches are wired to control the direction in which they grow. Wiring can do a great deal to change the shape of the plant, but it can also do a great deal of damage to the plant if done incorrectly.

To sum up
This may seem like a lot to do to just to buy a little tree, but it's no different than any other informed purchase, just as you wouldn't buy a fish without having a special home for it you should have a special home for your Bonsai tree.

Rob Mellor owns http://www.lost-bonsai-secrets.com/ This website helps people find out more about the bonsai tree. Please visit the site for more information on bonsai tree care.

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