Bonsai Tree Care

Buying and Raising a Bonsai. Owning a bonsai plant can be daunting for the beginner. There is a lot that you need to keep in mind when raising and training a bonsai plant.

As the bonsai grows in a small pot, they tend to be more delicate than the trees that are found growing naturally outdoors. Because of this, beginners are sometimes overwhelmed by the things they need to do to ensure their bonsai plant survives.

There are only a few things that a beginner to raising a bonsai plant needs to remember. A bonsai plant thrives best outdoors. While they can be brought inside for display, it is best to leave the plants outdoors as frequently as possible.

This will ensure that the bonsai plant can go into dormancy when it is required. Dormancy is a stage where the plant goes into hibernation and recovers from any damage done to it during the growing seasons. This stage is vital for the survival of a bonsai plant, and many plants will die after several months if they cannot go into dormancy.

Once you have ensured your bonsai plant has the right growing environment, it is important that you water it properly. Because the bonsai plant grows in a small, crowded pot, the watering needs are much more specific to the bonsai than they are to the ground grown tree.

You need to be able to mimic the natural conditions of the bonsai plant as it is in the wild without over watering the plant. Letting the bonsai plant dry out too much is also a common problem, which can be as damaging as over watering the plant.

Striking a good balance will take effort for the beginner, but once you have learned how to care for your bonsai plant, it will become easy and automatic.

If you live in a region that is not conducive for the growth of a bonsai plant, there are some varieties of trees that can be grown indoors. These trees tend to be tropical, liking a static temperature and constant amount of sunlight year round.

These trees are good for beginners, as they are typically hardy and will tolerate some errors in learning. If you are interested in growing a bonsai plant for the first time, investing in a tropical tree may be the route for you.

You can learn about your bonsai plant online, or you can inquire for more information from a bonsai nursery. Many hobbyists are social about the care of their plants, and will often share their resources.

Bonsai is the art of growing trees in small pots, cultivating the look of the tree to be any design that is desired. This art was developed in Japan and Asia by those seeking to enhance the beauty of their gardens.

It was originally an art limited to the wealthy, although that has changed over the course of time. Now, this trees are kept by the rich and poor alike, as these plants are inexpensive to care for and easy to work with.

Beginners can enjoy a bonsai tree allowed to flourish in their more natural state, while advanced hobbyists typically work to design their trees to meet a specific goal.

There are many different types of bonsai trees available on the market, including both conifers and non-conifer trees. When you are selecting which bonsai to grow, you should take care to study the grow zone you live in and pick a tree suitable for that zone. This is important as bonsai trees are designed to be grown and nurtured outdoors.

While there is a growing trend to caring for them indoors, many of the traditional trees, such as the Japanese maple bonsai, do not do well indoors. This is due to the fact that these trees require a period of dormancy, where the tree will rejuvenate any damage that has been done to it over the growing seasons between spring and fall.

If you fail to allow the tree to go into the state of dormancy, the tree will typically die within a few months of its scheduled time in dormancy.

Vital Tools to Care for Your Bonsai. There are many bonsai tools that are used when designing and caring for your bonsai trees.

These tools are vital to encourage the good health of your tree, and should be used as frequently as needed to prune any dead or dying branches, care for the roots, and maintain the soil for your tree. For the novice, selecting which tools you need can be difficult.

There are many basic bonsai tools used to care for a tree, and these are typically sold as beginner sets.

The four basic tools include a bonsai shear/scissor, a broom, a rake and tweezers. Typically, the highest quality tools for bonsai care are from Japan, where there are companies dedicated to the building of these tools.

When selecting your bonsai tools, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind.

First, the quality of the tools you purchase may affect how well your bonsai turns out. Low quality tools run risk of damaging your tree and leaving unpleasant looking scars on the bark of the tee. Low quality bonsai tools tend to be duller, lacking the ability to cleanly shear when needed.

A clean cut is required when you’re wanting to hide evidence that the tree has had branches removed unnaturally.

When setting wires, good tweezers can make the difference between a good placement and your branch being scarred from bad placement of wires.

You can buy bonsai tools from all across the world, although the vast majority of high quality, recommended bonsai tools come from Japan. When you are purchasing your bonsai tools, you can purchase low quality tools that are extremely inexpensive, or you can purchase high end tools that are designed to last for years.

The primary difference in these tools is how well they do the job, and how long they last. With proper care, high quality tools will never need replaced, as they will hold their edge for years. Low quality tools tend to go dull quickly, and run risk of breaking while being used.

For advanced users, it is recommended that high quality bonsai tools are exclusively used.

For those who have worked with bonsai for many years, their tool set will be far more extensive, ranging from eight to twenty or more different tools for working with the various types of bonsai.

Bonsai tools can be purchased online, imported from Japan, or found at local garden and hardware stores.

Bonsai Trees. Bonsai are dwarfed ornamental trees grown in a variety of shallow pots. The trees are pruned and managed in ways that encourage designs within the branches and trunks of the tree.

For the casual grower, bonsai trees are simplistic, just small trees that are stunted by the confines of their pots. For the professional bonsai tree grower, the trees are works of art that can last for hundreds of years if cared for properly.

Bonsai Trees

If you are interested in growing bonsai trees, there are several things that you should keep in mind. Many of the types of trees suitable for growing in the bonsai style do not thrive well indoors.

This is due to the fact that many of the species used in bonsai trees require a dormant period that is typically broken by the temperature and climate indoors. By not allowing the bonsai trees to go into dormancy, the tree will not be able to thrive as long.

There are seven techniques used to manage and care for bonsai. These include leaf trimming, pruning, wiring, clamping, grafting, defoliation and deadwood.

Each of these methods serve a different purpose when tending to bonsai trees. Leaf trimming and pruning are typically used to maintain the appearance and health of the tree, while wiring, clamping, grafting, defoliation and deadwood are methods used to enhance the overall style and design of the bonsai.

Each of these methods needs to be performed with care, as your bonsai trees can be killed if you over prune, over trim, or otherwise critically damage the root and structure of the bonsai.

Unlike other styles of potted plants, bonsai trees require careful watering in order to survive. Each species of bonsai tree is different, and has different watering needs.

Over or under watering bonsai plants are among the most common causes of death in these plants.

An important part of tending to bonsai trees is maintaining the pots in which they grow. There are many types of pots available, both glazed and unglazed, that are designed to accent the bonsai grown within them.

The pots will be changed over the course of the bonsai’s life, so growers will need to learn how best to select and change the pots. Due to the size of bonsai trees, the pots are typically a significant part of the appearance of the bonsai.

Most bonsai will be grown in pots with drainage holes that permit excess moisture from pooling inside the pot and causing root rot.

Many growers will use mesh over these holes to prevent pests from entering the pot from the bottom and keep loose soil in the pot.

If you are interested in growing bonsai trees, you should ensure that you live in a good region for the types of trees you want to grow, or you focus on purchasing an indoor variety of bonsai.

It is important to remember that traditionally, bonsai live and grow outdoors. They are trees, and as such, need the environment they naturally grow in.

While it is becoming a trend to grow bonsai plants indoors, it is important that you select a type of tree that is able to flourish under those conditions.

For example, the juniper is a type of bonsai that does not usually do well indoors. They require a dormancy period, where they are kept at colder temperatures and are permitted to rejuvenate.

This process is vital for the survival of the plant. A juniper that is not permitted to go into dormancy will typically die within a few months.

Using Quality Soil for your Bonsai. Having a good bonsai soil is a vital part of keeping your bonsai healthy. For the beginner, selecting a good bonsai soil is a daunting task.

For the experienced bonsai grower, a good soil makes the difference between a thriving, healthy tree and one that will only survive a few months to a year.

When you are selecting bonsai soil, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind, regardless of whether or not you are an experienced grower. Bonsai trees require quick draining soil that maintains its shape in order to stay alive.

Due to the small amount of space that a bonsai has to work with, if you do not have good soil, root rot is much more likely to occur. Root rot is a death sentence for a bonsai tree, and can quickly ruin years of growth of your tree. In addition to this, poorly chosen soil has a tendency to break apart, requiring the roots be cleaned yearly.

This can be particularly damaging to pine bonsai trees, as well as junipers. If you want to use soils prone to breaking apart or decomposing, such as organic soils, you will need to make certain that the tree you use this soil type with is able to handle root bearing at least once or twice a year.

One of the most popular types of bonsai soil available on the market is inorganic soils. These are fired clays that hold their shape and absorb moisture well, which the roots can then feed off of.

This is important as these soils have good drainage, which prevents root rot from occurring.

As high quality fired clay tends to be absorbent, there is enough moisture to allow the roots to get what they need while the excess water drains away. This type of inorganic soil is acceptable for many varieties of bonsai trees.

Acquiring good bonsai soil can be difficult if you do not know where to look. Bonsai soil can be found in the most unusual of places, including hardware stores, auto parts stores and pet supply stores.

Bonsai resellers online will typically acquire their soils from these types of places and make blends suitable for certain types of trees.

When you purchase bonsai soil, it is important that you test the soil prior to use. Good quality soils will not break down easily. You should not be able to crush it in your hand easily, or break it when doused in water and then frozen.

Bonsai soil that breaks down like this will typically not last a long time and can cause some problems with certain varieties of trees.

Using Quality Soil for your Bonsai.

Taking Care of your Bonsai. Good bonsai care is vital if you want to maintain the look and health of your tree. As bonsai trees are more work than a standard tree left to grow on its own, there are a lot of things that you need to know about bonsai care.

First, because you are designing the tree to look a specific way, you need to take the time and effort to learn about the specific tree you are working with. Some species of trees have delicate branches, making them unsuitable for wiring.

Other trees do not handle the use of deadwood well, developing fatal cases of rot when this technique is used on them. Learn about bonsai care before you use any technique on a tree, as this will prevent a costly mistake killing your prized plant.

One key aspect of bonsai care is the correct watering of your tree. A bonsai is dependent on the amount of water you give it for survival. However, due to the small size of the pots, giving the trees too much water can start root rot, which is fatal in bonsai trees.

Because of the careful balance required, bonsai care can be very challenging for those who have never nurtured a bonsai before.

When you start into the world of bonsai care, there are some supplies that you will want to invest in. A good pair of small shears, typically made specifically for bonsai, will allow you to prune the branches and leaves of your bonsai as needed.

This is an important part of bonsai care. A rake is used to work the soil of your bonsai pot, checking for clumps and otherwise maintaining this aspect of your bonsai.

A pair of tweezers is desired to remove any leaves and other small plants from taking away precious nutrients from your bonsai. Finally, you will need a small broom to clean your bonsai.

Removing dirt and keeping your bonsai clean is vital to promote good health of the tree.

A final aspect of bonsai care, that many beginners are not aware of, is learning when the proper time to prune and pot the tree is at. Each species of tree is different, and depending on when your tree is dormant and active is when you will prune your plant.

Some species need to be pruned before new buds have grown. Others need pruned as the buds are forming. Learn about your specific species of tree and prune it accordingly.

If you are attentive, bonsai care is simple, and anyone can handle caring for one of these beautiful trees.

Taking Proper Care of a Bonsai Tree. Bonsai tree care is a fundamental part of the bonsai hobby. The trees are the star of the show, and as such, they need the proper care to remain beautiful and healthy.

If you are just starting to get into the bonsai hobby, bonsai tree care may be a little difficult for you to understand at first. For beginners, there are two fundamental aspects of bonsai tree care that must be dealt with first.

The primary one is knowing how much to water your tree. Because bonsai grow in such small pots, the trees need to be watered in a very specific fashion. Over or under watering the tree is a death sentence for a bonsai.

Under watering the tree causes the tree to wilt, wither, then die. Over watering causes a condition known as root rot, which is responsible for the destruction of the root system. This also leads to fatalities in bonsai trees.

As long as you take care to make certain that your pot has good drainage holes, this problem is fairly simple to avoid.

The next thing you need to remember about bonsai tree care is that these trees are usually grown outdoors. They require certain habitats that cannot be mimicked in certain growing regions.

Research the tree you are planning to grow. This will make certain that you are using the right bonsai tree care tactics and ensure the long life of your plant.

As you become more adept at bonsai tree care, you will learn how to properly prune your plant, pot it in larger pots, and trim the roots so you have a proper sized root mass. You will learn how to wire your plant so the branches go to the form you want without leaving unsightly scars or damaging the visual aspects of your bonsai tree.

If your tree becomes sick, you will learn the best treatment methods to prevent your tree from dying. There are many facets to bonsai tree care, all of which can be learned with effort, experience and time.

If you are interested in bonsai tree care and do not want to learn through experimentation, there are a lot of resources available to you. You can inquire on bonsai tree care in bonsai circles, read online publications and books, or purchase instructional videos that will outline bonsai tree care in a way that is easy for you to understand.