Naturally, when it comes to cultivating and successfull growing a bonsai, it means it has good type of soil. Of course, a bonsai wouldn’t thrive long if a particular soil do not promote its growth.
Soil composition has also been the issue among bonsai enthusiasts. There are ready-mixed soils that can be purchased from bonsai nurseries and garden centers, however but these tend to be relatively expensive. Based on the grower’s experiences, they have learned how to mix soils on their own.
The bonsai tree must be able to obtain water, nutrients and gases from the soil in order to grow. The quality of the soil that is used, directly affects the health and vigour of the tree. For this reason, a bonsai must be planted in a good quality bonsai soil.
Here are some basic requirements of bonsai soils:
Good water-retention. The soil needs to be able to hold and retain sufficient quantities of water to supply moisture to the bonsai between each watering.
Good aeration. The particles used in a bonsai mix should be of sufficient size to allow tiny gaps or air pockets between each particle. It is important to the health of the roots that they have access to oxygen.
Good drainage. Excess water must be able to drain immediately from the pot. Soils lacking good drainage are too water retentive, lack aeration and are liable to a build up of salts.
For bonsai beginners, it is recommended that an inorganic soil be always used for the health and ease of cultivation of bonsai because it is particle-based, well-structured and allows fast drainage of water. It also allows fresh air to continually enter the soil.
There is no particular soil mix that is best for cultivating bonsai because there are different factors affecting the growth of the bonsai and these include: local climate, rainfall, personal watering regimes and individual tree species. Sometimes, the experience of using different soil types and ingredients will lead us to the most suitable soil type for the bonsai.
A Japanese maple is the most popular tree or plant for bonsai. Not only because it adjusts to temperate and tropical climates, but also because of its beautiful and colorful foliage that changes with the season.
Growing a successful Japanese Maple bonsai takes a lot of effort and patience. These plants are so sensitive. Oftentimes, people are unaware about what happened to their bonsai and why did it happen to their bonsai. One of the important aspects that should be given importance is the right way of watering the bonsai. The sun and the wind are two factors that makes a bonsai dry, therefore the right amount of water and the right way of watering should be considered to sustain the bonsai’s growth and development.
Below are few but important proper watering techniques to grow a successful bonsai:
Daily watering should be done every morning.
Water the bonsai several times weekly during summer.
Daily watering during summer period is also applicable as long as watering is done through sprinkling.
Always check and water the bonsai during dry periods.
Grouping a bonsai together for watering is also one way to prevent overwatering.
Sometimes, water in the leaves combined with sunlight can cause leaf burns. So, it is advisable to water the plants with indirect sunlight.
Additional watering is recommended if unglazed clay pots are used.
Do not water the bonsai regularly during autumn and winter periods. Just check them from time to time.
If you are not available to water and check your bonsai from time to time, ask or assign somebody to do this important task.
Watering a bonsai needs extra care. If this extra care will be adequately given especially when watering, it will be very amazing to see a beautiful bonsai in the near future.
A Japanese maple bonsai is a living art form. This has been always the reason of its attractiveness. One way of enhancing the beauty of a bonsai is through wiring that leads it to different shapes and forms.
Wiring is a method achieving different beautiful shapes of a bonsai through bending trunks and branches with the use of wires. Bending the trunk and branches for a few times will determine the bonsai’s shape later on. Once the wiring is done in which the wires are removed, the trunks and branches will stay in place and will will let the viewers visualize a particular shape or form.
There are important elements of wiring namely: wire material, wiring plan, and the wiring do’ and dont’s. These three elements should be considered beforehand. Having these all all prepared and in-place will make your wiring and the Japanese maple bonsai making successful.
Wire Material. Wire should be anodized aluminum or annealed copper. These types of wire prevent harmful metals from leaking out and being ingested by the tree that usually results in sickness or death. One example of poisonous wire is the steel-type and must be avoided at all cost. Most of the bonsai enthusiasts copper more appealing to the eye during the long bonsai training. However, aluminum is considerably more flexible too, hence, it is less difficult to use for a bonsai novice. A good place to start is by selecting wire that’s around 1/3 the thickness of the tree section you are intending to shape. This is the usual rough rule of thumb.
Wiring Plan. A wiring plan is recommended to be prepared. This can either be a hand-made sketch or a computer illustration that visualizes final shape or form. This will allow you to have a vivid image in your mind so will never get lost along the process. Studying the wiring plan will eliminate crossing of wires. As a general rule, this can be used for proper shaping of branches. To start getting your bearings, have the branch coming towards you.
Wiring Do’s and Dont’s. Be knowledgable of the wiring precautions because it is not a simple process. The basic precaution is not to tighten the wire too hard, as it might lead to scars on the branches and trunks. It causes stress on the trunk and branches, thus awareness of the do’s and dont’s of wiring will help in alleviating such stress. Patience is also a big help during wiring and one of the do’s of wiring.
Wiring a Japanese maple bonsai is a complex and sensitive process. It requires dedication and time. By giving both, anybody can shape the bonsai into their desired form and design. Always consider the above elements during wiring. These elements will guide you to successful work of art. Do not take wild chances. Do not compromise the bonsai. Sometimes, following experts’ advice can destroy a perfectly beautiful bonsai. Be confident with your gained knowledge and experience. As long as the three elements are prepared and understood, then there’s nothing to worry about.
A bonsai is the little version of a tree and usually planted in a pot. One specific example is the Japanese Maple Bonsai. Since this has been very popular nowadays because of its beautiful changing colors, you might want to consider some steps on how to make a Japanese Maple Bonsai.
Gather information. This is the first and the best thing to do before engaging into bonsai-making activities. Research on how to take care of your bonsai in the future. You must also know what types of oil they are going to thrive, how often watering should be done, and other environmental factors that may affect the growth of the bonsai.
Materials. Materials needed should be listed and always ready. These include a Japanese maple limb, knife, moss, string & mesh screens.
Species, Size, Plant Selection. Choose the best tree species that you like. It is also recommended that you choose the tree species that grows well in your area considering the environmental conditions. Before selecting the actual plant from the species chosen, decide what size of bonsai you would like to have. Then you will have to go to a nursery garden to select the actual plant. Make sure the plant is healthy through its fresh leaf color.
Pot Selection. The selected pot will enhance the beauty of the bonsai. Make sure that it somehow matched the bonsai. The size of the pot also affects the growth of the bonsai. So, you must choose a pot that can hold the roots of the bonsai well and that can hold enough moisture for the plant.
Tree Pruning. Trim the tree to the desired shape. Take out the plant from its pot. Water the roots. Cut the roots and place it in a new pot with an adequate amount of soil.
Tree Potting & Watering. Put mesh screens over the drainage holes to prevent soil erosion. Add some well draining soil to the pot and then place the tree into the pot. Regular potting soil for your bonsai may hold too much water and may drown the tree. If the weather is warm, water the tree from time to time until its roots get stable.
Learning to grow and care for bonsai trees is much easier than most people think and it is usually only a few simple mistakes that bring them to harm. If you have considered owning a juniper bonsai tree then you need to follow these important steps to ensure your new tree does not die years before its due time. One type is not going to be able to get through the entire tree gently, and leaving the branches undisturbed is essential to your growing bonsai trees properly. Growing Bonsai trees is not an easy task and requires that you use the proper bonsai tools.
Your bonsai is at risk of becoming dehydrated until the roots have recovered from the re-potting and can bring water to the whole tree. The act of Bonsai is considered an art and is focusing on the long-term benefits of dedication, care and the pleasant and relaxing feelings it brings to the grower and the viewer of the trees.
Proper soil selection is critical when it comes to the best possible bonsai tree care, for the reason that the particular garden soil impacts the plant’s roots, fertilizing, and also watering of your tree. Remember bonsai trees? Those were all the rage once and the appeal of tending a bonsai tree was the therapeutic benefits of trimming a little tree. (I still remember the Saved by the Bell clip showing Mr. Belding killing his tree!) Taking care of your garden is very much like that.
The most important thing to remember when growing a Ficus bonsai tree is that the plant should be placed indoors through the entire year although fresh air and sunlight is also beneficial. This is the re-potting technique described that allows bonsai trees to live for hundreds of years & be passed from generation to generation while other containerized trees that have not had their roots tended to, and have only been potted-up, are likely to be in severe decline, or compost, well before they’re old enough to vote.
These trees are excellent bonsai material because it is a hardy tree which doesn’t require a lot of attention and is easy to take care for it. Another good point about having an artificial bonsai tree is you are not limited to one style. Culturing a Juniper bonsai tree is a great hobby because it is a good stress reliever. Another advantage of culturing a Juniper bonsai tree is that it can be placed indoors or outdoors even during the winter season although the temperature should not go below 59 degrees.
Bonsai or the cultivation of dwarf trees and plants in containers became popular but these small plants are actually quite large when compared to the bonsai we know today. Root-pruning is a procedure that might be considered borrowed from bonsai culture, but as noted above, bonsai culture is nothing more than highly refined container culture, and to restrict the practice of root-pruning to bonsai only, is an injustice to those of us who simply enjoy growing trees in containers.
The bonsai wire remains wrapped around the trunks and branches until the tree is able to maintain the desired shape, during which the bonsai wire is removed. One way to determine the size of bonsai wire that you need is to find a wire that you can bend with the same effort as you would bending your tree’s trunk or branch.
I’ve just been using the tools that I have around the house to take care of my bonsai. A pair of kitchen scissors, needle-nose pliers, wire cutters and wire from my tool box was all I needed. Granted these were all cleaned and sharpened before touching my tree. However, I finally decided that it was time for me to get a “proper set of tools”.
Not having purchased proper tools before, I wasn’t sure what to get. I could have purchased just a few tools or more than I have ever seen. Of course, I could spend insane amounts of money or go really cheap. Well, there was no sense in going really cheap otherwise I could have kept using my old tools. But then again, I just couldn’t justify spending too much.
I finally settled in on a 10 piece set from Oriental Touch for around $60. The set included 2 cutting scissors, and one each of trimming scissors, leaf cutter, concave cutter, knob cutter, wire cutter, 8 ½ inch rake with spatula, 9 inch root hook and finally a 5 ¾ inch broom.
I must say that I am really impressed with this purchase. Each tool came individually wrapped and arrived quickly. These tools are metal and have a nice feel in my hand. They definitely feel well made and that they last for a long time. I was also thrilled to find out how sharp these were. No need to sharpen these for a while.
Trimming my bonsai, left very clean cuts. It made me realize that I was probably doing more damage to my tree by using the old tools than I had realized. The only minor thing was these arrived freshly and generously oiled. I placed the first few tools on the kitchen table and had to wash the table clothe. I should have known better.
I’ve included a link if anyone else was looking for a good set of Bonsai tools.
While growing your bonsai tree from seed is the most satisfying experience, sometimes an opportunity presents itself that you can’t refuse. I passed up an opportunity to take a Japanese Maple tree that really wasn’t “tree” size but wasn’t what I would consider a “bonsai” either. I didn’t take it because I really didn’t think that I could “reduce” the tree.
Of course, after I got back home I consulted my friend “Mr Google” and his partner in crime “Youtube” and found this video below.
When I called back to get the tree, it was gone…….
So I thought I would at least share my lesson. Enjoy the video.
So your Japanese Maple bonsai is growing and starting to look like a tree. Now what? Should we allow our bonsais to grow and create their own shape and personality? Well, that’s certainly an option. However, if we are truly going to create a living piece of art, we need to shape tree into something appealing to our eye. There are two basic techniques that a beginner bonsai enthusiast should use.
The first technique is using some wire to bend or even completely change the position of a branch. I know this may sound a little harsh, but most of the bending is performed very gradually over a long period of time. Don’t think of it as bending so much as just having the tree grow in our preferred position. Wiring a tree is more like asking it to grow a certain way while remaining healthy.
You’ll need more than a spool of wire in order to use this method of bonsai training. The branches can easily be marked by the wire, especially trees with soft bark. To help prevent the wire from cutting into the branches and leaving a mark, we will raffia. Raffia is a plant material that can be found in almost any garden supply store. Soak the raffia is water for about 30 minutes and then wrap it around the branches that you want to bend.
The raffia will also provide additional support for the branch to help prevent the branch from breaking or cracking while we “bend” it. Wire can be wrapped around the point in which one wishes to create a “bend” in the branch or trunk. Be careful if you choose to anchor the other end of the wire to another branch of the bonsai. Both branches will be feel the force and bend accordingly. If a branch is being moved to grow in a completely new direction, one may have to slightly bend the branch as they tighten and secure the wire to an anchor. Bending should cease immediately if any sharp cracking sounds are heard. To create more dramatic bends and repositioning, one should gradually shorten the length of wire over a long period of time until the desired look is achieved.
The second method involves creating notches in a branch to help reposition it. You’ll need steady hands and the ability to move slowly if you’re going to attempt this method. Otherwise, you will find yourself cutting too much and losing the branch completely, The “notching” method should only be used to bend very thick or brittle branches that would otherwise be at an awkward angle for traditional wire bending.
Using this method requires a sharp knife or a very fine saw, raffia or insulated tape, and wire. This technique begins by slicing 1/2 of the way into the base of the branch at an inward angle. You’ll need to make another small slice from the opposite angle. When finished you should have a very small triangle of wood missing in the branch. Coat the branch in a few layers of raffia. You may then use wire to secure the branch while moving it slowly into place. Make sure to anchor the wire to the trunk or base of the planter. This notch will eventually heal and fill in but may leave a visible scar. That’s another reason to make sure you create the notch near the trunk. This will be less visible to your viewers.
Using either of these two techniques will allow us to start shaping our bonsai. In the mean time, the skills and patience we develop us shape ourselves.
