Styles of Bonsai Trees

Immerse in room temperature water to moderately warm water once you have determined that the bonsai soil is close to dry. Simply watering on a daily basis without first observing the condition of the bonsai soil can lead to over-watering and eventual death of the bonsai. Observe the appearance of the top of the bonsai soil to ascertain when it should be watered. Determine if the top centimetre (1/3 of an inch apx.) of the compost has dried out. You can get to know when your tree needs to be watered by observing the foliage, testing the soil with your index finger just below the surface, or just by the weight of the pot. (The drier the tree, the lighter it will feel.) To take the guesswork out of watering, I recommend an inexpensive moisture meter which works very much like a thermometer. Insert it into the soil and the movement of the needle will tell you if it is time to water.

Until you have become familiar with your bonsai tree you should check on it a few times a day. So learn to observe your bonsai!

Water to approximately 1 inch above the pot rim, and let stand until the air bubbles stop. If your water has a high lime content (i.e. such as from artesian wells), then water with distilled water or rain water.

Bonsai trees use a "free draining" type of soil because their roots cannot tolerate "wet feet". In addition, they are grown in significantly less soil and, therefore require more watering. Factors such as tree location, temperature, lighting conditions, quantity of soil used, and the changing seasons will determine the frequency of watering.

Maintain moist compost soil and do not allow it to dry out. If it accidentally dries out leave the pot standing in water overnight.

Spray the Bonsai leaves often with tepid water.

All trees in nature have deadwood. As an enhancement to a bonsai's visual appearance, dead wood is magic. It is the ultimate aging feature. If well sculpted and proportional, it completes the illusion. Displaying Juniper Bonsai Deadwood with two prime examples of Menorcan Juniper Bonsai Trees.



Antoni Payeras

As a general rule, a small amount of feed is given in the spring and a larger amount in the fall. Feed for bonsai trees should contain three principle ingredients; nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. It is also a good idea to use a fertilizer containing "chelated" iron. Water before fertilizing your tree and then apply at half the strength recommended by the brand's manufacturer.

When choosing varieties for bonsai culture, parts of the bonsai tree should always remain reasonably in scale to replicate, in miniature, the whole form of a mature wild tree.

Here are the leaves of a number of common plants that you may find in a bonsai tree nursery:

Azalea - small leafed
Bougainvillea

Japanese black pine
Short needled spruce
Beech
Birch
Chinese elm
Chinese juniper
Crab apple
Hornbeam
Japanese cedar
Prunus = cherries, peaches and apricots
Rock Cottoneater
Trident maple
Wisteria
Yew

The most popular evergreen trees for bonsai are pines, junipers spruces, Japanese cedar and yew, wherein short needle varieties are preferable, although the Japanese black pine can have its long needles reduced in size by removing all new growth every second year.

By not repotting too often, deciduous trees can have their leaves dramatically reduced in size and by leaf cutting. Varieties with fairly small leaves are generally preferred to begin with, and these include various varieties of maples, elms, hornbeams, beeches, and birches.

When choosing flowering and fruiting trees, bear in mind the size of both the leaves and of flowers and fruits. For instance, a crabapple will look in scale with its tiny apples about the size of a small cherry, but an apple tree will look very odd when it fruits. Many shrubs with small flowers and fruits, such as cotoneater make excellent bonsai.

See below for step-by-step Bonsai Tree Instructions.

Acquire and enjoy a Bonsai tree so that you may experience the ancient art of Bonsai, perfected by the Japanese centuries ago as a discipline of Zen. You too can learn how to care and grow your own tree!

When buying your new bonsai plant here are a few points to bear in mind:

· Age and shape of the tree
· Leaves should look bright and healthy
· Soil should be damp but not soggy
· The tree should be steady in its container,
which should have at least one drainage
· If buying a deciduous tree in winter, last
year's growth should be smooth and plump,
with no sign of bark wrinkling hole
· A white fungus in and around the drainage
hole is natural and harmless.
· General health

Are you wondering how to begin caring for your Bonsai or how to make your Bonsai flourish?

Trimming and pruning shapes the Bonsai into the desired form and reduces the growth above ground in order to maintain a balance with root growth. Shaping begins when the tree is very young and is on-going. Trim using sharp scissors or shears. The traditional tool is called butterfly shears or bonsai shears and is used for removing foliage and light branches. When heavier branches are removed, use a concave cutter. The concave cutter allows you to remove small, medium and even large branches without leaving any visible scars. Some trees such as the Juniper should be trimmed by using the thumb and index finger to remove new growth and to prevent browning and a "sheared" appearance.

Bonsais should receive natural light, but not direct light in a well ventilated area, with relatively high humidity, with no drafs.

How to Prune Bonzai Trees

Bonsai soil is a mixture of ingredients which allows the water to drain freely and at the same time, retain moisture. In addition, the ingredients allow the roots to breathe air and prevent compaction. There are two basic types of bonsai soil -- a conifer mix and a tropical/sub/tropical mix. Before adding any soil mixture, be sure to cover the drainage hole(s) with screening to prevent the soil from washing out of the pot. When re-potting, it is always best to use the soil mixture in its dry state.

Place the tree on a humidity tray and add water to the tray. As the water in the tray evaporates it creates a humid environment around the tree 24 hours a day. When the water in the tray is gone, add more water. It's a good idea to separate the pot from the water in the tray by adding some pebbles to the bottom of the tray. This will prevent any roots from sitting in the water.

Bonzais are often tropical or sub-tropical in origin and need to be kept in similar conditions indoors so a high humidity environment is required.

The ideal minimum temperature should not fall below 50°F (10°C).

Wiring Bonsai, a relatively modern method of training bonsai trunks and branches into the desired forms, has become commonly accepted. It is often used in place of, or in conjunction with the traditional methods of long-term pruning and hemp-rope binding. Copper wire that has first been annealed in a low-temperature fire is preferred. After it has cooled, it is wrapped around the branches in the direction the branch is to be bent. The branch should be bent once into its final position so as not to harm the cambium layer under the bark.

The wire should be wrapped taut, but not too tight, starting around the tree trunk, and leading it out to its branches, holding the branch in place until it eventually holds the wanted shape. Some tree types do not change easily, they may be too rigid or brittle to be changed and are not easily shaped by wiring, in which case shaping must be done chiefly through pruning. The wire should be removed just before it bites into the branch -- between 6 and 12 months. The wire is removed with a bonsai wire cutter by snipping the wire at each turn, in other words by cutting it into small pieces, thereby allowing the cut pieces to fall to the ground. Never unwind the wire or unravel the wire from the branches, or use pliers to cut the wire, since this will damage the branches.

Train Bonsai to Shape

Additional Training Techniques

Use bypass pruners for a clean cut. Follow instructions in links.

Bonsai Pruning

Pinching and Leaf Trimming

While houseplants need to be placed in larger and larger containers, the miniaturization of a bonsai
tree is maintained by keeping the roots confined to the small container. Repotting will be necessary every 3- 5 years. The tree, however, should be removed from its container and its root system inspected once a year. If the roots form a circular ball around the perimeter of the pot, it is time to trim the roots and repot.

When repotting remember to:
· Use only bonsai soil
· Remove air pockets by working the soil down through the roots
· Do not remove more that 20% of the root system
· Place a piece of plastic window screen over the drain holes of the plant's container to help prevent the soil mix from washing out when you water the plant
· Repot during the appropriate repotting season
· Water well and keep out of the sun for a week or two.

Bonsai Fig - Ficus Retusa: