IN GENERAL:
-Some people are not sure if Bonsai is a type of plant or a cultivation technique. The word Bonsai roughly means a plant, a tree, but also a group of plants or trees grown in small pots. So Bonsai is not a plant but a technique of growing a miniature tree in a small container. This technique originated in China, then it was transferred to Japan where it developed and got its present form.
MAINTENANCE AND CARE:
-All plants which have a strong trunk with proper care and maintenance can become Bonsai. There are plants that easily adapt to a small container and whose leaves shrink faster, and they are recommended for beginners. These are the most common: elm, beech, maple, oak, ficus, pine, azalea, chestnut. The soil mixture for Bonsai can contain small gravel, peat, loam, compost... The mixture is adapted to the plant species. Bonsai must be fertilized from time to time, with a fertilizer that contains enough nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Before fertilizing, the plant should be well watered, because you can damage it by fertilizing on dry soil. Fertilization from March to September (every 14 days).
Watering should be done daily over the leaves, while in the winter period only occasional watering is recommended. Due to the shallow layer of soil in the pot, the bonsai tree runs out of water very quickly and it is necessary to water it as soon as the top layer of soil dries. Throughout the year, keep the plant in a bright and warm place (18-23 °C), in a draft-free room. In summer, the plant can be outside, but protected from wind and rain. During the heating season, lower the temperature at night.
TRANSPLANTING:
- Young plants (up to 10, 15 years old) should be transplanted every or every other year, and older ones every 5.6 years. It is usually transplanted into the same or slightly larger pot, the soil should be mixed with sand or small pebbles, and it is important to loosen and slightly cut the root of the plant every time.
PRUNING:
- Pruning the branches strengthens the tree and encourages its growth. In order for the tree to thrive and be healthy for many years, it is necessary to cut off the young shoots. Pruning the buds encourages the growth of new leaves, so the tree always looks healthy. Pruning should only be done when the tree is at rest. If you want your bonsai tree to bloom, it is necessary to prune it in the spring.
HOW TO GROW BONSAI:
-Bonsai tree can be grown in several ways:
Each of these methods of growing a bonsai tree is specific, and the breeder chooses the method that suits him best.
The most time is definitely needed for growing from seeds. If you opt for this way of growing a bonsai tree, you will see the first results of your work only after ten years. Planting a bonsai tree from seeds is done in autumn, and after some time the plant is transplanted.
Another possibility is margoting, i.e. scarring part of the branch, which is then separated from the tree and further grown as a separate plant.
A recommended technique for beginners is to buy a suitable young plant from a nursery, which you will further prune and reshape and continue to grow as a bonsai.
SHAPE FORMATION:
-There are large and small bonsai tree specimens. A large bonsai tree is usually about 45 to 46 centimeters tall, while a small one is under 13 centimeters tall. A bonsai tree can be much larger, depending on what the grower wants to achieve. It is very important to choose a suitable pot, i.e. container for bonsai. Plant a tree with a proper trunk a little further from the center of the container, and if you want a tree that you will shape so that it grows at an angle, plant it in the center of a square or round pot. If you want the bonsai to grow upright, while the plant is still very young, stick a stick into the pot at an angle of 45 degrees and tie the plant to it. If you want the plant to be in the form of a cascade or semi-cascade, it is necessary to wrap the young stem with a piece of wire, bend the top of the plant until it is at ground level, and then fasten the top of the wire with a piece of string that is tied around the pot. You must do this very carefully, because the branches must not be damaged, otherwise they will be scarred by the wires.
When forming the shape of a bonsai tree, there are different styles, and the bonsai artist himself decides how to form the tree. Styles can be: upright and strictly upright form, rocky form, cascade, freely upright style, sweeping and others.
