Bonsai is a small tree with a trunk and crown of a bizarre shape. Its history goes back to ancient times, to China, but it was in Japan that bonsai turned from just unusual plants into a real art. Today, both the trees themselves and the method of their cultivation are denoted by the word "bonsai". How to grow such a miracle at home? How long does it take for an ordinary houseplant or tree seedling to turn into a self-sufficient element of decor? How to grow bonsai from pine or dwarf hardwoods? Everything that may interest you in this Japanese art will be discussed in the article below.
Why do many people choose bonsai among hundreds of plant varieties?
Indoor flowers can decorate any interior, add brightness and freshness to it. In addition, living plants purify the air and saturate it with oxygen. Those who love flowers, but do not have a large enough area to accommodate large bushy specimens, usually choose a bonsai. How to grow it yourself, they are interested more oftenonly true lovers of indoor cultures, because it takes a lot of time and effort. Although this breed is dwarf, it is still a tree, which means that it is formed over several years, not months, like ordinary flowers in a garden on a windowsill. Very few people ask how to grow bonsai from seeds, because this task is even more painstaking and requires a lot of patience. At the same time, caring for a dwarf tree, creating a crown of a bizarre shape, decorating the ground - all this gives an extraordinary scope for your imagination, therefore, in terms of originality and fascination, it far exceeds the cultivation of ordinary indoor plants. So, are you ready? Then we begin to get acquainted with the art of bonsai in all its details!
How to choose a plant to create a bonsai?
How to grow a bonsai tree if you know absolutely nothing about it? Of course, you should start with the choice of planting material. Most often, this process occurs in a nursery or greenhouse. Among the deciduous and coniferous trees growing in our region, the absolute favorites are maple and pine. Making a bonsai out of them will not work quickly, but in the end you will get a real “dwarf” in the best Japanese traditions. You can try to grow a miniature tree from other species, including:
- lilacs of various varieties;
- spirea;
- irga;
- cherry;
- spruce;
- apple tree;
- juniper;
- larch;
- viburnum;
- cotoneaster;
- hawthorn;
- birch;
- barberry.
In fact, it is possible to create a bonsai from almost any plant. The main thing is that it feels comfortable in the local climate and tolerates frequent pruning.
It is much easier to grow bonsai from indoor flower crops. Experts recommend giving preference to well-branched varieties with small leaves. Surely you have already presented Benjamin's ficus, coffee tree, lemon or fig as a bonsai. Hibiscus, evergreen boxwood or laurel will look just as good.
And to conclude this part of the bonsai conversation, one more piece of advice: choose a plant that you like. It will take a long time to work on it, and the result is unlikely to be brilliant if the tree annoys you with its appearance, smell or flowering.
How to choose a pot and soil for bonsai?
So, you have chosen and purchased a seedling from which you want to create a bonsai. How to grow him strong and he althy? It all starts with pot selection and planting.
The ideal pot for a dwarf Japanese tree is a ceramic container, not too deep, of large diameter, similar to a bowl. There should be enough space in it so that the roots of the bonsai are securely covered.
At the same time, it is undesirable to use soil for ordinary indoor flowers, because it retains a lot of moisture, and the root system of the seedling can rot. In nature, bonsai grow in harsh conditions, on rocky slopes, clinging to almost bare rock. Of course, this does not mean that at home the treeshould be grown on rocks, but the quality of the soil should be as close to natural as possible. In the case of bonsai, the main function of the pot and soil is to balance the above-ground part of the seedling.
How to plant a bonsai?
The container must have drainage holes. It is also recommended to lay a net on the bottom to prevent washing out of the soil. Before planting, the roots of the bonsai are cut so that the plant fits in the pot. Pour some soil over the mesh, then position the tree and tie the largest underground parts of it with wire, fixing it to the container through the drainage holes. Finish filling the pot with soil and water the bonsai.
Please note that temperate trees are only planted in spring. If you plan to turn a native of the tropics into a bonsai, this can be done at any time of the year.
How to properly care for bonsai?
How to grow bonsai at home? To do this, it is necessary to maintain a certain light and temperature regime in the room, create a sufficient level of humidity and organize regular watering. It should be noted that bonsai is a culture that cannot be permanently indoors. If possible, it must be sent for a walk from time to time: to the balcony, veranda or even to the garden.
Trees need a lot of light, especially in cloudy weather and in winter, when the day is short. The use of fluorescent lamps will help correct the situation.
Humidity around the bonsai is maintained at the proper level by placing a small vessel of water next to the pot. You can organize a daily direct spraying of bonsai from a spray bottle. Do this in the morning so that the foliage has time to dry before evening.
The temperature regime is selected individually, based on the specific requirements of the wood species. So, people from the subtropics (pomegranate, olive, myrtle, etc.) feel comfortable at a temperature of 7-15 °C. Tropical bonsai need more heat - from 16 to 25 ° C.
Water the trees often, but in small portions. The soil in the pot should be constantly moist, but not too wet. Water is preliminarily defended. The ideal option is melt water. Make sure that when watering, the entire thickness of the soil in the pot is moistened. In summer, bonsai should be “watered” more often, as they grow more intensively at this time.
How to prepare seeds for a miniature tree?
If you are interested in how to grow bonsai from seeds, immediately get ready for the fact that it will take a lot of time, sometimes even more than 5 years. Planting material can be bought at a nursery, ordered online, or even collected by yourself in a nearby park.
Tropical trees are grown from the seeds of boxwood, myrtle, wisteria, ficus, broad-leaved - beech, hornbeam, maple, elm, birch, conifers - cedar, pine, fir, cypress.
Planting material of such breeds as hawthorn, juniper, quince requires keeping at rest for 6-12 months. Seeds are placed in a containerwith wet sand and leave in a cool place. Future pines, spruces, oaks and firs, on the contrary, are best sown immediately after harvest.
So, how to grow bonsai from oak or other species from seeds? Immediately before planting, they are germinated in water, moss or vermiculite. Break their hard shell to increase germination. It is also recommended to treat the seeds with a fungicide and sterilize the soil to minimize the possibility of sprout disease.
Where and how to plant germinated bonsai seeds?
While the planting material swells, prepare the pots. Suitable peat cups or the most common plastic, filled with a peat-sand mixture (1: 1). The soil is compacted, seeds are laid out on it, and coarse sand is poured on top. Cover the containers with foil or glass to create a greenhouse effect. Do not forget to monitor the humidity in the resulting mini-greenhouses.
When the first shoots hatch from the sand, regular airing is organized, and after the appearance of leaves, the seedlings can be fully opened. When the plant reaches a height of 10 cm, the plastic cup is replaced with a full-fledged pot. From now on, you can gradually begin to form the future bonsai.
How to grow bonsai from cuttings?
For those who want to learn how to properly grow bonsai and save time at the same time, we will tell you about the method of forming bonsai from cuttings. Comparing it with the seed method, we note that the process will accelerate by about a year. The cuttings are cut withhe althy lignified shoots and rooted in fertile soil or in wet sand. If you have chosen coniferous, it is better to do this in April or early September. June is recommended for preparing cuttings for deciduous bonsai.
Important: growing a tree from a cut branch of cedar or pine will not work. On the contrary, if you are interested in how to grow maple bonsai by cuttings, know that the shoots of this breed, like elms, barberries, hornbeams, and shrubs that are used in hedges, take root very well. Conifers take root for a long time, sometimes within a year. The first time after rooting, the cuttings need to be carefully looked after: harden, water regularly. Top dressing is not necessary, as a sufficient amount of nutrients is in fresh soil.
How to form a bonsai crown?
There are several styles of bonsai. How to grow such a tree on your own so that it looks like a real "Japanese"? Let's start with the fact that the bonsai crown should have a conical shape. The trees look very original, the branches of which form pronounced horizontal tiers with the most dense foliage in each of them. Note that it is not only beautiful, but also very he althy bonsai.
The first pruning is carried out immediately after planting a young plant. Do not spare the branches: you need to leave only those that fit into the silhouette of the future bonsai that you have invented. By tying shoots to roots, wrapping with wire or pulling weights, you canset the desired direction of tree growth. At the same time, you will redistribute energy between stronger and weaker branches.
The most thorough pruning is carried out after wintering. During the season, the bonsai crown is adjusted with more gentle haircuts. The technique depends not only on your personal wishes for the shape of the tree, but also on the breed of the plant.
Artificial aging bonsai
How to grow a bonsai tree at home so that after 1-2 years it looks like it is more than a dozen years old? There is a special aging technique. Sometimes, with the help of a knife or nippers, sections of the bark are removed from the bonsai trunk. With patience and certain theoretical knowledge, you can even split a tree or make a hollow in it. If you plan to leave the twig alive, you can not leave it completely without bark. Save at least a thin strip that will deliver nutrition from the trunk to the top of the shoot. Dead branches can be aged more aggressively using a special wood cutter. The bare trunk is sometimes even tinted or, conversely, bleached.
Juniper, pine and spruce are best suited for this treatment, as their wood contains special substances that prevent the development of fungus and decay.
Several terms for true bonsai fans: plants with bark removed are called "sharimiki", and with a split trunk - "sabamiki".
Air layering
Air layers are needed to correct the shape of a bonsai, for example, if its trunk is toolong.
To get layers, a circular incision is made on the trunk of a deciduous plant at the right level and a strip of bark is removed. How to grow pine bonsai using this technique? With conifers, they work a little differently: the shoot is tied with wire so that a wound appears on it, and then moistened with a root formation stimulator. The resulting damage in both cases is wrapped with wet sphagnum and protected with a mosquito net casing filled with fertile soil. It is better to carry out this procedure in the spring.
Open the casing in the fall (for coniferous bonsai - a year later). Young roots should appear at the cut site. After that, you just have to wait until the roots get stronger. All this time, they must remain under the casing.
Once you see that the roots are ready to bring nutrients to the bonsai from the soil, remove the casing, cut the plant just below the cuttings and plant in a new container.
Of course, this story about Japanese dwarf trees and the art of growing them is far from complete. If you decide to create your own original bonsai, there is a lot more to learn. However, no matter what type of wood and style you choose, remember: the main thing in this matter is patience, attention, care and … your imagination!
