Bonsai Plants Are
Beautiful
By Kurt J
Schefken
The fine art of Bonsai has
been around in the Japanese and Chinese cultures for
hundreds of years. Over the last half century it has become
popular in the United States as well. It takes a long time
to grow a bonsai tree, even though they are very small. The
project needs care and patience, as well as some artistic
ability. The bonsai must blend in with its container to
create a visual portrait of a full grown tree.
Usually bonsai is a hardy tree that is forced to grow in a
small pot. Some tropical plants such a a pomegranate have
been used successfully as bonsai. Trees or plant with small
foliage must be used or the leaves will look out of
proportion. Outstanding bonsai have been made from zeikova,
ginkgo and some pies and maples. Plants that would be
considered unattractive in other situations, such as runty
plants with twisted or gnarled trunks and branches are great
candidates for bonsai. You can buy such plants in a nursery,
or go on a hunt in the woods for them.
The bonsai pot is an
integral part of the design. They can be as small as 2
inches wide, or as large as 25 inches. Some are baked clay,
and others are glazed. They need to have drainage holes.
The soil for bonsai should
be able to hold moisture. Most people start with a coarse
layer of soil at the bottom and add fine humus rich soil at
the top. Usually moss, or spreading plants such as helxine
soleirolii is placed on top of the soil, or even small
stones.
The root ball of the small
tree should be completely cleaned of soil and the roots cut
back drastically. This will keep the plant dwarfed. Cut back
the top of the tree to balance with the roots and put it in
the pot, packing the soil around the roots and tree firmly.
To acclimate the tree, it should be watered well and placed
in dappled shade for a few weeks. Then it can be moved to
full sun. If you start your bonsai in the spring, you will
have more success since the light gets stronger gradually.
As the plant grows yo will
have to re pot it, probably once a year. So make sure you
schedule this activity so that your plant is always in the
best shape possible.
Creating a bonsai is an
artistic endeavor, so there is not just one way to do it but
many. Pruning and cutting out new growth to achieve the
exact balance you want will take trial and error and a good
eye for lines. You can force the plant to bend or look
warped by wrapping it with wire and pulling the branches
down.
If you are fascinated by
the idea of creating a bonsai, you will find that it is
fairly easy to do. The tradition has a certain air of
mystique, but the process is not difficult, it just takes
time and patience.
About the
author:
Kurt Schefken is writing mainly for
http://www.insidewoodworking.com, an
online publication on the topic of woodworking machinery .
You can come across his contributions on workbenches and
tool storage on his site.
If you're interested in
more bonsai articles, click here -
Bonsai Articles.
Enjoy!
I wish you all the best on your
bonsai adventure!
Best wishes,
Thomas T :)
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