According to legend, the Chinese emperor decided to observe his country with his own eyes, for which the masters of the Celestial Empire had to create tiny copies of houses, people and, of course, trees. Bonsai, almost fifteen centuries ago, first conquered Japan, and today this amazing art has conquered the whole world.
Like many centuries ago, the goal of the bonsai grower is to reproduce the creations of nature itself. Reduced copies of oaks, maples, pines, sakuras or ficuses have realistic proportions, they live according to the routine established by nature. If a deciduous tree is grown in a pot, it blooms, leaves and goes to winter dormancy.
Since the artful likeness of a real tree is shaped by hand, growing and caring for a bonsai is laborious, time-consuming, requiring knowledge, patience and understanding of the needs of your green pet.
And yet, more and more beginners enthusiastically take on the difficult, but very exciting work. How to grow a bonsai at home and take care of a small copy of a real tree?
How to grow bonsai at home: common ways
If the grower is just beginning to be interested in bonsai, the easiest way is to purchase an already formed plant, for example, from ficus or citrus. It will help you master all the techniques of care from ordinary watering to pruning and adjusting the shape of the trunk and branches. The accumulated experience will allow you to move on to more complex tasks.
There are several ways to grow bonsai at home:
- through sowing the seeds of the culture you like and the subsequent "education" of the seedling;
- with the help of a rooted cutting;
- the formation of a seedling from a nursery or wild;
- transfer to a pot and correction of an already adult cultivated or wild specimen.
The fastest of these methods is the formation of the crown and root system of a one- or two-year-old seedling. Such a plant already has developed roots, while its ground part gives room for imagination and can be modified, according to the plans of the grower.
Enthusiasts interested in how to grow bonsai from seeds should know that this is the longest way, but also the most rewarding. Here, a person has control over the plant literally from the moment the seed is hatched, and it is easier to change the shape of the shoots and roots because of their flexibility.
It is not necessary to choose an exotic tree or shrub. The main thing is that the plant has small leaves and a small annual increase, otherwise it will be much more difficult to “tame” the future bonsai tree.
Choosing the Right Bonsai Tree
What types of plants are suitable for bonsai, a Japanese-style tree? To quickly get an attractive tree, you can pay attention to:
The choice of trees suitable for bonsai is incredibly large, and many of them are the indigenous inhabitants of Russia and are found in gardens, parks, city squares and forests. Magnificent compositions are obtained from and shadberry, hawthorn, acacia and birch, elder and linden, euonymus and oak.
Before growing a bonsai, based on the type of plant, determine its future height and style.
How to grow bonsai from seeds?
Seeds of trees and shrubs suitable for bonsai are divided into two types. Some of the cultures are immediately ready for germination, but the “program” of many species has a hibernation period, when the sprout waits out the cold season, by evolution. At home, stratification will help to simulate winter.
Tree seeds for Japanese bonsai are placed in wet sand or sphagnum moss for 3-5 months, after which the container is placed in the refrigerator. At a slight positive temperature in a humid environment, the seed prepares for growth. When it is transferred to heat, the sprout quickly awakens. For evergreen species and plants with seeds that have a particularly strong shell, heat or temperature contrast is used to awaken.
Sowing seeds is carried out from spring to early autumn. Seedlings obtained in the second half of summer already need illumination, which is simply irreplaceable in autumn and winter.
For germination and the first months of life of seedlings, a light sandy-peat substrate or peat tablets soaked and saturated with moisture are used. Until a sprout appears on the surface, the container should be in the dark under the film. The air temperature is selected depending on the bonsai tree grown.
To avoid the formation of condensation and rot, the greenhouse is ventilated. When shoots appear inside, they provide a little access to fresh air and transfer the seedlings to the light. As necessary, seedlings are watered and fertilized with complex compounds. When the plant reaches a height of 10–12 cm, it is transplanted.
At this stage, the main root is shortened by a third to slow down the vertical growth of the tree. They immediately begin to form the future trunk, for which copper wire is used.
Choosing a pot and soil for bonsai
The bonsai tree is not for nothing called grown on a tray. To limit the pet in growth, it is planted in a deliberately small and shallow container, while simultaneously forming and cutting off part of the root system.
When choosing a bonsai pot, keep in mind that over the years the tree becomes heavy and, especially with an irregular, inclined or cascading shape, can become unstable. Therefore, for bonsai, ranging in size from a few centimeters to 9 meters, massive, often ceramic pots, bowls or containers of various shapes and styles are traditionally made.
At the bottom of the container there should be a drainage hole and not one. They are used not only for draining water, but also for attaching the plant.
Treating the bonsai pot with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or scalding it with boiling water will help protect the plant and protect it from fungal infection of the root system.
Bonsai soil is not only designed to provide nutrition and retain moisture to the plant, it must help the roots to gain a foothold in a relatively small volume of the pot. Therefore, for miniature copies of real oaks, lindens, lemons, maples and other trees, a special substrate is used.
In Japan, for many centuries, such a mixture based on certain types of clay is called akadama. For greater nutritional value and friability, fertile soil and sand are added to the granular substance:
- For deciduous bonsai tree species, a substrate is recommended with the inclusion of 7 parts of soddy land and 3 parts of coarse washed sand.
- Flowering crops are grown on a mixture of 7 parts of soddy soil, three parts of sand and 1 part of highly nutritious humus.
- Conifers, the most popular among bonsai lovers, need especially loose soil, for which they take 3 parts of soddy soil and 2 parts of washed sand.
Before filling the pot, the soil for bonsai is sorted out, removing foreign inclusions that can damage the roots, sieved and sterilized. At the bottom of the container, a drainage layer is arranged to drain excess moisture.
Bonsai tree care at home
It is not enough to purchase a miniature tree, get a young seedling or root a cutting of a breed you like. It is important to know how to care for a bonsai tree.
Constantly limiting growth, forming a crown and growing bonsai in a small pot, a person completely changes the life of a tree or shrub. Therefore, caring for such a culture is very different from caring for other houseplants.
The main task of the grower is to establish watering bonsai, which is not easy to cope with with a small amount of soil and a shallow pot filled with roots.
Previously, flower growers had only a special form of watering cans at their disposal or the ability to immerse a bonsai pot in a bowl of water in order to wet the soil from below. Today, plant irrigation or drip irrigation is actively used, which allows dosed and without the risk of erosion to moisten the soil for bonsai.
For irrigation, take only soft, melted or settled water. During the growing season, plants need more moisture, with the onset of autumn and the approach of the dormant period, watering is reduced and carried out less often, focusing on the state of the substrate.
Top dressing is carried out at intervals of 2-3 weeks, using their mixtures for different crops and seasons. For Japanese bonsai trees, there are mineral supplements based on algae.
You can not leave the plants without nutrition, but it is equally important not to overfeed the bonsai. Therefore, when caring for bonsai trees at home, top dressing is applied very carefully:
- in the spring, at maximum growth intensity including in fertilizer twice as much as potassium and phosphorus;
- in summer, the proportions are left the same, but the concentration is halved;
- closer to autumn, especially for deciduous crops, the content of potassium and phosphorus is doubled, and nitrogen, on the contrary, is reduced.
- flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs need more potassium, which goes to the formation of buds and ovaries.
With the advent of winter, nothing changes for exotic evergreens, but coniferous and deciduous trees must prepare for wintering. How to care for a bonsai tree in winter? If the climate allows, they are left outside or brought to unheated terraces. The root system in a small bonsai pot may be the first to suffer, so it is additionally covered and the soil is dried a little. With the onset of spring, the plant awakens and again needs watering, top dressing and the formation of a crown and roots, which is mandatory for bonsai.
culture bonsai originated in China and Japan.
Translated from Japanese, “bon-sai” (the Chinese word is “pun-sai”) means “a tree in a bowl”.
However, bonsai is not just a container tree, it is a real work of art that requires many years of work. In the Eastern tradition, bonsai-style trees are classic elements of interior design and landscape design.
Bonsai is a whole language of symbols. Some of the miniature trees resemble the inhabitants of the sea coasts, bent under cruel winds, others are alpine plants fancifully hanging branches from the rocks, others, on the contrary, look serene and simple - like a meadow tree located in the middle of a sunny island of tranquility.
In nature, the appearance of a tree is formed under the influence of wind, sun and relief, and the bonsai master imitates natural forms with his own hands - with the help of a knife, pruner and wire guides.
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The tree is about 20 years old. The shape of the tree is not perfect - after all, this bonsai was formed by a novice hobbyist. |
This miniature linden 30 years. This very beautiful bonsai, made by the German Dieter Arndt, has repeatedly won prizes at various exhibitions. |
Classic bonsai is a life-size miniature copy of a tree on a scale of 1:100.
In Japan, they believe that a pine tree looks like an old man, and a deciduous tree looks like a young girl. Therefore, miniature pines and junipers are usually planted in rough bowls of irregular shape - made of wood or stone. Deciduous bonsai are placed in elegant ceramic vessels.
Bonsai have been grown for decades. And the older and more beautiful the bonsai becomes, the more expensive bowls it is transplanted, emphasizing the nobility of the composition. In Japan, these bowls are custom-made by hand, so that the vessel perfectly emphasizes the intention of the bonsai master.
Making bonsai yourself is very difficult and time consuming, but also exciting. Let's look at the stages of growing a bonsai tree.
 | Choosing a Bonsai Wood First you need to choose a plant - it is best to take not a street copy, but a young plant that originally lived in a container and is already adapted to such conditions. You can also grow a seedling specifically for creating bonsai - but this is longer. In a young plant, the roots are shortened and planted in a flat bowl. The initial bowl is taken the simplest, undecorated. |
 | Trimming the top of the tree In the spring, the top and side shoots are cut off from the tree. After that, the tree begins to gain the thickness of the trunk, and its height will remain small. It is better for a plant to spend summer outdoors, but for the winter, bonsai are cleaned in frost-proof rooms - their roots are not adapted to frost. |
 | Regular pruning of branches and roots In subsequent months and years, pruning is repeated many times. Trimming branches, especially thick ones, should be done very carefully. For pruning, you should purchase a special pruner with a concave blade and make sure that its blades are sharp. Pruning with such secateurs brings a minimum of damage to the tree - the places of cuts heal faster. Every year, the future bonsai should be taken out of the bowl and trimmed to its roots. |
 | Crown growing buds When a trunk of the desired thickness is formed, several buds are left on the tree for the development of branches. From this moment, work begins on the shape of the bonsai crown. |
 | The main branches for the bonsai crown skeleton You have to wait for the branches to form. After that, a few branches are left at the bonsai for further crown formation, and the rest are cut off. |
 | Shaping Bonsai Branches To shape the branches of bonsai, wire is used - aluminum or copper. The thickness of the wire should roughly correspond to the thickness of the branches. The wire is carefully wrapped around the trunk and branches of the tree, giving them the right direction. For opposite branches, use one piece of wire. The tips of the branches are pinched to better branch. |
 | Regular shaping pruning Next comes the most interesting part. The tree will gradually grow in the direction that the wire gives it. Adjust the wire while watching the bonsai grow. Prune young shoots regularly to keep the tree branched and compact. |
 | Transplanting bonsai into a decorative bowl When the bonsai is ready, you will need to choose the appropriate bowl for it and think through the entire arrangement. |
Photo of bonsai trees
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If the bonsai is made from a fruit tree or shrub, then it continues to bloom and bear fruit at the usual time for its kind - like hawthorn in this photo. |
This maple for over 80 years! The skillful hand of the bonsai master formed a multi-tiered crown on the tree. Under this bonsai there is a deep bowl, since the height of the vessel should be proportional to the diameter of the crown. |
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Bonsai from juniper, the crown of which is formed by a semi-cascade. According to the tree, an irregularly shaped bowl is selected, which imitates a depression in a rocky slope. |
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Bonsai trees should be advantageously placed on stands and well lit - so that the visitor to the garden can admire them first from afar, and then, coming closer, examine their filigree crown. |
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Oriental-style gardens are often decorated with bonsai. Typical for the Japanese garden - a red bridge, stone lanterns, miniature trees and giant cereals - sedges, bamboo and others. However, if you follow this example and decorate your garden with miniature trees in summer, do not forget to protect them from frost in winter and autumn. The specificity of the bonsai root system does not allow it to winter in the middle latitudes on the street. |
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Bonsai is the name of a small tree with an unusual trunk and crown shape. These trees originated in ancient China, and then in Japan they became not just plants, but turned into works of art. In the modern world, the word "bonsai" refers not only to trees, but also to the methods of their cultivation.
The goal of flower growers who grow bonsai at home is to be able to reproduce the creation of nature. These small copies of trees respect all natural laws and have all realistic proportions. A deciduous tree, for example, blossoms, loses its leaves, and then becomes covered again, and so on.
But it must be remembered that the formation of a tree, growing and caring for it, is a laborious task that takes a lot of time and requires certain knowledge and patience.
People who have never dealt with the care of bonsai trees think that special seeds are needed to grow them, but this is not the case.
In fact, all miniature plants grow from ordinary seeds, but mankind has come up with ways to restrain the growth and change the shape of trees, and successfully uses them.
Small trees have different shapes and differ in their arrangement in pots:
In pots, in addition to trees, there are figurines and small houses. The soil is often hidden under a layer of pebbles or green moss.
Tree formation
To grow the right bonsai, you need to have certain skills and knowledge.
For planting, you can use seeds, cuttings or cuttings of trees. To stop growth, the same techniques are used as in the wild: severe frosts, winds and droughts.
In small trees, the roots are pruned, the branches are also cut, as well as twisted, and additionally tied with wire. All leaves, buds and shoots must be removed. 
The trunks are bent or pulled back, depending on the chosen shape.
Growth can be slowed down in the following ways:
- squeezing the roots of a tree;
- selection of small pots in size;
- the use of coarse soil, without trace elements;
- exclusion of substances necessary for growth;
- influence of strong wind;
- the influence of strong heat;
- the influence of severe and sharp frosts.
Also, trees need rules regarding the shape that is chosen for the tree. To create the desired appearance, they combine naturalness and the necessary form. The height of the trees should not exceed 30 centimeters.
Growing plants from a nursery
When buying a young tree from a nursery, you can form a bonsai fairly quickly. After all, nurseries sell plants that have been grown in a container for a long time, thanks to which they already have developed roots.
The plant is transplanted from the container into the prepared land for bonsai, after cutting off the roots. The purchase of a plant and transplantation must be carried out in early spring, before the growth period.
It is also necessary to properly trim the roots and not damage when digging. The plant is transported by placing the roots in a bag of moss, and the houses are planted in large containers and placed in a shady place protected from drafts.
About 3 years will pass before the tree can be transplanted into a small pot. And in 5-10 years it will be possible to get a fully formed bonsai.
Trees grown in nature take a long time to root. Therefore, sometimes preparations for transplantation begin several years in advance, gradually cutting off the roots.
This option is well suited for trees from a personal garden, which you can follow and gradually remove the length of the roots. Trees from the garden are also planted first in a container, and after three years they are transplanted into a pot. 
Draft formation can be started already in the first years, then after 50 years you will get a bonsai that looks powerful and spectacular.
Forming a bonsai from an already practically grown tree and transplanting it correctly is a rather difficult task, and beyond the power of beginners.
seed bonsai
The method of growing from seeds is quite long in time. It takes about 15 years to get a full-fledged bonsai. At this age, it is easier to buy seedlings in the nursery.
But there are plant species whose form can only be changed by starting from the very beginning, such as elms. And therefore, seeds are planted, sprouts are grown, and formation begins from the first year, more sprouts.
When the tree is fully formed, it will be very noticeable that it has been shaped from the very beginning.
The roots of such trees diverge in the shape of a star, and the trunks are formed even and beautiful. Bonsai is harmonious and proportional.
Sown trees at the stage of thin sprouts can be bent in any direction and given any conceived shape.
Seeds can be bought in stores or collected independently in parks or botanical gardens. Some seeds can be sown immediately, such as oaks, spruces, pines, and some need to be stored in a cool place until spring, such as juniper, hornbeam and others. 
Before planting, all seeds undergo special treatment to prevent diseases.. Then they are soaked for several days and only then planted in prepared soil in containers or peat cups. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered abundantly.
Seedlings are grown following standard care standards: regular watering, ventilation, diffused light and fertilizer. When the seedling reaches a height of 10 centimeters, it is transplanted and the first molding is carried out.
Getting bonsai from seeds is a laborious and difficult task, but the result will be on top.
Bonsai from cuttings
Compared with the seed method, this method will speed up the formation of bonsai by a year. Cuttings must be cut from a healthy tree shoot. They are cut and rooted in the ground or in wet sand.
The final size of the bonsai is already clear at the beginning of the formation of a miniature tree. The main skeletal branches and trunk are usually already present and further growth will be limited.
In order to achieve the ideal size, you need to pay attention to the size of the leaves. If the species has small leaves, then bonsai can be formed in any size. And if the castings are large or long needles, then it is necessary to set the size of the tree based on the proportions.
Features of growing bonsai
In order to form a certain shape of branches and trunk, one cannot do without wire. It can be applied to branches or trunk, and this technique is quite laborious and complicated.
With the help of a wire, all branches and shoots are fixed. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the wire does not grow into the bark of the tree. It is applied most often in spring or winter, along with annual pruning. 
It usually takes about 3 weeks to stabilize the desired shape of a branch or shoot. After that, the wire is removed with wire cutters.
The wire is usually aluminum, coated with copper. And with the help of it they change the direction of the branches, change in growth, the formation of trunks.
Bonsai Tree Care
With constant restrictions in growth, crown formation, growth in a limited space, the life of a tree changes dramatically. The same goes for caring for him.
The most important thing to remember when growing miniature trees is to protect them from drafts and place the pot away from central heating radiators. Avoid direct sunlight best.
Landing. For proper bonsai cultivation, it is impractical to choose a pot with drainage holes. A mesh is additionally laid at the bottom of the pot to prevent soil from washing out.
Before planting, the roots of the plant are pruned. The tree is planted in a pot, fixing large roots, and filling all the gaps with soil. Then the earth around the trunk is rammed and watered. The container with the plant is quarantined for 10 days, in a shaded place. 
Watering. For irrigation use soft water, settled or thawed. During the period of active growth, plants need to be watered frequently, and watering is reduced in winter.
Bonsai can be watered using a special watering can or by submersion. Drip irrigation or irrigation is widely used in the modern world.
Top dressing. They are carried out about once every two weeks, and they use their own fertilizers for each type of tree or shrub. It is very important to avoid overfeeding. Therefore, a specific fertilizer application schedule is usually used.
Wintering
In winter, for coniferous and deciduous trees, it is necessary to provide a dormant period. It is better to put them outside or in an unheated room.
In this case, the root system must be protected by additional means. When spring comes, the plants wake up, and the watering and fertilizing regime is restored.
Transfer
Transplantation is performed annually at the end of winter. When transplanting, the soil is removed from the roots, washed and pruned. The pot must be chosen larger than the previous one. When transplanting, the roots are placed horizontally, sprinkled with earth and watered. 
Crown formation. For a beautiful formation of the crown of trees, it is necessary to carry out annual pruning. At the same time, it is useful in sanitary terms and rejuvenation. The crown is usually formed conical.
The first pruning is done immediately after planting. And then every year after wintering repeat. With pruning, you can set the direction for the growth of bonsai and redistribute energy from strong shoots to weak ones.
Bonsai Formation Methods
Sometimes artificial aging of trees is carried out so that a young tree looks like a living one. One of these methods is the removal of the bark from the trunk.
To correct the shape of the tree, you can use the method of air layering. It is especially effective if the bonsai grows with a too long trunk.
For this method, in the spring, an incision is made on the tree trunk and the bark is removed. This place is moistened in growth stimulants and covered. 
In the fall, the incision is opened, roots should form there. Then part of the trunk is cut off below the roots. And planted as a separate plant.
Thus, at home, you can grow a beautiful and spectacular bonsai tree. But this will require some effort.
The art of bonsai has been around for centuries. Bonsai is a bonsai grown in a pot. Ready-made copies are sold in specialized stores. But it is much more interesting and pleasant to create such a mini-tree on your own at home. The article will tell you how to do this step by step.
To get bonsai (bonsai) from seeds at home, you will need to be patient. After all, the desired result will be visible only after a few years. On the first try, not everyone succeeds in growing a miniature tree from seeds. The reason is inexperience and non-compliance with some rules.
It is easy to grow and make bonsai from seeds and cuttings of a sprout at home on a stone from almost any tree. But it is better to give preference to those species that grow and are adapted to domestic climate conditions. Especially if the plant is planned to be kept in the garden or on an unglazed balcony. If the bonsai is in the apartment, it is allowed to choose and form more exotic, tropical options. Dracaena, coffee tree, hibiscus, shefler and laurel grow well at home.
If there is no experience in crop production, it is better to try planting a ficus Microcarp at home. He is unpretentious and easy to care for. An experienced gardener can take pine and plum seeds. From this material, a beautiful and unusual garden bonsai is obtained. True, pine grows very slowly.
Of deciduous trees, preference should be given to beech, birch, maple, pedunculate oak, cherry, and if you want to grow tropical species in an apartment, it makes sense to pay attention to acacia, abutilon and myrtle.
tropical tree species
Tropical trees such as shefflera, wisteria, ficus retuza, portulacaria and crassula are great for growing nivaki in an apartment. The main thing is that the house has good lighting and humidity.
Especially often gardeners choose ficus Natasha. After all, this plant has all the characteristics that are needed to create a real adult bonsai at home:
- The root system is branched.
- The skin is beautiful.
- The leaves are small.
- The trunks are ornate, corrugated, massive.
- Ficus grows quickly.
Different varieties and types are suitable for growing an ordinary mini-tree at home. For example:
But many choose to create Benjamin and Microcarp. To get a beautiful bonsai from such a ficus, you need to properly plant and care for the plant. More information about the process of planting and care can be viewed on the photo and video on the Internet. Often, when the conditions of detention are violated, leaf fall is observed. To avoid this, it is required to carry out a competent landing, pruning of roots and crowns, transplantation. It is important to follow the rules of care.
From ginseng, wisteria, you also get an original bonsai with your own hands. But this tree is very capricious and needs to create certain conditions. Wisteria is photophilous, so the lighting should be good. It is important to monitor the temperature regime so that the room is always above -5 degrees. Otherwise, the tree will freeze. It is important to regularly ventilate the room in which wisteria grows. Transplanted every year after flowering is complete. In this case, the root zone should be inspected and any damaged parts should be removed.
Broad-leaved tree species
Of the broad-leaved tree species, maple, hornbeam, elm, beech, pomegranate, lemon, felt cherry and birch are most suitable for bonsai. Experienced flower growers experiment and form bonsai from several types of plants. By caring for the crown and root system in a certain way, you can get interesting specimens.
To create maple bonsai at home, seeds of the hand-shaped, field, plato-leaved, rocky and ash-leaved varieties are most often chosen. These species are characterized by small foliage. Therefore, the trees look and look very organic.
Since the art of bonsai is very popular among summer residents and flower growers, breeders are working on breeding maple varieties with different colors and leaf shapes. For example, blue, blue maple, red Japanese and purple look very interesting.
To create a bonsai at home, the maple crown is given a different shape: inclined, grove, upright, broom-shaped. Any of these styles are easy to create at home. The main thing when growing a lemon tree is not to miss such important points:
- Use mature seeds that germinate quickly. Such material allows you to give the plant any shape without changing the already formed root system.
- Seeds should be collected in autumn. But the material is not yet ready for planting. It is left for the winter. Store in a container with wet sand in the refrigerator.
- To get an ornamental tree faster, it is recommended to use the cutting planting method.
- To get bonsai from red, blue and blue maple, you need to buy specially bred plants in stores.
Coniferous tree species
The easiest way to grow bonsai is from those types of trees that grow on the territory of the country. Conifers are the most suitable. Particularly good compositions are obtained from juniper, pine, spruce and arborvitae.
There are different styles of growing a mini tree. But in any case, you must follow these rules:
- The crown of thuja and spruce should be cone-shaped or divided into horizontal tiers.
- It is important that thuja and spruce have dense needles.
For the formation of the crown will have to spend a lot of time and effort. After planting the plant in a container, it is necessary to cut the top. It is necessary to first think over the style of the future mini-tree. Because the first pruning lays the foundation for the bonsai. During the shearing, all excess branches are removed. With the help of aluminum wire form the frame of the barrel.
Thuja and spruce should be pruned regularly. Only with the help of this procedure can you maintain an attractive appearance. The first time is cut in the spring with the beginning of active growth. Further, everything depends on the intensity of development of the crassula tree.
Each coniferous species has its own trimming rules, so that the cut drags on faster, it is covered with plasticine.
In summer, excess needles are cut to rejuvenate the crown. Dwarf thuja and spruce should be transplanted regularly. This operation is carried out in the warm season. To do this, take a flower ceramic pot and make holes in it for drainage. 1/4 of the container is filled with clay. Then a layer of special soil mixture is poured. All strongly overgrown, old and damaged parts of the root zone are removed with garden shears. Then the roots are carefully cleaned from the old earth. The plant is placed in a new container and covered with a substrate.
Sakura, azalea, rose, jade, fuchsia
Some beginner gardeners decide to create rose bonsai. As a rule, all attempts are unsuccessful. After all, such a plant does not tolerate pruning of the root zone. But much depends on the chosen variety. If the flower is characterized by slow growth, then it is quite possible to create a bonsai from it. It is better to give preference to terry varieties. Safely create a bonsai from a Chinese rose, rhododendron.
A more suitable type of tree is sakura. But her bone is covered with a dense membrane. Therefore, seed germination is longer and more difficult. The material is stratified before planting: placed in a refrigerator for several months. Sow the seeds in coarse, disinfected sand. There is no need to fertilize the substrate. As the seedlings grow, they dive. Repeated transplantation allows the plant to quickly form a strong and powerful root zone. It takes 2-3 years to grow sakura from scratch. After this time, they begin to cut and form a mini-tree.
The main task is to restrain the growth of sakura, to give it a dwarf appearance. This is done as follows:
- All shoots that grow vertically are pruned. So at the base you get a thick trunk.
- The upper part of the root system is exposed. To do this, remove the top layer of soil. So even a three-year-old tree will look like a century old.
- The crown and trunk are formed by trimming the lower branches.
- If the trunk is very long, it is shortened. For this purpose, a strip of bark is cut off at the base and the plant is transplanted with a bare area into the ground. Roots grow in the treated area. After that, the old root system is cut off and the sakura is transplanted.
- If the gardener has chosen a broom-like bonsai style, you need to cut the vertical branches as much as possible. With a vertical style, the growth of side shoots and the main trunk is encouraged.
They also create bonsai from fuchsia, azaleas and fat women. Even if the tree is fully formed, it must be periodically pinched and trimmed. Only in this case it will be possible to maintain a good shape.
Bonsai Tree Tomatoes
Often people who do not have a dacha grow miniature ones. If you choose compact varieties, you can form a bonsai so that it bears fruit. Before planting, Gavrish tomato seeds are soaked for three hours in a manganese solution. The pot is filled with earth, leaving 5 centimeters from the edge. Lay out the material and tamp a little. Sprinkle on top with a 1.5-centimeter layer of soil.
Tomatoes Micro f1 are photophilous, so they should be placed on the southern windows. For good growth and development, it is important to cut off the old lower leaves in a timely manner. It is useful to feed the plant with mineral fertilizers. Every two months it is recommended to add fresh biohumus.
To form the crown of a miniature pomegranate tree, a special variety is usually used - a bonsai tomato. This is a small pot plant that does not need a garter. It bears fruit with original and tasty fruits.
Below are the advantages of the variety:
- High yield. One bush gives about 2 kilograms of tomatoes.
- The first fruits ripen 3 months after planting.
- Tomatoes look neat, round, bright red. Weigh up to 65 grams.
Where to buy seeds?
Seeds for growing a bonsai tree are collected independently from deciduous or coniferous trees. Planting material is also sold in specialized stores. Some gardeners order seeds, get ideas and advice on Internet portals. The price depends on the type and type of wood.
Often you can find a mix of seeds for growing bonsai. For example, many companies sell a collection of seeds consisting of Siberian cedar, laurel, pine, sequoia, juniper inexpensively, for only 1000 rubles. As a result, for a small amount it turns out to form several original bonsai.
Will outdoor bonsai grow?
It is customary to keep a standard bonsai at home. Growing outdoors is more of an exception than the rule. Having decided to create a mini-tree in the garden or in the country, you need to take care of buying a suitable variety. It is better to choose deciduous species. For example, apple, magnolia, cork oak, Japanese or Chinese elm. These trees are desirable to grow for residents of regions with a temperate-warm climate. In any case, a young plant outdoors needs protection from wind, rain and sun. Podocarpus feels good in an open area.
Thus, bonsai is a popular technique for growing artificial mini-trees. For this, different types and varieties of plants are used. The main thing is to know the prices, methods and rules for crown formation. When deciding to create a bonsai on the street, you should choose those tree species that are adapted to the conditions of the domestic climate.
Bonsai is the national art of Japan. Dwarf trees of bizarre shapes that look like real ones, with a proportional crown and curved trunks, grow for years and decades without adding even a few centimeters of growth. Japanese museums talk about different types of Bonsai, exhibit their photos, seeds, cuttings, so that the viewer can see all the stages of growing Bonsai.
In Japan, bonsai is not just a kind of national art, aesthetics and worldview. Japanese achievements in the art of bonsai have already become part of the museum culture. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum opened in spring 2010. The museum promotes the art of bonsai both in the country and outside of Japan, arranging exhibitions and various information events.
Museums say that bonsai have been known since the 9th century. In order to grow a miniature tree, it must be carefully cut and shaped by twisting the branches with wire. Trees live and grow, so work on bonsai never stops, they require constant care, fertilizer and watering.
Masterpieces such as Goyo-matsu (Japanese white pine) are valued at over 100 million yen. Nowadays, bonsai are well known outside of Japan, many tourists from all over the world visit Japanese bonsai museums.
The museum is located next to "Bonsai-mura (bonsai village)", where many bonsai producers and fans live and work. Around Bonsai-mura there are 10 bonsai gardens, which are an excellent exposition. The village is planted with trees such as maple, keyaki and cherry trees. Visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of all seasons while watching trees grow and take care of them. Japanese museums are a favorite meeting place for bonsai lovers from all over the world.
Bonsai Museum (video)
Bonsai - Japanese tree: seeds
Many scoff at the idea of growing bonsai from seed, saying things like "Look how old I am, I won't live." In general, there is no such thing as "bonsai seeds". In packages of seeds purchased in stores or online sites, there are simply ordinary tree seeds, from which bonsai will then turn out. Such seeds are bought when it is not possible to just go and collect them in the forest or in the park. Museums usually contain rare and very beautiful species of trees grown by specialists.
Seedlings are planted very close to each other, the trees are intricately intertwined with trunks, competing for light and space, care for them begins immediately after the sprouts hatch.
The seeds of most tropical trees germinate immediately after maturity, but the seeds of temperate plants must be sown after stratification. They need to arrange something like an artificial wintering, holding them for 21-90 days in the cold and only then plant them.
Seeds can be placed in damp peat moss with fungicides in a zippered bag. Some seeds germinate even in the refrigerator. After keeping in the cold, you need to lower them overnight in water at room temperature to increase germination. Seeds that float after soaking will not germinate.
Seeds with a thick coating (like ginkgo) can be pierced to help them germinate better.
Plant the seeds in a light, loose potting mix that is well ventilated. It is desirable that air circulate above the soil.
Remember that loose soil dries quickly, and seedlings with a rudimentary root system can die within a few hours from drought or direct sunlight!
You can also treat the seeds before planting:
- Infusion of garlic or a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water (1 teaspoon to 1/2 cup of water);
- Sprinkle into the soil sprinkle a little cinnamon or soda;
- Dissolve 2 capfuls of household bleach in the water used for irrigation.
It is necessary to disinfect gardening tools and planting pots, even new ones.
The first shoots of Bonsai (video)
White Japanese Pine Bonsai: Growing
The Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) prefers the open air and makes a striking element of the landscape. Often it has a dense, conical shape, young trees reach a height of 8-16 meters. Tall, graceful, irregularly shaped tree with a wide and flat crown. Museums in Japan talk about various conifers in their displays and installations.
Needles 2.5-6 cm long are hard, blue-green in color, grow in a bunch of 5 pieces and create a fine texture of the silhouette of a tree.
The more sunlight and heat your bonsai receives, the more often it will need water.
In general, the most common reason for the death of bonsai is improper watering.
It is not necessary to water the tree if the soil is wet or cold. Bonsai generally need to be watered every few days when the topsoil is completely dry. An old bonsai watering trick is to place the entire vessel containing the tree in water to a depth of 2.5-5cm so that the water soaks through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
White Japanese pine: fertilizer and further care
It is necessary to start feeding the bonsai in the spring, when it starts to grow. Use a slow acting organic fertilizer. Fertilizer with chelated iron should be applied 2-3 times a year.
Japanese white pine requires careful root pruning when transplanting to form a strong root system. It is necessary to cut branches and wrap with wire at the end of autumn, leaving the wire on the tree for a maximum of 6-8 months.
New shoots need to pinch in the spring to 1/3 of their length. From this, buds are formed in the fall at the places where the shoots are removed. This must be done to form very short internodes on the branches. Use thin wire.
Never wrap a bonsai immediately after transplanting. Too tight winding will lead to the formation of scars on the trunk. Don't let the wire cut deep into the bark.
Young trees (up to 10 years old) should be replanted every 2 or 3 years. Older trees - every 3 to 5 years. Transplant in early autumn when the summer heat subsides.
White Japanese pine is usually placed in a sturdy rectangular pot, deep enough so that the wind does not pull it out of the soil. The soil must have a combination of drainage and water-retaining properties.
Do not fertilize pine for 3-4 weeks after transplanting.
How to grow a bonsai pine tree from seeds (video)
Japanese cedar Bonsai: cultivation
Cryptomeria or Japanese cedar is an evergreen plant up to 40 meters tall, growing in the humid mountains of Japan. Bonsai grows best when it is recreated in its natural environment. An ideal bonsai for those who like to water their plants because the Japanese cedar will thrive in conditions where other plants will rot. Museums in Japan necessarily contain images of such bonsai or cedars in a natural setting.
The dwarf form of cryptomeria has lovely light green tiny needles and reddish brown scaly bark. During cold winters, the needles "bronze", and in the spring it becomes light green again.
Japanese cedar loves coolness, but you need to protect it from icy wind and drying. If you keep your bonsai indoors during the winter, make sure it doesn't dry out. Likewise, keep it moisturized during the hottest, driest summer months.
This bonsai loves bright light. The needles of Japanese cedar bonsai can easily dry out and turn brown.
Water daily or as needed, never letting the soil dry out completely. In winter, water less often, just make sure that the soil does not dry out at all. It is best to keep it on a sunny bathroom window, on a tray of moistened stones. It is the high humidity of the bathroom that Japanese cedar loves.
To make the needles grow thicker, you need to pinch it.
Pinch the needles only with your fingers, in no case with scissors!
With frequent trimming of needles, cryptomeria will throw out buds from almost anywhere. Remove lower branches to allow air to circulate near the trunk, remove dead needles.
Wire wrapping is best in the spring, bend back the branches gradually, as they tend to break. Bend a little each week until you reach your desired curve.
Plant care involves monitoring pests and destroying them. Unfortunately, bonsai are affected by scale insects and red spider mites. Red ticks should be washed off with a solution of 1 teaspoon of soap in 1 liter of warm water. Remove the shield with a sharp knife, being careful not to damage the bark.
Repot in mid-late spring, once every 2-5 years, depending on age and growth. Don't go overboard with root pruning, plant bonsai in slightly acidic soil with high organic matter and good drainage.
Japanese sakura bonsai tree: how to grow
Cherry tree bonsai has many names - Japanese cherry, East Asian cherry, sakura, etc. There are almost 430 varieties, many of which grow in China, Japan and Korea.
In Japan, cherries are called sakura and are widely used in Japanese festivals. There are 200 species that are cultivated only in Japan. One of the most famous species is Somei Yoshino with almost white flowers on pink legs. They are named after the village of Somei near Tokyo. Almost all plant varieties can be used to grow bonsai. With proper care, you can achieve beautiful-looking miniature trees that will bloom and bear fruit, just like ordinary cherry trees. Museums often exhibit expositions of sakura.
The trunk of the sakura is chestnut in color, slender, the crown is dense. The tree produces black fruits after flowering and pollination. Sakura care is daily, as the plant is rather capricious.
The winter season for bonsai trees lasts for about three months, during which they are dormant and do not grow.
There are several ways to overwinter bonsai:
- You need to cover the tree with mulch to the lowest branches, shelter it from the wind and sun.
- You can place the tree in a cold and dark place, such as a garage or shed. It is necessary to water the bonsai in winter, but it is not necessary to bring it out into the light.
In spring and summer, cherry blossoms require morning and afternoon sun. It is best to take it to the garden, balcony or terrace. It is not necessary to keep the bonsai indoors in spring and summer as it will suffer from lack of sun.
It is best to transplant sakura at the end of winter, when the plant has finished flowering. Transplanting will allow roots to grow in fresh soil.
Sakura can be pruned after the flowers have fallen, new shoots should be pruned, but not completely removed.
Birds usually feed on cherry buds. Caterpillars and aphids also harm the tree.
Bonsai after 7 months (video)
Bonsai is a national art in Japan, where it came from China about 500 years ago. Any seeds are suitable for growing bonsai, because the art lies precisely in the constant pruning of a tree and its transplantation. There are numerous museums in Japan where tourists from all over the world contemplate bizarre bonsai trees that can be over a hundred years old. Coniferous bonsai are especially spectacular - white pine or Japanese cedar. Beautiful Japanese sakura, because of which Korea is called the Land of Morning Calm. Bonsai care consists of proper watering, pruning of leaves and roots, and transplanting.
Japanese Bonsai tree (photo)
