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Hey people, recently I started blogging about gardening (up to now, it was mostly about politics). I'd love to exchange some views with some fellow plant lovers and hopefully my articles could be of some help for you, since, well, that's the point, isn't it 
?
Bonsai is the hot topic in the gardening world right now, hope you'd enjoy the article and get some tips on bonsai growing.
A few words about bonsai growing
Bonsai tree, to put it into a simple sentence, is a stunning piece of natural beauty grown in a small pot. Originating from China, people of the Far East have accumulated more than a thousand years worth of experience in bonsai tree care and have turned cultivating bonsais into something more than just an art form – it's an indispensable part of the culture of those mysterious lands and something woven into the fabric of its people (think Chinese/Japanese/Zen garden and Eastern architecture without bonsai – and you'd know what I mean).
So let's get the elephant out of the glass room: what's a "bonsai tree" exactly? A bonsai tree is an artificially miniaturized tree. It's dwarfed in order to maximize its beauty and turn it into something more than just an ordinary plant. Although bonsai growing (for more info, you can check my man Pol at How to Grow Bonsai from A to Z) has long traditions, fear not, for I am here to demystify the bonsai secrets and give you a chance to cultivate something of breathtaking beauty.
Choosing a suitable type of tree
To stay on the safe side, I strongly recommend to choose tree species that are native to your part of the world, especially if you want to grow your bonsai outdoors. That said, most non-tropical tree species do just fine unless it's freezing outside or so oppressively hot most of your neighbours simply refuse to go out. Either way, if you are a first-time bonsai grower, an indigenous tree is an excellent choice.
As a general rule, if you want to grow your bonsai indoors, tropical species like jade or olive trees fit the bill perfectly. But hey, if subtropical types of trees are your flavour, be brave and try it out, chances are it's going to work just fine.
There's a bonsai tree for everyone
For the impatient types, a ready-made solution is to buy a ready-made bonsai that has already been cultivated. Being the priciest option aside, you don't need to do much else but just enjoy looking at it. According to ancient Eastern traditions, bonsai tree care is a spiritual journey intimately connected with one's inner growth, but hey – if ready-made is the way you like it, then that's the way you like it.
Another option is to buy the so-called "prebonsai" – a tree that has been raised and trained to become a bonsai. Perfect for beginners and beautiful as a Chinese garden.
If you want to get a more rewarding experience without having to wait for ages, air layering surely is your thing. Air layering is nothing more (and nothing less) but using a large bonsai branch or a small section of a bonsai trunk to propagate a new tree. Usually takes a single season to grow to a decent size.
Cutting a part of tree that's perfect for bonsai creates a hereditary identical tree, which is an excellent way to start your bonsai care experience.
And, finally, you can go old school, get some seeds and start cultivating something beautiful. Obvious advantages – it's as cheap as it gets when it comes to bonsai and you have complete creative control over your bonsai's growth. Rewarding, eh?
Tree care for your bonsai
The good ancient people of China and Japan have refined bonsai tree care for centuries, so it's up to us now to make good use of their knowledge.
The art of bonsai tree pruning is the single most crucial element in bonsai cultivating. Not only pruning keeps your bonsai tree small, but it also gives it a most aesthetically pleasing shape. Besides, pruning is used to provide your bonsai with just the right amount of air and light, which are vitally important elements for the good health of your bonsai.
Wiring is a somehow controversial technique. Along with pruning, it helps you control the shape of the tree. Depending on who you ask, wiring is either forcing the tree into unnatural forms or creating something beautiful. What's indisputable, though, is that wiring is one of the unique features of bonsai tree care.
Repotting is important on several levels. First of all, the roots of the plant will occupy more and more of the limited space in the pot as they develop and that decreases the growth potential of the bonsai. On top of that, as time passes the soil in the pot will become less and less permeable to air and water. It's not all bad, though, so let's look at the positives – repotting is a wonderful chance to reshape your bonsai.
Finally, we have watering.I can't overstate how important it is to get the balance right – over-water your plant, and it may result in root-rot, a common cause of death. Not water it enough, and because of the small size of the pot, it may also have fatal consequences. The rule of thumb is to wait for the soil to dry a bit between watering, but not completely.
Please take into account that how much water your bonsai needs depends on a number of factors including the type of the tree, the climate and the size of the pot.
If you need more information, an advice or just some help in perfecting your bonsai growing skills, hit up Fantastic Gardeners or similar gardening service - pros' insight is always welcome. Also, don't forget to check for my next Bonsai-related article. I promise it would be worth your time.
?Bonsai is the hot topic in the gardening world right now, hope you'd enjoy the article and get some tips on bonsai growing
.A few words about bonsai growing
Bonsai tree, to put it into a simple sentence, is a stunning piece of natural beauty grown in a small pot. Originating from China, people of the Far East have accumulated more than a thousand years worth of experience in bonsai tree care and have turned cultivating bonsais into something more than just an art form – it's an indispensable part of the culture of those mysterious lands and something woven into the fabric of its people (think Chinese/Japanese/Zen garden and Eastern architecture without bonsai – and you'd know what I mean).
So let's get the elephant out of the glass room: what's a "bonsai tree" exactly? A bonsai tree is an artificially miniaturized tree. It's dwarfed in order to maximize its beauty and turn it into something more than just an ordinary plant. Although bonsai growing (for more info, you can check my man Pol at How to Grow Bonsai from A to Z) has long traditions, fear not, for I am here to demystify the bonsai secrets and give you a chance to cultivate something of breathtaking beauty.
Choosing a suitable type of tree
To stay on the safe side, I strongly recommend to choose tree species that are native to your part of the world, especially if you want to grow your bonsai outdoors. That said, most non-tropical tree species do just fine unless it's freezing outside or so oppressively hot most of your neighbours simply refuse to go out. Either way, if you are a first-time bonsai grower, an indigenous tree is an excellent choice.
As a general rule, if you want to grow your bonsai indoors, tropical species like jade or olive trees fit the bill perfectly. But hey, if subtropical types of trees are your flavour, be brave and try it out, chances are it's going to work just fine.
There's a bonsai tree for everyone
For the impatient types, a ready-made solution is to buy a ready-made bonsai that has already been cultivated. Being the priciest option aside, you don't need to do much else but just enjoy looking at it. According to ancient Eastern traditions, bonsai tree care is a spiritual journey intimately connected with one's inner growth, but hey – if ready-made is the way you like it, then that's the way you like it.
Another option is to buy the so-called "prebonsai" – a tree that has been raised and trained to become a bonsai. Perfect for beginners and beautiful as a Chinese garden.
If you want to get a more rewarding experience without having to wait for ages, air layering surely is your thing. Air layering is nothing more (and nothing less) but using a large bonsai branch or a small section of a bonsai trunk to propagate a new tree. Usually takes a single season to grow to a decent size.
Cutting a part of tree that's perfect for bonsai creates a hereditary identical tree, which is an excellent way to start your bonsai care experience.
And, finally, you can go old school, get some seeds and start cultivating something beautiful. Obvious advantages – it's as cheap as it gets when it comes to bonsai and you have complete creative control over your bonsai's growth. Rewarding, eh?
Tree care for your bonsai
The good ancient people of China and Japan have refined bonsai tree care for centuries, so it's up to us now to make good use of their knowledge.
The art of bonsai tree pruning is the single most crucial element in bonsai cultivating. Not only pruning keeps your bonsai tree small, but it also gives it a most aesthetically pleasing shape. Besides, pruning is used to provide your bonsai with just the right amount of air and light, which are vitally important elements for the good health of your bonsai.
Wiring is a somehow controversial technique. Along with pruning, it helps you control the shape of the tree. Depending on who you ask, wiring is either forcing the tree into unnatural forms or creating something beautiful. What's indisputable, though, is that wiring is one of the unique features of bonsai tree care.
Repotting is important on several levels. First of all, the roots of the plant will occupy more and more of the limited space in the pot as they develop and that decreases the growth potential of the bonsai. On top of that, as time passes the soil in the pot will become less and less permeable to air and water. It's not all bad, though, so let's look at the positives – repotting is a wonderful chance to reshape your bonsai.
Finally, we have watering.I can't overstate how important it is to get the balance right – over-water your plant, and it may result in root-rot, a common cause of death. Not water it enough, and because of the small size of the pot, it may also have fatal consequences. The rule of thumb is to wait for the soil to dry a bit between watering, but not completely.
Please take into account that how much water your bonsai needs depends on a number of factors including the type of the tree, the climate and the size of the pot.
If you need more information, an advice or just some help in perfecting your bonsai growing skills, hit up Fantastic Gardeners or similar gardening service - pros' insight is always welcome. Also, don't forget to check for my next Bonsai-related article. I promise it would be worth your time.
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