Care of Bonsai Trees Can Be Therapeutic
Posted: Thursday, October 22, 2009
by Christine McKinnon
The growing and care of bonsai trees involves a great deal more than simply caring for a plant. Great joy can be found in combining your own artistic skill with nature's creative forces to produce a living work of art
A great deal of pleasure can also be had in gazing at the wonderfully aesthetic shapes you help create, and in marvelling at the forces of nature, tamed to your will, but in no way diminished. Indeed many believe that growing bonsais is a spiritual undertaking and I personally find it a great stress-buster.
A bonsai should have the appearance of great age but also a sense of timeless endurance and vitality. This can be achieved by having a tree with a weathered looking trunk but vigorous branches and leaves. When deciding how much of your tree to prune, bear in mind the trunk and canopy should remain roughly in the same proportion as those you would find in a fully grown tree of the same variety. Achieving this effect requires pruning of branches and leaves.
A variety of instruments can be used for your pruning, even a good, strong pair of scissors. However you must ensure they are sharp, and a pruning saw may be best for stronger limbs. The tools should always be clean and sharp and it pays to sterilize the blades with a flame to minimize the risk of spreading disease.
Think carefully and take care when selecting a branch for removal. The tree is yours to shape as you will, but you do not want to end up with something that is not pleasing to the eye and therefore detracts from your joy in the care of bonsai trees.
Major prunes are generally carried out every winter but it is important to regularly cut back or pinch off shoots growing from the bottom or already pruned parts of your tree. This will encourage the plant to concentrate growth at the top.
The proper care of bonsai trees also involves pruning the roots every one to three years. If left undone your tree will become root-bound and may even die. Generally you remove around one third of the roots, leaving a tightly packed root ball along with enough room in your tree's small container for fresh soil to be added. This will encourage the growth of new roots.
Pruning and nipping is not always enough to achieve the desired effect, so bonsai growers use copper wire to hold the tree into the shape they want. Once the tree begins growing in the desired direction the wire can be removed. With some trees, such as conifers, you may need to leave the wire on for up to a year. This is something you may want to look into a little more as you research your care of bonsai trees.
Your bonsai requires regular attention to keep it healthy. Contrary to what many people believe, most bonsais thrive best outdoors where the temperature and sunlight provide the same conditions it would find if it were growing naturally. However this does depend on where you are living and whether your tree is a native to your area. It may be that you need to bring your tree indoors for winter, but if so you will need to check regularly whether you are providing it with the right amount of moisture and sunlight.
One of the most critical elements in the care of bonsai trees is watering. Unfortunately there are no set rules here. So much depends on the weather in the area where you live, and whether it is suited to your particular type of tree. You need to keep a constant watch on the soil. When it begins to dry out, water your plant and keep watering until the water runs out of the holes in the bottom of its container. It is a good idea to repeat this process a second time, around ten minutes later. Check the moisture level of the soil in your pot as you should not water again until it is beginning to dry out. Over-watering can be as harmful as under-watering and is one of the most common mistakes first-time bonsai growers make.
The growing and care of bonsai trees is a relatively inexpensive but extremely rewarding hobby, one that you can take a quiet pleasure in and also one that can provide an interesting and aesthetic focal point for your home and garden. It requires little in the way of specialist equipment and is easily done once you have mastered a few simple techniques.
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