Can someone tell me just a little bit about the hobby of growing bonsai trees? I am just not finding any good sites that aren't huge and time consuming to go through.
Can almost any tree be grown as a bonsai? What keeps them healthy and alive but so small? I recently planted some desert rose seeds. One of them shot right up. The others are broken out of the seed but not standing upright yet. What do I do with them? How long do I keep them in the little plugs they are growing in?
Thanks :)
Suzi
Question...
Almost any tree can be grown in a container and exhibit good vitality if you know its cultural requirements. If your efforts are not to be frustrating, you'll need to learn those requirements and gain a good, general grasp of plant husbandry. In other words - you need to be able to consistently keep your plant material alive in order to call it bonsai.
Not all trees lend themselves to attractive bonsai, however. We try to choose plants with small leaves, or leaves that will reduce in size in pot culture. Generally, we use trees with a simple (not compound) leaf structure.
In bonsai culture, we manipulate plant growth in a variety of ways to achieve the appearance of an ancient tree. Our goal is to create a composition that appears old, regardless of its actual age. There are many dozens, if not hundreds of techniques that help us achieve this end. We wire, prune, and manipulate branches to obtain the desired effect. Roots are pruned regularly to eliminate the largest, which serve no purpose in container culture. The tree is kept small through judicious pruning and other rejuvenation techniques.
Many decide to take up bonsai, but few lack the dedication to acquire the horticultural skills that are so important in making the pastime rewarding. The best advice I could offer you would be: Learn all you can about plant physiology in general, and specifically the habits & preferences of the trees you intend to work with. Get a firm grasp of what makes a good bonsai soil for your area, and learn to make a good soil consistently. Join a local club, and keep at it. Learning takes time.
Good luck.
Al
So why do you say find out about a good soil for our area? If bonsai trees are kept in tiny little containers, then aren't most kept in the house? If they aren't planted in the ground, then what would be the difference between soils?
Suzi
Finding ingredients to build your soils in bonsai is very important. You need ingredients that're readily available & won't break the bank, and that you can add/subtract to suit particular trees or types trees. This may not seem that important now, but if you decide to stick around, you'll find it critical.
Tropical and subtropical trees will need to stay indoors from mid to late Sep until mid-May or so in your zone (5?). Temperate trees can be over-wintered in the ground (in the pot, if you prefer) or in an unheated garage or out-building. They will not tolerate indoor conditions w/o rebelling & need a winter rest to grow with good vitality in the next growth period.
I suggest you get (or obtain from your local library if available) an inexpensive book by Sunset Publishing. The title is simply "Bonsai". The ISBN # is 0-376-03046-1. Be sure you get the 2003 edition - it is far superior to earlier editions. It contains an excellent overview for the beginning enthusiast.
Good luck, Suzi.
Al
Thank you :) Can you force a bonsai tree by allowing it to stay out for only part of the winter? I know it will depend on the tree.
I'll look into that book. :)
thanks
Suzi
Almost all temperate trees require a certain amount of time under chill. That time varies by species and from plant to plant within species depending on where the genetic material the plant was reproduced from came from. Once the plant has had its chill requirement met, it passes from dormancy to quiescence. During quiescence, the plant can begin to grow as soon as soil temperatures allow (the primary key - several days of soil temperatures above about 45* is enough to induce growth in most temperate plants). So yes, they can be forced by warming them, but plants will exhibit better vitality and add more biomass in the next growth cycle if they are allowed to emerge from a winter rest on their own schedule.
Al