Bonsai
care and tips
Bonsai originated
in China and have been around for 2000 years. When an Emperor
would visit his provinces and fall in love with a particular
scenery, he would have it reproduced to scale in the Imperial
Gardens. the word bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is translated
from the Japanese meaning tree in a pot. It is not a particular
species or type of tree. It is a combination of art and
culture. There are unlimited shapes in which a Bonsai can be
shaped. It is important to have a general idea before you
prune.
Finding
a Shape and Pruning
When looking at a
well-trained tree you may notice certain elements that must be
understood before any pruning or wiring is done. All Bonsai are
based on triangles, meaning upper branches are the shortest with
the bottom-most being the longest. A tree should never have
branches coming from the same part of the trunk, opposite
branches, or two branches in a row.
With your front
view in mind, your first two branches should be alternating, not
opposite. The third branch up may face back giving the tree
depth. Then, the fourth branch can come forward. The purpose
of keeping lower branches from the front is to provide a
dramatic view of the trunk. After finding a shape, it's time to
begin work. Do not take the plant out of its growing pot until
most of the pruning and wiring is done. Without cutting
anything, find what you think should be the first branch. Then,
working your way up the trunk, try to hide (with fingers or
hands) branches that need removal in order to avoid opposites or
two branches in a row. If this is successful, prune off the
necessary branches, if not, reconsider your first branch. Some
trees may be shaped just by pruning. Others may need light to
heavy wiring (using copper wire) to obtain the desired shape.
Wire and
Bending
The wire used on a branch of a
trunk should be approximately one-third the thickness of the
branch or trunk. It is best to do your wiring when your plant is
on the dry side. Wire coils should be approximately 1/4 to
1/2-inch apart. Start by wiring the trunk; placing end of wire
in soil at trunk's base Hold wire with thumb, and using free
hand coil wire diagonally up trunk remembering to hold previous
coil with thumb and forefinger. Do not pull wire against trunk;
it will mar the bark. After wiring trunk, any desired bends can
be made. When bending, thumb and forefinger should be facing
each other at the point of bend. Bend slowly. Do not bend trunk
(or branch) too sharply or it may snap. You may have to make
many small bends in many places along the same line to achieve
the desired effect.
Now decide which branches to
reshape. When wiring, coils should follow the same diagonal as
the trunk wire for a less cluttered look to the tree. If
branches close together need moving, use one wire. Start by
holding the wire diagonally between the two, against the trunk.
Always bring the wire from above the branch and over the top of
the lower branch coiling around the lower branch to the end.
Keep the coils equal distance. Coil wire around trunk (following
the trunk wire) at least once before beginning to wire the upper
branch using the same techniques as with the lower. Remember to
hold each previous coil with thumb and forefinger. It's
difficult to give an exact time frame as to when the wire should
come off. It will depend on the size of the branch or trunk, and
the time of the year. During the growing season, wire will cut
bark faster than during the non-growing. Its time to cut the
wire when the branch is set. Do not unwind wire. Cut it using
wire cutters, which cut at the tip.
Root Pruning and Potting
After pruning and wiring your
plant, it will be time to pot the tree using Bonsai soil. First
prepare the Bonsai pot, placing the screen over the holes. Pour
1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil to cover the bottom of the pot. Then
gently take the tree from its growing pot.
Break up the root ball. Using
fingers, pencil or chopstick, rake most of the soil from the
roots. During the peak-growing season, up to half of the roots
may be pruned (in order to fit a Bonsai pot). Prune up to 1/3 of
the roots, if necessary, during the latter part of the season
into early fall. If you plan to pot in late fall or winter,
special care is needed. The plant cannot re-grow roots rapidly
at this time of year.
Now place the pot in a pan
filled with water to half-depth of the pot (you may want to add
a transplanting agent to the water). Allow the pot to soak until
the topsoil is wet (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). If an
ornamental rock is used, bury half of it in the soil to look
natural.
Care of Newly
Potted Trees
After soaking the tree, place
it out of direct sunlight to avoid wilting, but in a bright
place. Newly planted trees should not be over watered. To
encourage new growth, the soil should be kept slightly moist,
but never wet. Plants, which have been recently root pruned, can
yellow and drop leaves from over or under watering. Ideally,
your tree's foliage should be misted 3 times a day. When the
tree shows signs of new growth it can be gradually exposed to
more light, at which time it may require watering more often.
Credit: Costa Nursery
