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Juniper Bonsai $45.00 8" Bonsai pot. Overall height 8" to 12". Five year old plant. Good light. Water every other day. Sturdy and attractive plant. |
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Dwarf Schefflera Bonsai (Scheflerra
arboricola) $45.00 8" Bonsai pot. Overall height 8" to 12". Five year old plant. Medium to good light. Water every two to three days. Good indoor variety .Very showy. |
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King Sago Bonsai (
Cycas revoluta) $45.00 8" Bonsai pot. Overall height 14" to 16". Five year old plant. Good light. Water every two to three days. Limited supply. This is one to will to the kids. Life expectancy 80 to 100 years. Grab one while you can! Sturdy and attractive. |
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Boxwood Bonsai (Buxes
Sempervirens) $45.00 8" Bonsai pot. Overall height 13" to 15". Five year old plant. Medium to good light. Water every two to three days. Limited supply. This is fun plant to work with. |
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Green Island Ficus Bonsai ( Ficus `Green Island') $45.00 8" Bonsai pot. Overall height 10" to 12". Five year old plant. Medium to good light. Water every two to three days. No leaf drop like their relatives. Hardy with a shiny leaf. Limited supply. |
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| R E T U R N TO T O P | ||
Sumoko Bonsai
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 overwatered. 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 and Sumoko Bonsai