Tag Archives: Nurseries

Bonsai Tree Care – The Importance of Soil

Proper bonsai tree care is important if your goal is to grow a beautiful healthy tree that can be enjoyed for a very long time. There are many aspects to maintaining the health and beauty of your bonsai tree. Obviously, proper watering and feeding is a priority and is an obvious choice in your bonsai tree care plan.

However, the soil you choose is also important. Like all living things, plants grow and stay healthy by taking in and processing nutrients. Simple enough right. But the obvious difference is that plants can’t go get them. The water and nutrients has to come to the plant via their root system. This is where the soil comes in. If you have the proper soil then the plant can get all of the water and nutrients it needs more easily. So as you can see your soil choice is essential to proper bonsai tree care.

The good news is that finding the proper soil is not too hard really.

You can buy soil mixes at gardening stores or nurseries or even chain stores like Wal-mart. Ready made mixes are perfect for the beginner bonsai artist. The downside to these mixes is that they tend to be a little more expensive.

Important things to consider when choosing your soil is that the soil must be able to retain water well. As to all living things water is essential to life in itself. Everything needs water in order to survive. With plants, however, water also acts as a vehicle to deliver nutrients through the roots. Now, you know that the soil needs to be able to retain the water properly, but it also needs to drain excess water too.

Too much water can be bad for your plant. There is a perfect balance that your soil will be able to maintain if you select the appropriate soil.

If you are a beginner it is usually best to purchase the ready made mixes to ensure that you are providing your plant proper bonsai tree care. As you become more experienced you will be able to move into making your own soil mixes.

So now you know just how important soil choice is to bonsai tree care. Solid choice is right up there with the appropriate water and feeding of your wonderful bonsai tree. Caring for your bonsai tree is not so difficult. Taking the few necessary steps and learning what you need to know are both necessary steps in growing a healthy tree.

T Holfelder
Mother of 5 and a Bonsai enthusiast.
Hoping to make it easier for bonsai beginners to master their bonsai tree care plan.

Bonzai Tree Seeds

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There are several varieties of Bonzai Trees available at Bonzai nurseries, but these can be very expensive. Another option for growing your own Bonzai Trees is to start them from seeds. Though you may not be able to reproduce the exact tree that you see in the nursery, you can create a miniature Bonzai Tree that is very similar.

It is important to understand that in actuality, there is no such thing as Bonzai Tree seeds. Bonsai Trees are grown from the natural seeds of trees and shrubs that are modified into miniatures through different pruning and growing techniques.

The one exception to this is the Japanese Yatsubusa Tree. This tree has been genetically modified to produce a miniature tree. The genetically modified Bonszai Tree is the result of being infected with a fungus. The fungus produces dwarf shoots when this disease affects the tree; and the seeds produced therefore inherit these genetics. For example, the Chinese Elms, Japanese Black Pines and Trident Maples are three species of Bonzai Trees that suffer from genetic modification due to fungus.

So, with this one exception there are no specific seeds that will produce a Bonzai Tree; therefore it is necessary to simply buy a seed for whatever species of tree that you want to grow into a Bonzai and use this to begin with.

If you do come across someone selling Bonzai Tree seeds, this is only labeling, as they are just the regular variety of seed. These will work to create your Bonzai Tree just the same. If you plant your seed and grow them in the proper way, you can create a Bonzai Tree from nearly any type of tree.

Remember, Bonzai Tree seeds are the same as any other type of tree seed and if they are not cared for correctly you will end up with trees that look the same as those in a forest, or your front yard.

Before deciding on which Bonzai Tree to grow from seed, first discover all you can about the different species and their care. Once you know the most important elements of growing the Bonzai, such as what type of soil to use, how much water the tree will need and how to prune your plant, you can grow a beautiful Bonzai Tree right from a seed.

A Bonsai Juniper 6 to 7 Year Old Tree in Han-Kengai Cup

A Bonsai Juniper 6 to 7 Year Old Tree in Han-Kengai Cup

51aZ5vNHAAL. SL160  A Bonsai Juniper 6 to 7 Year Old Tree in Han Kengai Cup

  • Easy Care Indoor and Outdoor Juniper Bonsai.
  • About 5 to 6 Year Old.
  • Handcrafted by Bonsai Etc. Nursery.
  • Sitting in a Quality, Handsome, Japanese Bonsai Cup – “Han-Kengai kappu” style container – Handmade by the Japanese Artist with his Seal at the bottom.
  • Come with Instruction Sheet, and Organic Bonsai Foods; and with ONE YEAR Limited Warranty (contact “Tabletop Bonsai” to find out more).

An approximately 5 to 6 year old juniper bonsai tree crafted for any home and office settings. This juniper tree has fresh green needles throughout the year and requires only minimal care. The juniper is indeed one of the most popular bonsais grown in the States, its evergreen features and naturally cascading branches shows the intrinsic beauty of nature. Though many nurseries have claimed to grow and craft the trees; we DO NOT stick a tree into a bonsai pot and call it bonsai. We select only th

buynow big A Bonsai Juniper 6 to 7 Year Old Tree in Han Kengai Cup

Price:

A Juniper Bonsai – about 9 Year Old Tree – Come with a Bonsai Care DVD!

A Juniper Bonsai – about 9 Year Old Tree – Come with a Bonsai Care DVD!

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  • Easy Care Juniper Bonsai for Any Home and Office Settings.
  • About 8 to 9 Year Old with Heavy Trunk Size.
  • Handcrafted by Bonsai Etc. Nursery by a Resident Artist.
  • Sitting in a Semi-Cascading Bonsai Pot.
  • Come with Instruction Sheet, Bonsai Care DVD, Organic Bonsai Foods, and a pair of stainless steel mini shears or tweezers for buds trimming/pinching.

A beautiful 9 year old juniper bonsai tree crafted for any home and office settings. This juniper tree has fresh green needles throughout the year and requires only minimal care.

The juniper is indeed one of the most popular bonsais grown in the States, its evergreen features and naturally cascading branches shows the intrinsic beauty of nature. Though many nurseries have claimed to grow and craft the trees; we DO NOT stick a tree into a bonsai pot and call it bonsai. We select only the most f

buynow big A Juniper Bonsai   about 9 Year Old Tree   Come with a Bonsai Care DVD!

Price: $ 38.50

Brussel’s CT9005CE Chinese Elm Bonsai Reviews

Brussel’s CT9005CE Chinese Elm Bonsai

51S0R6A5AVL. SL160  Brussels CT9005CE Chinese Elm Bonsai Reviews

  • Deciduous outdoor bonsai
  • The small leaves are ideally suited for bonsai
  • Imported from northern China
  • 5 years old; 9 inches tall
  • Ulmus parvifolia

Chinese Elms are deciduous trees with small leaves and fine twigging on their secondary branches. These trees are imported from Chinese nurseries where the branches have been painstakingly trained for years. Chinese Elms are durable and may be displayed indoors for extended periods of time.

buynow big Brussels CT9005CE Chinese Elm Bonsai Reviews

List Price: $ 40.00

Price: $ 22.99

A Starter Juniper Bonsai Tree – NEW, Cute, Cool, Very Dwarf Tree

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  • New, Cool, Cute, Easy Care
  • Shimpaku Upright (style) Juniper Mame (mini) Bonsai
  • Hand Crafted and Nurtured by Local Bonsai Artists
  • Sitting in An Approx. 3 Inches Bonsai Container
  • Come with Juniper Bonsai Instruction Sheet by Bonsai Etc., Organic Bonsai Foods, Glass Humidity Tray, Pebbles, and a Pair of Mini Stainless Steel Tweezers for Buds Pinching/Trimming

A very dwarf in size Shimpaku juniper bonsai tree crafted for anyone, especially those who wishes to for his/her first bonsai tree. Although trained in a small pot, this tree has big aspirations and all the traits and beauty of it’s full-sized siblings. This juniper tree has fresh green needles throughout the year and requires only minimal care.
Other than the Japanese juniper, the Shimpaku juniper is originated in the Far East countries like China, Japan and Korea. Its evergreen feature shows

buynow big Brussels CT9005CE Chinese Elm Bonsai Reviews

List Price: $ 24.99

Price:

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Category: Bonsai Tree

Bougainvillea Bonsai

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Everyone wants their living space to be graceful. One of the many ways to do it is growing an indoor Bonsai tree. Bonsai Tree helps a person to bring nature’s beauty into his home. There is a variety of bonsai trees available. Bougainvillea bonsai is one of the most grown bonsai trees. It is a popular houseplant, which can grow as much as four meters. It has bright magenta blossoms among lush green leaves. The bougainvillea prefers warm and dry conditions, that makes it appropriate for homes and offices. It is easily available in nurseries or getting it from bonsai growers isn’t a bad option either. But a better source is from old gardens and from trash piles.

Different species of bougainvillea are used as bonsai. Some of them are

1. Golden Glow – It has dark yellowish bracts that can fade.
2. Louis Wathen – It is full of orange bracts.
3. Orange King.
4. Mrs. Butt – It has beautiful crimson bracts.
5. Paper Flower – It is the most widely and commonly used species. It has hairy leaves with magenta coloured bracts.
6. Snow White – It is rich in white bracts.
7. Magnifica – It has lovely rose pink bracts.

Many factors like watering, lighting, temperature and feeding are of much importance for the bougainvillea bonsai. As far as watering is concerned, the bougainvillea bonsai mostly likes it dry and has to be watered sparingly. However, during its blossoming, the bonsai requires more amount of water. Bonsai likes to be in full sunlight but never let the sun burn the leaves of the plant. In colder climates bougainvillea becomes deciduous. This bonsai should be kept at a temperature of 49F to 54F. The pests should also be kept in mind while growing bonsai. In this case, pests are rare but still why take a chance? Greenflies and whiteflies can be removed easily with some insecticide.

The feeding for bonsai may range from a week to two weeks. Don’t just go on feeding the plant unless it needs it. Bonsai can be pruned at any time of the year. When the plant is young, new growth must be cut every month for a healthy plant. If you find your bonsai being a bit big, this is the right time to cut down the branches. The colours found are pink, red, yellow, purple, lavender, orange, and white. The double forms carry the blooms near the end of stems, rather than being evenly distributed.

Bonsai is basically a tree that is grown and shaped in a particular way. There are other species as well that are used in bonsai trees. Like the Fir tree and the cedar are used to create a bonsai design. Some of these species grow taller and larger than a normal bonsai. But they still resemble the traditional bonsai trees. But, like any other plant, the proper care of it is very important so that it remains healthy and look its best.

Bonsai Boy’s Juniper Bonsai Tree

Bonsai Boy’s Juniper Bonsai Tree

315Y6HVD47L. SL160  Bonsai Boys Juniper Bonsai Tree

  • 6 years old specimen, 6″ – 7″ tall
  • Recommended bonsai tree
  • Great bonsai tree for the beginner
  • Tolerates many adverse conditions, hardy tree

Juniper Procumbens “nana”. This dwarf Juniper bonsai tree from Japan is the most popular evergreen in the U.S. When we think of a traditional bonsai tree and what it should look like, we think of a “Juniper Procumbens Nana.” It is very hardy, long-lived, and tolerates many adverse conditions. This is an excellent tree for the beginner. This tree is grown with care at Bonsai Boy of New York Nurseries. Watch out for imitations.

Rating: 4 5 Bonsai Boys Juniper Bonsai Tree (out of 29 reviews)

buynow big Bonsai Boys Juniper Bonsai Tree

Price: $ 10.99

Category: Bonsai Tree

Where To Buy A Bonsai Tree

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There are a lot of places that you can get a bonsai. Even though they are from the Japanese culture originally, you will be able to take care of a bonsai tree no matter where in the world you leave. There are a lot of people who will want to plant a bonsai tree outside, however, you will need to take inconsideration the climate and soil conditions before you order yourself one of these trees, because it is so hard to plant a bonsai outside in many of the climates and conditions of the world. That doesn’t mean that you will have to give up the idea of purchasing a bonsai tree, since you can purchase a miniature tree and plant it in a pot or indoor rock garden.

When it comes to purchasing a bonsai tree you will want to keep inconsideration that there are many places. You could go to some of the local department stores, nurseries, and you will also be able to go online and order yourself one of these trees. You will find that these trees will be very valuable to you, but they will cost little to nothing for you to purchase. You will find that when it comes to purchasing these trees that you consider a few things.

First, you will want to make sure that it will be a safe transaction. Basically this rule is for purchasing online. You will want to make sure that the site is legitimate and you will also want to make sure that it is a trusted site. You need to learn how to purchase things cautiously so that you can be aware of the hazards of buying things online and identify theft.

Secondly you will need to think about the quality of the plant. Make sure that you check to see if there is a warranty on the plants because they may end up shipping you a dead plant and you may have no idea rather or not it is salvageable. The last thing that you will want to do is spend some money on the tree and then not be able to give it love and attention that it needs to grow. You will need to learn how you can protect yourself and your investments.

Thirdly, you will want to read what the kit says. There are lot of kits available online and offline that does not truly include the plant. Make sure that you understand what you are purchasing.

There are a lot of places that you will be able to purchase the bonsai tree at, however, you will need to consider all the research that you will have to put into working with the tree and the upkeep. You may find that there are a lot of things that you will want to consider when it comes to taking this type of tree into your home. You’ll want to make sure that you can handle the bonsai so that you can keep your investment growing.

Growing Bonsai Trees

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The essentials.

The first thing you should decide when considering growing Bonsai Trees is what type of tree you want to grow. The type of tree you want will determine not only the tree you should buy but also the design of pot and the types of tools you may require, and of course you should have the knowledge of growing the particular type of Bonsai tree that you want. Not all Bonsai trees demand the same attention. For instance draping trees will need very different pruning to a conifer and so you should have the knowledge to grow exactly what type of tree you want.

After this, its time to prepare yourself; you will need the appropriate tools and one good pot at the very least.

Tools.

The tools you will need include various sizes of wire and wire cutters, a small and large pair of scissors, a small pair of sharp garden shears and larger pair of pruners to cut through the thick branches.

Bonsai or not Bonsai?

Many places now sell Bonsai that are ready trained and have grown into healthy but juvenile Bonsai. As long as you are careful to pick a healthy and good looking tree then care, attention and an eye for detail means you will be able to buy a partially grown Bonsai and help it grow into a perfect full blown Bonsai. However, should you decide to buy a full grown tree or plant, then it is a good idea to visit the nurseries that stock trained Bonsai. This way you can get an idea for what type of tree you want and how they should look. It can be very difficult to see past the shape the tree already has, but remember when you want to train a tree to become your Bonsai project you will be cutting most of the branches and foliage away so it will look very dissimilar to how you first see it. You need to have good vision for this method.

Planting.

You can buy a Bonsai pot from virtually any plant shop, but make sure it has adequate drainage and preferably has little feet on it to allow the water to drain away and also allow a good level of airflow. Using a soil consisting of half organic matter and half grit will allow a good level of drainage while still giving the plant the anchorage it will need in its shallow pot.

Now cover the drainage holes in the bottom of your pot with a wire screen in order to prevent the soil running out. Now place a layer of grit down followed by the Bonsai soil. Now you should shape your Bonsai how you want it. Place the wire around the branches in a spiral shape, and gently bend the branches to the exact shape you want them to grow in. Be careful, though, not to break or snap any of the branches you shape. Next remove as much of the soil from the root ball as you can but be sure to leave as many of the fine feeder roots as possible and then plant your Bonsai into the pot you have prepared.

The Japanese Maple Bonsai Tree is Great for Beginners

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If you have always found the Bonsai Tree to be a fascinating plant but have thought that you just dont have the skills necessary to grow one yourself, you may want to consider the Japanese Maple Bonsai. These are not only beautiful trees, but perfect for beginners as they are easily grown and cared for.

The Japanese Maple Bonsai Tree comes in several different varieties, and all of these different trees offer some great color during the spring and fall. Just like outdoor maples, the Japanese Maple Bonsai tree will have leaves that change color in the fall. The tree will also lose its leaves and become dormant during the winter months.

These trees are not only easy to care for but very colorful. The Japanese Red Maple Bonsai has red leaves all summer that become brighter in the fall. The trunk and branches can also become different shades of green and red.

Another popular species of the Japanese Maple Bonsai is the Bloodgood Japanese Maple. This beautifully shaped tree has leaves that are reddish purple during the warm months and become a bright crimson color in the fall.

For a Japanese Maple Bonsai that you can keep outdoors on the patio, the Crimson Queen Maple is a good choice. This tree is actually a dwarf and grows to be about ten feet. When pruned properly, this type of maple also can make a good indoor Japanese Maple Bonsai Tree. Its leaves are long and have a feathery appearance that transforms from dark red in the summer, to a deep red in the fall. It has a charming, sweeping shape.

Though the Japanese Maple Bonsai is the most popular of the Maple Bonsai Trees, there are other Maple species that work beautifully as Bonsai Plants. This includes the Sugar and Norway Maple Trees. Another option is the Red Sunset Maple. This tree offers a good red fall color as well as a nice balance of proportion.

All different types of Bonsai Trees are available from specialty nurseries; or you can try growing one yourself from seed. It is advised that you find out all you can about growing and caring for the Bonsai Tree before you start. This will help avoid unnecessary frustration.

If you want to try growing a Bonsai Tree for yourself, take a closer look at many of the Maple species, especially the Japanese Maple Bonsai. You just may find that it is much easier than you would have believed.