Bonsai Supplies

Bonsai trees have often been thought to have originated from Japan. However, records of more than 2,000 years old show that bonsai trees have been growing in China, not only as part of landscapes, but also in shallow containers. Approximately 1,500 years ago, Bonsai trees were first grown individually after being collected from mountainous regions. Bonsai trees can be seen on many ancient Chinese line drawings. It was several centuries later that the Japanese began to grow and train the trees in pots. The Chinese and Japanese styles of Bonsai are very different. The Chinese styles are more freeform and mainly trained by pruning, and the Japanese styles are particularly groomed and shaped, making them appear more natural.

The translation of bonsai growing is “plant in a tray”. It is a satisfying hobby which combines both horticulture and art. Bonsai trees are typically described as “living sculptures”. As with any pot plant, it is essential that the plant is kept healthy and in excellent condition. It does require a certain amount of artistic imagination to prune and shape bonsai trees. The origin, species and general health are dependent upon the timescale to create an impressive bonsai. It will take longer to grow a bonsai tree from a seed or a cutting.

You can become to appreciate bonsai trees very quickly. They can become a very important part of your life. It is essential not to be afraid to experiment with pruning and shaping. Patience is something which is necessary by each individual when creating bonsai trees, as it is a process which should not be hurried. A good Bonsai can be trained in a very short time, providing that the suitable material is selected firstly.

Something which is fundamental to all plant life is watering. The tree will certainly die of thirst in as little as 48 hours, if it is left in a dry bonsai container. It is essential however, that the tree is not over watered. This is how many bonsai trees die, as newcomers to bonsai growing panic and over water the plant. It is important to water thoroughly, but only when a bonsai needs it. You can test as to whether the bonsai needs water by scratching the surface to expose the soil immediately below. If the soil just under the surface is wet, then do not water it. If the soil is only just damp, then you can water it. And if it is dry under the surface, then it should most certainly be watered.

Bonsai soil contains little or no nutritional value to a bonsai tree. Your bonsai depends entirely upon you for its nutritional requirements. There are a wide variety of plant foods available for your bonsai. However, it is essential that the plant food contains the three basic nutrients of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

It is essential for the survival of the plant that it receives sufficient daylight or good artificial light. However, it is essential to understand the difference between sunshine and sunlight in order deliver the correct bonsai tree care. Direct sunlight can be harmful for many species of bonsai, especially through a glass window. It is also essential to remember that whether your bonsai tree is inside or out, it will benefit from a certain degree of shade from the hot summer sun.

More often than not, the approach to bonsai art comes with a present. A friend, a relative or a partner gives a new little tree in a short pot and he cant tell us how to handle it.

Those bonsai trees are set on a piece of furniture or next to a window and normally die in a couple of months. Here comes the misconception that bonsai trees die after a short time.

But a bonsai can live among hundreds of years (there are specimens of 1000 years and more), so you are not excused if you let your bonsai die. But what to do with that strange thing?

This is a brief kick start guide to help you in the first months with your bonsai:

Establish what species it is: first thing first you have to know what species your bonsai tree belongs to. It is important because every species has different needs. This may be a hard task, there are hundreds of species and each can have a lot of varieties and cultuvar.

To start you dont need to know the exact variety or cultuvar, you just need to know the general name of the species: it could be a maple, an elm or it could be a pine or a juniper.

Arborday.org has a guide on the trees classification that can help you. Also Wikipedia has a classification list.

Set your bonsai tree outdoor: unless your bonsai belongs to a species native of tropical regions, you have to put it outdoor (of course if you live in a tropical place you can set your tropical bonsai outdoor). A bonsai cannot survive indoor due to a handful of reasons, if you assume your bonsai is an ornament you are wrong. Period.

If you identify the species, you can know the precise spot where to set it. Usually conifers should go in full-sun, the other species should be set in mid-shadow or even shadow. This is a really rough distinction and there are a lot of exceptions, a good cultivation sheet can help you a lot.

Learn how to water it: watering is a crucial task and one of the most difficult of bonsai cultivation. Every species needs different quantities of water, and you should understand the needs of your own bonsai tree.

The bonsai lives in a small pot, theres a relatively small quantity of soil in it and the tree can certainly suffer dryness and temperature excursions.

As a general rule, if it is summer you have to water your bonsai every evening. If you water it in the morning the soil will dry in no time and the tree will suffer. If you water it in the evening itll have all the time it needs to adsorb water and nutriments and, even if the next day the soil will dry, the bonsai will not suffer.

During spring and fall you have to diminish watering, just wait until the surface of the soil starts to dry out and only then water. It is easy to over-water your bonsai tree, so follow the rule above and you should be ok.

During winter the bonsai wants little water, just keep the soil humid, not wet, and water when it begins to dry.

There are two watering methods: the first is giving your tree a shower and continue until the water exits from the drainage holes; the second is to immerse the pot in a can of water and let the soil adsorb.

In both cases remember to bathe the foliage too (never if the sun still hits).

Fertilize your bonsai: fertilizing is the most underrated task by the novice. It is really important to fertilize the bonsai because the soil in the pot will easily loose its nutriments for the tree.

The quantity of soil is limited and it is an isolated environment so its our duty to provide nutriments. If your matter si if water is sufficient, the answer is no. Can you live just drinking water? No. For your bonsai is the same thing.

Until you become an expert, a balanced fertilizer (10:10:10) will do its work. You dont have to acquire a bonsai specific fertilizer, the bonsai has the same physiology of all the vegetables, every fertilizer will do. Remember just to dilute it more than the recommendations say or youll risk to burn your bonsai.

A simple and good solution would be to use the hanagokoro, a Japanese organic fertilizer, very strong, easy and safe to use as it is almost impossible to overfeed.

You should fertilize during spring, when the vegetation begins, until July (in the boreal hemisphere) then stop in the hottest period. Restart in the second half of August until October (November for the conifers).

Get another bonsai: only action will allow you to gain the sufficient experience to manage a bonsai. Keep collecting bonsai and make your own, with try and errors you will become an expert.

Needless to say it is a great satisfaction to produce your own bonsai and a lovely feeling to watch your bonsai garden growing.

You may have noticed I have omitted such tasks as pruning, wiring, jin, shari and so on. This is a primer, a kick start guide, born just to help you keeping alive your bonsai.

Defining what is a bonsai isnt easy, but we can resume it in the perfect balance between the tree, its form and the pot hosting it. If you dont learn how to take care of your tree, and limit your experience to this primer, your bonsai will survive but itll loose its bonsai title in a couple of years or less.

If you are serious with bonsai art, you want to study. You can buy books – I will soon post reviews – or read some good online resource – in the sidebar there are a phiew -.

Of course keep reading this blog, I will post a lot of things about bonsai.

If you think this list isnt complete (keep in mind its a survival guide), feel free to add your points.

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The art of bonsai tending embraces the growing of miniature, usually in small trays, or small pots.

By precision pruning and growing them in small containers, it is practicable to retain their small forms.

It takes but a short time, to learn the basic art of pruning a bonsai tree and give you great satisfaction, but perhaps a lifetime to master the art.

Japanese, ‘shin zen bi’ combines the three forces, beauty, truth and essence, as part of the philosophy,

behind their form of bonsai.

In their long quest for perfection, the Japanese aim for a perfectly natural, though miniaturized look to the tree, or plant. Their bonsai look as though they grew that way, without human help. That is the aim.

The Chinese tend toward the artistic and more imaginative with their bonsai, growing them into Chinese lettering and mythical lifeforms, as well as wildlife. Personally, I much prefer the more challenging, but natural miniaturized Japanese form, as it is more pleasing to my eye and senses.

The bonsai art form goes back a long, long time.

Discovered in China, over 3,000 years ago, traders quickly found bonsai markets and eager pupils outside of Asia, from as far away as the middle east and even Africa. Medical practitioners in the

Orient and even Egypt (where samples have even been found in their burial chambers, used bonsai to make many medicines).

There are many different forms and types of bonsai, especially trees. They vary from curved trunks and trailing branches, similar to a tree grown high on a windswept cliff, above a stormy sea, to the more formal, straighter trunk and carefully cut branches of a cosseted tree, found in a peaceful garden.

Care of Your Bonsai Tree

Bonsai growing is a wonderful way for you to to ‘connect’ with nature, on a spiritual level, or simply

enjoy a worthwhile challenge and peaceful, pleasurable pastime.

To help smooth your bonsai road a little, here are seven good tips for you.

1. Watering.

Very important, as too much, or too little can kill, or stunt your creation. Don’t worry, with a little thought, it is easy to get the balance right and you will always have a healthy friend growing on your window sill, or table.

Two easy watering methods. Your finger, or a water meter.

Your finger method.

Simply stick your finger into the bonsai soil. That’s it!

If dry, water until it starts to drain through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Obviously, you would

water less during the winter and more in the summer.

The alternate method is to use a water meter. They always come with full, but simple instructions,

so you should have no problems getting the moisture balance right, every time.

2. Feeding and fertilizing your tree/plant.

Generally best done in the spring and autumn (fall).

Basically, it comprises adding, phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash.

Fertilize twice monthly, in the spring and monthly in late autumn and winter.

3. Use the correct container.

Consider, the size and shape and how your bonsai will look in it.

Match up the shape and size of the proposed tree and container, to enhance the overall effect.

For instance, it would be a mistake to use a small, delicate container to hold a heavy trunked and

larger bonsai.

4. Lighting needs of your bonsai friend.

Optimally, most bonsai need a certain amount of sunlight. The exception being if your tree has been

heavily trimmed, or recently potted in fresh soil. Then, limit the sunlight temporarily. You may even

wish to take it outside for its dose of vitamin D. If you live in a sunlight deprived area, my advice would

be to choose a bonsai which is not dependent upon direct sunlight. Some need very little indeed.

5. Study up on the different seasonal, nutritional requirements, for your bonsai.

They grow at many different rates and their nutritional needs vary throughout the seasons. It’s not difficult.

You just need to be aware, that’s all.

6. Plan the shape and style of your tree.

Remember, you have a large say in the eventual shape and form your bonsai will take.

Early planning will save later disappointment.

7. Plan the placement of your little bonsai buddy.

You will give time, love and effort to your bonsai and this will be returned to you, many time over,

by its shape, size and beauty. Therefore, it will need to be perfectly placed in its own, special spot

somewhere, to take advantage of all your effort and to let its beauty shine forth and brighten your home,

or office.