Bonsai Supplies

First and foremost think about the conditions the tree will be in. Indoor Bonsai will generally need to be close to a window or be supplemented with artificial light. A small tray with gravel and a little bit of water under the tree will add humidity around the tree. It may not need to be watered every day but it should be checked daily as the small pots can dry out rather quickly.

Steps in bonsai care

Watering Watering is the most important part in bonsai care. This is the crux of the art of bonsai. Most Bonsai tree that die are lost due to dehydration, either from lack of watering or from being kept in a low humidity environment (indoors) for too long. How often you should water is a common question people ask about bonsai trees. There is no hard and fast rule prescribed for the same. When the soil begins to dry out water your plant thoroughly until the excess water runs out of the bottom of the pot, signifying you’re done. Remember, over-watering is as bad as under-watering, thus all the fuss about getting it just right.

Pots and soil The soil you use affects rooting, feeding, watering and transpiration, it is where half your tree lives so this is the second biggest consideration in maintaining your bonsai. While the needs of individual species vary greatly a good rule of thumb is 30% grit, 70% humus for deciduous trees, and 70% grit with 30% humus for evergreen-needled plants. Bonsai trees should be fertilized with a water-soluble fertilizer once or twice per month during the growing season. However the choice of fertilizer may vary depending on the species you’ve chosen to miniaturize. Always apply fertilizer when the soil is wet. Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned.

Pruning A bonsai plant is pruned in two ways viz. branch pruning and root pruning. Pruning of branches is performed in spring. Much, but not all of the new growth is removed. Branches are selected early on as the only branches to be allowed to prosper, while the excess branches are mercilessly pruned off. The main factor in maintaining bonsai is the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. Bonsai is all about the reduction of everything just to the essential elements. Also Bonsai trees are intentionally allowed to become root-bound in their containers, and the roots too, are pruned. But root-bound plants won’t thrive forever in that condition and, indeed, bonsai trees must be re-potted every two or three years to furnish the roots with fresh soil.

Changing the shape of the tree Bonsai tree wiring is an advanced skill to grow the bonsai into an art form. Desirable branches are wired to control the direction in which they grow. Wiring can do a great deal to change the shape of the plant, but it can also do a great deal of damage to the plant if done incorrectly.

To sum up This may seem like a lot to do to just to buy a little tree, but it’s no different than any other informed purchase, just as you wouldn’t buy a fish without having a special home for it you should have a special home for your Bonsai tree.

The origin of bonsai tree goes long back in the Chinese dynasty around 700AD in the tang dynasty. His dynasty was that of great culture and it supported art on a large scale and the Japanese were sending missionaries to china and hence were borrowing a lot from the Chinese cultural growth.
Soil used for the bonsai tree affects the rooting, transpiration and watering this is the place where half part of the tree lives and hence it is the second biggest priority for the bonsai.

So, there is a big need for individual attention on the soil to be used according to the bonsai tree theres a thumb rule that
Soil = 30% grit + 70% humus (for deciduous tree)
Soil = 70% grit + 30% humus (for evergreen needled tree)
Bonsai Pots are the apparel of the bonsai tree so a pot should be selected keeping in mind the style of the tree and its appearance. Better depth of the pot means better breathing for the tree. The ideal size of the pot should be 2/3 to 3/4 wide as per the height of the tree an 1/2 deep as per trees depth and the height of the pot should be similar to diameter of the trunk.

Watering being the most important priority for a bonsai tree to grow properly. Now a bonsai tree can die due lack of watering as well it can die due to over watering and hence a strict schedule of watering the tree should be maintained, an old Japanese rule of watering is to water the tree three times first to wet the pot, then water to moistened the soil and the third time to ensure the water reaches the roots of the tree.
The third important aspect of bonsai tree care is the tree pruning part which is mainly done in two parts the root pruning or the top pruning.
The root pruning deals with the maintenance of the root of the tree in order to provide it with the correct nutrition as well as remove unwanted parts of the root that come of the soil.
The top pruning deals with the removal of the branches which affect the expected structure of the tree and which clutter the original style. To redirect the growth of the tree and then there are fine pruning of the leaves to encourage fine branching and remove twigs that point straight down from a branch.
An art form of patience and farsightedness is Bonsai and it rewards the worthy with both these qualities.