Fine Gardening

Archive for February, 2010

Growing an Indoor Bonsai trees is an art form providing a gorgeous plant for the home.  Bonsai is actually two words that translate to “tray planting” because they are grown in a shallow dish. Bonsais require care, and when feeding and watering is done properly, these trees will survive a long time.  This article identifies a smidgen of history, tips for caring for the marvelous indoor bonsai trees, as well as varieties that will provide loveliness for the home.

History

Most people think indoor Bonsai trees were perfected by Japan; but they showed up in China in 700AD, in India about 1500 years ago, and small trees were found in Egyptian tombs.  These trees are kept tiny by wiring the trunk and branches, and continuing to prune the roots and limbs so that they have the appearance of a mature variety of the tree.  The greatest accomplishment is considered to be achieved with a perfectly sculpted miniature Bonsai tree.

Watering

Indoor Bonsai trees require a minimal amount of care; most importantly proper watering.  Many people think that watering the Bonsai tree once a week is sufficient, but that depends on the amount of humidity in the air, as well as the indoor temperature.  It is very important to ensure the tree does not get completely dry; however, over-watering should be avoided as well.  Also, the temperature should not drop below 50ºF.

Feeding

Since these indoor Bonsai trees are grown in small dishes, they contain a minimal amount of soil; requiring feeing on a consistent basis.  Typically, the trees are kept healthy and beautiful if they are fed nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash during the spring through fall months.  It is also recommended that chelated iron be contained in the fertilizer; however, the same fertilizer should not be used with each feeding, and foliar feeding is also recommended.

Considerations

There are several items to consider when selecting an indoor Bonsai tree.  For example, determine outside temperature consistently dropping below freezing, persistent humidity, altitude, time required to attend to the plant, size, and price of the plant.  There are so many varieties of indoor Bonsai trees available that even the most inexperienced horticulturists can successfully maintain a beautiful tree. Additionally, the container, availability of light and shade, and soil and drainage requirements, should also be considered.

Trimming

Indoor bonsai trees require some trimming and pinching to keep the tree healthy and well-groomed.  Generally, some, but not all, of the new growth should be trimmed back to the safest point.  There are numerous books providing instructions for the best results depending on the variety.

Varieties

Some of the most popular varieties of indoor Bonsai trees include the Baby Jade, Arbicola Schefflera Banyon, Barbados cherry, Bougainvillea Glabra, Brazilian Raintree, Caliandra, Chinese Elm, White Serissa, and Sweet Plum.  Each can be grown effectively in a small dish, most grow up to 14” in height, and several live up to 12 years.  For novices, these are some of the easiest to care for and most appreciated.

Bonsai is an independent tree with rugged, sparse foliage and croaked trunk. Bonsai has its roots in China and later it moved to Japan with the help of Zen Buddhists. There are many interesting myths and legendry stories running around this cute bonsai trees. Today, is it seen as an art that represents nature and oriental culture.

Bonsai trees are miniature trees grown in trays by pruning of roots and branches to control the growth. A stem from a tree will help in creating another bonsai. On the other hand, Bonsai tree seeds from plants are used to grow bonsais in a tray.

There are many ways to get Bonsai tree seeds. If you are interested in germinating Bonsai tree seeds then you should handle them with care. Bonsai seeds need refrigeration until the seeds are ready for cultivation.  Bonsai tree seeds can be germinated either by using natural way or through forced germination.  

In natural seed generation process, we need to plant the seeds in a field with ideal soil conditions during autumn. You could plant around 250 species of Bonsai trees, as each has the capacity to grow in different soil condition. During spring, the plants will sprout giving you the needed seeds.

In the forced seed germination, three important process are followed before sowing – scarification, cold stratification and heat stratification. In scarification process, the shells of the seeds get soft and give water resistance capacity to the seeds. Soak the seed for 24 – 48 hours and some might need warm or boiling water. This way the seeds settle down at the bottom. Remove the bad empty shells floating in the water.

In Cold Stratification process, the Bonsai tree seeds need cold weather condition for germination during the summer time. Keep the seeds in wet paper towel and keep them away in an airtight plastic bag. Refrigerate this either for 30 days or for one hundred and twenty days. Do not worry about germination, as there is thin chance for the seed germination.

For some heat, stratification process helps in seed harvest. In this method, the seeds in a bowl are kept in room heat for a short while. After this, you could keep the seeds in a fridge to give the seeds some cold stratification.

Every plant is different hence, you should make sure whether the process adopted would match the type of tree they are. During spring, you could plant the species. These plants can be kept either outside or in house depending on the variety. Keep the seeds in half inch deep down the soil and remember to keep the soil well watered.

These are many guidelines on germination of Bonsai tree seeds as they are influenced by many factors. In spite of trying out luck without much knowledge, it would be good if you were referring to the instructions manual. Given proper care bonsai is sure to outlive many other normal varieties. Today this pot tree has evolved reflecting changing time and taste of people. They have become more ornamental in purpose decorating the wall of enthusiast.

Adding a touch of greenery inside your home is a great way to add some color and make it more welcoming.  Bonsai trees are usually the most preferred choice for indoor plants.  Apart from their graceful appearance, bonsai trees are extremely easy to care and manage.

When looking for a particular bonsai tree to complement the overall look of your garden or room in your home, the first thing to know about is the different types of bonsai trees that are available in your area.  Bonsai trees are grown in a variety of different shapes.  The most popular of this is the slant bonsai tree and this is the classic style of many bonsai trees.

Here, the bonsai tree is grown in a slant position on one side and with the branches slanting onto the other direction.Another popular is the windswept bonsai tree.  This style gives you the appearance as if the wind is blowing through the entire bonsai tree, providing a sense of movement to the overall appearance to the bonsai tree.

One of the simplest types of bonsai designs is the formal upright bonsai tree.  As the name implies, the bonsai tree is manipulated to grow in a very straight and vertical line.  You can also go online to see the different types of bonsai trees being sold in gardening and landscaping websites over the Internet.  Bear in mind though that if you are going to make your selection based on based on the variety that is sold in these websites, make sure that you understand their shipping, returns and exchange policies very carefully.

If you are just a beginner in handling bonsai trees or any indoor plants for that matter, you can also ask your local gardening shop on the special types of bonsai trees that are the easiest to maintain.  Bonsai tree designers use a number of different trees to create a bonsai tree.

Finding out bonsai trees that require the least amount of maintenance and care is ideal as it will not overwhelm you with the care and maintenance that they need to continue on growing.   This is because compared to other indoor plants, bonsai trees are extremely delicate, and even those that are considered to be “low-maintenance” still require frequent watering and pruning to maintain its shape and appearance.

Quite naturally, another thing to consider when choosing which particular bonsai tree to purchase for your garden, home or office is the different types of bonsai trees that are available within your budget range.  These bonsai trees may be small, but you will be surprised on the amount that one bonsai tree can cost.  Some of bonsai trees can cost hundreds of dollars.

That being said, it is highly recommended to first determine the amount that you are willing to spend for a particular bonsai tree.  From here, you can narrow down the choices on what are the different types of bonsai trees will best suit both your home or garden and your budget.