Basic Guide To Create Bonsai

Thursday, December 27, 2012

In many areas of the world bonsai require no special winter storage. Bonsai in warm areas remain outdoors during the winter, just as they do during the rest of the year. However, these bonsai do experience some degree of dormancy.

Great Place for Storage of Your Bonsai.

In cold areas that experience only occasional frost, trees should be grouped together and mulched with leaves, peat moss, or marsh hay. Mulch prevents evaporation of water from the soil and freezing of roots. Spread the mulch under and around the container, and also place one or two inches on top of the soil. Do not cover the foliage, as air circulation is important.

Outdoor Bonsai in Winter.
Image Source: mohawkhudsonbonsai.org

In areas with harsh winter, you must place your plants in some sort of winter storage, as in one of the following:
1. In an unheated basement or attic that remains cold and where the temperature does not fluctuate a great deal.

2. In an unheated greenhouse. Again, be certain that the temperature does not fluctuate. Greenhouse are usually built in the sun, so be sure to watch the temperature.

3. In the garage. Place the trees on a bed of mulch in a shallow tray with drainage holes. Fill in the area around the container with mulch and also place one or two inches of mulch on top of the soil.

4. In a cold frame, that is, an unheated, boxlike, plastic, or glass covered structure for protecting young plants. These structures are easily constructed, and various plans are available.

5. In the ground. Where it is possible, this is an excellent way to store trees in winter.

Prepare Your Bonsai Storage.

Prepare the spot before frost by digging a hole the shape of your container, and about two inches deeper and two inches wider than the container.
After a hard, killing freeze, place the tree on a two-inch bed of mulch, then place the mulch around the container and over the top of the soil.
Do not cover the foliage. Select an area where the foliage is free from drying winds and where snow does not slide off a roof, in other words, an area where the tree will remain cold and dormant.
A sunny spot can cause a thaw and freezing, neither of which is desirable. The purpose of storage and mulching is to keep the temperature constant.

An important advantage of outdoor storage is that trees do not have to be reintroduced to the elements. By being outdoors, dormant trees go into and come out of dormancy naturally, adjusting smoothly to changes of temperature and length of day. In contrast, trees coming out of garages, cold frame, etc., should be watched carefully. A sudden exposure to wind can cause the tips of branches to dry and die back.

All trees should go into winter storage with soil that is moist but not soaking wet. Water plants a day or two before placing them in storage. Throughout the winter, check the stored trees, and if they are dry, water them. Watering should be done in the morning so excess water will drain out during the day, before night falls. A long, unseasonable winter warm spell requires more frequent checking of stored trees’ water needs. They should return to total dormancy when the cold returns.

Many bonsai need water every day, sometimes twice a day, so you should check them often. And summer heat and wind cause bonsai to dry out more quickly than usual. As days grow longer, bonsai also grow more hours a day. They use up and need more water. Also, with longer days and more active growth, plants should be fertilized.

Watering also washes needed nutrients from the soil, so you may want to review the section Fertilizer for Bonsai Tree.

Growing Indoor Bonsai in Winter.
image source: www2.fiskars.com

As day become shorter, growth slows down and bonsai use less water. At this time, plants are preparing for the dormancy of winter. The complement to this post and the explanation of winter storage of outdoor bonsai in the bonsai container section should help you meet your plants’s winter needs.

Growing Indoor Bonsai in Winter

In areas where tropical material will not survive winter temperatures, trees must be brought indoors. Bring your trees inside before the windows in the house are closed and the heat is turned on. This will allow them to adjust to the house climate more easily. The trees may or may not become dormant, but they will keep their foliage and require good light. In most cases a sunny window will suffice. If artificial light is used, refer to the section Artificial Light for Bonsai.

Indoor bonsai are not always dormant during the winter, and dormancy is not always easy to identify. If a bonsai continues to send out new growth, it is not dormant but merely growing at slower rate than other times of the year. An indoor dormant plant is often described as “looking fine, but doing nothing”.

A plant holding its foliage and color but showing no new growth is in a state of dormancy, manufacturing food and using only enough water to maintain its health. At this time be careful that you do not over-water your bonsai. As a general rule, remember that throughout the year the amount of light received and the amount of water needed are in direct relation to each other.

Trees going into outdoor winter storage and, more important, trees being moved indoors should be clean and free of insects. Areas to check are the foliage, both top and bottom, under the rim of the pot, and the drainage holes. If you find a problem, ask your local garden center for advice. Remember to wash the foliage when you water the tree.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Re-potting an established bonsai is never as difficult as creating a new bonsai. The reason is fairly simple: the roots of a root-bound tree are the exact shape of the container, while the roots of a plant in a nursery pot bear little resemblance to the shape of the bonsai pot.

Bonsai Sign for Re-potting
image source:hv66bonsai.be

Read the Sign from your Bonsai

Bonsai are re-potted and root-pruned at intervals dictated by the vigor and age of each tree. In the case of deciduous trees, this is done as the tree is leaving its dormant period, generally around springtime. Bonsai are often re-potted while in development, and less often as they become more mature. This prevents them from becoming pot-bound and encourages the growth of new feeder roots, allowing the tree to absorb moisture more efficiently.

Of course, you have to know when to re-pot a plant. The following are indications that your bonsai is ready for re-potting:

1. Roots are growing through the screen that covers the drainage holes on the bottom of the bonsai container.
2.The tree dries out more quickly than it should
3.The tree is growing fast, is full of healthy growth, and requires frequent pinching. These are signs of a fast developing root system.
4.The roots seem to have raised the tree in the container.

If you observe any of those signs, look at the plant’s root system. Do not hesitate to look at the tree’s roots. Too often beginning students fear that looking at the roots will harm the tree but that is not true.

How to Find Out if a Bonsai is Root-bound?

To look at the roots, do not pull the tree out of the pot. The best and easiest way to find out if a tree is root-bound is to turn the container over and gently slip the pot off, a procedure that does not harm the tree. It is much better to check the roots often, in this manner, than to allow the tree to go into decline. Young bonsai should be checked every year. As tree age, the interval between re-potting become longer.

If no roots are visible and you see only soil, return the plant to the pot. But if the roots have spread to the edge of the soil or across the bottom of the soil, and no loose soil falls off, it’s time to re-pot.

The best time of the year to re-pot is spring, when bonsai trees are most active and send out new root and top growth quickly. If a tree is root-bound in the fall, re-potting can be risky. Rather than re-pot it is better just to add a pad of fresh soil under the root system. Of course, re-potting the plant should be the first thing you do in the spring.

Re-potting Bonsai Trees
image source: why-bonsai.com

Prepare the Bonsai to Re-potting

To re-pot place the bonsai on the work bench, and remove the moss and loose soil from the top of the root system. Use a rake or tweezers to rake across the top, down the sides, and across the bottom, removing old soil. Look at the root system and remove the heavier new roots.

Trimming the roots allows you to re-pot the tree in its original container. Before doing that, wash the pot to remove any remaining roots and debris. You can slip a tree in and out of a clean pot without damage to the root system. If a pot is not clean, the roots will not slip in and out easily and safely. After washing the pot, replace the screen, then add stones and a pad of soil.

The completed tree should be placed in bright light, not direct sun. Shelter it from the wind, which is very drying. Light misting of the foliage is beneficial and cuts down on stress.

Feeding roots develop when they move in search of moisture. Be certain that air has returned to the soil surrounding the root ball by checking daily how quickly moisture has left the soil.

These first watering are very important. The root ball directly beneath the trunk should be allowed to dry out. Roots left dry will callus over and not take in water. On the other hand, too much water will rot the roots. Adding water on top of water is like wrapping the root ball in a wet blanket.

Use the fresh soil and new wire

While you have the plant outside the container, keep the exposed roots moist by misting them. When you place the tree back into the container, spread out the roots on all sides. Be sure to re-pot with a fresh soil mixture, and chopstick the soil into and around the root ball as needed.

If there are wires on the tree, make sure they are not to tight. Do not allow wire to grow into the trunk or branches. Be sure to use wire cutters to cut wire. Do not try to unwind wire, as that can damage the bark. You also run the risk of breaking the branches you have been carefully training. Pinch new growth, not only to refine the tree but also to conserve the tree’s energy.

Monday, November 26, 2012

To create saikei requires good planning. First you have to prepare the design and layout of saikei you will create. Before you make it real, you create first in your mind and manifest into a sketch on paper.

Here are the steps you can follow to make bonsai saikei:

1. Sketch your idea for a saikei. Make a full size diagram to plot your saikei.
2. Assemble all the materials listed above.
3. Remember to wear gloves while handling soil mediums and nutrients. Some of these are harmful and can diffuse into your skin.
4. Prepare the trees for use by reducing the roots and wrap each root ball in plastic. If the trees can be shaped, wire them for later positioning. If the material is young, you may decide not to wire.

Senkeiban
img source: users.qwest.net

5. Arrange the rocks to create your landscape. These may be cemented in place with hydraulic cement or epoxy putty.
6. Once the cement is dry position the trees on the tray while they are still wrapped in plastic. Allow for land topography by placing small pots or rocks under the trees as you place them.
7. Remove the trees and place them on the plot diagram.
8. If you discover that your trees will not be able to stand on their own, set up wires to hold them by using epoxy putty to fasten them if no holes are in the tray or slab.
9. Put a layer of coarse bonsai medium on the base of the tray, this is especially needed if you are using a tray or slab without holes. If you are using a slab you may need to put a ring of muck around the planting area to hold the soil in.
10. Position the trees. Use muck under area where you want a higher topography. Fasten with wire where needed.
11. Add in micro-nutrients, chelated iron and rooting hormone under the trees.
12. Fill in around trees with bonsai soil and chop stick in.
13. Water in the trees.
14. Add accessory plants and mosses. Be sure to use plants in scale and vary for mosses for good texture. Use darker colors under the trees and lighter colors in clear areas. At this point add in any ornaments you wish remembering the rules.
15. Gently water the whole planting.

16. IF you have not disturbed the roots of the plants, the saikei will not need special care but if you have cut or disturbed the roots, put the saikei in semi-shade for a week or two. If constructed late in the season, greenhouse for the first winter if using hardy material. It is BEST constructed in spring.
17. Keep your saikei trimmed and water. In time you may even decide to remove a tree or two from the saikei to train as an individual bonsai.
18. Transplanting is usually only needed after 4 or 5 years depending on the growth rates of the trees.
19. ENJOY YOUR SAIKEI CREATION!

Monday, November 19, 2012

By studying landscapes in nature, we can envision saikei we would like to construct. As you travel throughout the country, take pictures of various landscapes for inspiration. When constructed the saikei will include rocks, trees, grasses, mosses and perhaps an accessory or two to complete the picture all staged on a beautiful tray or rock.

Saikei Ornament
img source: bonsaibark.com

What is needed for saikei?

First let us consider the nuts and bolts of saikei. This is a general list; there will be cases where not all items would be used.

A container (see list below)
Small trees (see description of ideal traits of saikei trees below)
Rocks: these may need to be cut
Grasses and small plants
Mosses
Accessories if desired
Bonsai mediums (soils) appropriate for the species of trees
Muck
Wire
Epoxy putty
Hydraulic Cement
Fiberglass dry wall tape
Plastic needlepoint grid
Bonsai tools and gloves
Small plastic bags
Grid or large paper and pencil

What are the characteristics of a saikei container?

Shallow
Sized in proportion to the amount of material you will work with.. more room it usually better as it conveys good spatial relationships
Shaped to reinforce the design
Colored in harmony to the design
Light and moveable once designed …being able to move the final saikei is critical to its care in the northeast
Sturdy
Have drainage (if no drainage holes are present, you may drill them or compensate by using a larger grain size drainage layer under the growing layer and modifying your watering technique to drain the basin after watering)

Materials that make good containers:

Rock slab or slabs
Pottery
Cement (reinforced), consider using Ciment Fondue
Wood, you can make you own containers
Three dimensional rocks

What are the characteristics of good trees for saikei?

Small leaves
Short internodal spaces that create tight growth habits
A good silhouette that looks like the fully grown tree even when young
Firm, small well developed root ball that will allow you to work over a wider time period when designing your saikei
Tolerant of heat and cold and shade
Long lived

There are many species that work will in saikei; if the tree fits all the above characteristics it is worth a try.

To prepare seedlings for saikei:

Grow seedlings or cuttings in small containers to allow transplanting at any time
Keep the trees well trimmed and shaped
Wiring can be done while in the training pot if you wish or later while in the saikei

Characteristics of grasses or ground cover plants to be used in saikei:

Naturally short with leaves close to the ground
Strong root system
Spread rapidly in container conditions
Hardy
Shade tolerant

Characteristics of mosses to be used in saikei:

Fine texture
Short
Good color that is retained throughout the year
Tolerant of dryness
Spreads easily
Variety of species

Bonsai mediums (soils) for saikei:

Have excellent drainage
Are well sifted
Are dry to start with
Match the needs of the species being used
Need to be of at least two sizes
Larger grains for the base
Smaller grains for the main growing layer
Optional fine grains as a top finishing layer for mosses

Ornaments for saikei:

Ornaments can be used with restraint in these landscapes to add to the visual illusion. Be sure they fit these requirements:

Sized proportional to the landscape
Delicate in design and color
Used sparingly
Fit the mood you are trying to create

Rocks for saikei:

Illustrate full sized landscape rocks even through they are small
Match in texture and color
Will survive winter weather conditions
Have shapes that replicate those in your vision of the landscape

Sunday, November 11, 2012

A saikei is a miniature landscape composed of rocks, trees and often a riverbed of rocks and sand. For saikei you can use smaller, younger and less perfect trees, material that would probably not develop into a first-rate bonsai. The landscape you create can represent a mountainous area, a coastal region, or even a desert scene with succulents. As with bonsai, with saikei you should strive to reproduce what is found in nature.

Who's Introduced Saikei

Saikei literally means living landscape. In this form of bonsai, the artist depicts not just a tree or a forest but a full 3 dimensional landscape. In Japan the school of saikei was founded by Toshio Kawamoto after World War II. He based this bonsai art form on the principles of group plantings and rock plantings of bonsai.

Seeing the need for a form of bonsai that would be easily accessible to the average person, he created saikei. Young seedlings can be used and grown into older trees while they create a beautiful scene for us to enjoy. Kawamoto wanted a bonsai form that could look lovely even when freshly planted unlike the many years true bonsai takes to develop. His 1967 book, Saikei: Living Landscapes in Miniature has been the bible of Saikei since its introduction.

When Kawamoto introduced this style, he did not use any well-developed trees in his saikei. As time passed, other artists took this style to higher levels by training each of the trees in the saikei. Today Saikei can be designed with young seedlings or rooted cuttings or well developed bonsai. The choice is yours and is only limited by the materials you have available and your skill and imagination.

Containers used for saikei are often oval trays, brown and unglazed. The tray should be shallow, but large enough not just for the trees, rocks, and riverbed but also for open space. Miniature houses, animals, or figurines can be included, but they should be used with care.

Saikei featuring Seiju elm
image source: wikipedia.org

Materials for Saikei

Material used for regular bonsai is appropriate for saikei, but is usually smaller and younger. Trees should be of the same species, of assorted heights and trunk sizes. Material with a bare side can be planted with similar material, allowing the bare areas to mesh. As in other multiple plantings, the trunks in a saikei should all be in harmony, that is, all straight or all leaning in the same direction, as though the wind has bent them.

Rocks used in saikei should be compatible with the plants used, ones that could appear together in a natural landscape. Rocks should not look as though you simply placed them on top of the soil. To look both natural and old, they should be emerging from the earth. If only a portion of the rock is available, it invites the imagination to guess its size. Large rocks should be placed in the empty tray before the soil or trees. Florists’ clay placed on the bottom of a rock and pressed against the bottom of the container should secure the rock.

Arrange and rearrange the rocks and trees until you create the landscape you envision. Wire the trunks of the trees if they need it. Branches too should be wired, pruned and pinched as necessary. If any grasses or accent plants are used, be certain they have the same care requirements as the trees.

The care of a saikei planting is a little different from that of a bonsai. Saikei trays hold more soil and will not dry out as quickly as most bonsai containers. Water according to the trees’ needs. If your trees need a little dryness between watering, be sure to check several different parts of the landscape to be certain there are not wet areas of soil.

If you are interested in learning more about saikei, there are many sources that you can find on the internet. Or if you're new on saikei, or you want to get an idea of saikei, you can visit the gallery below of International Saikei Association. Visit this link: Saikei Gallery.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

As your trees become heavier and thicker and you work on larger material, your skills will become more advanced and you will want to add to your tools collection. Heavier pruners and shears will allow you to make cleaner cuts and will not tear at the plant. A clean cut not only looks better, but makes for a healthier tree. As you begin to use heavier wire, heavier wire cutters will also be needed.

Advanced Tools for Bonsai

Also available are various sizes of branch benders, or levers, which are used when a large trunk or branch, in addition to being wired, must have additional pressure to bend it slowly into different position. Actually the bender works as a combination vise-lever, moving the branch or trunk until it attains the desired placement.
Bonsai lever is for bending branches and is the unlimited lever for controlling difficult branch movements.

Bonsai Branch Bender/ Lever

Another tool to consider is a folding saw, which is useful for removing a large branch close to the trunk. The folding saw is also good for working on a heavy root system. Saws of several sizes are a must when you collect trees.

Bonsai Folding Saw

Saws are a must for most root pruning. Regular root pruning is as necessary to bonsai as regular pruning of branches and foliage. The main advantage to using a saw instead of your shears is two-fold. First, using your bonsai shears to cut into the root ball would damage their fine cutting edge. Second, when using a saw there are not two metal blades coming into contact with one another to sever a root. We recommend a Japanese style bonsai saw which cuts on the pull strokes. Cutting on the pull stroke prevents the blade from bending, reduces binding and improves smoothness of the cut.

There are many more types of tools needed for the creation and maintenance of your bonsai. But as a bonsai beginner, you only need basic tools as described in Introduction Tools for Creating Bonsai.

The bigger your bonsai, and more expert you are in the bonsai-making techniques, tools that you need increasingly both in number and size, for example bonsai brooms to help keep everything neat and tidy. You can clean and brush away dead leaves and other debris and even smooth out top soil on your bonsai. Also very good for keeping your work area clean.

Another tools like digging tools, sharpening device, trunk splitters, turntables, watering devices, graving tools etc. Do not worry you will have to buy it once, you can buy it one by one according to the needs and growth of your bonsai.

Bonsai Trunk Splitter

How to Care Your Bonsai Tools?

Taking good care of your tools is an important part of successful bonsai growing. Do not use your bonsai tools for anything other than working on trees. Keep an old pair of scissors on hand for cutting screen and other chores.

Your bonsai tools will come in contact with sap and moisture during their use, causing corrosion. Remove the sap with a cleaner such as turpentine after every use, then wipe them with an oiled cloth and store them in a dry place. With proper maintenance, your bonsai tools will give you years of reliable use.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Your bonsai experiments do not have to be limited to single plants. Multiple planting is a creative and fun way to utilize inexpensive materials. In this site, multiple plantings are referred to as forests and groves.

Forest and Groves

Forests and groves basically differ in the number of trees used. A forest utilizes many trees, so many that the actual number is not important. A grove usually has a few as three trees, or as many as eleven, but always an uneven number. This is because an uneven number of trees is easier to position in a natural way. An even number, on the other hand, often looks as if the trees were line up by man, not created by nature. In a grove the eye is able to discern the approximate number of trees, which should all be of the same species.

Bonsai Variations: Forest and Groves
Image Source: bonsaitonight.com

When you are selecting material for a multiple planting, you can use smaller, less expensive trees. However, your dominant tree, the one on which the planting is centered, should be chosen with great care. This tree should have the thickest trunk and the best branch arrangement. The other trees need not be perfect, and probably would not be good enough to make a single bonsai.

Look for trees with different heights and trees with trunks of different thickness. If the trees heights are too similar adjust them by pruning. The variation in the thickness of the trunks enables you to create perspective. Though trunks can vary in thickness, they should all be of the same line, that is, all straight or all slanted in the same direction. If some of the trunks need wiring to conform to the line, wire them before planting.

Design Your Landscape

Before you plant your landscape, arrange and rearrange the trees until you are satisfied with the overall design. Create this design by giving the most prominent place to your dominant tree. For a more natural arrangement, avoid placing the dominant tree in the center of the container. Position the other trees so their trunks are visible. Do not place one tree directly behind another, and do not plant trees where their trunks might cross in front of another’s.

The strongest branching should occur on outside trees and, of course, at the tops of tree. The design of a multiple planting is created by the line formed by the outside trees and treetops, as though the entire planting were a single tree. It is important to remember that the foliage on the top of trees in a forest shades the rest of the branches. You do not see as many branches on the trunks of old trees growing together. To create a similar effect in a multiple planting you may want to cut back inner branches.

Containers used in forest plantings are necessarily large, to allow for the numerous trees and also to create un-planted land area. As these containers hold more soil than a regular bonsai container does, you should check different areas of the container to determine if the trees need to be watered.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The origin of the plant is a clue to its water needs. Obviously plants from a rain forest have different water needs than plants from a desert. Also, plants water needs change with the temperature. The warmer the air, the more water a plants needs. When air is cool, plants requires less water. In cool, damp weather, do not over-water, especially during dark, rainy spells. Plants also have different water needs at different growth stages.

Watering Bonsai

Factors That Affect Watering Bonsai

Dormant plants should be watered less, but even dormant plants need enough water to keep the root ball from drying out. During active growth plants use more food and water and need to be watched more closely. Plants setting flower buds need more water, less when the flowers open. Finally, plants change with age, older trees grow more slowly.

Junipers and pines require dryness between watering wherever they are – in the ground, in a nursery, or in a bonsai container. The important difference is that a juniper in a container does not have extra soil to act as a buffer if the tree does not receive water on time. You must water it at the first sign of dryness.

Moss used as ground cover is another factor affecting watering. When moss covers the soil, the soil is not exposed to the air and does not dry out as quickly. Moss often feels dry when the soil is not. Pick up a corner of the moss to feel the soil before watering. Water if the soil is dry, but not if only the moss is dry.

A newly potted bonsai, one with new soil around the root ball, will dry out more slowly than when it was root bound. With bonsai in need of re-potting, the roots fill the pot. There is no extra soil around the roots, and the tree requires more and more water. When you notice a plant needing more water, you should root prune and re-pot the plant.

Signs Between Dryness and Over Watering

Over-watering, this causes roots to rot, can be a long, slow process. The decline of the tree is gradual and often not visible for a long time. One sign of too much watering is large weak growth. And large weak growth is also caused by too little light.

Another sign of over watering is dry foliage that appears over a long period. Because the foliage feels dry, you may think it is due to lack of water. However, the key is that the dryness has occurred over an extend period, usually because of the slow rotting of roots.

Trees are harmed less by a little dryness than from too much water, but be careful that your plants do not dry up. At times total drying out occurs, and the tree is lost. Other times the drying out is partial, only the foliage is lost, and you may be able to save the tree. Foliage approaching the danger stage of being too dry appears dull and has lost its shine. This is most obvious with serissas and azaleas. Bonsai in this condition should be misted, watered a little, and then given a complete watering several hours later.

If foliage is limp, check the condition of the soil. If the soil is wet, the problem is over-watering. If the soil is dry, water and mist the plant the same way you would dull foliage.

Friday, October 19, 2012

In areas where outdoor bonsai are in storage from late fall to early spring, growing indoor bonsai has become more common. Artificial lighting can give your trees light during the winter, but taking plants indoors presents special problems. Heating outlets are sometimes located directly under windows, creating drafts of hot air that dry trees out. Incandescent bulbs also give off too much heat, which means you cannot place trees too close to those types of lighting.

What is the Best Artificial Light for Your Bonsai?

Fluorescent tubes, the coolest lighting available, are your best indoor light source. They are readily available and are also the least expensive to operate. Plants utilize the same rays from fluorescent tubes that they do from the sun. In terms of the color spectrum, the blue rays keep plants healthy and compact, and the red and the far red rays promote flowering.

Artificial Light for Bonsai Trees
image source: http://www.bonsaitreegardener.net/

There are several lengths of fluorescent tubes available, with the four-foot and eight-foot models being especially popular. All tubes lose a great deal of light output over time and need to be changed every year. Prices vary greatly. Some fluorescent “plant tubes” are expensive and do little more for plants than cool white (fluorescent) or a combination of cool white and warm white. If space is available, use two four-foot tube fixtures and a reflector.

The Best Intensity with Artificial Light

The light intensity drops off greatly two to three inches from each end of tube, no matter what kind of tube you use. With artificial light, there are no dark, gray days; instead, everyday is the fourth of July and it’s always noon. Artificial light allows you to do the following:

Provide strong, consistent light
Control the length of the day, and thus the flowering of trees by providing longer days.
Set up trays under the lights, thus making watering easier. This is especially true if there is a bed of stones in the bottom of the tray for excess water to drain into. The bottom of the bonsai container must be kept dry.
Set the tree on an upturned pot to keep it above the water. This arrangement creates a more humid area, a great benefit to trees.
Group trees, thus making them easier to care for.

Place trees so their tops are six to eight inches from the fluorescent tube. If the new growth is overly large or leggy, consider placing the trees closer to the tube or lengthening the hours of light. Ten to twelve hours is a good starting point that should keep your trees healthy and compact. If flowering does not occurs, increase light time by several hours. As consistency of the light is important, consider purchasing a timer to turn lights on and off.

Bonsai growing under artificial light go into dormancy, but in most cases the dormancy is unnoticeable. Remember that for trees growing under lights, every day is a sunny day. Such trees often require more water than trees on a windowsill. Watch for new growth, a sign of an active tree. If plants are actively growing, they may need fertilizer.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

When trees recently root pruned are returned to normal light after a period of recuperation, they need a period of adjustment. Also needing adjustment time are newly purchased bonsai being introduced to a different environment.

Indoor Bonsai Moved to Outdoor

Indoor bonsai that are moved outdoors should be acclimated to stronger light slowly. Once they are outdoors, gradually move them from shade into partial sun, and, if the species requires it, into full sun, until the desired amount of light is reached. Trees outdoors, receiving more light and moving air around them, dry out faster than plants indoors. Check for water daily, twice a day in hot weather. When preparing to bring trees back indoors, move them into less sun for two or three weeks to give them a period to acclimate to less light.

adjustment periods of bonsai to light change

Bonsai and Light Change
image source: www.bonsaiotaku.com

Indoor bonsai do not usually have the problem of too much light, however, if the sun is too strong, the leaves will burn, becoming scorched across the middle of their surface. These leaves will lose their rich green (a color not to be mistaken for the vigorous light green color of new growth). From too much light the foliage will press down, as though pushing away from light and heat.

Outdoor Move to Inside

The move inside will be less stressful to your tree if you keep in mind you are changing its environment. For one thing, the light indoors is never as intense as that outdoors. With the changes in light, temperature, and humidity, the trees’ water needs will also change. Do not water automatically; instead, check the soil to be sure the tree is ready for water. Also, to increase humidity begin misting on daily basis.

To allow the best light to reach all parts of the tree, turn your bonsai at least once a month. Turning is especially important when you grow plants indoors on a window sill.

Once you move a tree inside, decide the best location for the tree, then leave it there; do not move the tree from spot to spot or it will never adjust. Bonsai like serissa foetida will have a few yellow leaves whenever you change its position, whatever light it is in. Just let it adjust to its new setting. Other species too may have a few yellow leaves for one or two weeks. This is normal, but you should always remove discolored foliage, so you will know if and when discoloration stops.