Tutorial - Upside down Planters

Indoor Gardening - Upside Down Planters

Apartment living is at times a big problem for plant lovers. No space to keep your lovely plants, but upside down planter is an another mid blowing solution, And I LOVED it.....

There are other benefits for upside planters, Planters can be made from old house hold items, second these are self watering planter, so next time you are on a vacation do not worry about watering plants. third pest do not attack the plants as frequently. :) 

Materials Required:

-Can/Plastic Bottles               -Wire for Hanger           -Fabric Scrap ( For decoration)
-Scissors and knife                - hair dyer,                     -Plants                                            -Wire cutters
- Nail (Making Pores)           -Potting soil                   - Coffee filters or Fabric scrap,       -Tape

Plants: Only specific plants can be used in a upside down planter like; ivies, begonias, and nasturtiums. In herbs: Basil, Mint, oregano and tomatoes. 

Using Plastic Bottles for the preparation of Up Side Down Planter:

Step 1: Clean, Wash and Dry your old coke bottle

Step 2: By a sharp knife cut the mouth and the bottom of the bottle. Keep the bottom to use as water reservoir for the plant.

Step 3: Use Hair dyer to soft the mouth part of the bottle. once its soft with the help of thumb fold the mouth in inward direction. On the outer side of the inward section, make some small holes with the help of pin, to provide air to the soil and roots.

Step 4: With the help of a nail make small hole in the cutout bottom of bottle, Holes will help the water to drain down.

Step 5: Trace the bottom of the bottom on a coffee filter paper or Landscape fabric, or thick cloth and cut the circle. cut a small hole at the center of the paper, to hold the plant and soil. And cut a slit from inside hole to the outer for easily fitting the plant in the cloth.

Step 6: Remove all the dirt from the plant root, place it in the cloth and slowly fit it in the moth of the bottle. Th cloth would help in not breaking the roots. Spread the cloth from the other side of the bottle. Now it would act as a wall for the soil for not leaking.

Step 7: From the other side fill the potting soil in the bottle and fix the bottom of the bottle back into the bottle and fix it with the tape.

Step 8: You can paint the bottle and decorate.

Step 9: For Hanging: Use strings or a wire, fold it into 'C' Shape and fix in the bottle by making two hole either side for hanging. 

A table top Zen Garden

Hello, how about decorating your table with a small Zen Garden. There are not much things required in creating a Zen Garden, and the only thing required is your creativity.

So lets get creative and make a beautiful Zen Garden.

Just few things are required, stones, some wooden sticks, evergreen plants, soil, moss. Another challenge faced is in choosing of plants. Please pick the low light and same environment adaptable plants.

First Step is to create the base with soil and pebbles dry moss and wooden sticks.

Make plants as the focal point and arrange them accordingly, also add some stones to fill the the tray and make it more attractive.

Beautiful Outdoor Zen Gardens

Love these Zen Gardens, so thought of sharing......There are many more, and you can checkout on this Source

Zen Garden

Zen Garden is another name to dry Japanese rock garden. The garden is primarily made of sand and rock, and look like a landscape.  

A Zen Garden, also known as a dry or Japanese rock garden is a garden made primarily of sand and rock, which is cultivated to appear as a landscape or ocean. The sand within a Zen garden is meant to be regularly raked into new soothing and thought provoking patterns. Zen gardens can consist solely of sand or pebbles and larger stones, but many contain moss, grass or trees. Flowering plants are rare to true Zen gardens.

Planning a Zen Garden

The advantage of a Zen garden as the majority of elements to make it can be found in nature. There are a few expenses that can cut maintenance such as a weed guard under the sand or pebbles. Depending on size, purchasing such items could become expensive. 

Choosing the Elements for a Zen Garden:

The most important elements in a Zen garden are sand and rocks. Without these two things, the garden is not a Japanese rock garden at all.

Sand: White is the most commonly used color of sand for dry gardens as it shows the raked patterns best. White is also considered a color or purity and calm. Any sand can be used in a Zen garden however even if you just picked it up at the beach. Grey, Beige and Black sand are also wonderful choices. Some feel only crushed granite sand should be used in Zen gardens, but again this is not entirely necessary.

Rocks:Usually a Zen garden contains one or a few very large stones to represent mountains and then smaller stones to reflect hills. Take time in selecting your stones. Go for stones with colors and/or textures that interest you. The act of choosing stones for a dry rock garden can be soothing all in itself. Simply take a nice walk through the woods or along the beach and select items that jump out at you.

Plants:Though flowering plants are usually not present in Zen gardens but moss, grass or trees are.

Moss is often either grown on rocks or placed in patches to represent islands in the sea of rock. You can easily take local moss and apply it to your rocks by obtaining a small chunk and blending it in a blender with buttermilk and water. Once blended simply paint the mixture on rocks and moss will grow. Chunks can simply be transplanted to the desired location to make islands. Other leafy vine plants and/or ground cover may also be attached to rocks if desired.

Making and Maintaining a Zen Garden:

The final step is to actually create your Japanese rock garden and maintain it thereafter.

To make a Zen garden :First you need to obtain or create a mold to keep the sand or rocks in place. For a smaller Zen garden, you could use just about any container. Some people have even been known to create small desktop gardens.

To maintain a Zen Garden :Zen gardens are not set in stone. The elements within the garden can be regularly re-arranged and changed. The sand is often into new designs at your desire. Other than optional arrangements, a Zen garden should be kept free of weeds and debris to represent the clarity of the mind. 

                    

Common Terrarium Mistakes

Terrariums are incredibly easy to make and maintain. However, there are some common mistake which we make and can be avoided. 

Here are few pointers to remember while maintaining terrariums:

• Excessive lighting- Do you know that too much light can roast your plants in terrariums. The glass can act as magnifying glass and burn your plants. Before you know it, the temperature inside can get really hot or i should say hot as a sauna. Its best recommended to keep the terrariums out of direct sun.
• Minimum or no light- Light is an important ingredient for plants to grow. There are lots of plants which can survive in low light but no such thing like no light survival plants. So keep your terrarium in sufficient light to survive and grow well. 
• Heat: Too Close to Radiators - The heat of a radiator can kill your plants quickly. Think of how fast a car with the windows closed sitting in the sun can get hot. If you put your terrarium on or near a radiator that is what conditions will be like inside your jar and most plants won't like that.
• Letting plants get scraggly - Keep an eye on your terrarium plants and when they get leggy, prune them back. To keep plants small you can also root prune them.
• Leaving dying plants - If a plant is looking bad in your terrarium, get rid of it fast or remove dead or dying leaves. If the plant is diseased, take it out immediately as it can infect other plants. If a plant is just plain ugly, it can ruin the look of your whole terrarium so take that out too. Simply dig the plant out with a small shovel, terrarium toolor long spoon, being careful not to disturb the roots of other plants (as much as you can). Replace the plant with one of a similar size and light requirement, making sure to surround the roots with soil, leaving no air pockets.
• Over watering - It is easy to over water terrariums. One way to prevent it is to use a spray bottle instead of pouring water. It is easier to lightly water if you spray. If you do over water, try to absorb any extra with paper towel. Leave the top off your terrarium until it has dried out.
• Dirty glass - Every once in awhile you will want to clean the glass of your terrarium both inside and out. I use a damp piece of newsprint or a lint-free cloth. Do not use any harsh cleaning products on the inside of the terrarium because it may present a danger to your plants.
• Over fertilizing - Most terrariums do not need any fertilizer at all. Because you want to keep your plants small, you shouldn't feed them, which will cause new growth and the plants will quickly outgrow their confined space.
• Choosing the wrong plants - While it is possible to grow almost anything in a terrarium, it is important to choose plants that will thrive in the type of terrarium you are creating. If you are making a closed terrarium, choose plants that like to be moist. Also make sure to choose plants for the amount of light they will be exposed to. Low or medium light plants generally work best, but make sure if you get a medium light plant, you are actually giving it that light level.
• Growing succulents in closed terrariums - Succulents generally thrive high light and low moisture environments. If you put them in a closed terrarium, it is usually far too humid for most to thrive. You can solve this dilemma by simply creating a glass dish garden without a top. Note that even a large jar will be too humid - you want air to be able to circulate around your succulents.

Jar Terrariums

Terrariums are actually enclosed dish/Jar gardens. They are sort of mini greenhouse where plants thrive little care. A terrarium is a great eye catching gift to give some one who enjoys growing plants. Clear glass jar fish bowls, old fashioned candy jar that can be closed or covered with a clear material make good container.

Here is the list of tropical and native plants that grows very well in a terrarium:

Aluminum plant, Ardisia, baby's tears, Chinese Evergreen, Creeping Fig, Corn Plant, Dwarf English Ivy, Dwarf Kangaroo Wine, Ferns, Flame Voilet, Japanese Aucuba, Japanese boxwood, Josephls coat, Kenilworth ivy, Korean Boxwood, Marantha, Pellionia, Peperomia, Philodendron, Selanginella, Small leafed begonias, Strawberry Begonia, Swedish Ivy

Before starting a Terrarium check on the type of plant and container. There are varieties of house plant are available. Fast growing a tropical plants are not recommended for a small terrarium. Note that plants grows on one of the three ways - upright, rosette, or vinning. The corn plant grows upright, in rosette (cluster of leaves) like strawberry begonia, and the third are like long vine like Ivies. Thus place plants in the terrarium accordingly.

• In a terrarium always keep plants of one type either tropical or native. Secondly do not over crowd them. A small figure, a lichen covered rock, an interesting piece of rock, or a root can be a center of interest. A few plants pleasantly arranged are more satisfactory.

• Do not let water stand in terrarium. Remove the cover and let the excess water evaporate. Terrarium needs only one to two spoon of water in a month.

• Place terrarium in a light place and enjoy them all year round. Make sure keep them away from direct sunlight.

Assembling a Terrarium

1. First and fore most important thing is to choose a container to use. If you are planning to buy a second hand container, make sure it does not leak.

2. Mix Charcoal, gravel. Fill the container for about 1" inch, this would allow the oxygen go deep with the container.

3. Add a layer of coarse sand and soil. It is important for the oxygen to move around.

4. Now add the plants in your terrarium. Create little pockets t place the plants. Always place big plants before the little one.

5. Once you are finished by placing the plants just add one to two spoon of water to keep the soil moist.

6. Cover the terrarium by the lid. The water will recycle itself into the air. The transpired water will moist the soil.

Dish Terriraum

DISH TERRARIUM

Suggested Materials:

Small Plants and Flowers

Dish (any size but usually bigger is better)

Spaghnum or Spanish Moss (in bag)

Potting Soil (in the plastic container)

Small stones for drainage

Tools - spoon and fork are good

Place a layer of stones on the bottom of the dish. One to two inches deep is sufficient. If you are using a very deep bowl or dish you may want to go 3-4 inches deep. Just leave enough room in the dish for plenty of soil. This layer of stone will allow your terrarium to drain properly and will help to prevent overwatering.

Place a layer of Spanish Moss or Spaghnum Moss over the stones. This will allow water to drain down into the bottom while prohibiting the soil from settling down. This is optional but if you have very sensitive plants like some types of flowers this will help to avoid any root rot.

Before you start placing your plants in the dish you may want to place them together on a table and move them around to look for a pleasing arrangement. Imagine how they might look in the dish. Use the variety of shapes and sizes in your arrangement. A variety of heights and widths can make a very pleasant arrangement. Also, in general, you want to use plants in odd numbers. Three of five plants are usually better than two or four.

Remove a plant from its pot and tear it apart. This potted Palm has a variety of plants so we will use only a few of them in our terrarium. This palm is the tallest plant that we are using so I will place it in the back of the dish. This makes a nice background and will give us a pleasing arrangement. If the roots have taken up much of the pot use a pair of scissors to trim them down.

Place the plant in the dish right on top of the moss. I have chosen to place this plant in the back section of the dish. It will make a nice backdrop.

Continue placing your plants. Remember to trim them down and if the roots are out of control use a pair of scissors to trim the roots down too. Notice how I have placed the plants. They make a nice arrangement with the tallest in the back and the shortest in the front. The red Croton plant adds a nice splash of color to the arrangement.

Bonsai Art of Shaping - Bud Prunning

Bud pruning is often done along with branch pruning. Like the branch pruning, bud prunning is done when working with a developed tree. Both aim to harmonize and perfect the final form of the bonsai. Sometimes bud pruning is preferable to branch pruning. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of both before choosing what to prune.

When To Choose Bud Pruning

Bud pruning is preferable to branch pruning in a couple of situations.

•  If the bonsai already has a completed form, then branch prunning can damage that form. At the same time Pruning the buds will allows you to maintain the form without extra growth.
• Pruning the buds is also preferable if your goal is to suppress branch growth without pruning it.

There are several other reasons for choosing to prune buds. If your deciduous tree already has attractive branches and lush foliage, you will want to preserve that. Bud pruning is preferable to retain the tree’s beauty. With coniferous trees, bud pruning is sometimes used instead of leaf pruning because the latter can damage the tree’s growth and compromise the quality of the leaves produced.

Timing For Bud Pruning

Buds should be pruned as they emerge. This is typically in the spring. Some trees have an extended season of budding which can last from spring until autumn. For these trees, buds need to be monitored and pruned as necessary for the entire period of budding.

Bud pruning should be avoided in some circumstances.

• Avoid pruning an unhealthy plant or one that has been weakened such as in the immediate period after being repotted.
• Also avoid bud pruning if you are still thickening the trunk or want specific branches to thicken. The buds require extra water and nutrients to grow, and the trunk and branches thicken to accommodate the transport of those nutrients.

The Process Of Bud Pruning

Bud pruning is done by pinching the buds off by hand or pruning with scissors. Choose the prunning by hand or sissor depending upon the location of bud. It is important to remove the undesired buds when they emerge. It also helps control the size of the tree and uniformity of its growth. 

Bud pruning should be focused on the older branches near the top of the tree. Pruning near the bottom should be restrained if you choose to prune in that location. Make sure that the plant has been adequately fertilized and watered both before and after the bud pruning process. 

Bud Pruning For Deciduous And Coniferous Trees

Bud pruning for deciduous trees is a fairly straightforward process. Because of the annual cycle of new foliage, it makes it easier to determine when to remove buds. Bud pruning occurs in the early spring, when the buds first emerge and before the leaves come out. 

Coniferous trees include many popular pine varieties that are often used in bonsai. Coniferous trees require bud pruning twice a year, when they first emerge in spring and in the early summer when a new round of budding occurs after the first pruning. Buds will continue to form even after the second pruning, emerging all the way until autumn. The dual pruning sessions creates a shorter growth period for the buds on the tree. This is desirable for bonsai growth, since it will create smaller leaves that are appropriate for the bonsai’s size. Encourage the new bud growth by pruning leaves if necessary to provide better access to sunlight and ventilation.

Bonsai Art of Shaping - Branch Prunning

Pruning is the process of cutting away unnecessary growth on the bonsai. Branches, buds and leaves are pruned. This controls the progress of the bonsai’s development, allowing you to mold the developing tree as needed and later maintain its mature form. Branch pruning is especially essential to create and preserve the bonsai’s form.

With the basic goal in mind, focus can be placed on the specific aim of branch pruning. The most obvious result of pruning is to remove extraneous and unattractive budding limbs and more mature branches. Prunning removes the branches that do not contribute to the Bonsai shape. It also provide space and light to the inner, smaller branches and buds.

If you are thinking of stengthing your bonsai plant trunk, then prun the branches right above the trunk. This would also change the direction of the trunk.

Give special care to the flowering and fruit giving trees. Pruning the buds will also inhibit the flower or fruit growth. Consider your goals and your tree’s needs when deciding whether to remove those buds.

The Importance Of Lateral Buds

Lateral buds are the emerging branches growing off of existing branches. Because they will mature into new branches that can be molded into harmony with the bonsai’s design. When pruning, examine the lateral buds and predict their future growth. Maintain lateral buds on the pruned branches which you anticipate will add to the bonsai’s form. If the branch does not have any lateral buds and is not growing in harmony with the tree’s shape, prune it back to the trunk.

Choosing Which Branches To Remove

In general, prune the branches which do not contribute to the structure and beauty of the tree. This can include branches growing in the wrong direction and oversized or overly thickened branches.

Choosing The Right Time For Branch Pruning

Branch pruning is unnecessary for young trees. Early, the priority is root, nebari and trunk development. After that, branch growth needs to be encouraged so that the basic form of the tree can take shape. This growth can be assisted by wiring the trunk and branches. Branch pruning is the beginning of the “fine tuning” process of creating your bonsai.

Branch pruning is a stressful event to the plant, so it should be avoided during summer and winter.

The type of plant is also a consideration when choosing when to prune. Deciduous trees are ideally pruned in spring when leaves are not on the branches and new growth has not begun for the year. Coniferous trees should be pruned at the end of the plant’s dormant period for the year. This is usually sometime between autumn and early winter. It needs to be done before freezing begins.

Pruning should be done with a concave branch cutter or pruning shears. Whichever is used, it should be sharpened to provide the cleanest, least damaging cuts. The cut should not be allowed to remain open. It can be sealed with a drop of glue, paste or sealant. Once sealed, the cut should heal quickly and growth will no longer occur at the site.

Bonsai Art of Shaping - Wring

Wiring allows you to control the growth of your maturing tree. Wires are wrapped around the developing trunk and branches to guide their growth into the desired shape. Wiring can begin once the roots of the tree have been established and the trunk is beginning to grow. It is an ongoing process that is done in stages and with multiple branches.

Benefits Of Bonsai Wiring

A devleping tree get two types of benefits from wiring.  The wiring can help to change the tree in a desired form, as the tress will not grow on its own in the desired form. Another benefits of wiring is it would allow the growth of the tree, you can mold the growth into various style. the style which are not the natural form like slanting. Wiring also help the three aesthetically, making a bonsai uniquely beautiful in many ways, that would not be able to acheive in its natural form.

Types Of Wire Used In Bonsai Artistry

Typically the wire are used in bonsai are copper or aluminim. The wire should be approx 1/3 the diameter of the branch or the trunk. Note both these wire have their pros and cons, so choose wisely.

As Copper wire is stronger than aluminum and, because of that, holds its form and stays in place better than aluminum. Because of that, it can damage the branches and trunk if not carefully monitored for cutting into the plant. If you use copper wire, you should monitor the growth and condition of the wired parts weekly. Since the potential for damage is greater with copper wire than aluminum.

Aluminum wire is easier to move and manipulate. Because of its easy flexibility, though, it is not as sturdy as copper wire. Aluminum wire only needs to be monitored every two weeks.

Both beginners and seasoned bonsai lovers may prefer aluminum wire because of the greater ease of use compared to copper. Both wires will accomplish good results. Never the less which wire type is chosen,  a careful observation of the tree and good wiring techniques are necessary.

Determining The Right Time To Wire

 To have desired results the wring should be done at a early and healthy state of plant. Typically wiring is done when the plant is repotted for better growth and support.  In fact choosing the right time for the wring also depends on the type of plant, since the wring time for deciduous and confiferous trees differ.

  

Deciduous trees are wired in the early spring. They need to be timed before new budding begins on the limbs. Wiring at this time gives you the best visualization of the trunk and branches before the leaves and new growth emerges. You can see the limbs clearly and apply the wiring without new leaves and branches getting in the way.

Coniferous trees are wired in the late autumn or early winter. Because coniferous trees cyclically renew their foliage annually, the limbs are always populated with a certain amount of foliage. So, unlike deciduous trees, bare limbs are not a consideration. Rather, wiring is performed when the sap is lowest in the branches. The branches are more flexible and respond better to wiring when the sap is low.

Avoid wiring a plant that is unhealthy. Likewise, do not wire weak branches. Spend some time nourishing the plant and improving its vitality before wiring. Also avoid wiring a plant that is freshly watered. The limbs are most flexible when they are moderately dehydrated. Poor flexibility of the limbs increases the likelihood of limb damage or breakage.

The Wiring Process

Wiring requires patient, deliberate application of the wire. Take your time, and be very careful about supporting the plant throughout the process. As you apply the wire, hold the limb in both hands and remember to bend the wire to the branch and not the other way around.

While wiring, begin with the trunk and then progress from the thickest branches to the thinnest. Bend the wire up the trunk and outwards on the branches, from the trunk to the tip. Position yourself so that you are wiring towards yourself. This will give you the maximum control and allow you to evenly wrap the wire.

The wire should be wrapped around the limbs at a 45 degree angle in a “barber pole” fashion. The wire should form to the limb and guide its direction, but it should not be overly tight. Remember that your plant is growing and needs space for its increasing size. The wires will be guiding growth in unnatural directions, too. The plant will want to continue to grow to its original direction at first, and if the wire is too tight, it will cut into the plant. Precise but loosely wrapped limbs will help avoid these problems.

Anchoring will provide stability and prevent crossed wires or excess tension on individual limbs. The trunk’s wire should begin with a firm foundation in the soil. It should feel steady with a moderate amount of wiggling. Once steadied, the trunk can be wired. Begin at a tight angle as the wire emerges from the ground, and then sustain the wiring at a 45 degree angle. Branches are anchored by winding the end of the wire closest to the trunk around the wire supporting the trunk.

The 45 degree angle guideline for wrapping the wire can be adjusted if the limb has a sharp bend in it. Wind the wire at a smaller angle as you work past the turn. This will provide the additional support needed to straighten the bend.

You can use the same continuous piece of wire on two branches if they are both of the same thickness. Anchor the wire around the trunk to secure and balance the wiring. Do not attempt with branches of markedly different thicknesses. Use separate wires for each. If dealing with a particularly strong branch, you can use two or three wires winded together and for extra strength and support.

Removing The Wire

The wire can be removed when it has achieved its purpose and helped the trunk or branch grow in the desired direction. Wire should also be removed if it begins to grow into the plant. Gently cut off the wire with wire cutters. Do not attempt to unwind the wire from the limb or reuse wire. Attempting this can damage the plant and even break the branch. Wire is plentiful and easily replaced. Your bonsai is not.

The Art of Shaping a Bonsai

A successful bonsai is the product of careful care and shaping. It is an art form which requires a great deal of attention to the growing form of the tree.   

There are several points to consider when working with your bonsai. To begin with; it is important to develop a sturdy foundation. Proper root and trunk growth is critical to a successful, healthy bonsai.

From here, attention to focus on the limbs. When working with the branches of your bonsai, we will do two basic things, wiring and pruning. Wiring helps mold the form of the developing tree into the desired mature form. Pruning, meanwhile, allows you to manipulate the growth and refine the form of branches and leaves. Individual focus is placed on the pruning of branches, buds and leaves.

The Roots Of The Bonsai

The roots of the bonsai are composed of the exposed surface roots and the underground root structure. The external roots are called the nebari. Cultivating a proper nebari is crucial to proper bonsai growth and appearance. If working with an older plant, you will have to take special steps to restructure the nebari if it did not originally grow in a proper fashion. Subsurface roots will need to be pruned for optimal root growth.

The Trunk Of The Bonsai

Once the root structure and nebari are adequately developed, focus can shift to creating a powerful trunk. The trunk should be characteristic of its full-sized counterpart, keeping with the goal of keisho-sodai. Several qualities are essential to good trunk formation, and careful crafting will aid in forming the ideal trunk. The two elements of trunk development that are most important to consider are the trunk’s kokejun and tachiagari.

Bonsai Wiring

Wiring allows you to control the growth of your maturing tree. Wires are wrapped around the developing trunk and branches to guide their growth into the desired shape. Wiring can begin once the roots of the tree have been established and the trunk is beginning to grow. It is an ongoing process that is done in stages and with multiple branches.

Branch Pruning

Pruning is the process of cutting away unnecessary growth on the bonsai. Branches, buds and leaves are pruned. This controls the progress of the bonsai’s development, allowing you to mold the developing tree as needed and later maintain its mature form. Branch pruning is especially essential to creating and preserving the bonsai’s form.

Bud Pruning

Bud pruning is often done in conjunction with branch pruning. Like with branch pruning, it is done when working with a developed tree. Both aim to harmonize and perfect the final form of the bonsai. Sometimes bud pruning is preferable to branch pruning. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of both before choosing what to prune.

Leaf Pruning

While bud pruning is predominantly performed on coniferous trees, leaf pruning is mostly used on deciduous trees. Pruning the leaves offers several benefits. It improves sunlight penetration and ventilation to the emerging buds and smaller branches and leaves, which encourages and accelerates growth. Leaf turnover can be rapid, which can aid in recovering from pest infestation. Leaf pruning also aids in branch and bud pruning, allowing better visualization of the tree’s trunk and limb.

Physiology Of Shaping

All of the efforts involved in creating a bonsai rely on a basic understanding of plant physiology. You need to understand how a plant grows and the factors which affect that growth in order to shape your tree as desired. The art of bonsai is creating a pleasing balance of form. The science of bonsai is the physiology of shaping.

Humity Tray for Bonsai

When ever caring for a bonsai tree or garden is talk about, people often focus on the tools and methods for shaping and arranging, where very little consideration given to watering and managing soil. But once a garden is in place, water or moisture is the only things that will keep it living.

Bonsai Juniper on Humidity Tray

Managing the hydration levels of the plants and soil is essential to keep the environment from getting too dry or too saturated. Too much or too little water can kill the your plant quickly.

There are variety of factors that will help you to determine how often and how much to water your bonsai trees. As there is no regular routine watering. Aa a  gardener you have to have all of the  relevant  facts about  the bonsai tree and its moisture needs.

- The type and the size of tree is very important is an essential aspect.

- The time of year and local climate (inside and out) will affect the watering amount and schedule.

- The type of soil is also a pivotal consideration.

Once all of these have been addressed, then it is up to you to keep a attention to your bonsai plant for its individual needs and patterns. The most basic information is to know when the soil is dry and water it accordingly.

Another importamt aspect to control water levels is for humidity or the dirp tray. All bonsai pots, regardless of size, have holes in the bottom. So, a humidity or drip tray is important to protect the surfaces of whatever the pot is placed upon. It is also helpful to make the optimum environment for the tree. Leaving at least some of the water in the drip tray allows for evaporation that will result in increased humidity in the air.

There are trays to fit every type of pot, size, material and style to fit the space where the bonsai garden is. Trays come in a wide variety of shapes as well. They can be ceramic, plastic and even marble. Oval, rectangular, square and round are all popular shapes for the drip trays. The sizes range from as small as 6 or 7” in diameter, to as big as 2’. They can be selected practically to contain and distribute water or aesthetically to make the bonsai garden look more distinct.

Popular Bonsai Styles

Popular Bonsai Trees Styles and Specimen

While Bonsai in general can be a very straightforward discipline when it comes to its guidelines and principles, this form of art sports an unexpected variety of styles in which gardeners choose how to shape their Bonsai. Here are the most representative ones.

Formal upright: A Bonsai with straight tapering trunk.

Informal upright: A Bonsai that grows mostly straight upwards but that shows slight curves.

 Raft: Bonsai with sinuous or slanting trunks.

Literati: A Bonsai which branches have been reduced to a minimum

 Cascade: Two of the most beautiful styles. Molded after trees that grow over cascades or at the sides of mountains. In these styles the tip of the Bonsai bends over and even falls below the base of the pot

Slanting: These are Bonsai with trunks that are straight, but that come out of the soil already at an angel

Forest: As its name states, this style encompasses many trees, which together should resemble a small forest.

Bonsai is a discipline, and those who start to learn about the cultures and principles behind it are bound to find themselves absorbed in a practice that carries centuries of tradition behind it and that in most cases, will change, shape and help the artist grow in even more drastic ways that the trees that he helps achieve their true potential.

 

Bonsai Tree Technique

Bonsai Trees Techniques

As mentioned before, one of the most important elements of growing a Bonsai is its style and its overall design. There are many techniques that can be used in order to give a Bonsai any particular style, and which gardeners choose from in order to bring to life their vision of how they want their Bonsai to look like.

• Leaf trimming: This entails the removal of specific leaves or needles from the trunk and branches of the Bonsai.
• Pruning: This technique is used to take care of all the elements of the Bonsai tree, including trunk, branches and roots of the candidate tree.
• Wiring: This is one of the most important techniques for growing Bonsai, since it is used by the gardener to define the overall form of the Bonsai, as well as to direct the placement of branches and leaves.
• Clamping: Here gardeners use mechanical instruments to further control the shape of all the elements of their Bonsai.
• Defoliation: This technique is used mostly on deciduous species in order to achieve the short term dwarfing of their foliage.
• Deadwood techniques: These are employed only by skillful deciduous gardeners and help the trees achieve a simulated maturity.

Bonsai Trees Tools and Materials

Like most timeless disciplines, the art of growing Bonsai can be accomplished relatively simply, but takes years of practice to truly master. The tools required for it are a perfect example of this, with some people starting their Bonsai experience with no more than just a leaf cutter, while experts and more dedicated individuals sometimes make use of an entire arsenal of tools.

Now, while none of these extremes is common, it is still recommended for anyone interested in this discipline to know about all the available tools out there, so as to make an informed decision about which ones to use. Its is also a great idea to start with the basic tools, and then to acquire more that become necessary to the gardener as he or she gains skill and experience.

The first material that one needs to get in order to start growing Bonsai is the tree specimen itself, followed by a clay pot and a specific type of soil. After those, the most important tools or growing Bonsai are:

• A traditional leaf cutter with a long handle for pruning branches.
• A long shear, for medium sized branches.
• Butterfly shear, for pruning small branches as well as roots.
• A small shear for tree defoliation
• Small and large knob cutter for creating deep, hollow wounds on the Bonsai
• Small concave cutter that helps with the pruning of medium-sized branches.
• Large Bonsai concave cutter to prune large branches.
• Wire cutter.
• Jin tool.
• Rade.
• Root-hook that helps repotting Bonsai trees.
• Copper brush, for trunk cleaning.
• Cocos brush, for cleaning ground surfaces.
• Trunk benders.

Bonsai Tree Style & Shaping

One of the most important ones is that despite being small trees, Bonsai require a lot more care and attention than any “regular” tree. Bonsai in general are smaller, shorter, lighter and far more fragile than any tree, with roots that are around just 25cm long, which pale when compared to the strong meter-long roots that the average tree has.

This size difference has a great impact on a Bonsai’s maturation, nutrition, pest resistance and many other aspects of their biology, all of which in turn makes tending for their long-term health somewhat more difficult than when performing any other gardening task. This is why some special care techniques are necessary for growing a Bonsai. Here are some of them.

• Watering: Watering must be done in regular intervals, but it will be highly dependent on the specific requirements of each Bonsai species.
• Repotting: This must be done at regular intervals as well, and in this case the frequency is dictated by the specific resistance and age of each tree.
• Tools: Use of the appropriate tools when taking care of a Bonsai is essential.
• Soil: Although soil composition is usually the same for the vast majority of Bonsai, some particular species require of specific compositions, so gardeners are advised to learn about this beforehand.
• Indoor survival: As is the case with the soil, some species of Bonsai can easily survive inside a house, but there are some that can’t, which makes it very important for gardeners to learn as much as they can about their specific Bonsai trees.