Tag Archives: understanding bonsai

What is a tree and how does it function?

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bonsai_pictures_treeWe have all at least once in our lives been fascinated by the trees that we pass. Their beauty, their majesty can only inspire us.
Some are content to just watch. Others want to understand how a tree works.

Here at Bonsai Pictures we will try to answer this question, at least in part, the subject is so vast, a comprehensive study would require pages and pages.

A tree, what is it?
To bear the name, certain qualities are required. You must be a plant consisting of roots, trunk (s) and the branches. In addition, the plant must be either a dicotyledonous Angiosperms, one Gymnosperm.

But this does not prevent us from giving this name to those that we grow in pots. The growth of this plant is in height and diameter throughout its whole existence. Branches elongate, new branches are created and later converted into branches.

The growth takes place mainly in spring but also in summer. It is composed (from bottom to top) roots, a crown, a trunk and a crown or crowns.

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Taking a cutting of a bonsai tree

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Bonsai Pictures – Taking a cutting

Bonsai Pictures cutting1

This article will try to explain the creation of a Serissa Foetida by cutting. This article may in a general way explain the process of reproduction by cuttings.

In this article I will show you how to produce a bonsai from a cutting. In this case we will see the cutting being taken from a Serissa. We are lucky here in this case as we have a particularly leafy tree-type. This should be done in late spring or early summer.

To start with cuttings are taken from the mother plant.
Here I have chosen my unsightly shoots that the Serissa made at the base of the trunk. But you can also take the cuttings on the branches.

I have used scissors but a well sharpened knife is also fine, preferably a scalpel as the cut needs to be as clean as possible. The cut should preferably be made obliquely or at an angle.

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Bonsai Pictures – Soil and Watering Bonsai trees

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This article from Bonsai Pictures is all about how to water your Bonsai tree and what soil to use
The Substrate
The substrate used for growing bonsai is generally composed of:

25% sand
25% of small rocks
25% black earth
25% clay.

Personally, I buy my substrate for bonsai. If you want to make your own substrate, just look in the books on bonsai, each author has his own recipe!

Tips
It is good to add Mycorise to the substrate for bonsai. What’s Mycorise?

The Mycorise (Mysillium mushroom) promotes the uptake of fertilizer per tree. It is generally bought in the form of granules. It can be found in stores specializing in horticulture.
Check expiry date before buying.

Watering
Excessive watering of a bonsai can kill as much as insufficient watering!

There are two main sources: tap water and rainwater.

Tap water
If you use tap water, it must have rested at least 24 hours prior to watering. This time allows the evaporation of chlorine and fluorine present in water. It can also adjust the temperature of water at room temperature.

Rainwater
This is the ideal source. It does not contain chlorine or fluorine. Water should be at room temperature when spraying to avoid a shock.

How often to water
It depends on the ambient temperature, the humidity and the requirements of the tree.
The humidity of the substrate should be checked daily.

Some species require to be moist at all times, while others prefer the substrate to dry between waterings.

Warning:
We must never let the substrate dry completely.

Look in a specialist book on bonsai to find out what is best for each species. During the period of growth, a tree needs a larger quantity of water. As opposed to the rest period, when the tree is in less demand.

It is best to irrigate early in the morning. You can also do it in the evening. You should never water a bonsai in full sun, that may burn the foliage.

It is also suggested to spray the leaves between waterings, especially in winter. Indeed, inside the houses, the moisture can be very low. Heat and low humidity are perfect for the proliferation of insects. That is why it is good to spray the leaves morning and evening in winter.

How to water

Submerge the pot into water or just with a watering can or hose. Ensure that the substrate is fully saturated with water at each watering. When watering is completed, it is advisable to tilt the pot slightly to get rid of the water remaining on the surface. The substrate should be moist but not soaked. I heard that 80% of the success of a bonsai is connected to the watering. So extreme care should not be taken.

Understanding Bonsai.

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Indoors or outdoors?

First, there is no such thing as an indoor tree! All trees are designed to live outside in the fresh air where they receive sun, wind and rain. Having said that, modern homes can provide suitable conditions for some subtropical and tropical species. This is just as well, since people are increasingly living in cities, where they have little or no outside space. See some pictures in our gallery here at bonsai pictures.

Indoors

Most houseplants are subtropical in origin, so if you can keep those healthy, you should have no problem with subtropical bonsai. But if you do keep subtropical bonsai, they will benefit tremendously from being introduced to the open air when the weather is warm enough. There’s something about fresh air, natural filtered sunlight and gentle rain the tree seems to know. The colour will improve, the growth will become sturdier, and it will look much happier in general appearance. If you don’t have a garden or balcony, even a windowsill will do, so long as the tree isn’t left in the blazing sun all day until it has fully acclimatised.
Tropical species may need a little more heat, and especially humidity, than you would find comfortable in your living room. The real tropical bonsai enthusiast will go to great expense to build a temperature and humidity-controlled conservatory. Fortunately, there are few truly tropical species in commercial bonsai production.

Outdoors

If you don’t want to clutter your home with bonsai, or if you’re a confirmed bonsai addict, your garden will soon be overrun with hardy bonsai. These will not tolerate indoor conditions at any time of year.
Hardy species can tolerate freezing of the soil in the pot for several days or longer.
Many of them absolutely must have a period of freezing in order to remain healthy – or even to survive.

They can be brought indoors for display for a few days, but must soon be returned to their natural habitat. If they’re kept inside for too long in summer, the shoots will become very long and spindly, and will eventually collapse and die. If they’re kept indoors for more than a day or so in winter, their natural and necessary period of dormancy may be broken and all the primary buds will be lost. This can sometimes even be fatal!

The following rules of thumb are worth remembering:

-All conifers (pine, spruce, juniper, yew, cedar, larch, cypress) are fully hardy and cannot live indoors.

- All broadleaved deciduous species (maple, beech, hornbeam, apple, apricot, cherry) are fully hardy and cannot live indoors.

- Elms and zelkovas are often wrongly named in order to circumvent the import regulations. If you’re in any doubt about their identity, then if they’re Japanese they’re fully hardy, but if they’re not Japanese they’re more than likely subtropical.

- If you’re in really serious doubt, buy your bonsai in winter. If it’s on display in full growth in a greenhouse you can be certain it’s a subtropical or tropical species. If it’s displayed outside, it’s hardy – or dead!
To check, scratch the bark with your fingernail, discreetly, on the underside of a branch. If you see green (the cambium), it’s alive.