The art of growing trees in Japan. How to grow a bonsai: a miniature garden on the windowsill. Description of some styles and symbols

It is Japanese because art came to us from this sunny country. From Japanese, its name is translated as "tree in a bowl." Small bonsai trees, usually no more than 1 meter tall, exactly replicate the appearance of an adult tree growing in the wild.

Sometimes, to create an even more realistic picture, moss, stones and other decorative elements are added to it. Thus, it is possible to repeat in miniature a piece of the natural landscape.

History of the Japanese Bonsai Tree

It is known that initially, more than 2000 years ago, the art of bonsai originated in China under the name Penzin, and only in the 6th century was it transferred to Japan. About a hundred years ago, art became incredibly popular in Japan, and from there it came to us and spread throughout the world.

Bonsai - which tree to choose?

In the practice of bonsai, many types of trees are used, both coniferous and deciduous and flowering. You can use pine, spruce, larch, juniper, cypress, ginkgo, beech, hornbeam, linden, maple, cotoneaster, birch, zelkova, cherry, plum, apple,.

Different types of small-leaved ficuses, carmona, pomegranate, murraya, sageretia, olive, lagerstromia, fuchsia, myrtle, rosemary, boxwood, psidium, small-leaved Chinese elm, small-fruited citrus fruits (lemon, kinkan, calamondin) feel good in room conditions.

How long does a bonsai tree grow?

A live bonsai tree can be grown from seeds or from seedlings. There is also the so-called bonsai fumigation method, when you find a plant in the wild, transplant it into a container and then grow and shape it.

The first method is the most complex and time-consuming. However, it is he who brings the most pleasure, since you can nurture and shape your tree from the very beginning. Depending on the type of plant chosen, its rooting and the time before the first formative pruning can take up to 5 years.

One day, the Chinese emperor ordered the creation of a miniature empire for his palace, with mountains, plains, meadows, forests and rivers, the sight of which would please his heart and eyes. To fulfill the ruler's command, the gardeners created tiny living trees, a miniature analogue of growing giants.

The art of bonsai (translated from Japanese means “a plant grown in a tray”) is the process of growing in a small shallow vessel an exact, but reduced to miniature size, copy of a tall tree grown in natural conditions.

The birthplace of this fascinating art form is China, where it originated about two thousand years ago, and six centuries later, together with the Buddhists, it ended up in Japan, where it developed: the Japanese not only improved the methods of growing graceful trees, but also systematized (Japanese bonsai from Chinese is distinguished by great elegance).

If we talk about Japanese art, it must be borne in mind that it is not just a process of growing a bonsai, but is a whole philosophy, since the person doing this must have the appropriate attitude: be wise, benevolent, delicate and have a sense of justice.

Since the art of bonsai became extremely popular in the twentieth century, this approach to growing miniature trees by Europeans was somewhat simplified: those who want to have such a miracle in their home, it is enough to take their work seriously, with love and show maximum attention to the plant. In this case, miniature trees are quite capable of living for more than a hundred years, uniting several generations of the family with their presence.

Appearance

Bonsai of pine and other plants should completely resemble a tree grown in natural conditions and even through the leaves have well-visible branches and a strong trunk with clearly visible roots. It is necessary to plant a homemade bonsai in a shallow vessel of a simple shape with a discreet color.

Trees grown by this method are usually small: the largest plant has a height of 120 centimeters, the smallest one does not exceed five. In this regard, the following classification of plants is distinguished:

• Large - height from 60 to 120 cm;
• Medium - from 30 to 60 cm;
• Small - from 15 to 30 cm;
• Miniature - from 5 to 15 cm;
• Tiny - up to 5 cm.

The most popular indoor bonsai are from five to thirty centimeters: they are so beautiful, fragile and graceful that, causing involuntary awe, they give the impression of belonging to an amazing magical land of miniature things.

dwarf trees in the house

Before you create a bonsai at home, you need to consider that experts do not recommend forcibly turning large and medium-sized plants into dwarf ones.

In order to grow bonsai at home, it is advisable to either buy an adult tree of the right size, or grow it using seeds.

Experts recommend that people interested in how to grow bonsai purchase seeds of plants with small foliage or needles. For example, bonsai of pine, dwarf bamboo, cypress, buckthorn. Ficus bonsai Benjamin is also well suited - an evergreen shrub (despite the fact that this plant does not belong to traditional Japanese art, it is very popular in the world because of its ease of care and rapid growth).

Before you grow a bonsai with your own hands, you need to take into account that the occupation is not easy and you will have to constantly take care of the tree: in order to get a full-fledged plant, it will take at least four years (this is how much it will take for the seeds to germinate and form a strong trunk).

It should also be borne in mind that indoor bonsai are trees, therefore, like other plants of this species, they need fresh air and enough light. For example, bonsai pine is quite a way to grow both indoors and outdoors, but Japanese black pine prefers to grow only outdoors, so in winter you need to place the plant in the coldest room and monitor the lighting.

Growing Features

Create dwarf trees from tropical and native plants. Before making a bonsai, you need to consider the following points:

• What kind of soil does the tree grow on;
• How light-loving it is;
• Where it prefers to grow - in the shade or in the light, in wet or dry areas.

Having picked up a suitable soil, having looked at the place where the created bonsai will be located with your own hands, you need to decide which method to grow a tree: by cuttings or with the help of seeds.

A person who is interested in how to grow bonsai must take into account that growing bonsai from seed is the longest process. To create a bonsai of pine, cherry, oak and other trees that are poorly cut by cuttings, it will not work in any other way: only with the help of seeds.

Seeds of plants that grow in temperate latitudes must be cold-worked. To do this, they must first be placed in a container with moistened sand and put in the refrigerator. At the same time, there is no such trouble with the seeds of plants of subtropical and tropical latitudes, but they must be soaked in slightly warm water the day before sowing.

The soil in which the seeds should be planted should be loose and well breathable (great soil for seed germination is obtained by mixing peat with sand). In order for the seeds to germinate, the soil must be moist, and the air temperature should not be lower than 25 degrees.

But after the appearance of sprouts, the situation changes dramatically: the air temperature should not be higher than eighteen degrees. At the same time, young sprouts need moderate moisture and a lot of light, otherwise they will become weak and prone to diseases. After three to four weeks, they are seated in separate vessels (it should be borne in mind that in large dishes the plant may die, since its small root system cannot cope with the abundance of moisture).

As for propagation by cuttings, this is a faster way. It must be borne in mind that the cuttings of many trees do not take root well, and therefore, in order for everything to work out, optimal conditions should be constantly maintained: combine high air humidity with low soil moisture.

The age of the trees from which the cuttings will be cut should be from 5 to 10 years, and if the plant is considered difficult to root, then younger (from 2 to 3 years). At what time of the year to cut the cuttings depends largely on the latitude where the tree grows: for deciduous plants in temperate latitudes, this is May and July, but for conifers, this period occurs either in early spring before the buds begin to swell, or in late summer, when active growth ends.

To get a cutting, you need to take the middle or upper part of the shoot up to 20 cm long, on which there are at least two nodes. A cut is made two centimeters from the lower shoot, after which the cutting is inserted into the ground so that its lower node is completely immersed in the ground: the root system will be located here.

As with seeds, the substrate must be porous in order to allow air and water to pass through well. The sprout should be periodically sprayed or placed in a sufficiently humid place (the planted stalk can be placed under a glass jar or covered with polyethylene). The air temperature should not be lower than twenty-four degrees, and the place where the cutting will be located should be well lit and ventilated.

tree shape

When forming a composition, you need to remember that everything should look natural, and all components should be combined with each other. For example, it is impossible to plant flowering and fruit trees, grass and shrubs, or shrubs and trees in one vessel. Also, the composition should not have a lot of greenery or color.

One of the most difficult tasks is to create a tree of the intended shape, for which they use methods such as pruning, ligation, cutting branches and other methods (the plant should not have more than two or three branches). Among the variety of forms, the main types of bonsai are distinguished:

• Straight - the tree has a straight, slightly thickened trunk;
• Inclined - grows at an angle;
• Multi-stemmed - the tree lies on the ground, and several trunks grow from it;
• Cascading - the top of the tree is inclined below the soil boundary.

Necessary Care

While the plant is just being formed, it should be borne in mind that it needs to be watered very often, but not poured, fertilizers should be given in limited quantities, and replanted once a year, in the spring, removing excess roots. As for the soil in which the tree will be planted, it is advisable to do it yourself by mixing humus, clay and fine gravel or coarse sand (the soil sold in stores is not very suitable).

When caring for miniature trees, it should be borne in mind that it is easier to grow it outdoors, since indoor air is too dry for it. If the plant is kept on a balcony or in a garden, it is quite easy to take care of it (the only thing is that in summer you need to cover it from direct sunlight, and hide it from rain and wind in winter). But indoor bonsai require careful care, so they are usually short-lived.

There are trees created specifically for the apartment, and therefore, having greater endurance, they require less maintenance. But they still need to be kept away from heating devices: they need high humidity. Also, when caring for these plants, it must be borne in mind that they are afraid of drafts.

In any case, both outdoor and indoor miniature trees are one of the most demanding indoor plants, and therefore it is not easy to care for them: improper care will either kill the tree or make it an ordinary plant that does not attract attention.

Considering that bonsai is mainly a plant of tropical and subtropical latitudes, the climate of the temperate zone does not suit it, therefore, it must be created independently.

When growing a tropical tree, it must be remembered that since the day is shorter in temperate latitudes, additional lighting must be created for the plant (this issue is especially relevant in winter). Considering that each tree needs a different amount of light, it is advisable to check with specialists or on the Internet on special thematic forums about how to care for your plant (how much light it needs and where exactly to put it).

Subtropical trees, such as rosemary, pomegranate, olive, are kept in a room in winter, the temperature in which ranges from 5 to 15 ° C, and in summer they are taken out into the fresh air. But it’s more difficult to take care of tropical trees: they don’t like cold, so they are kept indoors, the temperature of which ranges from 18 to 25 ° C, and even in summer they are not recommended to be placed on window sills made of stone. It should be remembered that the higher the temperature indicators of the atmosphere, the more the tree needs light, water and nutrients.

Since a small tree is extremely in need of moisture, it needs to be provided. To do this, you need to put a pot with a plant in a flat vessel filled with water, at the bottom of which there are pre-laid pebbles or a grate. The water should always be at the same level, and the tree itself should be regularly sprayed with water.

As for watering, here it must be taken into account that the earth must be constantly wet (subtropical plants are watered less often). As for tropical plants, they do not tolerate cold water, so it is advisable to use either melted or settled water.

Bonsai is an art that came from Japan. Indoor bonsai is a miniature tree growing in a small bowl. This is an exact copy of a real tree, usually on a scale of 1:100. In this article, you can figure out what a bonsai is and how to form it at home.

fruiting bonsai

Bonsai is not just a miniature tree. It has characteristic features: a thickened trunk, a well-formed crown, a height of 20 cm to 2 m. This is a full-fledged tree, but in miniature. Translated from Chinese, "pun sai" means "tree in a bowl" - miniature copies have been grown for decades. And the older the tree, the more beautiful it is transplanted into a pot in the countries of the East.

How did the art of bonsai originate in China as early as 200 BC? e. The Japanese brought it to perfection several centuries later. Hobby has become massive in the first place among the common people. The inability to set up a garden near the house was compensated by growing mini-trees.

Creating a bonsai at home is not difficult if you provide proper care for it. The intensity of growth must constantly be regulated by pruning the root system. In art, there are several styles of bonsai. Before growing a tree, you need to decide which one you would like to see on your windowsill.

Bonsai styles

The choice of container for the tree will depend on the style. Cascading or sloping styles require the choice of a heavier and more stable bowl that outweighs the weight of the sloping canopy. There are many styles, of which the most commonly used are:

For beginners, it is better to start with the Tekkan style. And if you manage to master the technique of growing bonsai, you can experiment with others.

Plant selection for bonsai

Trees and shrubs are suitable for bonsai, which, as they grow, acquire a lignified trunk and branches. It is necessary to choose a plant suitable for the surrounding climatic conditions. Plants with large flowers, fruits, leaves are better not to choose for creating miniatures.

From coniferous trees for bonsai, cypress, thuja, pine, juniper, larch are often chosen. From deciduous - birch, maple, hornbeam, willow, oak. Flowering plants for bonsai look spectacular: acacia, pomegranate, citrus, peach, plum, magnolia.

Different types of trees are suitable for bonsai.

For indoor cultivation, it is better to choose non-deciduous plants that are able to develop all year round. From indoor flowers, ficuses, gardenia, dracaena, cordilina are often taken as a basis. For beginners, African portulacaria, ficus benjamin is ideal.

What you need to grow

To care for a bonsai, you will need a set of certain tools. For a beginner, two or three main ones are enough to form a crown.

1. Concave wire cutters are needed to cut the wire and cut the branches to the very trunk - so that there are no stumps and burrs.
2. Convex cutters. With their help, unnecessary convex sections, parts of the trunk, root are removed from the trunk. The instrument with a spherical head creates a cut that heals quickly.
3. Special scissors for cutting roots. Essential when pruning thin roots. You can also use special pliers. They differ from the convex head, which follows the contour of the sphere, but has a straight cutting edge.
4. Tweezers with a curved tip are needed to remove excess buds, dead leaves, and pluck out pine needles.

When indoor bonsai becomes a permanent hobby, and not a short-lived hobby, you can purchase a professional tool kit.

Growing bonsai

The creation of a bonsai begins with the selection of a plant and the preparation of a container, soil for planting. Further, efforts will be required to achieve growth not of the crown, but of the trunk. Bonsai care consists not only in planting a plant and forming a crown, but also in observing other nuances.

Pot selection

Slanted styles require stable pots such as earthenware or ceramic pots. The container should not violate the integrity of the composition. For bonsai with a dense, spreading crown or several trunks, wide, shallow bowls are chosen. For plants with open roots, tall narrow pots are suitable. Narrow and deep containers resembling vases are suitable for cascading styles.

The pot must ensure the stability of the composition.

The height of the walls should not be less than the diameter of the trunk, the width should be 2/3 of the length of the plant. Drainage holes must be made in bonsai pots. If they are not available in clay or ceramic containers, drill them yourself. It is necessary to root the tree in a standard deep container. The process of initial formation takes about 2 years, after which the plant can be transplanted into a permanent bowl.

soil for bonsai

Growing bonsai requires poor soil. It slows down the growth of the plant. The optimal mixture is 1/3 of clay, and half of peat or rotted leaves, the rest is filled with coarse sand or small stones.

For deciduous trees, it is better to take 7 parts of clay soil and 3 - sand. For flowering - 6 parts of clay, 3 - sand, 1 part - leaf humus. For coniferous trees, a mixture of clay and sand is made in a ratio of 6: 4. Before use, the sand must be washed and calcined in the oven. It can be partially replaced with vermiculite.

It is better to collect the earth on your own in April, when the snow melts and the soil is almost thawed. Commercial mixtures usually include peat and garden fertilizers, so bonsai will grow intensively in them, and this is not necessary. Before use, the soil is disinfected by boiling it in a sieve and water for about 30 minutes or by calcining it in the oven.

First planting

When planting, the tree must be buried in the soil to thicken the trunk. At the same time, cut the root system, leaving only the roots growing to the sides. This must be done in the future with each transplant. The formation of a horizontal root system is required to slow growth.

Rooting should take place in a shaded place - bonsai does not like direct sunlight. After planting, the ground must be watered and tamped, then the plant must be quarantined for 10 days. Bonsai is isolated from other plants, if necessary, accustomed to the open air gradually.

Accommodation

The required light intensity depends on the type of plant chosen. However, most trees do well in a well-lit area without direct sunlight. During the day, from 11.00 to 16.00, it is better to shade the plant, periodically turn it in different directions to the light. This is necessary for uniform formation.

If the plant does not have enough light, the shoots will be thin, the petioles will be elongated, the leaves will reach for the light. In this case, additional illumination with a fluorescent lamp or phytolamp will be required. Bonsai need to be protected from drafts.

Watering

In a shallow container, the soil dries out faster than in standard pots. When planting, the soil is compacted, so it may not absorb moisture well. In order for the earth ball to be well saturated, bonsai is usually watered by immersion.

To do this, the bowl is dipped completely into a container filled with water for a few seconds. If watered under the root, then until the water begins to appear through the drainage holes into the pan. Excess is drained after half an hour.

Allow the topsoil to dry out between waterings. In summer, it is necessary to water the bonsai often, sometimes daily, in winter - once a week poorly to avoid hypothermia of the soil. The frequency also depends on the needs of the plant - some species easily tolerate drought, while in others the leaves instantly lose turgor.

Blooming bonsai tree.

Water the bonsai in the morning or evening, avoiding getting water on the leaves in bright sunlight. Deciduous varieties need additional spraying. Water should be soft, filtered, suitable rain and melt. Its temperature should be several degrees higher than the air temperature in the room.

top dressing

Bonsai need to be fertilized throughout the year. In summer and autumn, top dressing is applied once a week, in winter and autumn - once a month. Suitable fertilizer for bonsai or regular for indoor plants. It must be diluted in proportions that are 2-3 times weaker than those recommended by the manufacturer.

Bonsai do not feed if the plant is weakened, just transplanted or pruned. Before and during flowering, fertilizing is also not necessary. Coniferous trees need to be fed 2 times less than other plants. Fertilizer is applied to the soil after watering.

Wireframe creation

The formation of the style should be started immediately after planting the tree in the primary pot. In order for the plant to acquire the desired shape, copper or aluminum wire is used. One end of the wire must be deepened and strengthened in the soil, and then wrapped around the trunk and branches with it, forcing it to grow in a given direction. Its thickness should be the same as the branches.

Select 3 main branches on the tree. To form the desired frame, you will need additional segments attached to the main wire. It should fit snugly against the trunk and branches, but not damage the bark. Its length should be at least 1.5 times the area to be wrapped.

For delicate branches, use a thinner wire in the winding. The frame is removed from the branches after 6-8 months, but the wire from the trunk - not earlier than after 1.5-2 years. After that, the bonsai is transplanted into a permanent bowl.

Bonsai transplant

The first transplant of a young tree is done in the second year of growth, in early spring. The plant is transplanted into a permanent bowl, again cutting all the roots going down. The time of transplantation for different varieties of plants may vary, but usually the appearance of buds indicates the need. Flowering trees are transplanted after the end of the flowering period - in the fall.

Pruning the root system during transplantation.

Transplanting and pruning of the roots should be done when they have filled the entire pot. You can understand this by their germination in the drainage holes. Before removing the clod of earth, it is necessary to moisten it with plenty of water. If you have taken the plant out of the pot and realized that there is still room for the roots to develop, do not cut them, just replace the soil.

When transplanting with secateurs, the taproot and thick roots are removed if the ones growing to the sides are well developed. If the lateral roots are weak, then only a part of the core is removed, and those growing to the sides are formed with a wire. Thickened roots are left above the ground, which adds naturalness to the composition. The soil can be covered with a layer of green moss.

bonsai shaping

In order for an ordinary plant to acquire signs of a bonsai, it is necessary to start forming after transplanting into a permanent bowl. You can achieve a thickening of the trunk by slowing down the growth of the tree. To do this, resort to the following tricks:

• Make incisions on the trunk, reducing the flow of juices. The tree releases juice to heal wounds and this slows down its growth.
• The trunk is pulled with wire at a short distance from the ground. Due to this, the trunk becomes thicker, and the tree grows more slowly. The wire should compress only the upper tissues and interfere with blood circulation. When the trunk thickens above it, it is removed and transferred to another place.
• To form a crown, branches are cut. Pinching and pruning is done in spring or throughout the year, depending on the plant.

Trimming and pinching

In the spring, after the appearance of new buds, all overlapping branches are cut off from the tree and young shoots are pinched at the level of 1-2 pairs of leaves. Flowering plants are not pruned, waiting for the end of this period. The pruning tool is disinfected, the cut points are sprinkled with crushed coal.

Bonsai crown formation.

With intensive growth of shoots, periodic pruning throughout the year may be necessary. The more often this is done, the thicker and smaller the crown will be. Scissors remove too long branches that interfere with the overall composition.

Bonsai is a fascinating art that can be mastered at home. When the tree acquires the necessary shape and is planted in a permanent bowl, all that remains is to produce annual pruning of branches and periodic transplantation.

The world was introduced to the art of bonsai by the Japanese. And the idea of ​​growing copies of trees in flat pots came to them from China in the 6th century. The Chinese have been able to grow small boxwoods, pines and cypresses for two millennia, but the Japanese craftsmen managed to give this skill the features of true art. In Japan, bonsai has become a philosophy that associates the best qualities of the individual with the form and prosperity of a home treasure in a flat bowl. To grow a tree you need knowledge and skills, close attention, understanding, delicacy and love. You will understand this when you get to know the examples of many years of creativity - in good hands, a tree lives for hundreds of years, links generations and becomes a symbol of the family.

Bonsai is a unique phenomenon that is difficult to put on a par with the cultivation of indoor plants. A miniature tree is an absolute, many times reduced copy of large trees, while maintaining proportions and shapes.

This bonsai requires compliance with clear requirements:

• Strong stem with well defined root base.
• Clear and graphic line of branches.
• Branches and trunk are the basis of a tree.
• A miniature plant should be recognizable, no one should have any doubts about its generic affiliation.
• A bonsai pot cannot draw attention to itself - it is just a base for a plant.
• The tree and the pot form a single composition.

Features of growing bonsai

In size, bonsai are large - up to 120 cm, medium - from 30 to 60 cm, small up to 30 cm, miniature - up to 15 cm, among which there are very tiny ones 5 centimeters high. In this case, growth is measured from the edge of the pot to the maximum point of the crown.

No connoisseur will advise you to cut a medium-sized tree to make it miniature - buy a plant of the desired height or grow it yourself. For the smallest bonsai, plants with small needles or leaves are suitable, such as myrtle, bamboo, cypress or boxwood.

When growing bonsai, you need to consider the following features:

• To form a strong trunk, the first couple of years the tree is grown in a pot "for growth".
• Watering is regular, but very moderate.
• Transplant every year (spring) with the removal of excess roots.
• Fertilizers of low concentration.

Indoor bonsai require constant attention and reverent attitude. If you want to put a miniature tree at home, get ready for constant care and creation of favorable conditions for it. Home bonsai require high humidity and do not tolerate drafts.

The easiest way to get a homemade tree is to buy it ready-made in the store and cherish it, following all the rules. At the other extreme, trying to grow bonsai from seed is too long and the prospects are dim. We suggest taking the middle path.

First of all, determine which tree you want to grow in your home. The choice is almost unlimited, but pine, oak, elm, juniper, birch and ficus most often take root and lend themselves to formation.

The mini-tree will develop according to the laws common to all trees: deciduous trees will turn yellow in autumn and shed their leaves, while conifers will turn green all year round. Miniaturization is achieved by constant pruning and inhibition of development.

Find a small, healthy seedling in a forest or park and carefully dig it up. The height of the sprout is not higher than 15 centimeters. In the same place, take some soil that the plant is accustomed to. Cut the roots with scissors to 10 centimeters. Branches also need to be cut, leaving only horizontally located processes.

At the bottom of a shallow pot, lay a trellis and cover with a mixture of peat, sand and garden soil or earth from where you took the sprout (1:1:3). Plant a tree, water the soil and take it out into the air, for example, onto a balcony. Arrange the plant in such a way that it is protected from direct sunlight.

When is the best time to plant

The best time for planting is autumn. In winter, the tree will take root and begin to grow in the spring. When the height of the trunk reaches 30 centimeters, you need to start forming a tree.

Where to get bonsai seeds?

Bags of seeds are sold in flower and online stores; cute “bonsai” are drawn on the bags. But these are the most common tree seeds, a small copy of which you want to see at home. Without proper care, these seeds could theoretically grow into pines, oaks and birches. If you decide to go the long way on your own, you can sprout a seed from a bag or from a park, but the process will take several years.

How to choose a bonsai pot

The right choice of pot is very important, as it will not only be a rooting site, but also part of the composition. For mini-trees, there are special small clay containers. Clay pots are environmentally friendly and better suited for plants than plastic or metal ones, but they absorb a lot of moisture, which must be taken into account when watering. The pot must have several drainage holes and short legs so that air enters the roots. Flat pots promote horizontal formation of the root system.

There are several proven rules for choosing a bonsai pot:

• The length of the pot is 2/3 of the height of the plant.
• Width - slightly less than the most protruding branches.
• Usually the depth of the pot is equal to the diameter of the trunk at the base.

Advice. Aesthetically look light pots with flowering plants with grayish or pale green foliage. Trees with a dark trunk that stands out against the foliage look good in dark brown, gray or blue pots.

Indoor bonsai are extremely demanding and whimsical, it is not easy to grow them. If the maintenance rules are violated, the tree will die or become an ordinary plant, nothing resembling a Japanese mini-miracle.

Location and lighting

Plants need additional lighting, especially from October to March. When choosing a place for bonsai, consider the following conditions:

• The tree loves bright light, if the bonsai pot is on the windowsill, remove everything that can shade the plant.
• Growth will be more active on a western or eastern window, in a place where the sun penetrates in the morning or evening.
• In cloudy weather, compensate for the lack of illumination with artificial lighting. In summer, this method should not be abused, but in winter and autumn it is recommended to install a fluorescent lamp that will not heat the plant.

Air humidity

The usual humidity in a city apartment is insufficient for most bonsai. To solve this problem, place the pot on a tray of water. Regular spraying of the tree in the morning is useful so that the plant has time to dry by sunset.

Temperature regime

If your bonsai is a reduced copy of a subtropical plant (myrtle, pomegranate, olive), in winter it needs a temperature of + 5-15 ° C, in summer it is better to take the pot out to the balcony.

For tropical trees, a higher temperature of + 18-25 ° C is required. In summer, leave them in the room, and in winter, do not arrange them on a cold stone window sill.

Attention! The need for light, water and top dressing depends on the temperature in which the plant is kept. The warmer the room, the more abundant watering and fertilizing.

How to water correctly

Keep the soil in the pot moist, but not wet. When watering, the earth should be soaked through. In summer, watering is more abundant. Subtropical plants are rarely watered in summer. Tropical trees cannot stand cold water. The ideal option is warmed melt water, warmed, but you can also water it with settled tap water.

Top dressing and fertilizer

When growing bonsai, it is important to slow down its growth. In a tight pot, you can create conditions for controlled growth of a tree, but it is difficult to ensure the supply of necessary substances from the soil. Top dressing is necessary so that the plant does not die, but fertilizer must be selected taking into account the type of tree, its age, season. Periodically, macro- and microelements should be added. The main top dressing includes potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. Less often and in limited quantities, magnesium, zinc, calcium, copper, boron, molybdenum and other trace elements are added.

The start of feeding coincides with the activation of growth. In the spring, nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is applied and top dressing is repeated every month until mid-summer. Then you should take a break until the beginning of autumn, a series of top dressing continues until the onset of a dormant period.

Advice. Apply more nitrogen in the spring and increase the potassium content of the fertilizer in the fall. Flowering and fruiting bonsai should receive phosphorus.

Complex mineral fertilizers for bonsai are optimally suited for tree care. The packaging indicates the proportions and frequency of fertilizer corresponding to the size of the plant and its condition.

Advice. It is convenient to apply dissolved fertilizers in a tray under the pot so that the soil is completely saturated.

pruning

The most favorable time is spring and summer. Trees that also grow in winter should be pruned all year round.

If the shoot is strong, it is cut obliquely under the kidney. A weak shoot is cut horizontally above the kidney. Soft shoots are best pinched off with nails.

Without pruning, the plant will begin to stretch upwards and stop branching. When forming the shape of a tree, the ratio of the height of the trunk to the entire plant is 1: 3.

Usually the bud at the top grows first, which determines upward growth. After the removal of this kidney, the lateral kidneys will begin to actively develop. When pruning shoots, consider the direction of growth of the kidneys.

You need to start pruning after the appearance of the first five leaves, cutting one or two of the top ones to stop stretching the branches. The extreme upper kidney will determine the further direction of growth.

Growing bonsai, you become an artist who creates a tree to your liking. Form the shape so that the pattern of the trunk and branches is visible, there are no voids.

The first year of life, the tree should grow without external intervention, and in the next seven years, the bonsai is transplanted every year, later - every two years. The most successful time for transplantation is March-April, because with the onset of spring, the tree will be provided with light and warmth for adaptation. After taking the plant out of the pot, inspect the roots and remove the diseased and drying ones. If the root system looks unhealthy, the potting soil should contain gravel.

The transfer goes like this:

• In two days, the plant is no longer watered so that the roots are easily cleared of the soil.
• A new pot on the day of transplantation is washed, disinfected and rinsed.
• The drainage hole is covered with a shard or mesh.
• Transplantation is quick, as the roots are sensitive to light and air.
• Holding the plant firmly on the trunk, draw a knife along the walls of the pot and take out a tree with a clod of earth.
• The soil is removed by a third from all sides.
• Sick and dried roots are cut off, the rest are slightly shortened.
• A thin layer of fresh soil is laid on the bottom of the pot.
• The plant is placed in a new pot and straightened roots.
• Asymmetrical trees are placed closer to the edge of the pot, symmetrical ones - in the center.
• The roots should be visible above the surface, but not too high.
• If the root system is weak, the plant is fixed with wire through a drainage hole to which a wooden stick is attached.
• Top up the soil, filling the voids between the roots and at the edge of the pot. The soil is compacted with fingers.
• Bonsai are watered until water seeps through the drainage hole.
• The pot is placed in a well-lit place without drafts and scorching sun.
• New roots will form in a month.

Problems, diseases, pests

Indoor trees are attacked by insects that can kill the plant.

Aphid

It multiplies quickly and sucks the juices out of the plant. If green, white or black aphids appear, immediately spray the trees with an insecticide and repeat the procedure every other day.

hairy aphid

Settles on larches and pines. It looks like cotton balls that need to be removed from the plant. Treat the bonsai with an insecticide and wash off any remaining pests with water.

Shchitovka

Looks like a growth on the bark. Insects should be removed and the plant sprayed every other day with an insecticide.

bark beetle

They affect adult plants and rarely get out from under the bark to the surface, so you can find the pest years later. Pay attention to holes in the bark and to colorless areas. Treat with an insecticide for 8 weeks, after removing the damaged areas of the bark.

powdery mildew

A fungus that breeds in high humidity and poor air circulation. Use the fungicide without allowing it to enter the soil.

Popular types

• Hibiscus
• Garnet
• Casuarine
• Callistemon
• Cypress
• cistus
• Olive
• Spurge
• Pelargonium
• Rosemary
• boxwood
• Pine
• fat girl
• ficus
• Shefler

Answers to questions from readers

plant life span

If you want to take bonsai cultivation seriously, get ready for the fact that caring for it should become a ritual. Under this condition, your tree will pass to your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the Japanese Imperial Garden, there are bonsai that are over three hundred years old.

Can this plant be kept at home?

Oh sure. Bonsai is a human creation and should live at home.

Is this flower poisonous?

Mini-trees in all manifestations repeat their large ancestors. If you choose bansai spurge, it will be poisonous.

Why do leaves turn yellow and fall off?

It is very difficult to care for a bonsai - it does not forgive neglect and is sensitive to all violations of the regime. Perhaps the leaves are turning yellow because you poured it with tap water or the pot is standing in a draft. Just cold water can provoke leaf fall. Too hot sun and lack of moisture also cause disease. Spray the plant and inspect it thoroughly for pests.

Bonsai care in winter

Pour gravel into the pan and pour water. Remove the flower pot from the heaters and place it in a cool place so that the tree can rest until spring.

Bonsai is the art of growing miniature trees. This art came to Japan from China for more than a thousand years, but it was in Japan that the art of growing bonsai trees reached its perfection and completeness. And today bonsai is associated with the land of the rising sun. The word bonsai consists of two hieroglyphs and literally means a bowl and a tree, a tree grown in a bowl.

Bonsai are created for admiration, contemplation and aesthetic effect. In the early seventeenth century, many wealthy families in Edo (now Tokyo) grew plants in small containers, but it was not until the eighteenth century that growing miniature trees began to turn into an art. The appearance of a miniature tree began to be given great importance and shaped in accordance with certain rules, so styles appeared that later became classics.

Previously, only wealthy families could afford to grow bonsai; a lot of time was spent on this entertaining and time-consuming activity. Then, gradually, the bonsai hobby passed to the samurai families, and then became a mass hobby.

Bonsai are mentioned in the early stages of Japanese history, so in the 14th century a play was written about a poor exiled samurai who lived far in the mountains, and to whom a tired and frozen traveler knocked in bad weather. The samurai did not have firewood to warm the cold traveler and he used his three bonsai as firewood. The tired traveler turned out to be the shogun, who later restored the rights of the samurai and gave him land ume(plum) , matzo(pine) and sakura(cherry), in the number and name of burned bonsai. In subsequent years, artists repeatedly created engravings based on this popular drama.

In the 17th century, stories arose that Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa devoted so much time to growing bonsai that his adviser was forced to remove these trees as far as possible, but this did not stop the shogun and he continued to create forms of miniature trees.

In the 18th century, a large number of people were already interested in bonsai and annual exhibitions of miniature trees began to be held in Kyoto, each such exhibition was delivered with new types of bonsai. In 1829, the first book was published, in which the technique of growing miniature trees - bonsai is considered as an art.

Emperor Meiji showed great interest in the art of bonsai and tried to stir up interest in bonsai among the people around him. Those officials who did not show due interest in bonsai fell out of favor. So the art of bonsai, whether the ministers wanted it or not, became an integral part of their lives and a new tradition in Japan. The Meiji government palace, both inside and out, was lined with miniature trees.

Growing dwarf trees is a complex and time-consuming task. Bonsai are real trees taken from nature and with the help of certain methods, turned into small copies of their big counterparts.

For bonsai, different types of trees are used, evergreen coniferous trees, such as: pine, juniper, cypress, fir, spruce, are very popular. Along with the classic bonsai trees, maples (momiji), cherry (sakura), plums, apricots, beech, acacia, azalea and many other types of trees and shrubs are used.

There are several styles of bonsai:

formal straight style (chokkan), the widest trunk at the base, which tapers towards the top of the tree

informal straight (moyogi) - branches and trunk may be slightly curved, but the top of the tree is always directly perpendicular to the base of the trunk and the ground

Double trunk (sokan), this style is a composition of two trunks with one common crown

Cascade style (kengai) - imitates trees that naturally grow on the slopes of mountains or on the banks of a river above water. In this case, the top of the tree falls far below the soil in which the tree is placed. Similar to the previous style - semi-cascade style (han-kengai), the top of the tree remains at the level of the soil in which the tree itself is located

United root (netsunagari) - with this style, part of the trunk is covered with earth and the branches of one tree look like separate trees.

There are many more interesting styles of bonsai, which will be discussed later.

Bonsai is not a houseplant, so it is preferable that they grow in natural conditions, that is, in the fresh air. In winter, special tree care is required and, accordingly, a tree can grow outdoors if this is its native climate, if necessary, the tree is placed in an additional container or the roots are covered to the first branches. Bonsai loves the sun and light, under such conditions it can adapt to room conditions.

Literary style (bunjingi) - characterized by a bare, usually distorted trunk and a minimal amount of foliage in the upper part of the tree.

Bonsai sizes can be from tiny - up to 2.5 centimeters to huge (by bonsai standards) - more than a meter.

In bonsai, everything is important, not only the shape, but also the pots, which must necessarily be in harmony with the overall composition, stones imitating mountains and rocks. At the same time, unlike the Chinese style, the Japanese believe that ceramic pots for bonsai should not be bright and prefer earthy or dark colors.