Bonsai Deadwood – Best Techniques and Getting Started
We’re captivated by trees that show evidence of having survived hardship over the centuries. If they could talk, they would point to their scars, recalling the storms of life. Bonsai …
I love the combination of art, commitment, and science that growing Bonsai offers. Bonsai plants speak to me of legacy, the handing down of a carefully crafted timepiece sculpted to perfection over several decades.
We’re captivated by trees that show evidence of having survived hardship over the centuries. If they could talk, they would point to their scars, recalling the storms of life. Bonsai …
When buying a bonsai tree you should look for
1. Tapered trunk
2. Good ramification
3. Unique form
4. Good Surface Roots (Nebari)
5. Reduced leaf size
6. No crossing or horizontal branches
Good wiring takes lots of practice to do effectively. Work towards using as little wire as possible to achieve your goal. Selecting the right wire balances cost and function, with the copper wire being stronger (but more expensive) than anodized aluminum wire.
Bonsai defoliation (or leaf removal) is a three-stage bonsai styling technique performed in the peak growing season. The technique is generally used in the later stages of the tree’s development or on mature trees as part of a maintenance and refinement regime.
It is impossible to achieve a great bonsai tree with inferior rootage, above or below ground. Whatever method you use, it takes several years to grow a good Nebari, and the only way to get one quickly is to pursue it from the start or when buying new plant stock.
Starting a tree in a raised bed and systematically reducing its container size, roots, and foliage is a common starting process for styling a bonsai tree. Combine this with growing a sacrificial branch to thicken the trunk girth while using a tourniquet to add taper.
Bonsai repotting is an opportunity to reduce root growth, provide the plant with a fresh growing medium, and select a new pot for your Bonsai.
The development of a Bonsai tree is inextricably linked to pruning or pinching, the removal of roots and shoots to create a work of art. The objective of pruning is three-fold: shaping the stock, directing growth to underdeveloped areas, and boosting ramifications.
Bonsai trees manifest a plant’s survival ability in dramatically altered but managed environments. The tree, now removed from its natural environment, depends on the gardener’s skills to ensure its continued survival. That includes where it is placed.
Nutritional regimens are one of the keys to growing bonsai successfully. Simplify Gardening has made a special effort to answer it conclusively and specifically. We need to consider several variables …