Bonsai formation is a real art associated with the disclosure of the creative potential of the master. Bonsai is highly prized as an interior decoration tool. It will take a lot of time, effort, patience, and also a lot of positive energy to grow a good bonsai. Have fun with the process!
It is necessary
- Plant stalk.
- Ceramic bonsai
- Expanded clay
- Fine granite chips
- Soft thick wire
- Secateurs
- Garden knife
- Garden land
- Decor elements (moss, large stone)
Instructions
Step 1
Plant selection.
Choose the plant from which you will form the bonsai. It should be a fast growing plant with a gradually woody trunk and beautiful medium-sized foliage. The cheapest option is seed-grown orange or lemon cuttings. Of course, you will not wait for the fruits from these plants, but the bonsai can turn out to be very interesting. Another good option is Benjamin's ficus.
Step 2
Choice of style.
Decide on the shape of the future bonsai. To make it easier to choose a style, draw a future tree. Keep this drawing, because the shape of the trunk, the crown is created slowly and slowly.
Step 3
Choosing a container.
The bonsai container is a very important element of the composition. The bonsai and the plant must be in harmony with each other. For the manufacture of containers, only natural materials are taken. Most often it is clay or ceramics. For a plant to be comfortable in a container, it must have twice as many drainage holes as regular flower pots. If you see a wide, flat ceramic pot with no drainage holes at all, then this is not a bonsai. This is a cactus, no matter what the manufacturer says about this.
Step 4
Soil preparation.
To prevent accelerated growth of bonsai, the land should not be fertile. You can buy ready-made soil mixture, but it is better to make it yourself. To do this, take ordinary garden soil and mix it in a 1: 1 ratio with coarse river sand or stone chips.
Step 5
Seedling preparation
Before planting your cutting in a special bonsai mold, you will have to grow it in a regular pot for 2-3 years, constantly pruning branches and removing thin shoots. This is done so that the trunk gains the desired thickness, the main branches are formed, and a good root system is formed. Only after the trunk reaches a thickness of at least 1/6 of the height of the plant, you can begin to form the crown.
Step 6
Crown formation
Remove all shoots except those that will form the crown of the future bonsai in accordance with your sketch. Now you can give the main branches a curved shape. This is done by wrapping wire around the branches. The wire is fixed in places where branches leave the trunk. First they work with the lower branches, then move on to the upper ones. Do not overtighten the branches with wire, it should not cut into the bark. Wire structures for fixing branches are stored from 2 months to six months. In addition, an unusual shape of the branches can be given by tying various weights. The shaping of the bonsai is considered complete if, after removing the weights and the wire, the plant retains the given shape.
Step 7
Planting bonsai
Remove the plant from the pot and peel off any soil. Cut off large roots. Reduce the remaining root system by a third. Pull thick wire through the drain holes. Lay a plastic net at the bottom so that the earth is not washed out during watering. Pour a layer of expanded clay, and prepared soil on it. Place the plant and spread the roots out to the sides. Secure the bonsai with wire and top up with soil. Water well. You can put live moss or decorative stones on top.
Step 8
Bonsai care.
Bonsai are transplanted no more than once every few years. Trim the roots each time you transplant. Water your bonsai sparingly but regularly. Pinch all branches constantly to maintain the shape of the crown and reduce the size of the leaves.
