Growing bonsai trees is an ancient art practiced more than a thousand years ago. Although bonsai trees are associated with the Japanese, it’s actually the Chinese who came up with the idea. Growing bonsai trees is part of Zen Buddhism. These days, growing a bonsai tree is more than just a part of religion; it’s made as a hobby or as decorative items. In today’s post, we are teaching you the basics of growing your own bonsai tree.
There are different ways to grow a bonsai tree. You can grow it from the seed, as seedlings, cuttings, layering or getting plants straight from the wild. So keep all these things in mind before selecting the kind of tree you want to plant.
Choosing the Right Kind of Tree
You want to choose a tree that will grow well into your climate. A great tree to start is juniper. It’s a hardy evergreen that could survive temperate regions. For cooler climates, elms, pines, spruces, and cedars are great choices.
After you’re done choosing the kind of tree you want to plant, think about where you want to place the tree. Will you raise it indoors or care for it outdoors?
When you’re done planning the kind of tree you want and deciding where to put the tree, you want to plan the size of the bonsai. Bonsai trees will come in various sizes. Some are just over six inches tall while others are as big as three feet. If you’re doing this for the first time, choose a smaller size first.
Piecing Together the Materials
Now, select the pot you want to plant your tree in. The pot should be big enough to give the tree room to grow; deep enough so that soil will cover its roots but compact enough to achieve the minimalist aesthetics associated with bonsai trees. Always choose a pot with drainage holes to prevent roots from rotting.
You can just buy a bonsai from the store and plant it directly into the pot or you can grow your own bonsai tree.
Transplanting Grown Bonsai Tree to New Pot
If you choose to transplant a store-bought bonsai, prune the tree to your desired shape and then re-pot it. Minimize watering before you re-pot the tree. And then, just remove the tree from its plastic pot and prune the roots. Remove any thick roots that grow upward and leave only a bundle of long, slender root before repotting.
Once the tree has been repotted and oriented into your desired position, leave it in a semi-shaded area for two to three weeks. Allow the tree to adapt to its new home.
Caring Bonsai Tree from Seeds
Although growing bonsai trees from seeds is a long, laborious process, it also offers the ultimate experience in bonsai tree growing because you can control how the tree will grow from the very start.
After acquiring the seeds, allow the seeds to germinate on a pot. Once you grew a seedling, re-pot it to a bigger container. Start nurturing the seedling by watering and exposing it to sunshine but make sure the temperature is perfect for growing seedlings!
As the seedling grow, change to a bigger pot. Once you achieve the right size, start pruning the leaves to achieve the desired shape. You can attach wires to adjust the growth of the bonsai tree however you want.