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Tips for Growing Indoor Bonsai Trees

Bonsai plants, the result of an age old tradition, are an attractive addition to any home. There are many people who choose to have bonsai plants in their homes because of their beautiful appearance. However, extra care is needed for indoor bonsai trees. The reason for this is that they aren’t getting the advantages that come from exposure to outdoor weather conditions and natural sunlight. They may look to be quite hardy. But certain types of bonsai are quite picky in their water and light requirements.

Watering Your Indoor Bonsai

When you bring a bonsai tree indoors it will require lighting to replace the natural sunlight that it would have been receiving beforehand. Monitoring how frequently it is watered is also important. Your bonsai plant will also thrive if kept in a well ventilated area. The water requirements of your bonsai plant will depend on what type it is. The soil is also another important factor. Some bonsai plants or trees require damp soil, whilst others survive well in a drought. Your plant might need to be misted. Your bonsai will thrive with the extra humidity and the rainforest environment this creates. If you decide to use a humidity tray then ensure that the pot is not exposed to the water, but rather placed on some pebbles or a stand.

Bonsai Cutting and Pruning

Indoor bonsai trees still require pruning and cutting on a regular basis in order to maintain their appearance. Just because bonsais look ageless and timeless, this doesn’t mean they don’t keep growing. It is important to repot indoor and outdoor bonsai plants anywhere from once yearly to every three years depending upon what kind of plant or tree it is. Another important consideration is maintenance of the branches so it retains its shape. Cutting back on the amount of fertilizer during the cold months is usually recommended, depending on the bonsai variety. This is due to the fact that there are certain species of bonsai that hibernate during the season. This means that they don’t need as much nutritional supplementation as they do in spring and summer. Because of the artificial environment in which they are kept, indoor bonsais don’t experience the complete cycle of seasons. It is also important to check indoor bonsai trees for pests and other anomalies. An indoor bonsai is very attractive to mites, spiders and other pests. Carefully cleaning the branches and leaves with a soft brush or moistened cloth is the best approach.

By following these tips for bonsai care, your tree is sure to be an attractive feature of your home for years to come.

May 23 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »

How To Grow Bonsai – The 12 Amazing Styles

Owning miniaturized versions of bigger trees or bonsai trees please a lot of people not because they could own a tree and care for it, but because they can have fun having choosing from the different styles of bonsai trees. These styles are formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi cascade, slant and windswept. These are the different types of bonsai trees available for shaping, training or forming. After choosing the styles, the bonsai lovers can choose specific pots for the specific style the bonsai tree is trained to be and decide which caring tips they need to grow the trees properly.

Upright styles of bonsai trees

Some people love their trees upright. The trees suitable for this style are Pine, Larch, Juniper and Spruce. This style has tree trunks that are straight upwards and their first lower branches are far wider than the rest. The rest of the branches shape an overall triangular look. Beginners tend to love this style as it is simple. A variation of this style that lends the tree an impression of motion is the informal upright style. The trees suitable are Beech, Japanese maple and Trident Maple trees. They are similar to the formal upright except that the top branch needs to be extended forward instead of upwards.

Slant types of bonsai trees

If the Informal upright types of bonsai trees style are suitable for Beech, Japanese maple and Trident Maple trees, this slant style can be chosen for almost all bonsai trees. This is the style wherein the trunk extends to one direction while the lowest branch extends to the other direction. This style is quite common and very easy to shape and train.

Cascade style

If they do not like the simple styles of upright and slant, then they can choose among the cascade and semi cascade styles. These styles have a sloping effect plus the trunk is vertical and turned to one direction. Aside from that, the branches are trained to slope or cascade lower than the surface of the pot. Sometimes, some people do not want the trunks turned into one direction so they choose the semi-cascade style, which is the same as the cascade style except the trunk gradually slopes.

Windswept style of Bonsai

Some people would have fun owning a bonsai tree that does not look too pretty and orderly. If so, they could choose the windswept style which is a miniature version of a tree that has been overwhelmed by strong winds. It looks a bit unruly and beautifully unkempt.

Pruning Helps to make the styles of Bonsai tree

Getting the style of bonsai tree you want is easy. All you have to do is prune and trim. These styles have been practiced for centuries as an art form. This is one of the most important maintenance issues of this particular plant. Aside from shaping the bonsai into the desired form, pruning and trimming could maintain balance of the bonsai tree as you reduce growth taking place above the ground.

January 19 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »