Easy Homemade Bonsai: Growing & Caring

Gardening

oi-Anjana

By Anjana Ns

Monday, January 30, 2012, 12:16

These miniature trees are best all season plants for indoor gardening. The artistic stem and root of the plant looks absolutely beautiful in a corner and speaks the expertise and taste of the homemaker. Bonsai art isn't as easy as we think, some tips and personal experiences shared will help to make your own best green garden in living, dining and kitchen space. Take a look.

Homemade Bonsai: Growing & Caring Miniature Trees

1. Choosing Plants For Bonsai: There are 3 common varieties for bonsai like 1) Ficus, 2) Juniper and 3) Chinese Elm. Selection of the trees will be according to the geographic location and season. Fig (Ficus), bougainvillea and purslane trees are easy to grow.

2. How To Start: Being a beginner, you can choose your favourite stock or sapling. Prefer a plant with a sturdy stem as it develops, the tree looks beautiful and strong.

3. To obtain a desired shape of the plant, you need to prune often. For bonsai, you need to maintain three well defined sections. The lowest need to be free of branches, mid with few branches and top, short branches with the apex.

4. Planting A Bonsai: For a bonsai sapling, you need to choose a good pot. The roots need to be covered under soil completely. The pot needs to have an outlet for draining. Loamy soil is best for its growth and should consist of organic bonsai dirt (manure) that is a mixture of granite grit and peat moss.

5. For a desired tree shape, you can wound a wire around the tree trunk. You will need to constantly monitor the shape. Provide adequate amount of water and sunlight to the plant. Bonsai thrive well indoors and shady outdoors. Pebbles placed over the soil layer will retain water and maintain soil wet.

Although many feel that forcing plants to remain dwarf as a cruel process as the plants are malnourished and pruned, it is still a favourite practice of many gardeners across world. To them, the homemade bonsai is a skill based art. Plants have the ability to receive the necessary nourishment and this form of art cannot deprive it from anything.

For apartment gardeners, homemade bonsai is the best planting option as it doesn't require much space (potted) and gives all that is required to keep home green and oxygen rich.