Things To Do For Making A Bonsai Plant
Since childhood, whenever I saw a bonsai anywhere, I used to get fascinated by the work of art and kept wondering how a gigantic tree has been skillfully made into a portable dwarf-size, which could beautifully adore a living room, a drawing room or a study table.
At the same time, what made me even more surprised was that it remained healthy in spite of the alteration of size and was characterized by lush and green foliage. Even those who bear fruits and flowers would also exhibit their blooms well.
Bonsai making is considered as an artistic art. Who does not get fascinated by a miniature cherry tree bearing red and plump trees in his or her drawing room or an old and ancient banyan tree with its protruding roots and hanging tendrils from its branches? Almost every gardener dreams of having an exotic and ornate bonsai in his or her collection.
As we all know, bonsai is a creative art originated in Japan centuries back. Now it is popular all across the globe. It is often considered that bonsai making is a skilled art, not every man’s cup of tea. So most of us amateur gardeners prefer to stay away from making our own bonsai and rather settle down by buying one for our collection.
While planning on making your own bonsai some of the cardinal factors need to be taken into account and worked out to ensure your desired effect. These are the following.
Choosing the plant
The cardinal thing before making your own bonsai is to identify that plant you want to start with. Get thorough information of the nature of the plant, the quality and nature of soil it requires, its climatic and temperature requirements and other important informations regarding the plant. Also, consider the geographical position of your area. If it is a country near the equator, a plant that thrives best in a sub-tropical zone will never be able to survive at all in drastically altered atmosphere.
Another important thing to look for while selecting the plant is to detect carefully whether it is healthy or frail. Understanding this is very easy. Check the leaves of plant. If they appear green, shiny and fresh and lush, you can be assured that the plant is healthy. The trunk and branches of a healthy tree is also glossy. On the other hand if the leaves look drooping, mostly yellowish or brownish, scanty in number and the trunk is also dry, it is better to avoid that plant as that might be unhealthy and might not survive at all.
Understand the requirement of the plant
While some plants are deciduous in nature and shed leaves in winter, others are ever green varieties. While some others go dormant in winter, minimizing the flowering and fruit beating properties, others remain hail and hearty all through the year. Some plants require generous amount of watering on the summers while others do not need much of watering during this time.
While some thrive well in the hottest of summer months, on the other hand, others are best suited to chilly cold winters. Some plants require good air supply while others must have a good drainage system so that root rot is not there. Hence, the specific requirement of each tree differs. Identifying these important issues is very important while planning to make a bonsai.
Height of the plant
It might so happen that you intend to prepare a bonsai for the table top at your office. But it grows up to be so big that you have to shift it to the balcony of your residence. Hence, the height of bonsai varies from 6 inches to as tall as four feet even. So another determining factor is the height of the plant you select for making bonsai.
Selection of the pot for bonsai
Selection of the pot for the bonsai is utmost important issue when planning to prepare your own bonsai plant. Generally bonsai containers are low in height. This is because extensive growth of the root system is not desired from the plant as otherwise it will lead to dampening the bonsai property of the plant.
But, on the other hand it is very essential to ensure that the container must have a larger area so that the roots can penetrate deep enough inside adequate soil.
A small pot will allow only a small amount of soil in it that will make its roots remain exposed. This would prevent the roots from retaining the adequate moisture, as a consequence of which the plant will tend to dry out with time.
Also, the style and the pattern of the container is dependable to a great extent on the style of the bonsai you will prepare. In conclusion, the container must be suitable to bear the weight and position of the tree. A too tiny container can make the tree to topple, while a too big one will never give the natural, bonsai look of that tree.
Water management
Understanding the exact process of water management is always very important in a bonsai plant. Initially, while putting it in a container you have to be very careful about the drainage system that is there in the container. The container must have a proper drainage system, but that must not be so much as it would to inadequate and excessive water loss. In case the container is such that it retards the drainage of water, leading to water accumulation, it will inevitably rot the roots and kill the plant.
On other instances, if the drainage system is extremely loose and whenever the plant is watered, it seeps out readily, the roots will tend to dry out in absence of moisture retention in its roots. Thus a container with a medium sized hole at the bottom and a mesh gauge in the internal side of the container will regulate the water.
Selection of potting medium
The potting medium is always soil. But the amount of acidity, alkalinity level in it depends on the plant selected. Even more, if the soil requirement is alluvial, or rocky or sandy, will also depend totally on the type of the plant.
