The Art of Growing Bonsai Trees

Bonsai trees are small trees grown in a tray or small pot. Growing these trees is a form of art that has been around for many centuries. While many people believe the bonsai tree originated from Japan, it actually started in China around 1,000 years ago. Many people think bonsai trees are charming, peaceful and the perfect home accent piece. While all of these things are true, bonsai trees are more than just trees – they are works of art that takes years of patience and dedicated work to perfect.

Contrary to what you might believe, these trees don’t magically grow into the creative shapes you see them in…they are actually shaped and trained to grow that way. If you are interested in growing bonsai trees, you need to decide if you want to grow your tree from a cutting or a seed. Many people have found it the most rewarding to grow their bonsai trees from seeds.

While bonsai trees range in size, they are all dwarfed trees. Part of the art of growing bonsai trees is being able to keep them small in size. To do this, one must do several things – all of which are pertinent to successfully growing a bonsai tree.

The first thing one must do is make sure the bonsai tree is planted in the right type of soil. Due to the fact that bonsai trees shouldn’t be watered too much, it is best to use a special bonsai soil. This type of soil dries faster than regular planting soil. When planting your bonsai tree, you should do so in a small amount of soil. Also, keep in mind that these little trees love humidity and thrive when it’s present. Therefore, place the small tray, or pot, that the tree is in inside another tray that is filled with a small amount of water. However, it is important that you use stones to sit the bonsai tree pot on to keep it out of the water. This will allow the water in the tray to evaporate in the surrounding air to form the humidity your bonsai tree needs. Bonsai trees also need plenty of sunlight in order to be healthy.

As mentioned above, growing bonsai trees is something that requires a lot of patience. These trees can be grown to be the following sizes: miniature, small, medium and average. You may be wondering exactly what the difference is in these sizes. It is as follows: miniature – two inches tall, small – two to six inches tall, medium – six to twelve inches tall and average – around two feet tall. Proper root and limb pruning will help maintain the size of the bonsai tree you choose to grow. You will have to wait a period of three to seven years before your tree matures, depending on the size you grow.

The most important element of growing bonsai trees is shaping them. You must begin shaping the bonsai tree at a very young age. This is done by wrapping copper wire around the tiny limbs of the tree. The wire acts as a guide for the growing limbs. It may not seem like this is a very hard task, but it actually takes a lot of time and planning. It also requires that you cut the wire at precisely the right time. You have to cut it after the limbs are trained to grow the way you want them, but before any scarring occurs. There is a lot involved in growing bonsai trees, but when done right, it’s very rewarding.