Growing and taking care of bonsai trees is not as difficult as most people think,
keep in mind a few basic guidelines and you will do just fine.
In this movie I will explain some of the basics,
starting with how to acquire a tree,
then how to train it into a bonsai, and finally bonsai tree care.
So first we acquire a tree.
You can start with growing a tree from seed, but it will take years before you have a tree you can start working on.
Probably you'd better buy a nursery stock,
which is a raw or young plant that has the potential to style into a bonsai tree.
Or, you could buy a ready-made bonsai tree in a shop.
Whatever you prefer, make sure that you select a tree that fits your circumstances:
Do you want an indoor tree, or an outdoor tree?
Once you have a tree, you need to style it.
This is the creative part of bonsai, but also the most difficult one.
The two most important techniques to style a bonsai tree are wiring and pruning.
By carefully applying wire around branches, we can bend and shape them.
In doing so, you have a great influence over the design of the tree.
Make sure to use wire that is thick enough to keep the branches into position.
The thicker the branch, the thicker the wire needs to be.
Apply the wire carefully around the branches at an angle of about 45 degrees.
Try to wire two branches of the same thickness with one piece of wire.
Wire all the branches of the tree, and then shape the branches into the desired shape.
By pruning away branches, we can shape the tree.
Any significant pruning is normally done in early spring, just before the tree starts to grow.
Less significant pruning can be done year-round.
Make sure to use a quality concave cutter, which creates a hollow wound that heals much better.
Before wiring and pruning, the tree looked like this...
After about an hour work the tree looks like this...
Finally, let's have a look at bonsai tree care.
The goal of bonsai care is to keep your tree alive and healthy.
To achieve this, make sure that you know exactly what tree species you have,
and look up its care guidelines on our website.
The care for a Juniper bonsai, is very different from the care for a Ficus, for example.
The most important care technique, is watering.
How often you need to water your bonsai tree depends on several factors, including the tree species,
the climate, the soil you use, and the size of the pot.
Observe your tree carefully and make sure that it never, ever, dries out completely.
On the other hand, you don't want to make the roots rot because you over-water it.
Repotting your bonsai tree is also necessary, about once every two years,
although this depends on your circumstances.
Since bonsai trees are put in such small pots, regular fertilizing is very important.
Fertilizing bonsai trees can be done with liquid fertilizer, or an organic and solid fertilizer.
Make sure to check the website for more information about bonsai care.
To conclude, although bonsai is an ancient art form, this doesn't mean that you can't keep your own bonsai tree.
If you buy a ready-made bonsai tree, and take good care of it, you will do perfectly fine!