Bonsai

[Mr Miagi]

Hi Mr M,

Warm days and cold nights that is a conflicting climate for bonsai. But the guy from bonsaifarm.tv is from australia as well and he owns his own nursery so if he can keep them alive so can you!
A method of keeping your bonsai away from frost is to submerge them in a planter and cover the soil in the pot with mulch (leaf debris, mud, grit and any other simular material).

But if you have bonsai that looses its leaves in winter you can but them out of the weather into a unheated garage (If you have one)

Another way is building whats called a cold frame.. its basicly a display table. put your bonsai under this hudle them together and place mulch in between them..

What kind of bonsai do you own Mr M?


- matt

I dont know what Kind of Bonsad I own ATM, but Ill have a look in the few books I have, and maybe post some pics. It has a real bulbous trunk, with large broad leaves. I use a layer of fine pea gravel to keep moisture evaporating from the soil, and have mulch on my garden. I thought the mulch (as it broke down) might have been too much for bonsai. I might have a verandah, (aka pergolah) next year, so they will go under that fully protected, but for now they are just under the front porch! Summers upon us, so its now just keeping them just right with water!

 

[SlowSwim]

You dont know what they are?! WOW.. ok well if you can post some pictures of your bonsai it would help me help you to get the best out of your tree's.

In the winter Mr M do you get frosts?Because if you dont there wont be any need to protect them in the winter. Its only if the temp falls below 0..

Once we know the ID of your tree's we'll be able to better understand how to get them in peak condition.

What strength fertalizer are you useing?
In summer remember to feed every fortnight..

- matt

 

[BigIan]

Do bonsai need to be kept out side or can i keep them inside? as we have no garden at all. and i would LOVE one

 

[SlowSwim]

Only varietys like serrrisa, ficus and chinese elm can be kept inside. All of witch can only be bought ethier at your local bonsai nursery or BnQ (i know, i was supprised too).

There are also some other types of tree's you can grow indoors but the ones ive suggested are the easiest

- matt

 

[Mr Miagi]

You dont know what they are?! WOW.. ok well if you can post some pictures of your bonsai it would help me help you to get the best out of your tree's.

In the winter Mr M do you get frosts?Because if you dont there wont be any need to protect them in the winter. Its only if the temp falls below 0..

Once we know the ID of your tree's we'll be able to better understand how to get them in peak condition.

What strength fertalizer are you useing?
In summer remember to feed every fortnight..

- matt

This is why I said I would like to get into it abit more seriously, because I dont know much, LOL. Ill get a pic tomorrow when its light.

Yeah, we get bad frosts over here i the Winter, thats how this one lossed all its leaves. So I will have to start shifting them around. I use no ferts....

 

[BigIan]

So in bonsai do you just tie branches together and prune others that are growing where you don`t want them to make it look like mature tree in minature?

 

[SlowSwim]

Somethings you have said there are mostly right.. But you dont tie the branches together you wire each individual branch and bend it gently over time to create a pleasing image of a tree in minature.
And when i say minature the range is from 2inches to 2m.. Anything over 12" is called Standard bonsai.. Any tree between 6" and 12" is called Shoin, and anything below 6" is called mame.

It gets quite confusing.. In my personal collection i have a range from 4" to 1m..


Mr M,

The Thirst for information is never ending in this hobby much like that of keeping fish..

But because bonsai is an art form and being artists we see ourselves in our trees.. and further down the line we begin to notice that as you learn from your tree you learn about yourself as the tree thats being worked on is ever growing.. giving you an open mind.

Bonsai's origins are believed to come from china. A group of monks went to worship the mountain when they saw naturally stunted trees. They saw this as a new way to worship the mountain god. Then they used horse hair to ease the bonsais into shape. After civil war; peasents, serfs, nobles and even the emporer himself then started to practise bonsai. After whitch it became a tradition for the nation. Then when china made trade agreements with japan china gave a bonsai to the japanese emporer. He was so facinated with it that he ordered his empiral gardeners to cultivate him a bonsai garden. Then Japan as a nation began to slowly become deeply involved in bonsai as a hobby and also as a way of life. So if you follow history's events you'll soon see how bonsai invaded the world and my heart. B)

Above is a summary of a domino effect of events that made bonsai such a wide spread hobby that it is today.

Under each branch there is a story to tell.. this hobby requires pateince.


Mr M seems as though hes already embarked on this journey of discovery.. are you ready too?

- matt

 

[Mr Miagi]

I thought Bonsai originated in Japan, naturally. Weather conditions (ie. harsh winters) and substrate (hard rock) kept specimens small. LOL. Then they were trained into pots etc by Monks/Worshipers nearby.

 

[nukeonekitty]

Very interesting, I never really knew that Bonsai was. Sounds very entertaining.

 

[SlowSwim]

Hi,

Its very entertaining and calming at the same time.

The word Bonsai came from japan. But the whole idea came from china they called it penjing.

bonsai means tree/plant in a tray/pot, Penjing means miniture landscape/landscape in a pot.

In the mordern world of tree in a pot growing Penjing is just a style and the whole hobby is called bonsai because its commercially known that way and i think has been for over 100 years.

Over in the USA, China and Japan they hold major bonsai events and contests. Also their are bonsai museums all over the world. The best known ones are in the USA and Japan.

Visit bonsaifarm.tv the guy who owns the site owns a bonsai nursery and he does tuition videos. The site is very informative but when he talks about soils just let it slip over your head unless you live in austrailia because the soil contains the water and nuirient and thats affected by the climate. If you have a mostly dry inviroment get organics into your bonsai mix and less grit but equal parts sharp sand.. and obviously different plants like different PH so before you buy research the tree/plant you want.

So where are these pics?

If everyone is still reading this thread id like to see your bonsai! Or shall i go first?



- Matt

 

[Mr Miagi]

You go first! Na, ill get some pics up ASAP, I always forget! Ive been to the Bonsai museum in Japan, ill have to scan pics though, it was YEARS ago, and all my images are on film!

 

[SlowSwim]

*****BUMP*****

Mr M where are your pics lol

I had an idea for your ferts. Try and find a standard granular feed for them and push it slightly into the top of the soil. That way you dont have to remember to fertalize them. Just water them

I'll post my pictures tomorrow after work, its started to get lighter now winter is comming to a slow end.

Regards

matt

 

[Gazoo]

For the past few years I've been interested in bonsai. Recently I read a few books from the library on the subject and joined a bonsai forum although I've just been lurking so far. Since I might be moving from an apartment to a house soon, I think I'll wait to purchase one since my options will increase. I'm looking forward to an additional hobby. Fortunately there is a small bonsai nursery not too far away from me when I am ready.

Edit: spelling

 

[mlawson]

I have just started getting into Bonsai, I have a chinese elm which most people start with.

 

[SlowSwim]

Hi Gazoo,

What bonsai forum are you registured to?

Hi mlawson,

Chinese elm are a good beginers bonsai as they are very forgiving if you forget to water them. Where you keeping it? Inside or outside? They do better outside but can be kept indoors all year round if thats prefrable to you. But inside they dont recieve a dormant period and they go semi-evergreen as they do lose some leaves inside; in the winter months. Also the bark becomes soft wood it doesnt recieve a harden off period that the dormant period provides.

good luck

-Matt