How to grow a bonsai tree yourself?

How to breed bonsai from seed at home?

Today, flower growers have a large selection of plants that can be grown at home. The art of growing a replica tree in miniature bonsai is particularly distinctive. This can be done by any florist with the use of seeds of selected plants and, of course, with the proper care of the plant.

Cultivation technique and style

For the first time this art originated in China, where such work was taken by order of the emperor, who wanted to reproduce the miniatures of his empire not only in the form of buildings, but also trees. According to Buddhist religious beliefs, a master who created small copies of plants was equated with a deity. Today, there are several techniques and styles used that concentrate the craftsmen working on creating bonsai. The most important are 2 growing techniques: traditional and specialty.

Traditional .

It allows gardeners to plant crops in the following styles:

• plain trunk;
• informal straight;
• Two-branched style;
• Cascading and semi-cascading;
• Bonsai with a protruding rhizome;
• sloping and literary;
• Group composition;
• Tagged style.

Special

For sprouting crops and following the principles of special equipment are preferred by true connoisseurs and specialists who specialize in creating miniature replicas of plants. The styles used in this direction may be as follows:

• “Common Roots”;
• Forest form of bonsai;
• Landscape;
• Growing on a rock and in the wind.

What kind of trees are suitable seeds for?

Japanese dwarf tree compositions can create almost any tree-like plant that the buyer or gardener likes. Since bonsai have long been grown around the world, there is a whole list of the most popular plants that can be grown in miniature to create beautiful compositions.

Under the exotic tree-like plants, it is worth raising acacia, wisteria, various types of ficus, as well as myrtles and boxwood.

Russian flower growers very often use apple tree, birch, maple and Japanese cedar. It is possible to sprout bonsai from seeds at home, if you use in the composition planting material from conifers such as spruce, yagel, including Pinus parviflora, cypress. Such crops in dwarf form can fit seamlessly into any interior. For some plants, there are recommendations for their size:

• Acacia, wisteria, pine – 100-130 centimeters;
• Lime, ash, beech, and oak-60-100 centimeters;
• Ahorn, birch, hazel-20-30 centimeters;
• Juniper, spruce, and mulberry-10-20 centimeters.

It is recommended to buy plant material only in specialized stores or nurseries, so that the upcoming work will bring the desired result. However, the purchase of seeds is not the only option with which you can create bonsai with your own hands. Very often flower growers collect seeds in parks or botanical gardens, which have many beautiful and healthy specimens of plants.

Processing and germination

Before rooting tree seeds, a number of preparatory measures must be carried out with the material purchased or harvested by hand. It is possible to germinate the culture only after the mandatory treatment. The optimal time for rooting seeds is summer, which means that preparations for planting in the spring or fall should be made in advance. In order to plant healthy plants, experienced flower growers expose the seeds to stratification. This method reproduces winter conditions in the seeds that harden the young plants. There are several options for laying seedlings.

cold track.

This procedure is necessary for planting material that still needs to mature before rooting. This applies to thuja, spruce and pine. The essence of the method is to soak the samples in water at room temperature, and then to cool them. Such manipulation artificially creates a strong temperature difference, which often occurs in natural conditions.

Warm Layer.

A more gentle treatment that aims to awaken the plants. To make the seeds sprout faster, they are placed for some time in a vessel with warm water or in a humid environment.

Combination treatment procedure

A treatment method necessary for planting material of crops that are characterized by slow seedling growth. This applies to sakura, maple and cedar. In this case, the breeder must alternately keep the seeds alternately in the heat and in the cold. In the latter case, they must first be kept in a warm liquid.

This option is most often used for breeding miniature bonsai trees.

In addition to stratification, seeds are also subjected to mandatory disinfection to reduce the risk of fungal diseases of crops. In this case, a solution of manganese is usually used for the job. Disinfection can take from 5 to 15 days.

After treatment and disinfection of the material, it is brought into a humid microclimate to soften the upper shell of the grains. For this purpose, wet sand is used, in which the grains are deepened. Container with them should be covered with polyethylene, in this condition the seeds are left for 2-3 months in a warm place, protected from light. Before rooting the grains, they should be extracted from the sand in water, keeping 2-3 days in water at room temperature.

Selection and choice of pot

To grow beautiful bonsai on your own, you need not only carefully select planting material, but also the right pot. First, saams should be germinated in small peat cups, a few cultures for the composition can be rooted in a flower pot with drainage. Today, bonsai are bred in bowls, which can vary not only in shape but also in depth.

Miniature cultures look great in oval, rectangular or round containers. Containers can be deep or flat. When choosing a pot you should be guided not only by personal taste preferences, but also by the rules of plant placement. Trees growing on a slope need a stable container, so that the pot will not fall. The best option would be deep containers of heavy material.

The color design of the bonsa shell can be arbitrary, the external attractiveness of the dwarf plant can be emphasized by both bright colors and calm monochrome products.

The design of the container is chosen more appropriately depending on the style of the living arrangement it contains. Trees with dense crowns look good in flat and wide containers. Cascading crops are usually grown in narrow and tall flower pots. Regardless of color and shape, plants should be disinfected by boiling water before rooting in the container, with bacteria and fungi killed on the material, if any.

The floor should also be chosen for miniature crops. Typically, flower growers germinate seeds in a special mix of soil designed for bonsai. It is not often used in horticultural operations and is called Acadam. The soil is enriched with a lot of nutrients, so it is very heavy. In addition, the soil stands out due to its high moisture content and excellent ventilation. The soil is very rarely used in its pure form.

Often the soil for miniature trees is prepared independently, mixing a nutrient substrate with granular sound, sand and humus. The shares are chosen according to the type of plant attached. Based on the types of plants, the soil can be as follows:

• For deciduous trees: 7 parts lawn, 3 parts sand;
• Pollard trees: 4 parts sand and 6 parts sodaDen;
• Flowering miniatures: 7 parts peat, 3 parts sand and 1 part humus.

In addition to picking your own planting material for bonsai, you can also make a lawn with your own hands. It is easy to find a lawn in the meadow, bringing out for his needs the middle lane, which is more suitable for the culture. Before using it, it must be cleaned from the remains of other plants and weeds and sifted with a sieve. Sand is necessary to prepare the surface for the other components, as it provides the earth with proper air circulation, as well as allows it to retain moisture for a long time. Humus is sold in every flower store. Before using the soil mixture obtained, it must be decontaminated by burning. A kitchen stove can be used for this purpose.

planting

Bonsai can germinate from seed for several years, but the key to a beautiful and healthy culture will be proper planting. The work of rooting the culture in a pot is best done in the summer months, usually the planting material, pre-rooted in the sand, is already fully prepared for transplanting. As practice shows, in summer the seeds much faster begin to form roots, so the culture develops faster.

The pot is filled with prepared soil, the container should not be filled to the brim. It is necessary to leave about 3 centimeters, on this level are laid the treated seeds, which should be well crushed with a piece of wood. Then they are covered with the remaining soil, which should be well tamped. Some flower growers also cover the pot with polyethylene and make a few holes in it for air flow.

When sprouts appear, the covering material is removed and the pot is placed in a room in a bright and warm place.

The job of caring for miniature crops comes down to regular soil moistening and airing, the soil in the pot should always be moist. In order to avoid root rot, which is quite a common problem due to the small size of the pot, breeders water in different ways. In the first case, it can be watering the culture with water. For this purpose, it is recommended to use rainwater, which should be settled for 2-3 days before pouring. Humidify the tree from a special kettle. The second option is to immerse the kettle in a large container of water. The culture should be in it for about 2-3 minutes.

Before sprouting, the pot should be in a shady place at an air temperature of about +16 C. With the emergence of sprouts plants need sunlight to grow, then it is recommended to maintain a room temperature for bonsai. If the sprouts are 2-3 months old, the breeder should pick the trees. This is necessary in order to stimulate the plants for further growth and development.

Care for bonsai also includes additional feeding of plants, especially in the summer period. For this purpose, it is recommended to use complex recipes and apply them to the pot in small portions.

During the period of crown formation, it is necessary to fertilize the bonsai twice a month, and algae-based fertilization should also be carried out every month.

Phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen are very important for the health and growth of small plants. The latter is necessary for productive growth of green mass. Phosphorus is responsible for the growth and division of plant cells, including the root, and has a positive effect on plant immunity. Potassium helps fight bacteria and microorganisms, and this trace element also helps plants bloom. If you set the culture pot indoors, you should avoid direct sunlight on young trees. Ultraviolet light can cause burns and lead to the death of the plant.

The main task of the breeder when growing miniature trees is the process of formation of new roots. The essence of this responsible work is to shorten the rootstock by two-thirds. In order to activate the growth of the rootstock, some cultures are prescribed an injection of a hormone. As a rule, the plant is ready for such manipulations at the age of 3 months. To multiply the culture proceeds when the tree has reached several years of age.

How to breed a bonsai tree: tips on caring for miniature flora

Bonsai is the art of breeding reduced copies of the creations of nature of plant origin, which first conquered Japan, and then the whole world. The artful image of the chosen representative of the flora is created by yourself, so it requires a lot of patience, time and knowledge. In this article, we will tell you how to grow a bonsai tree at home and what care it needs.

Choosing a tree for bonsai

In order to grow a beautiful bonsai tree at home without much effort, it is best to choose one of the following plants, about which gardeners leave exceptionally positive reviews. The photos will help you to see how such a green pet will look like.

• Indoor citrus plants: orange, lemon, calamondine; ;

• Ornamental varieties of apple trees;
• Berberitzen;
• Heating;
• Oak;
• Maple.

These are just a few of the most popular options. Bonsai can be grown from many plants that can be found everywhere: in parks, forests, and gardens. It is also possible to buy a seedling in nurseries. The price depends on the type of tree chosen and its height.

Bonsai from seeds are grown

There are two types of seeds of shrubs and trees that are suitable for exotic bonsai. One type of culture can be used immediately for germination, and for the other there is a hibernation period, in which the sprout must wait for the cold season. Stratification in the house will simulate winter.

• For a period of 3-5 months, bonsai tree seeds are placed in sphagnum mousse or in wet sand, then the container is removed to the refrigerator. Positive temperature conditions and a moist environment help the seed to prepare for growth. If it is placed in a warm place, the sprout appears quickly;
• Bonsai can be propagated from spring to the beginning of the fall season. For seedlings grown in late summer, it is necessary to use backlighting, which is indispensable in the fall and winter period.
• To successfully germinate seedlings and facilitate the first months of life, you need to take peat tablets for them, soak and soak them in moisture or sandy-light substrate. Until the emergence of seedlings, the container is kept in the dark under the film. The air temperature depends on the type of tree being grown;
• The greenhouse must be ventilated to prevent rotting and condensation. When the first shoots appear, the presence of fresh air in the room is necessary, then the seedlings are transferred to the light. If necessary, they are fertilized and watered, using a complex composition.

Transplanting the bonsai system is carried out when it reaches a size of 10 to 12 cm. At the same time, the main root is shortened by 1/3, so that the green pet preserved vertical growth. Immediately form the future shoot with copper wire.

Growing bonsai from cuttings

You can grow bonsai from cuttings with your own hands. With this method, you can speed up the growth time compared to the previous option by almost a year. First you need to collect suitable cuttings. It is best to do this in the spring.

• Choose semi-woody or green shoots with a length of 5 to 10 cm and a diameter of about 5 mm;
• Plant the cuttings in sterile soil, which is also treated with hormone powder (if possible).

A short master class on planting cuttings:

• The bottom layer of a deep pot with a diameter of 15 cm is about a quarter filled with a mixture of acadam and fine gravel.
• The remaining space of the container is filled with a soil mixture suitable for the selected plant.
• We remove all the branches on the bottom of the cuttings and cut the thick branches at an angle;
• If desired, we treat the cuttings with a special hormone powder, which can be bought in plant stores.

• We insert the seedlings into the ground and leave a sufficient gap between them;
• Water gently;
• Remove the pot out of reach of direct sunlight, so that the young leaves of the bonsai do not get burned.
• Lightly moisten the soil, but do not flood;
• It will be a few weeks before it germinates. After a year, you can plant the discs, and after a few years, you can begin to form the crown of the bonsai.

How to choose a floor and a pot for a bonsai tree

Home bonsai preferably planted in a flat and small container, so that it does not become huge. At the same time it is necessary to form and trim some of the roots.

The bonsai pot is chosen very carefully. It is taken into account that every year it becomes heavier and unstable, especially if it has a cascading, sloping or irregular shape. Therefore, ceramic bowls, containers or pots, usually massive, of various shapes and styles, are available for the “green friend”, which ranges in size from a few centimeters to one meter. There should be several drainage holes in the back, so that excess moisture escapes and fixes the future tree.

To treat the pot, boiling water or a hot solution of potassium perga is very good. This is how they protect the Japanese bonsai from the fungus of the root system.

The floor helps the tree to retain moisture and gives nutrition and due to the soil to the roots of the plant in the small pot. To sprout miniature copies of maple, oak, lemon, sponge, etc., so resort to the use of a special substrate. Such a mixture based on certain types of sound in Japan is called Acadam.

The granular substrate is “flavored” with sand and fertile soil to maintain good shade and nutrition:

• To grow flowering crops, take three parts sand, seven parts lawn soil, and a portion of highly nutritious humus, which are mixed together;
• Ornamental bonsai species grow well with a substrate consisting of three parts washed coarse sand and seven parts lawn soil.
• Softwoods like loose soil consisting of two parts washed sand and three parts lawn mulch.

Before planting the bonsai, the soil should be sorted and any excess that might damage the root system should be removed. And also the substrate is sterilized and sifted, drainage is placed on the bottom of the container.

Shaping the crown of sons

To give a miniature tree a beautiful whimsical shape, copper wire is usually used.

• First, all branches from the lower part of the shoot and all the “drying” are removed from the plants. Next, three main branches are selected on the crown, which visually form a triangle with the same pages, and all remaining branches between them are removed. You can also give up 2 or 4 branches – it all depends on your desire.
• In order to make the bend of the shoot, the top layer of soil is removed from the roots and the shoot is gently tilted to the desired angle. The end of the soft wire is buried and attached to the bottom of the bend in the ground at the base of the family. The shoot should be sturdy, but be careful with the wire at the base of the branches left behind so as not to damage the bark or tear it off.

• Bends in bonsai branches can also be created with thin braided wire so as not to disturb the delicate substances of the plant.
• After a few years, the wire must be removed from the trunk of the formed tree, otherwise it may go back to the beginning. Branches can be released after six months;
• Do not forget to regularly maintain the aesthetic appearance of bonsai, long shoots that have crept outside the crown, and old leaves to propagate new young leaves.

Video: Pruning bonsai trees and shaping the crown

How to care for a tree in the house

Their main goal is to successfully master the miniature culture. After all, a flat pot with roots and a small floor volume create certain difficulties. Drip irrigation or irrigation is best, which allows you to dose the substrate under the system without eroding it.

Only settled, melted or soft water is suitable for watering. During the growing season, green pets need a lot of moisture, and in autumn watering is reduced and done less often.

Miniature plants respond well to algae-based mineral fertilizers, which are applied every 2-3 weeks. Trees should be carefully cared for, not leaving them without “food”, but most importantly – do not “overfeed”:

• In the spring period, at maximum growth, nitrogen should be fertilized 2 times more than phosphorus and potassium;
• In summer, the same proportions are used, but the concentration is reduced by 1/2;
• At the end of August, especially in deciduous crops, the content of phosphorus and potassium is increased by 2 times, and nitrogen is reduced;
• Fruiting and flowering shrubs and trees need more potassium, which promotes the formation of ovaries and buds.

Trees require the following care in the winter:

• In temperate climates, plants are kept outdoors or in unheated patios;
• In a small pot, the roots may be affected first, so they are well covered and the substrate is dried a little;
• The bonsai flower awakens in the spring. Now it needs to be watered again, fed, formed the crown and roots.

The following video will help you to see more clearly the process of growing miniature plants. If you do not want to wait long, you can buy an already formed tree. But its cost is estimated at several thousand rubles. If you do not have the time and opportunity to carefully care for such a green pet, then make an artificial bonsai out of beads, which by its aesthetic data will be no worse than a living one.