Saturday, 12 March 2011

Basic Information About The Bonsai Tree

By Bob Flukes


Others may call the bonsai tree a dwarf plant, but the name literally means "potted plant" that originally came from China. The name is a combination of two words, with 'bon' that means tray or dish and 'sai' which means tree or plant. This makes the tray or container the home for this miniature shrub.

The early types of this plant were first seen in Republic of China, more than a thousand years ago. And that taking care of these specimen trees in little pots has been regarded as a balance of expression of all elements in peace and harmony that is between heaven and earth. And owning one is well believed to bring peace and calmness to whoever has it. In fact, Buddhist monks are the first people to take good care and grow these plants inside their quiet monasteries. Then the image of having these potted plants changed when it reached Japan, as having one of these trees in the house has been associated with the well to do families, rich, Japanese elite. Then the plant was quickly associated as a symbol of fame, prestige and honor. They also buy some more of these trees aside from the ones that they have so they can showcase these plants on special events.

Bonsai tree types include the following: the indoor bonsai type, the outdoor species that are divided into evergreen trees like pines, junipers and deciduous trees like ginko, maples and elms to name some. Indoor ones are really great gifts for beginner bonsai growers. And then the varieties of this type include serissa, fukien tea, sago palms, schefflera, aralias, brush cherry, gardenias, bougainvillea and money tree, among others. If you would like to know if there are indeed species perfect for starter growers then yes there are some types for newbies as well as the Aged Specimen is the type that can make a perfect gift for real bonsai enthusiasts.

On the other hand, outdoor species are those that can be placed outside of home like boxwoods, azaleas, most pines and junipers. The deciduous trees are the type that lose their leaves in the fall but will bud again in spring. Some of these types include larch, apricot, crabapple, ginkgo, maple and other elm species.

Do you know that taking care of the bonsai tree highly depends on their type? For the indoor ones, these species are needed to be taken out every morning to get six hours of sun exposure, as this would keep them healthy. It should also be known that these types have to be watered daily using a controlled amount of clean, fresh water so as not to weaken and rot the roots. For those outdoor varieties, these should be well protected against the presence of outside pests and animals, as well as being sheltered as required to really avoid too cold temperature during winter.

As for the deciduous ones, they have to be watered every other day and be given fertilizers every few weeks with little exposure to direct sunlight especially during winter months.

Generally, these plants are required to be transferred to another tray after two years, so you can trim the roots well and allow the small ones to grow. It is best to place them in a container that has holes at the sides so as to let the excess water flow as well as to keep the soil of the plant properly hydrated. Keep the bonsai out of the direct sunlight in between its brightest and hottest hours, from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. That is because too much sun exposure will easily dehydrate the plant and eventually kill these trees. Overall, you need good balance of light, heat, humidity, fertilizer and water supply in order to take care of this plant. This is where it goes back to getting that bonsai tree around as a symbol of peace, calmness and balance around the house.




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