by will sprout

Created on: August 10, 2009

How to Grow Bonsai Tree's.

There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own Bonsai tree; it's personal and requires a great deal of patience and understanding to achieve the desired result. But once your tree becomes established it will become the focal point of your gardening experience.

The art of Bonsai growing originated in China about a thousand years ago but was later practiced in Japan, and is today a popular pastime in many countries all over the world.

Bonsai is a Japanese word, or two words, 'Bon' and 'Sai;' the word 'Bon' means 'tray' and 'Sai,' means 'growing' or 'planting.' The two words together give the translation of 'tray growing' or 'tray-planted.'

The idea is to take a small pot containing drainage material and soil; placing a seed or cutting in it; and pruning the roots and branches alike, as it grows. In effect you are causing the plant to grow to your specification of size and shape. It's a method of dwarfing; causing a tree to grow from a pot but giving it that look of a mature tree.

Apart from the pruning, other techniques are employed to attain the desired result; these include wiring the trunk and branches to grow into a specific shape. There are also a number of manufactured tools on the market to shape the trunk and branches.

A large number of Bonsai growing kits are available on the market which provides everything to get you started. They normally contain about five different types of trees (in seed form), the starter pots, soil, and full instructions on how to care for the particular plants in the package.

To grow the seeds place just below the surface of the soil in the pot, water and place the pot in a dark warm place. Of the four seeds I planted only two actually germinated and only one survived, so it may be a good idea to plant more than one seed at any time.

It is important to realise that each particular plant requires its own type of environment and care, so ensure that the information you have is for the plant you are growing.

This essay mainly covers the ficus plant.

To begin, there are two favourite plants to start with; one is the ficus tree and the other the Japanese Red Maple.

The Japanese Red Maple has vibrant colours; in the spring and autumn the leaves turn red or orange; in the summertime they turn a much deeper, duller red. The trunks remain green or red for months.

The ficus is an exotic looking tree resembling a miniature version of the Banyan tree; and is ideally suitable as an indoor

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