Sakura - a cultivated Japanese cherry - is not grown for the sake of a scarce harvest, but for the opportunity to admire the beautiful flowering. In Russia, it is quite possible to grow sakura at home from seeds purchased in China. A replica of a tree (bonsai), reduced several times, is as beautiful as the original, and one grown with one's own hand from a stone is a real reward for a hardworking, attentive and patient grower.
General description of the plant
Sakura is usually called a small-sawed cherry, or rather, a number of trees of the plum subfamily - both trees and shrubs. Most of them are highly decorative, but either not fruitful or bear small and unsuitable fruits for food. Tree trunk - Brown... The crown is dense, umbrella different shapes... In their natural environment, the flowers are white and pink shades grow 2-5 pieces per inflorescence, densely. Blooming appearance in different shades plants are very attractive, pleasing to the eye.
Small homemade bonsai-shaped sakura, obtained from seeds, are like copies of real ones. The trees grow slowly, adding no more than one or two centimeters per year. Growing sakura at home is not easy: the process requires patience (10-15 years, no less) and constant attention - the formation of the trunk and the direction of the branches, regular fertilization and watering. Sakura trees with purple, blue, red flowers were artificially bred.
Preparatory stage
First of all, you need to stock up, as already noted, with patience. It will take at least ten years to grow sakura bonsai from seeds and get an amazing miniature tree.
Japanese sakura easily tolerates air pollution above normal, but requires regular (daily) watering, as well as good lighting. Since the cultivation process is long, you should take care of a good place for it in advance and delegate watering responsibilities in the absence of the gardener himself. It is also necessary to protect the flower from direct sunlight and drafts.
Not all varieties of Japanese cherry blossom are suitable for home cultivation... Amanogawa can be germinated from the seeds at home. Shirofugen. Tai. Shirotae.
The choice of capacity and soil for sowing
To grow decorative sakura, you first need disposable containers for germinating seeds, and then bonsays, special shallow flat pots that do not allow the root system to grow too much, no more than 20 cm in diameter. peroxide in 250 ml of boiled cooled water).
Disposable containers for germinating seeds and forcing sprouts:
- initially - wide shallow plastic containers with drainage holes. It is enough to rinse them clean water... Since the roots of sakura are fibrous in the early stages of development, the container for germination should be 5-10 cm deep;
- after diving - small, literally 100 ml plastic cups with mandatory holes to drain excess water.
Sakura seedlings are demanding on the soil, which must be sufficiently saturated with potassium and nitrogen. For successful germination the soil substrate is desirable to acquire from vermiculite (or sphagnum) and coarse sand. For forcing shoots, it is permissible to use one sand. In any case, it must first be disinfected with potassium permanganate and calcined or steamed.
Substrate after diving: Mix 1 part of humus and 7 parts of turf soil with sand (3 parts).
Seed preparation and sowing
Sakura bonsai seeds are planted in spring or late August and early September. Good quality seed is one of the main ingredients for success. The seeds are sold in specialized stores. You can order them directly from the manufacturer by mail.
Seed germination is low - up to 20% (to grow two sprouts, you need to plant ten pieces). Therefore it follows:
- buy and plant more material;
- purchase products different manufacturers to identify those with better quality.
Seed preparation begins long before sowing and includes:
- careful examination of each and removal of spoiled, with a broken outer shell;
- scarification or stabbing, scratching outer shell... This will help the seedlings break through faster;
- soaking in water at room temperature (or slightly warmer) for a day. Manganese may be added (until a slightly pink liquid or suitable fungicide). Instances that have surfaced are removed - they are guaranteed not to ascend.
The substrate is moistened and the seeds are deepened into it by 0.5-2 cm into the grooves. In the row between future seedlings and grooves, there should be:
- not less than 3 cm - between small seeds;
- not less than 5-7 cm - between large ones.
The plantings are covered with a small layer of fine-grained sand and cover the container with transparent cellophane or glass.
It is not enough to plant the seeds correctly, it is necessary to carry out a stratification process - to create conditions for them, similar to winter ones, by placing them in the refrigerator. There, on the bottom shelf, at a temperature of + 4-5 ° C, future cherry blossoms are hardened for at least 2 months. After that, the seed is germinated under normal conditions, gradually raising the temperature to room level and keeping an eye on good illumination and sufficient soil moisture.
Some growers stratify the seeds before planting by placing them in a bag of damp sand and keeping them in the refrigerator for two months. And only after that, scarification and planting are carried out.
If all the noted conditions are met, the seedlings appear 10-15 days after being removed from the refrigerator.
It should be noted: during germination, young sakura sprouts use nutrient reserves from the seed cotyledons, so they do not need additional feeding. Moreover, the introduction of any fertilizers can provoke the development of fungal diseases or a delay in plant development due to oversaturation of the soil with organic matter.
Seedling care and picking
The technology of growing miniature sakura requires several picks after germination. They are seated with simultaneous pinching of the root. If the first dive is also carried out in a single container, a minimum of 10 cm is left between the shoots. The composition of the substrate used after the dive is given above. During the first procedure, the root is shortened by a third, stimulating the development of lateral branches.
The second pick is carried out two or more months after the first. This time, pinch the main root two-thirds of the length and transplant the plant into a shallow bonsai tree (you need to put clean pebbles on its bottom for drainage). Experienced florists they deepen the sakura a little more than during the first transplant.
The following dates are determined by the ratio of the height of the sakura and the pot - 2: 1. When the seedlings outgrow it, a transplant is carried out with shortening of the roots.
It is important for young sprouts correct watering- half a glass of water a day. In addition, they need the best place in the house in terms of illumination (without being exposed to the open rays of the sun) and protection from drafts.
Bonsai growing rules
Both planting and caring for seedlings or adult sakura bonsai require daily attention:
- correct regular watering, different depending on the season;
- bright lighting;
- inflow fresh air no drafts;
- correct feeding;
- on time of the carried out transplants.
A separate "art" is the technique of formation correct shape wood. Mastering the rules for pruning the crown and setting the direction of growth of branches are not difficult, but they require care, accuracy and patience.
You can propagate sakura:
- seeds, which will be discussed in detail below;
- cuttings - young, non-lignified, 5-10 cm long are needed. When propagated by cuttings, they are immediately planted in the ground vertically;
- air layering, which requires a branchy sakura plant with twigs no more than 3 cm in diameter, suitable for the formation of a bonsai trunk. The bitch is separated from the trunk with special technology, having previously spent 2-3 months on germination of roots on it. The plant rarely reproduces in this way, for this specialists are needed.
Watering and feeding
Young domestic sakura requires about 100 ml of water daily and reacts sharply to skipped watering. The exception is the winter months, when the tree grows very slowly, the activity of all processes "falls asleep", and it is watered every 2-3 days, focusing on the drying of the upper layer. In any case, water should not remain in the pan after watering.
Since the volume of soil in a tree is very limited, it requires regular feeding:
- in the warm season - every 20 days;
- in winter - monthly.
Plants over 12 years old are also fertilized once a month. In the spring, they require more nitrogen, therefore they are looked after by selecting a complex with a ratio of minerals - one part of phosphorus and potassium and two parts of nitrogen. During the period of bud formation and flowering, you need to focus on the potassium content. In summer, a nitroammophoska with an equal filling of minerals is suitable, and in winter, the proportion of nitrogen is reduced by three times.
Trunk and crown formation
This process is carried out completely in accordance with the tastes and ideas of the grower, there are no canonical forms of the bonsai tree. You can leave one or two branches or several, bend the plant to any side, or allow the trunk to have a natural straight shape. Craftsmen can even make a young plant look like an ancient hundred-year-old tree.
If the sakura tree is grown with the formation of a trunk, the process begins almost immediately, in the first year of life, in early spring or in winter, when the "skeleton" of a plant without foliage is clearly visible.
To fix the trunk and branches, a soft and flexible aluminum wire with a copper sputtering is used. When wrapping the trunk, the wire is allowed to go freely, since it will be distributed as it grows in width. The wire corset is kept on the tree for no longer than three months, after which it is removed, dividing it into parts with pliers, without affecting the trunk or leaves.
After the end of flowering, the lateral branches are cut off, paying attention to the location of the remaining extreme buds on them - new shoots will go from them at an angle to the mother branches. It is necessary to ensure that the branches do not intertwine and that each has enough air and light.
The top is cut off when the plant reaches 30 cm in height. After that, it will practically not grow up, but the trunk will thicken more, and the crown will become a little more magnificent. In the specialized literature, you can find advice to make small incisions in the trunk to slow down its growth, but this procedure is painful for cherry blossoms. For its implementation (if it is decided not to touch the top), it is advisable to contact an experienced specialist in caring for Japanese sakura bonsai.
Required inventory to form a tree:
- special pruner for pruning bonsai plants;
- wire cutters.
Subtleties of transplant
Regular transplants cherry blossoms strengthen it in the first two or three years of development, but more often than once every two months, they are not carried out. Also, the plant is not disturbed in winter, during the dormant period, when the "disturbed" tree can get sick. Mature trees are replanted every two or three years.
With each repetition, the large roots are cut off. This manipulation restrains the growth of the tree upward. Young bonsai trees have a well-developed root system - the basis of health.
Diseases and pests
Attentive, proper care behind the plant - best prevention any disease and insect attacks. Caterpillars, wood lice, red ticks can harm it. The most dangerous "invaders" are bark beetles and aphids. The way to deal with them is insecticides, which must be applied quickly, preventing the spread of pests.
The development of diseases is possible if the rules for caring for sakura are violated:
- of fungal diseases, leaf curling is more common;
- with a long stay of a plant in a darkened environment and "flooding" it with water, it is susceptible to the development of powdery mildew.
The affected leaves are immediately removed and the bonsai is sprayed with one of the house flower fungicides.
Common beginner mistakes
Sakura is considered a difficult bonsai to care for. To grow it, it is desirable to have basic skills in caring for such a crop, obtained by forcing more simple species- myrtle, olive tree, ficuses Benjamin or Microcarp. TO typical mistakes novice hobbyists include:
- excessive watering. Knowing about the dangers of skipping watering, amateurs pour water into the pan, hoping that the plant will take "as much" as needed. As a rule, the tree dies in a week;
- non-observance of temperature and seasonal regimes - feeding in winter and the decision to add lighting with an ordinary lamp. Because of this, in an already dry central heating the air the plant suffers more;
- too much wire pulling on the barrel. Cutting into the bark, the wire injures it. The tree suffers such damage painfully.
It should be noted that those who begin to grow capricious bonsai in care cannot do without the death of seedlings. If we analyze the errors and extract useful experience from what happened, next time it can be avoided.
How to grow bonsai from seeds at home? The ancient technology of growing miniature trees requires a lot of strength and patience from the amateur gardener. But the result will not make you regret the effort expended. Bonsai will become the pearl of any interior.
Each type of plant has its own method of planting seeds. Seeds of beech, spruce, oak, fir and pine are ready for planting immediately after harvest. If planting is scheduled for a different time, planting material should be placed in a container (can be wrapped in a piece of cloth) and stored in a cool, dark place until planting.
How to grow bonsai from sakura seeds? Sakura is an ideal tree for bonsai. Its bones have a dense shell, so germination is more difficult. Japanese cherry seeds require dormancy and stratification. Stratification is a long-term exposure of seeds at a certain temperature to accelerate their germination. For stratification, sakura seeds must be placed in a refrigerator for 3-4 months, in which the temperature is set to +4 ... + 5 ° C.
On the eve of planting, the seeds are soaked in warm water(25-30 ° C) for 1 day. It is advisable to add a fungicide to the water to prevent fungal diseases. Spring, late summer and early autumn are best for planting seeds at home.
Cherry blossom seeds are germinated in coarse sand. It is recommended to ignite or steam it before planting seeds. Disinfection of the soil will save plants from disease and death. You do not need to apply fertilizer to the soil. The container for planting seeds should be wide, 5 cm deep. It should have drainage holes.
Prepared sakura seeds are planted in grooves made in well-moistened sand. During planting, it is advisable to slightly break, cut or puncture hard shell seeds. This will help them germinate faster and more amicably. The distance between the grooves should be at least 3 cm. The planted seeds are covered with fine sand on top. The thickness of the top layer of the soil should be 2 times the diameter of the bone.
Germination seeds can also be immersed in wet vermiculite or sphagnum moss. After planting the seeds, the container is covered with foil or glass and placed in a cool place (positive temperature from 5 to 10 ° C) for 1.5-2 weeks. The film will provide the necessary for germination high humidity soil. To prevent mold from appearing, you need to do regular ventilation. When the first shoots break through, the film or glass is removed. The container with sprouts is placed in a lighted place (not in direct sunlight).
Growing trees from seedlings
How to grow bonsai from seedlings? When the sprouts reach a height of 4-7 cm, we plant them in wide bowls filled with a mixture of peat, sand and humus garden soil. Plant roots that are too long should be shortened slightly with garden shears. The planting material must be deepened into the soil up to the first pair of leaves. The distance between seedlings should be at least 10 cm. Young plants should be watered regularly.
As the seedlings grow, they need to be dived repeatedly. Diving is called transplanting plants into individual containers in order to expand the area and improve root nutrition. Thanks to multiple transplants, a powerful, well-developed root system of young trees is formed.
For the winter, bonsai seedlings are placed in a cool place or left in indoor conditions on a cold windowsill behind a thick curtain. The plant is not touched until spring. The dive continues in the spring. It will take 2-3 years to grow sakura. Only then will it be possible to start forming a tree at home.
The rules for forming a crown are as follows:
- 1 The task of the bonsaist is to constantly restrain the growth of the tree and give it its characteristic dwarf shape.
- 2 The trunk at the base of the tree should be thick. To achieve this effect, all vertical shoots are pruned.
- 3 A bonsai plant should look like a century old tree, even if it's only 3 years old. To give the tree characteristic appearance, the upper part of the roots is exposed. For this, the top layer of soil is removed.
- 4 At what level to start forming the crown, the bonsaist decides, cutting off the lower branches. The first strong branch of the trunk will be the lowest one, not cut by the bonsaist.
- 5 Barrel too long must be shortened. To do this, cut off a circular strip of bark at the base and replant the tree, immersing the bare spot in the ground. At this point, roots later grow. The old roots are cut off and the plant is replanted.
- 6 If the broom style is selected, the vertical branches are trimmed as much as possible, allowing the horizontal shoots to bush. If the vertical style is chosen, the main trunk and side branches are encouraged to grow upward.
- 7 An already formed bonsai tree needs to be pruned and pinched constantly to maintain its ideal shape.
Formation of the correct shape
Constant pruning of the roots and shoots of the tree helps to restrain growth. To weaken the sakura, horizontal cuts are made on its trunk with a sharp knife. The sap of the plant is released from them. Losing moisture and nutrients, the tree weakens and slows down growth. It is very important to make the cuts of the correct size. Excessive sap loss can kill the plant.
Bonsai wire is used for the same purpose. She is pulled over the trunk of a tree, not allowing it to develop. When the sakura reaches a height of 25-30 cm, the top is cut off. From this point on, the tree will grow to the sides, releasing side shoots.
Pruning must be done before sap flow begins. If after pruning there are high-quality cut off shoots, they can be used for cuttings. Pinching shoots and branches will help to increase the density of the crown. The more often pruning and pinching is done, the thicker and smaller the crown will be.
The tree is formed by fixing the shoots in the desired shape and guiding their growth in the desired direction using a special bonsai wire. To obtain the necessary bend of the trunk or branches with the help of a wire, branches are wrapped around it. When using wire, you need to make sure that it does not grow into the bark of the plant. To do this, it must be periodically removed and reeled in a new place.
The location chosen for the bonsai will determine the shape of the crown. If the light in the room is not diffused, the plant will have a more developed crown and stronger branches on the side on which more light falls. When the tree is on the windowsill, it must be constantly rotated so that the chosen style is not violated. Optimal for a bonsai plant will be morning and evening lighting. It is recommended to place the tree in the shade from 11 am to 4 pm.
To make a beautiful tree at home, it needs to provide optimal lighting. Sakura is a light-loving plant, it needs a lot of bright light. Therefore, in winter time and on cloudy days it is necessary to use additional lighting. With a lack of light, the shoots become thin, and the petioles of the leaves become long.
In the spring, the plant is fed with ammonium nitrate, and in the fall with superphosphate and potassium sulfide. The tree slows down growth on poor soil. Therefore, fertilizers for a bonsai plant should contain a minimum concentration nutrients.
Necessary tools for the job
Pruning is the main technique for forming a dwarf tree. The success of the bonsai technique depends on the quality of the wood cuts. Therefore, you need to prepare the necessary tools. Some hobby gardeners consider buying special tools wastefulness. However, the use of tools specially designed for the bonsai technique will greatly facilitate the care of the plant and reduce the risk of its death to a minimum. 
The basic tool kit includes the following:
- concave wire cutters;
- wire cutters;
- convex spherical cutting pliers;
- scissors.
The concave cutter is designed to cut branches flush with the trunk to form an oblong indentation. The wound received by the plant will heal quickly with a small scar. It is impossible to replace this tool with any other tools at hand. When planning to grow a tree using the bonsai technique, you should purchase concave cutting pliers in advance.
The wire cutters cut the bonsai wire neatly and symmetrically. Their rounded head does not hurt the tree when cutting the wire.
Convex spherical pliers are used to remove growths on trunks and roots, as well as unwanted roots. The cavity remaining after them is quickly tightened with minimum amount scars.
It is also worth purchasing special scissors for trimming thin roots.
An additional set of tools that turns plant care into pleasant occupation, includes the following accessories:
- clippers and root hooks;
- root ball knife;
- small Japanese saw;
- thinning scissors;
- tweezers with a curved nose.
It is also advisable to buy soil scoops, rakes and hemp brooms.
It is convenient to cut the roots with root cutters during grafting and transplanting. The roots are untangled with the hooks. A root ball is processed with a knife, large roots and small trunks are cut off. The branches are notched with a Japanese saw. With tweezers, remove unwanted kidneys, excess coniferous needles, dry leaves and insects.
For the bonsai technique, many more tools have been developed for filigree processing of trees, but for a beginner bonsaiist, it is enough to purchase a basic set.
According to legend, the Chinese emperor decided to observe his country with his own eyes, for which the craftsmen of the Celestial Empire had to create tiny copies of houses, people and, of course, trees. Bonsai, almost fifteen centuries ago, first conquered Japan, and today this amazing art has conquered the whole world.
Like many centuries ago, the goal of the bonsai grower is to reproduce the creations of nature itself. Reduced copies of oaks, maples, pines, sakura or ficuses have realistic proportions, they live according to the routine established by nature. If a deciduous tree is grown in a pot, it blooms, becomes foliated and goes into winter rest.
Since the artfully shaped resemblance to a real tree is hand-crafted, growing and caring for a bonsai is laborious, time-consuming, requiring knowledge, patience and understanding of your green pet's needs.
And yet more and more newcomers are enthusiastically undertaking the difficult, but very exciting job. How to grow bonsai at home and care for a small copy of a real tree?
How to grow bonsai at home: common ways
If a grower is just beginning to take an interest in bonsai, the easiest way is to purchase a plant that has already been formed, for example, from a ficus or citrus. It will help you master all the techniques of getting away from regular watering to pruning and adjusting the shape of the trunk and branches. The accumulated experience will allow you to move on to more complex tasks.
There are several ways to grow bonsai at home:
- through sowing the seeds of the culture you like and the subsequent "upbringing" of the seedling;
- using a rooted cutting;
- the formation of a seedling from a nursery or wildlife;
- transferring to a pot and correcting an already adult cultivated or wild-growing specimen.
The fastest of these methods is the formation of the crown and root system of a one- or two-year-old seedling. Such a plant already has developed roots, while its ground part gives room for imagination and can be modified according to the plans of the grower.
Enthusiasts who are interested in how to grow bonsai from seeds should know that this path is the longest, but also rewarding. Here, a person has control over the plant literally from the moment the seed is pecked, and it is easier to change the shape of shoots and roots because of their flexibility.
You don't have to choose an exotic tree or shrub. The main thing is that the plant has small leaves and a small annual growth, otherwise "taming" the future bonsai tree will be much more difficult.
Choosing the right tree for bonsai
What types of plants are suitable for bonsai, tree in japanese style? To get an attractive tree quickly enough, you can pay attention:
The choice of trees suitable for bonsai is incredibly large, and many of them are indigenous to Russia and are found in gardens, parks, city squares and forests. Magnificent compositions are obtained from irgi, hawthorn, acacia and birch, elder and linden, euonymus and oak.
Before growing a bonsai, based on the type of plant, determine its future height and style.
How to grow bonsai from seeds?
The seeds of trees and shrubs suitable for bonsai are divided into two types. Some crops are immediately ready for germination, but evolution has included a hibernation period in the “program” of many species, when the sprout waits out the cold season. At home, stratification will help simulate winter.
The seeds of trees for Japanese bonsai are placed in wet sand or sphagnum moss for 3-5 months, after which the container is placed in the refrigerator. At a slight positive temperature in a humid environment, the seed prepares for growth. When it is transferred to warmth, the sprout quickly awakens. For evergreen species and plants with seeds that have a particularly durable shell, heat or temperature contrast is used to awaken.
Sowing seeds is carried out from spring to early autumn. Seedlings obtained in the second half of summer already need illumination, which is simply irreplaceable in autumn and winter.
For germination and the first months of seedlings life, use a light sandy-peat substrate or soaked and moisture-absorbed peat tablets... Until a sprout appears on the surface, the container should be in the dark under the film. The air temperature is selected depending on the bonsai tree being grown.
To avoid the formation of condensation and rot, the greenhouse is ventilated. When seedlings emerge, they provide a small access of fresh air inside and transfer the seedlings to the light. As necessary, seedlings are watered and fertilized with complex compounds. When the plant reaches a height of 10–12 cm, it is transplanted.
At this stage, the main root is shortened by a third to slow down the vertical growth of the tree. They immediately begin to form the future trunk, for which they use copper wire.
Choosing a pot and soil for bonsai
The bonsai tree is called tray-grown for a reason. To limit the growth of the pet, it is planted in a deliberately small and shallow container, simultaneously forming and cutting off part of the root system.
When choosing a pot for a bonsai, it must be borne in mind that over the years the tree becomes heavy and, especially with an irregular, inclined or cascading shape, can lose its stability. Therefore, for bonsai with sizes from a few centimeters to 9 meters, massive, often ceramic pots, bowls or containers of various shapes and styles are traditionally made.
There should be more than one drain hole at the bottom of the container. They are used not only for draining water, but also for fixing the plant.
To protect the plant and protect it from fungal infection of the root system, treating the bonsai pot with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or scalding it with boiling water will help.
Bonsai soil is not only designed to provide the plant with nutrition and retain moisture, it should help the roots to anchor in a relatively small volume of the pot. Therefore, a special substrate is used for miniature copies of real oaks, lindens, lemons, maples and other trees.
In Japan, for many centuries, such a mixture based on certain types of clay has been called akadama. For greater nutritional value and looseness, fertile soil and sand are added to the granular substance:
- For deciduous species of bonsai trees, a substrate with the inclusion of 7 parts of sod land and 3 parts of coarse washed sand is recommended.
- Flowering crops are grown on a mixture of 7 parts of sod land, three parts of sand and 1 part of highly nutritious humus.
- Conifers, the most popular among bonsai lovers, need particularly loose soil, for which they take 3 parts of sod soil and 2 parts of washed sand.
Before filling the pot, the bonsai soil is sorted out, removing foreign inclusions that can damage the roots, sifting and sterilizing. A drainage layer is arranged at the bottom of the tank for outflow excess moisture.
Bonsai tree care at home
It is not enough to buy a miniature tree, get a young seedling or root a stalk of the breed you like. It is important to know how to care for a bonsai tree.
Constantly limiting growth, forming a crown and growing bonsai in a small pot, a person completely changes the life of a tree or shrub. Therefore, caring for such a crop is strikingly different from caring for other indoor plants.
The main task of the grower is to establish watering of the bonsai, which is not easy to cope with with a small volume of soil and a shallow pot filled with roots.
Previously, gardeners had only a special shape of a watering can at their disposal or the ability to immerse a bonsai pot in a bowl of water in order to wet the soil from below. Today irrigation of plants or drip irrigation, allowing to moisten the soil under the bonsai in a dosed manner and without the risk of blurring.
For irrigation, take only soft, thawed or settled water. During the growing season, plants need more moisture, with the onset of autumn and the approach of the dormant period, watering is reduced and carried out less often, focusing on the state of the substrate.
Top dressing is carried out at intervals of 2-3 weeks, using their mixtures for different crops and seasons. For japanese trees bonsai, there are algae-based mineral supplements.
Plants cannot be left without food, but it is equally important not to overfeed the bonsai. Therefore, when caring for bonsai trees at home, top dressing is applied very carefully:
- in spring, at maximum growth intensity, include in fertilizer twice as much as potassium and phosphorus;
- in summer, the proportions are left the same, but the concentration is halved;
- closer to autumn, especially for deciduous crops, the content of potassium and phosphorus is doubled, and nitrogen, on the contrary, is reduced.
- flowering and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs need more potassium to form buds and ovaries.
With the arrival of winter, nothing changes for exotic evergreens, but conifers and deciduous trees must prepare for wintering. How to care for a bonsai tree in winter? If the climate permits, they are left outside or brought onto unheated terraces. The root system in a small bonsai pot may be the first to suffer, so it is additionally covered and the soil is slightly dried. With the onset of spring, the plant wakes up and again needs watering, fertilizing and the formation of a crown and roots, which is mandatory for bonsai.
How bonsai is grown - video
Bonsai Exhibition Video
Bonsai is the art of growing small copies of natural plant origin, which first conquered Japan and then the whole world. The skillful likeness of the chosen representative of the flora is formed with his own hand, so this requires a lot of patience, time and knowledge. In this article, we will show you how to grow a bonsai tree at home and how you need to care for it.
Choosing a tree for bonsai
In order to grow a beautiful bonsai tree at home without much hassle, it is best to choose for this one of the plants listed below, about which gardeners' reviews are extremely positive. Photos will help you see how such a green pet will look.
- Indoor citrus fruits:, lemon, calamondin;
- Ficus Benjamin;
- Ornamental varieties of apple trees;
- Barberry;
- Hawthorn;
- Maple.
These are just some of the most popular options. Growing bonsai can be done from a variety of plants that are found everywhere: in parks, forests, gardens. You can also purchase a seedling from nurseries. The price will depend on the type of tree chosen and its height.
Growing bonsai from seeds
There are two types of shrub and tree seeds suitable for exotic bonsai. One type of crops can be used immediately for germination, while the other part undergoes a hibernation period, in which the sprout must wait out the cold season. Stratification at home will simulate winter.
- For a period of 3-5 months, the seeds of the bonsai tree are placed in sphagnum moss or wet sand, then the container is put into the refrigerator. Positive temperature regime and a moist environment will help the seed prepare for growth. When they put it in warm place, there will be a rapid awakening of the sprout;
- You can grow bonsai from seeds from spring to the very beginning of the fall season. For seedlings grown at the end of summer, it is necessary to apply illumination, which is indispensable in the autumn winter period;
- To successfully germinate seedlings and make them easier for the first months of life, you need to take peat tablets, soaked and absorbed moisture, or a light sandy-peat substrate. Until the sprouts appear, the container is kept under the film in the dark. The air temperature depends on the type of tree being grown;
- The greenhouse must be ventilated so that rot and condensation does not appear. 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.
The bonsai plant is replanted when it reaches 10-12 cm in height. In this case, the main root is shortened by 1/3, so that the green pet stops its vertical growth. The future trunk is immediately formed using copper wire.
Growing bonsai from cuttings
You can grow a bonsai with your own hands from a cutting. This method allows you to accelerate the growth time in comparison with the previous version by almost a year. First you need to collect suitable cuttings. It is better to do this in the spring.
- Choose semi-lignified or green shoots 5-10 cm long and about 5 mm in diameter;
- It is necessary to plant cuttings in sterile soil, additionally treated with hormonal powder (if possible).
A short master class on planting a cutting:
- Fill the bottom layer of a deep pot with a diameter of 15 cm by about a quarter with a mixture of akadama and fine gravel in equal proportions;
- Fill the remaining space of the container with a soil mixture suitable for the selected plant;
- We remove all the branches at the bottom of the cutting, cut the thick branches obliquely;
- If desired, we treat the cuttings with a special hormonal powder, which can be bought in plant stores;
- We insert the seedlings into the soil, leaving a sufficient gap between them;
- Water the soil carefully;
- We remove the pot in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight so that young bonsai leaves do not get burned;
- We slightly moisten the soil, but do not fill it;
- It will take several weeks before germination. It will be possible to plant shoots in a year, and in a couple of years it will be possible to start forming a bonsai crown.
How to choose soil and pot for bonsai tree
It is advisable to plant home bonsai in a shallow and small container so that it does not grow huge. At the same time, it is necessary to form and cut off part of the roots.
The bonsai pot is chosen very carefully. This takes into account that from year to year the plant will become heavier, may become unstable, especially if it has a cascading, inclined or irregular shape... Therefore, ceramic bowls, containers or pots, usually massive, of various shapes and styles, are made for the “green friend”, ranging in size from a few centimeters to a meter. Their bottom should have several drainage holes used to release excess moisture and to fix the future tree.
Scalding with boiling water or a hot potassium permanganate solution works very well for processing the pot. This will help protect Japanese bonsai from root fungus.
The soil helps the tree retain moisture and provides nourishment, and the soil also fixes the roots of the plant in a small pot. Therefore, in order to grow miniature copies of maples, oaks, lemons, lindens, etc., they resort to using a special substrate. This mixture, which is based on certain types of clay, is called akadama in Japan.
The granular substance is "flavored" with sand and fertile soil for good looseness and nutritional value:
- To grow flowering crops, they take three parts of sand, seven parts of land with turf and a part of highly nutritious humus, which are mixed with each other;
- Deciduous bonsai trees thrive thanks to a substrate with three parts washed coarse sand and seven parts turf;
- Conifers love loose soil, consisting of two parts of washed sand and three parts of turf soil.
Before planting a bonsai, the soil must be sorted out and any excess that can damage the root system must be removed. And also the substrate is sterilized and sieved, drainage is done at the bottom of the container.
Bonsai crown formation
To give a miniature tree a beautiful bizarre shape, copper wire is usually used.
- First, remove all branches from the lower part of the trunk and all the "dry forest" from the plant. Next, three main branches are selected on the crown, which visually form a triangle with equal sides, and all remaining branches between them are removed. You can also leave 2 or 4 branches - it all depends on your desire;
- To make the trunk bend, remove the top soil layer from the roots and carefully tilt the trunk to the required angle. One end of the soft wire is buried in and fixed in the ground at the stem base from the inside of the bend. The trunk must be tightly but carefully wrapped with wire to the base of the left branches, so as not to damage or tear off the bark;
- You can also create bends of bonsai branches using thin braided wire so as not to hurt delicate plant tissues;
- It is necessary to remove the wire from the trunk of the formed tree after a couple of years, otherwise it may return to its original state. Twigs can be released after six months;
- To maintain the aesthetic appearance of the bonsai, do not forget to regularly prune long shoots that have crawled beyond the perimeter of the crown and old foliage to allow new young leaves to grow.
Video: Bonsai Pruning and Crown Formation
How to care for a tree at home
Your main goal is to successfully cope with watering a miniature crop. After all, a shallow pot filled with roots and a small volume of soil create certain difficulties. Drip irrigation or irrigation is best suited, which will allow metered, without blurring, to moisten the substrate under the plant.
Only settled, melt or soft water is suitable for irrigation. During the growing season, green pets need a lot of moisture, and in the fall, watering is reduced and become less frequent.
Miniature plants are great for algae-based mineral fertilizing, which are carried out every 2-3 weeks. You need to take care of the trees carefully, do not leave them without "food", but the most important thing is not to "overfeed":
- In the spring season, at maximum growth, nitrogen must be added to the fertilizer 2 times more than phosphorus and potassium;
- In summer, use the same proportions, but the concentration decreases by 1/2;
- At the end of August, especially for deciduous crops, the content of phosphorus and potassium is doubled, and nitrogen is reduced;
- Fruiting and flowering shrubs, and trees require more potassium, which is used to form ovaries and buds.
In winter, the tree needs such care:
- In mild climates, plants are kept outdoors or on unheated terraces;
- In a small pot, the roots may suffer in the first place, so they are well covered, and the substrate is dried a little;
- In the spring, the bonsai flower awakens. Now it again needs to be watered, fed, formed crown and roots.
The video below will help you see the process of growing miniature plants more clearly. If you do not want to wait long, then you can buy an already formed tree. But its cost will amount to several thousand rubles. If you do not have the time and opportunity to carefully care for such a green pet, then make one that, in terms of its aesthetic data, will be no worse than a living one.
Video: How to care for a bonsai tree
Literally translated, the word "bonsai" means grown on a tray. Basically, bonsai is an art that involves growing a miniature copy of a tree. It arose at the end of the 8th century, in China, and was the main decoration of the imperial court. Since that time, many styles have emerged that differ in the structure of the trunk and crown. Bonsai trees are outdoor trees, their size varies from two centimeters to one and a half meters. Even if you don’t know how to grow bonsai at home, this art becomes available thanks to the article.
Bonsai trees - types and features
Some people mistakenly believe that bonsai is some kind of culture that is dwarf in size and bizarre in shape. In fact, this is not the case. Bonsai can be grown from almost any tree. The main condition is to know which culture is suitable for creating a harmonious miniature copy.
- Juniper, irga, spruce and rhododendron 8-20 cm.
- Barberry, field and rock maple, privet, mountain pine 20-30 cm.
- Scots pine, American maple, birch, hazel, elm 30-70 cm.
- Linden, larch, ash, ash-leaved or plane-leaved maple, oak, beech, black pine 60-100 cm.
- Wisteria, chestnut, black pine, sycamore, elderberry, acacia 100-130 cm.
The seeds of the tree you like can be purchased at the botanical garden, a specialty store, or collected in the city park. A good option for beginners - buy seed in China. The seeds of trees such as spruce, pine, fir, oak or euonymus are ready for planting after harvest.
The seeds of other plants must remain dormant for some time and undergo stratification.
Seed stratification as a measure of preparation for sowing
There are seeds that are specially prepared before planting - these are sakura seeds. In fact, the Japanese cherry (sakura) is the perfect material for making bonsai. From the seeds of Japanese sakura, you can create real masterpieces that can amaze amazing shapes... In order for the plant to germinate properly, the seeds of this tree are stratified.
Basically, stratification is a process that simulates winter conditions in order to better germinate seeds. There are several ways to stratify plants:
- Cold stratification... Essential for seeds that need ripening: pine, thuja or blue spruce. The seeds of such plants are first soaked in lukewarm water, and then placed in the refrigerator. In this way, artificial imitation temperature difference in nature.
- Warm stratification... Used to "awaken" seeds. The planting material is placed in warm water for several hours or days. You can also place the seeds not in liquid, but on a medium with high humidity: wrap damp cloth or place in moist coconut substrate.
- Combined stratification... It is applied to the seeds of maple, cedar, sakura, which germinate for a long time. Its essence lies in the change of cold and warm stratification. Initially, the seeds are placed in a cold room, and immediately before planting they are soaked in warm water. Combined stratification is common in bonsai cultivation.
In addition to stratification, seeds should be disinfected so that the plants are not afraid of the appearance of fungal formations. For this, you can use a manganese solution.
This tool perfectly disinfects seeds before planting. The seed is soaked in pinkish water. Disinfection of seeds lasts from 5 days to 2 weeks. After the seeds have been stratified and disinfected, they can be planted.
Soil and container for growing bonsai
The best soil for seeds is coarse sand, which is steamed before use. This is a kind of disinfection that will prevent the plant from dying. It is recommended to use a wide container with a depth of 5 cm and drainage holes. Before planting, the sand must be well moistened and special grooves must be made into which the seeds will be placed.
To grow bonsai at home, you should take care of preparing the soil and choosing the right container. The container in which the miniature tree is grown can be of different shapes and depths. Rectangle, oval, circle or polyhedron, deep or flat - the choice is really big. Remember, if the trunk of the bonsai has a slope, then the container for it should be more stable. In this case, give preference to deep containers or those made of heavy material.
The colors of the container should be calm and discreet, this will only emphasize the grace of the plant. Moreover, the bowl should match the bonsai style. If the miniature copy will have a dense crown, then it is better to choose a flat and wide container. For a cascading style bonsai, a narrow and tall pot is suitable, and the tall crowns of the plant will better emphasize the containers that are deep, but not wide.
Scald a bowl with boiling water before planting to eliminate possible sources of fungus and bacteria.
Bonsai is traditionally grown in a special substrate called akadama. It is a heavy soil with a lot of nutrients, high level moisture and air circulates well. However, such land is rarely used in its pure form. Firstly, it is in its pure form only in one of the prefectures of Japan, and secondly, a high concentrate of nutrients does not always have a beneficial effect on bonsai, especially during the period when the tree is being shaped.
Bonsai substrate must meet several criteria: it retains moisture well, contains nutrients and provides oxygen access to prevent souring or decay of the roots. A good substrate is mixed from granular clay, humus and sand, in the ratio that suits each type of plant.
- Type of wood and soil used.
- Deciduous trees. Sod land and sand, in a ratio of 7 to 3 (3 parts sand and 7 parts turf).
- Blooming bonsai. The mixture is prepared from turf, sand and humus, in a ratio of 7: 3: 1.
Coniferous bonsai. Four pieces of sand and 6 pieces of turf land.
You can prepare the soil yourself at home. Sod land can be dug up in a meadow. One has only to remove the top vegetation layer, and the top 20 centimeters of soil can be used for growing bonsai.
Before use, the land must be cleaned by sifting through a large sated. Sand should be taken from the river, coarse-grained. It will make the soil looser, which will improve air circulation, and it holds moisture better. Before use, all these components should be disinfected by heating in the oven. Humus should be purchased in a specialized store or ordered via the Internet.
Features of sowing seeds and plant care
Planting is carried out in spring, summer or early autumn in peat pots, which are filled with a mixture of sand and peat, in a one-to-one ratio. If there is nowhere to buy peat, then you can buy land for cacti and mix it with coarse sand... Such a substance will be a complete replacement. Follow the steps below.
- Pour the mixture into the pot so that there is an additional 3 cm to the edge.
- Add 1 centimeter of cleaned turf soil, press down with a wooden circle.
- Place the seeds on the prepared surface and cover them with a layer of sand. The thickness of the layer is no more than two diameters of the seeds.
- Press down again with a wooden circle, remove it and pour the sand with water (no more than 80 ml).
- Cover with plastic wrap.
Place the pot with seeds in a dark place with a temperature of no more than 15 0 С. Remove the film from time to time for ventilation and check if the soil is dry. It should always be damp, but not wet.
When the first shoots have broken through, pierce the plastic to provide air access. After the first shoots appear, remove the film from the pots and transfer to a lighted room. Make sure that the plants are not exposed to direct sunlight. After 2-3 months, it is worth cutting off the taproot by 2/3, this process is called the formation of seedlings.
Fertilizers are added to the land where the seedlings ripen. It is necessary to transplant the seedlings into a separate form after the sprout has grown by 10 centimeters. During this period, the sprout can be accustomed to the sun's rays and at the same time not stop forming the desired shape.
According to this scheme, you can grow sakura bonsai or Japanese pine. . But some types of trees need a special approach.
Features of agricultural technology of Japanese and red maple
This tree starts shedding seeds in the fall. To grow bonsai from maple seeds, they need to be stratified for 120 days. The optimal time for disembarkation is April or May. To make sprouts appear faster, the seeds are soaked for 1-2 days in hydrogen peroxide. This measure will speed up the germination process and protect the plant from diseases.
Bonsai from seeds of all types of maple, especially red, must be grown in partial shade - direct sunlight is contraindicated for it. The land for growing this species should be fertilized once a month in order to achieve the right level acidity. In winter, feeding is excluded.
Features of agricultural technology lemon bonsai
Growing a plant from lemon seeds is not difficult. In this case, no stratification is needed. The planting seeds are extracted directly from the fruit. It should be ripe, but not externally damaged. You can plant several seeds at once.
- Prepare the pot and soil as described above.
- Make 1-2 cm of drainage at the bottom of the container.
- Fill to the top with prepared soil.
- Place the lemon seeds 1.5 cm deep.
- Wrap the pot with plastic wrap.
The room where the container with seeds will be stored should be at least 18 0 С. Remove the film at intervals of 2-3 days and slightly moisten the surface with water. Do not overmoisten so that the resulting roots do not rot.
Features of agricultural technology of cedar
Cedar seeds are the easiest to grow bonsai seeds and are suitable for beginner gardeners. Seed stratification has two stages.
- Lasts 6 days. The seeds are placed in water with a temperature of 25-30 0 С and changed every two days.
- The stratification period is 60 days. The seeds are taken out of the water and mixed with a disinfected river sand and peat. This substance with seeds is moistened and mixed periodically until the first shoots hatch.
Once the sprouts have hatched, the seeds can be planted or placed in a container. In this form, cedar seeds can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 2 ° C until they are planted in a pot. Cedar trees love a lit place, but do not tolerate direct sunlight.
The exception is young bonsai from Japanese cedar seed. It will grow better in a shaded area.
Features of agricultural technology of Japanese pine
There are 2 types japanese pine: black (less demanding on lighting) and normal. Before planting, the seeds undergo a mandatory 3-month cold stratification. You need to plant seeds in a deep container to a depth of 2 centimeters. Sowing time is the end of winter.
The grooves are cut at a distance of 3 cm from each other to facilitate the care of germinated, but not yet ripe bonsai seedlings. When the first leaves appear, you can take the container out into a bright room. At fast track photosynthesis, the sprouts will get stronger faster. You can start forming the crown as soon as the plant reaches 5 cm in height.
Watering, feeding, wintering
The main problem with caring for a bonsai is watering it. Due to the small size of the pots, the roots of the tree are deformed and the efficiency from watering is reduced. There are two main methods of watering: irrigation and immersion.
- The plant is watered with water from a special teapot.
- The pot with the tree is placed in a bowl of water and taken out after a few minutes.
It is better to water it with rainwater, if it is not there, let it stand for two days with tap water.
Remember, bonsai dies without water. Even if its leaves are green, but there has been no watering for a long time, the roots are most likely dead.
In summer, watering should be done more often and more water should be poured.
When growing bonsai, feeding is important, especially at the time of crown formation. The tree is fertilized once every 2-3 weeks, and once a month it is necessary to apply fertilizer based on algae. The most important fertilizer components are potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.
Nitrogen is responsible for the growth and development of the leaves and stem of the tree. It is a major component in promoting cell division and protein production.
Phosphorus stimulates cell division, is responsible for budding and has a positive effect on the growth and development of the root. Protects against disease.
Potassium helps fight disease-causing microorganisms and promotes fruiting and flower development.
These substances must be present in bonsai food. It's hard to find in flower shops suitable option, which contains all substances in the required proportions. Therefore, we recommend mixing fertilizers yourself in the following proportions:
- in spring, when the growing season is more intense, apply more nitrogen. The optimal ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 12: 6: 6, respectively;
- in summer, food should be more balanced, so the components are added in equal proportions - 10:10:10
- in autumn less nitrogen is required, optimal ratio components 3 parts of nitrogen and 9 parts of phosphorus and potassium.
If the bonsai is grown from flowering tree- focus on adding potassium in a proportional ratio of 12: 6: 6
Indoor bonsai plants are fertilized all year round, and outdoor plants are fertilized from early spring to mid autumn. Young trees are fertilized every 2 weeks, older bonsai can be fed every 4-6 weeks. Blooming bonsai should not be fed during and immediately after flowering. When feeding, remember that it is better to apply less fertilizer than "overfeed" the plant.
When winter comes, inexperienced gardeners who have miniature trees on the street make a huge mistake - they bring them into a warm room. This behavior makes the tree grow constantly, it takes too much energy and depletes resources. Having deprived the plant of its natural "rest", all efforts can be wasted. A tree that grows outside must be properly prepared for wintering:
- Clean branches from dirt and pests.
- Move the trees to an elevated, well-lit, draft-free location in the garden.
- At temperatures below -10 0 C, transfer the plant to an unheated room.
- Make sure that the soil is not too wet.
Bonsai is an amazing art and painstaking work that begins with the selection and search for seeds and never ends. Like all living things, bonsai requires care and thanks its owner for the kindness with green leaves, bizarre shapes and unique sophistication of the image.
To consolidate the material, watch a good video on growing bonsai from seeds. The author has a lot to learn!
Growing bonsai from seeds - features of agricultural technology