In books and wikipedia, you can read that bonsai is the formation of reduced copies of plantings. But it is not so. Bonsai is a real art in which you need to put your whole soul and, of course, it is important to acquire the necessary knowledge. From this article, you will be able to learn how to make pine bonsai at home. It will feature photos and related video materials.
We invite you to learn how to make a pine bonsai with your own hands
Scots pine bonsai do it yourself in the garden
You can use pine seeds or seedlings to make a beautiful bonsai. True, the first method is time consuming. Therefore, connoisseurs of this art recommend digging a seedling in the nearest forest belt. It is desirable that it be somewhat curved, since it will be easier to form a tree from it. You should very carefully dig up the plant, otherwise you can damage the root system.
What the owner of a future bonsai might need? It's good if he prepares a container for the plant in advance, a shovel, possibly a bag. It is worth collecting the soil in which the pine tree grew, and then using it for planting on your site. The optimal time for these works is autumn.
Growing bonsai will create a luxurious masterpiece
If you want to make your own pine bonsai, we recommend that you pay attention to key stages work that must be done:
- It is necessary to choose a suitable pot for planting, the diameter of which is 15 cm or less. After that, the pine is planted and put into the garden, preferably in a shaded place. It is recommended to often water the plant, especially at the beginning of planting ambassadors.
- It is important to cover the pines with mulch, and it is desirable to form them a year after planting, when the branches are stronger.
- New green shoots are the first proof that the pine tree has taken root and it will be possible in the future to get a gorgeous miniature tree made by hand.
- At about the 4th decade of March, the seedlings need to be cut by 10 cm. Thanks to this measure side shoots activated, and the trunk thickens. If the pine needles are too thick, then it should be thinned out.
- With the onset of spring, you can already start forming a bonsai from pine with your own hands, since it has taken root and has grown stronger. First of all, bonsai connoisseurs recommend choosing suitable style and only after that form a tree.
- Aluminum wire - the best option for the formation of bonsai. It is important to carry out this procedure very carefully so as not to damage the needles. Depending on the style chosen, the wire must be bent with a spiral or at a certain angle.
- The needles are in this state for a year in order to increase the thickness of the trunk. As it increases, it can be gradually weakened. The needles themselves are carefully trimmed to stimulate the growth of new shoots.
However, growing bonsai is not only correct fit pine trees. Equally important timely care behind the tree. Otherwise, the pine tree may simply die or pests will destroy it. How to care for Scots pine bonsai? We will consider this issue in more detail below.
It is important to take good care of the bonsai so that the needles are healthy and aesthetic.
Any plant needs good care, and even more so bonsai. It is worth adhering to some basic recommendations so that the needles are healthy and aesthetic. About what in question? Caring for Scots pine bonsai comes down to the following activities. Here are the key aspects:
- periodically thin out young shoots;
- carry out moderate watering;
- provide the plant with good drainage;
- inspect bonsai for the appearance of pests (aphids, silkworms) and fight them;
- in the future, impose wire on individual branches of the needles in order to shape them.
Pine bonsai is harmonious combination crown and root system
These are the main factors in tree care. However, many people ask why it is impossible to immediately plant a seedling in the garden. The answer is pretty simple. The fact is that at the time of transplantation, the needles begin to grow the root system and crown. It is simply impossible to control all these processes in the open field. After all, pine bonsai is a harmonious combination of crown and root system. If the roots expand and deepen excessively, then this planting will no longer resemble a bonsai. That is why the first stage of growing bonsai is in a container or a special pot.
Video on how to make pine bonsai:
How to make pine bonsai correctly and not be mistaken? This question is asked by many gardeners, owners and connoisseurs of this art. Photos, videos, recommendations and tips in the article are designed to help everyone who decides to form a miniature tree with their own hands at home and on garden plot... Any effort is worth it, because a luxurious masterpiece will become an exquisite decoration for a garden or apartment.
For the Japanese, growing bonsai is a whole philosophy that combines the spiritual and physical side of the process. To an ordinary person to achieve success, you must treat this business with love and patience. You need to have some knowledge of how to make pine bonsai. Growing a bonsai on your own will take a lot of time and work. As a result amazing plant will give joy and beauty for many years.
Traditional bonsai must meet the following characteristics:
- Trunk. It should be powerful and strong, with a pronounced base and protruding roots.
- Branches. There are few branches, their lines should be harmonious and clearly visible. The trunk and branches of the bonsai give the tree that unique whimsical look.
- The form. The Japanese bonsai pine must meet one of 15 classifications. To help a beginner or experienced gardener, drawings, diagrams, photographs or your own fantasies and wishes.
- Pine in miniature should look like a tree that grows in natural conditions.
The main task when creating bonsai is to achieve slow growth of the plant. This is achieved in several ways: by frequent pruning of tree roots and shoots, artificial growth control, use special types soils, in special ways care and watering of trees.
How to grow bonsai pine outdoors
In landscape design, bonsai pine takes pride of place. Its obvious advantages are its original form, unpretentiousness to growing conditions, resistance to low temperatures, high level adaptation.
Observing certain conditions, you can grow this wonderful tree right in the ground:
A real bonsai is a visually old tree. The aging effect is achieved by artificially bending and landing branches with weights and wire. For the impression of a long-growing pine, the bark is specially cut in several places with the edge of a knife.
Scots pine bonsai formation
Scots pine can be an excellent basis for self-cultivation bonsai. Conifers differ from deciduous trees in two stages of growth per year, which should be taken into account when creating pine as a bonsai. The first growth wave occurs in late spring and is expressed in the elongation of the branches. The second wave occurs at the end of August and is characterized by thickening of the branches.
For several years, you can grow a bonsai from Scots pine with your own hands in a pot:
Scots pine bonsai should have a strong and developed superficial root structure (nebari). The growth of roots is achieved through several seasons of growth, as a result, the tree must firmly and confidently hold onto the ground.
If you plant young trees from pots in open ground, then you can get a garden bonsai from Scots pine. This is done in the fifth to sixth year of the plant's life. The advantages of growing in the garden are the rapid growth of the power of the trunk and the sufficient height of the tree. Before transplanting, the crown and trunk of the bonsai must be fully formed, that is, its proportions by this time are already fully consistent with the desired.
The formation of bonsai from pine is a balance between the creation of nature and man. In order not to disturb the harmony, several bonsai from different types trees, surrounding them with objects and plants similar in style and mood. Transforming an ordinary tree into a beautiful dwarf counterpart is fun and interesting activity... Bonsai pine will become a real decoration of the garden with its own individual outlines and lines.
Video about planting bonsai pine
Bonsai is not just about making small copies of trees. Bonsai is an art. And this art of the 22nd century. The first mention of bonsai dates back to the rule of the Chinese Tang dynasty. But art developed in Japan in the Tokugawa era - the heyday landscape design in gardens that were considered the residences of monarchs.
With every century, the growth of the plants used in bonsai has decreased. This led to its present appearance. Nowadays, bonsai is easy to buy in almost every flower shop. But forming a tree with your own hands will bring a lot of happy minutes in your life.
In order to plant bonsai, you can use plant seeds or seedlings. Let's look at the example of a pine tree and see how to form a bonsai tree with our own hands.
Pine seedlings are dug out of the forest in autumn. When digging up seedlings, choose pine trees of different shapes. This will give them different styles.
At first, seedlings cannot be separated from nature. Therefore, the pines are planted in pots and put in the garden. The diameter of the pot should be no more than 15 cm, it is better to take a couple of centimeters less.
The pots with the future bonsai should be placed in the most wind-protected place in the garden and covered with mulch. Formation will begin after the pines have moved away from winter.
In the spring, at the end of March, the seedlings are pruned to 10 cm. With this pruning, lateral shoots are activated and the trunk thickens. The trunk is cut with sharp scissors at an angle of 45 degrees. If the needles remaining on the trunk are thick enough, then they need to be thinned out.
After trimming, with the help of a wire frame, the trunk is given an interesting shape. It is best to use 3mm aluminum wire. As soon as the barrel starts to cut into the wire, it must be removed and rewound, with the condition of a new barrel thickness. Naturally, the shape should remain the same.
It is necessary to form the trunk with the help of a wire very carefully so as not to damage the needles. If you are forming several seedlings, then give them different shape... Better not to be repeated. Bonsai formation styles can be found in the literature or the Internet.
Place the pots on a small elevation in a sunny spot in the garden.
During this period of formation, bonsai need special attention devote to watering plants. Do not allow the substrate to dry out. You also need to apply fertilizers for conifers... Re-cropping is highly undesirable. A bonsai tree this fall should resemble from a distance those pines that can be observed in nature.
Before freezing, you need to cover the plants with mulch again.
In the third year, around April, bonsai are transplanted into large pots up to 25 cm in diameter. The depth of the pot should be at least 12-14 cm.
The substrate is prepared from two parts of a large river sand, two parts of perlite and a part of humus. There should be good drainage at the bottom of the pot.
Particular attention is paid to the roots of the plant. They are straightened during transplantation. In many literary works on the formation of bonsai, it is written that the roots must be trimmed. But at this stage, I would caution gardeners from this procedure. Let the roots remain as they are. True, this does not apply to broken roots. They need to be cut. After the roots are in the pot, sprinkle them with dry "Kornevin".
For the entire third year, you need to repeat the same procedures that you did a year ago - watering and fertilizing. Before freezing, you need to cut the top of the pine at the level of the uppermost branch. Again, you need to mulch the pots and wait for the winter to end.
The fourth year is the most interesting bonsai in life. The tree resembles its natural counterpart. During this period, you need to look for original design crowns.
Since I advised planting several seedlings, you need to figure out which seedling what shape will be given. To do this, you can get acquainted with the styles in bonsai from literature.
All subsequent years, you need to continue to shape the crown and trunk with the help of a haircut and pinching. You can apply wire not to the whole trunk, but to separate branches to shape only them.
Bonsai art is very challenging and interesting at the same time. Don't expect the first seedlings to turn into beautiful bonsai. Most likely it won't work. But don't be discouraged and discouraged. Keep building your tree and your work will be rewarded in the long run.
Pine bonsai is a classic bonsai in Japan and around the world.
There are about 120 types of pine in total. All of them are more or less suitable for growing bonsai, but mainly 4 types are used.
The following types of pine are used for growing bonsai:
- japanese black pine,
- scots pine,
- japanese white pine.
Japanese black pine
The most commonly used Japanese black pine is due to the fact that it, with the right content, has beautiful bark, tolerates poor conditions well, does not require nutrient-rich soils.
In Japan, many self-respecting bonsai lovers believe that a person cannot become a master without growing a bonsai from black pine. The Japanese grow black pine bonsai as a tribute to the origins of this ancient art... Despite the popularity of black pine, it should be noted that by choosing this particular type, you may encounter two problems:
- The tree has grown too long needles (wrong location, watering and feeding),
- Slow growth (biological feature of the plant).
Black pine is well suited for growing in gardens.
Black pine bonsai
Black pines tolerate poor conditions well, they can survive in nature on barren rocky soils. Black pine needles are dark gray-green 7-15 cm long. The bark is purple-gray in color, cracks with age and resembles rock.
Mountain pine.
Mountain pine is distinguished by its hardy character, accepts unfavorable weather conditions and temperature changes without changing the color of the needles. Mountain pine will withstand frost and scorching summer... With proper care, mountain pine will give dense, dense rump, and dense branches that can be cut and formed into different styles. Young tree begins its life with a crimson tint, and when it blooms, it releases beautiful pale purple flowers.
Mountain pine grows in Central Europe. The species itself is very diverse and botanists divide it into a number of subspecies and varieties. IN favorable conditions mountain pine forms dense dense shrubs or small trees. Mountain pine needles are paired, 2-5 cm long, dark green and slightly twisted. Pine blossoms with purple flowers.
Mountain pine bonsai.
Scots pine
Scots pine is the easiest and most malleable species for growing bonsai. Where other pines can "be capricious and rebellious" Scots pine will helpfully take any shape and keep it well.
Scots pine is native to Western and Northern Europe. Its needles are paired, blue-green or yellow-green, 5-7 cm long. The bark becomes scaly and reddish brown with age.
Scots pine bonsai
Japanese white pine
Japanese White pine - is unusual and has completely unique white needles. White pines are often grafted onto black pine trunks.
White pine is a conical or columnar tree, often with a spreading crown. The white pine is native to Japan. White pine needles are 2-6 cm long, dark green in color with a whitish-blue inner side.
Japanese White Pine Bonsai
Pine bonsai care rules.
Location.
Whether you are growing your bonsai in your home or garden, you need to place the tree in sunny place... When growing any pine species in full shade, you will encounter the problem of needles being too long, which is unacceptable for bonsai pine.
Pines need plenty of sunshine during the spring, summer and fall. With a lack of sun, bonsai pine often witnesses the death of branches. The tree is quite resistant to winter frost, but is afraid of cold winds. You can read, .
Watering.
It is not necessary to water the pine bonsai abundantly; it is better to do it in small doses, but regularly. Provide good drainage! The soil should be moist throughout the season.
Top dressing.
You need to feed a little every month.
Transfer.
It is necessary to replant the bonsai pine in the spring, until the buds begin to swell. This should be done every two to three years. A young tree needs replanting, as a rule, for 4 - 5 years. Mountain pine can be replanted in summer. When transplanting pine bonsai, you do not need to rinse the roots and try to wash out the old soil, on the contrary, it is recommended to leave some of the old soil, since it contains fungi that are useful for the growth and health of the pine.
Reproduction.
Propagation can be made in two ways: from seeds in April or by cuttings during the summer.
Pruning and shaping pine bonsai.
Pine is considered one of the the most complex trees for the formation of bonsai due to the fact that the very principle of pruning pine bonsai is not similar to the principles of pruning other types of bonsai. This is due to the fact that most plants grow throughout the season, releasing new shoots and leaves. The pine has one growth spurt in the second half of spring.
It should be understood that pine has its own growth zones, the characteristics of which determine the intensity of pruning.
Zone 1 is the most active. These branches grow faster and more actively than others.
Zone 2 medium strength.
Zone 3 is the least active area.
It must be understood that the formation of pine bonsai must be carried out with early age wood. Old pine trunks are impossible or very difficult to bend, they will break.
Pine trees tolerate pruning well if done carefully and no more than once a year. Pruning should not be overly radical, or the tree may die. Pruning should be done in the fall to reduce sap loss. If you need to completely delete a branch, do this in early spring, as "scars" will heal faster with spring growth... All wounds after trimming should be cleaned and sealed.
Pine bonsai crown formation.
The shaping is carried out using a wire. There are several opinions about when to start forming a bonsai pine. Somebody think best time late autumn and winter, when the tree is less active. Other bonsai enthusiasts recommend shaping in the summer when any damage can be repaired as the tree is in the growing phase. However, due to the fact that in the active phase pine branches tend to increase rapidly in thickness, when they are applied in spring or summer, we risk getting a damaged trunk and branches by autumn. When laying the wire in the fall, we can leave it on the tree until next summer without risking anything.
Kidneys.
In order to give the pine the desired appearance, it is necessary to do simple manipulations with the buds annually. Pine buds most often arise in groups. To give wood the right kind, you can keep only the buds you want. Remembering the growth zones, and the fact that the upper branches grow faster than the lower ones, follow a simple rule: leave the most developed buds on the lower branches and the least developed ones on the upper ones.
Pine Bonsai Pruning - Top Branches
Pine Bonsai Pruning - Bottom Branches
Candles.
In the spring, the buds that you have saved will stretch into candles, the size of which cannot always be predicted. These candles can also be trimmed to suit your needs. The rule is the same. The candles growing in the first zone of the tree should be pruned much more than the candles from zones 2 and 3. Do not cut all the candles at once. Do this for 2 to 3 weeks. Candles from zone 1 are reduced by ½ or 2/3. Candles from zone 3 - no more than 1/3.
Plucking Needles
Plucking needles necessary procedure for pine bonsai. This action allows air and light to penetrate the outer needles, ensuring the health and strength of the inner shoots and branches. It also promotes the diffusion of growth energy throughout the tree. Plucking needles is another way to control the height and width of a bonsai pine.
Plucking the needles is carried out from mid-July to autumn. We pluck out both old and new needles in accordance with their position on the tree. The more needles on a branch, the more active it is; by reducing the number of needles on the active branch, we will redistribute energy to less active zones.
The figure (from left to right) shows how the needles should look after plucking:
Plucking pine bonsai needles
- In zone 3. On the lower branches (leave more);
- In zone 2.
- In zone 1. Leave fewer needles at the top.
On a healthy bonsai tree, you can leave only 4 pairs of needles on the upper branches, 6 or 7 pairs on the middle level, and 8-12 on the lower branches.
Needle trimming.
It is often necessary (especially if you are dealing with black pine) to reduce the length of the needles to refine the image of the tree. You can shorten the length of the needles by reducing the amount of water and fertilizer in the spring, but not all bonsai masters like this methodas it makes the whole tree weak.
It is becoming popular these days new techniquewhich helps to reduce the length of the needles by limiting the time the tree needs to grow its needles before growth slows down or stops for the winter. The technique is as follows: shoots grow freely in spring and summer. In mid - late summer, all needles of this year are cut. The tree is trying to grow new needles - and it succeeds, however, the needles will be shorter since half the time left before winter.
This technique should only be performed on a fully formed pine tree. Needle pruning should be considered the last stage in the development of pine bonsai.
Bonsai pine is a classic of Japanese gardening art. Today, more than a hundred varieties of pine are known, which are more or less suitable for the formation of bonsai, but four of them are especially popular. Today we will tell you how to properly grow a classic bonsai from pine or fir.
To grow bonsai from pine with your own hands, you have to be patient. The main task is to do everything possible for the slow growth of the plant, which is achieved by frequent pruning of branches and roots, using special soil, and special care methods.
In general, a home bonsai should meet the following characteristics:
- have a powerful and strong trunk, which has a pronounced base, and the roots protrude slightly above the surface of the soil;
- have a small number of branches, while each should be clearly visible and in harmony with the general style of the tree;
- match one of 15 classic shapes;
- be like a tree growing in ordinary conditions.
As already mentioned, 4 main types of pine are used to plant bonsai in the garden.
Video "How to form pine bonsai"
From this video you will learn how to form a pine bonsai with your own hands.
Japanese black
This variety is used most often, as it has an attractive bark texture, is hardy and does not require nutritious soil. In Japan, growing bonsai from black pine is considered a tribute to tradition. At the same time, in the process of growing, you may encounter a number of difficulties:
- the tree forms unnecessarily long needles (this is due to improper watering, violation of the feeding regime or if the location of the pot is incorrectly chosen);
- the biological feature of this plant is its extremely slow growth.
Japanese black pine tolerates the most unfavorable conditions, surviving even on sparse rocky soils.
Japanese white
Such a bonsai will have an unusual appearance: living up to its name, white japanese pine covered with needles white... It is a conical tree with a dense spreading crown.
Mountain
Home care for mountain pine bonsai also does not require a special approach: the culture is unpretentious, tolerates significant temperature changes well, without even changing the color of its needles. Provided that such bonsai are provided the right conditions content, over time it will form lush crown with thick butchery.
In addition, this variety blooms in a delicate purple color. The crown of the plant lends itself to formation in different styles depending on the preferences of the gardener.
Ordinary
Bonsai grown from Scots pine is the most affordable and simple option in our latitudes. In cases where other species require special conditions of detention, pine will obediently "fulfill" all the requirements of the gardener, taking the desired form. The variety has paired needles of a yellow-green hue and a red-brown scaly bark.
Planting and growing conditions
As for how to grow a classic pine bonsai, the secret is to limit the growth of the root system of the tree as much as possible (such trees grow in small bowls). Thanks to this approach, the ground part of the tree is inhibited and the desired dwarfism of the plant is achieved.
Before planting a seedling, it is recommended to prune the root system, with an emphasis on the main root shoot. Do not forget that a large stone should be laid at the bottom of the container, which is covered with earth. After that, the plant itself is already planted.
Care rules
Whether you are growing your bonsai from fir or any of the listed pines, the plant needs plenty of sunshine. If you place a container with a tree in a shaded area, you will get too long needles, which is not welcome in the art of bonsai. In addition, due to a lack of lighting, the branches may begin to die off the tree.
Another danger is drafts. Try to protect your plant from them as much as possible.
Watering and feeding
The plant needs moderate but regular watering. It is important that the growing pot contains sufficient layer drainage material... Try to keep the soil constantly moist. Bonsai are fed with a small amount of complex fertilizers, and no more than once a month.
Reproduction
There are two ways to grow a young bonsai from an adult plant: from seeds sown in the spring, or from cuttings, which should be rooted during the summer.
Transfer
It is advisable to transplant a pine in early spring - before the buds swell. This is done every 2-3 years, and during the initial planting of a seedling no earlier than 4-5 years later. When carrying out the procedure, do not try to thoroughly clean the roots of the plant from the remnants of the old soil - on the contrary, it will be better if it remains, since this soil contains a lot of compounds useful for the tree.
Trimming and shaping
It is difficult to form bonsai from pine, due to the fact that the principle of pruning is not similar to other crops. The fact is that the period of active growth in a plant occurs exclusively in the second half of the spring season, unlike other trees.
Another feature is separate zones growth, differing in activity. So, the top is the fastest growing zone, the upper lateral shoots are characterized by medium vigor, and the lower ones are weak.
Formation should begin from a young age of the seedling, since mature tree almost impossible to bend, making it grow in the direction you want. As a rule, formative pruning is carried out in autumn timeto minimize the loss of juices by carefully handling the sections.
What to do with the kidneys
Pine buds grow in small groups. To make your bonsai take what you want appearance, you can do the following with the buds: remove them on the upper branches (which grow the fastest) and leave them on the lower ones, the process of formation and growth of which is slower.
Actions with candles
With the coming of spring, the buds you saved will begin to stretch into candles, the size of which can vary. They can also be pruned depending on the desired crown shape, guided by the same rule for the activity of tree growth zones. You should not cut off all the candles at one time - it is better to extend the procedure for 2-3 weeks.
Plucking needles
This is one of mandatory procedures, without which air and sunlight will not be able to penetrate to the inner shoots through the outer needles. In addition, by plucking, you can also control the width and height of the tree crown.
The manipulation is carried out from the second half of July until the onset of autumn. Both old and young needles are subject to removal. We are guided by simple rule: the more needles on a certain branch, the more activity of growth it differs. By removing some of the needles, we can redistribute vitality plants to other zones.
Needle trimming
Sometimes it is necessary to shorten the needles to make the tree look harmonious. To do this, proceed as follows: allow the tree to freely grow needles during the spring and all summer, and at the end of August, cut off all the needles that have grown during this season.
Of course, the tree will try to actively grow the lost needles, and it will succeed. But the needles will be much shorter, which is what we wanted.
Remember: this method is only good for a fully formed tree, a young seedling can be significantly affected by the procedure.
Now you know how to make pine bonsai with your own hands.