How to Shape Bonsai
During the first year of growing bonsai, you will not need to wire the plant unless you see a need to. You can lightly wire the plants if you begin growth at the harden stage. You must remove the wires shortly however to promote healthy growth.
How to shape formal uprights:
If you are, growing formal upright bonsai tie the trunk so that it grows upright. You can tie it to a stake that has a straight guide. The stake should be positioned close to the tree. You want to avoid injuring the roots, therefore when you tie the tree be sure to caution work between the tree and stake. At a few intervals, you want to tie the strings around the trunk and wrap them loosely. Use materials, such as nylon to avoid injury.
After the plant starts growth, you want to focus on the branch tips. Nip them so that the branches do not grow wildly. Fine twigs promote great shaping techniques to grow bonsai. You want to prune the roots during the spring, i.e. each spring. You can lift the plants from its container to complete the task.
You want to make sure that you prune your plants as recommended. Likely, you will receive instructions if you purchase your bonsai at nurseries, garden centers, etc. Few of the plants, such as the Russian olives, privet, hedge-styled maples, mulberry, and the wild plum will grow up to 6-feet tall if you do not follow pruning instructions. To help you understand the plants we can discuss a few details that outline the selection.
Privet: Privets are common hedged evergreen shrubs that grow minute size white flowers in clusters. The trees also grow blackberries. Its Latin name is Ligustrum Vulgare Ligustrum ovalifolium. What a name!
Russian olives: The olive trees grow green or black fruits. The minute sized oval has a bitter taste. The pitted fruits are green until they start to ripen, which then the fruits are black. Olives is our source of olive oils. Some of the olives come from native or Mediterranean regions, such as the group of Olea Europaea. Olive trees produce fine wood, which is used as ornaments, or decorative.
The hedged maples grow edible fruits, which are purple. The deciduous trees grow in temperate climates, which silkworms often feed off the leaves. The Morus Genus also cast tinges of gray or red, which is sometimes called the murrey.
The wild plums are found living freely in natural habitats, such as parks, fields, gardens, etc. The plums are minute sized fruit trees that derived from the rose family and produces oval or round fruits with smooth skin. The Prunus Genus fruits contain flat pits.
Maples are deciduous trees that grow winged seeds. The northern temperate plant has separating leaves. During fall months, the colors are appealing, and often the seeds occur in pairs. The Genus Acer is cultivated in various lands for its wood, which produces sub-floors, floor covering, and furniture. The sap is used as flavoring once processed from the sap.
If you are new to growing bonsai, you may want to learn more about the easier plants to propagate or germinate. The best way to learn about bonsai is to visit stores, such as nurseries, garden centers, etc, and study each specimen. You can ask the clerks to provide you brief details of the plants. You may want to research the bonsai groups before visiting the nurseries, or garden centers however. Online you will find information, including the names of each bonsai. Ultimately, you can visit your local library to learn more about bonsai.
Earlier we spoke of the Japanese White Pine, which the details covered basic care. We can continue to learn more about caring for the Japanese White Pine to help you continue training your plant as the bonsai.