This post was written by Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer is the owner of Dallas Bonsai Garden. Dallas Bonsai Garden is the world's largest bonsai supply superstore. See 'Guest Writers' page and business directory.

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“A tree is a wonderful living organism which gives shelter, food, warmth and protection to all living things. It even gives shade to those who wield an axe to cut it down” – Buddha.

We as Bonsai lovers give the shelter, food, warmth and protection to the tree and a wonderful living organism it sure is. So many people miss or ignore the beauty of things around them in the natural world and bonsai to many people are just little tree’s in pots. I believe that many people are blind to this beauty and I myself up until a few years ago did not see anything special about bonsai. As an art form bonsai is up there with the best and is never static or finished.

As you begin your journey into the world of bonsai you may come across what is termed by many as mallsai. These are just little tree’s in pots and not in most cases bonsai. To be called bonsai a tree must have certain attributes that the vast majority of mallsai sold in hardware stores and supermarkets up and down the country are lacking. Bonsai should represent fully grown mature tree’s in nature and yet mallsai are often sold in plastic gift bags. Avoid growing malsai if you wish to expand your knowledge of bonsai and appreciation of nature and all living things.

What is bonsai you may ask? Bonsai is a tree planted in a pot but not just that as it must on a much smaller scale look like a fully grown tree and be pruned in different ways to achieve the illusion of age even on a relatively young tree. The pot also plays a big part and it must not distract from the tree and it also has to be the right size for the tree.

I have only started my journey into the world of bonsai but I already know that it is a road that I will never turn back on and as far as this road leads me I will follow it. I have a small collection of bonsai and yamadori which are tree’s collected from the wild and I hope to learn and pass on knowledge as many great bonsai masters have passed on to me through their books and videos. I guess though we all must learn the hard way at some point so what are you waiting for.

This post was written by Wayne Cosgrove

I love to be in my garden doing something new to improve it and bonsai has become a great passion of mine in recent years. I am always looking for potential trees to shape into great works, especially Yamadori.

Bonsai has become one of the most popular hobbies worldwide. Some hobbies such as Ikebana are based on artistic expression while growing cactus is based on horticultural knowledge for that particular range of species. Bonsai straddles the artistic and horticultural worlds. Yes, we need to know the means required to take care of, grow and maintain the tree but the tree that is growing will only grow in a random style and would take many years of growth to achieve its final mature image.

The artistic input means that we can develop that tree onto a miniature image of its final destination in a very short period. Keeping the roots and branches dense and healthy, while growing the plant in a shallow container and pruning and shaping the branches into a tree like structure that will eventually give the illusion of a mature, full grown, or very old tree, requires knowledge.

Growing Bonsai is an art form. Reading this article and attending a convention will contribute to your artistic knowledge, as will going to classes by Bonsai Masters. Without the artistic knowledge, it can be difficult to understand the techniques that are required to get to this point of its development into a Bonsai. Perspective, placement and design are all part of this process. Looking at nature and seeing ideas from the forests, plains, deserts and mountains can all help us become better Bonsai artists.

Understanding perspective is probably the most important element in Bonsai Design.

We are creating illusions, an illusion perhaps, to something that can be anything from 50 to many hundreds percent larger. Skill is necessary to do this and this book should help you with some projects that look at different ways of creating that illusion. For example, perspective planting where the illusion of distance is achieved by planting a tall Bonsai slightly towards the front of the pot while placing a similar shaped but much  smaller one slightly to the rear and one side of the pot will give the illusion of distance.

What we should also look at  the work from Bonsai Masters from around the globe as they deliver their own thoughts and designs. This should give you some insight into how these quite different artists approach a subject.

In many countries other than the west and Japan, Bonsai are called by other names. In Vietnam the style of planting preferred over Bonsai are called Hon Non Bo and in China, Penjing. Of course, the art has developed in different ways around the world and no more so than in the west. The generic name of Bonsai was taken originally from the Chinese Pentsai nearly one thousand years ago and translated in a literal form by the Japanese as Bonsai.  The present day Bonsai that is practiced in places outside Japan can be quite different to that practiced inside Japan.

Naturally, each country has its own species, climatic conditions and the practitioners of the art of Bonsai are at many differing levels of competence.  As a teacher of Bonsai, I feel that it is always better to return to a ‘back to basics’ section in any article that I write to bring the newer growers, as well as more experienced growers, the opportunity to see new techniques or perhaps offer some suggestions to develop their own abilities based on correct basic techniques.

Article written by Craig Coussins and originally published in his third and fourth books, Bonsai School and Bonsai Masterclass. Available from Amazon Books.

This post was written by Craig Coussins

Craig Coussins has been a Bonsai grower for nearly 40 years and a teacher of Bonsai for nearly 35 years. He is not a commercial grower. Although Bonsai has always been a hobby it has also been a very important part of his life. Read more in the 'Guest Writers' page.

In the April ezine I ran two competitions. One was for Bonsai tips for beginners and the second, I asked collectors to send me a short description of their love affair with their favourite tree.

The best entry for the favourite tree was from Wayne Cosgrove from Co.Wexford, Ireland.

My best and most loved bonsai is my CRYPTOMERIA japonica or temple cedar.

This tree was a 6ft tall bush when I bought it but I done some radical pruning and now it stands at 30 inches. It is a twin trunk style and I think the tree gives off a sense of majesty and assurance and also age which is what we strive for in bonsai but young or old the tree’s soul is most important.

Ok here is the funny bit.

My beloved Cryptomeria bonsai is in fact potted in an Emile Henry oven dish which I got from a friend who was chucking it out. I drilled some drainage holes in the base and it passes as an oval bonsai pot.

I just hope my bonsai does not cook in the summer sun.

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

The April newsletter was just sent to all subscribers, aptly named ‘April showers, no snow please’ after the the snow showers we had over the past few days. It should disappear by morn!

In this months newsletter we are offering two competitions, one for members offering a selection of Bonsai books and meditation CD’s from Damascus Acoustic Meditations. For non-members we have a great prize if you are a collector of Bonsai books and that is a specially signed copy of one Craig Cousins Bonsai books. To enter see competition page for more details.

Other news:

A prominent Irish Bonsai collector passed away last September and I have been asked by his family to sell off his collection of over 200 trees. The range of trees is mainly outdoor trees, including a selection of Yamadori. More details to follow in the May newsletter.

Bonsai Activities for April:

Your main focus of activity for April is trimming. As spring has finally started the growth on your Bonsai tree will become elongated and out of form from your preferred design. Trim back the leaf growth and remove unwanted suckers from the base of the tree. The following video will show some pruning techniques as well as showing you how to create a Bonsai from nursery stock.

The subject tree is a Juniper. For more information on Juniper for beginners see the following post.

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

Caring for delicately scented Japanese orchids is a bit different than for most other garden flowers. They are epiphytes, which mean that rather than growing in soil, their roots are exposed to the air. In the wild orchids grow on other plants, using them for mechanical support. Orchids are not parasitic. They get their nutrients from the air and are sometimes called aerophytes, or air plants. Most Japanese orchids have white blossoms, but they can be found in subtle shades of pink and yellow.

The easiest way to grow them at home is to use a small flower pot filled halfway with coconut fibre. Bonsai planters will work as well, but since most of these are shallower, you must take more care with watering.

After wrapping the roots of the orchid in sphagnum moss, place the orchid in the flower pot, making sure that the crown, or top, of the orchid sits above the rim of the pot. Water just enough to dampen both the coconut fiber and the moss. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then pour the excess water out of the drain tray. It is important for the moss to be kept moist. (Do not leave your Orchid standing in water as it will drown)

If you have decided to go with a bonsai planter, you may have to adjust your watering schedule to make sure the moss in the bottom of the tray does not dry out. Using a deeper bonsai planter dish tends to hold moisture longer than a shallower tray.

Orchids like plenty of light  (but not direct light) and prefer temperatures between 24 to 30 Celsius during the day. Night temperatures should not get much below 18 degrees Celsius. Japanese orchids are more robust than most other varieties and will tolerate slightly cooler temperatures.

Use lukewarm distilled water to mist your orchids once every other day during the spring and summer seasons. Avoid tap water since it may have chemicals that might harm the plant.

Fertilize your orchid once a month from early spring until the autumn. Fertilizing is not necessary in winter since the plant won’t be actively growing. Liquid or water soluble types of orchid fertilizer are advised. Fertilizers may cause salt and mineral build up in the bottom of the flower pot. Changing the coconut fiber once a year prevents this build up from harming the orchid.

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This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

Feb, first month of spring, first month of new growth in a new year. The Snowdrops are flowering and the daffs are pushing through. The snows on my hilly backdrop are clearing, it is still cold outside with that sharp Irish dampness that does its best not to heal your bones.

Irish Bonsai Society

Interest is growing with feedback from all parts of Ireland. Fill out the interest form or join i-bonsai.com.

Bonsai Tasks

By now you have all your pots cleaned and new soils prepared for repotting. This year for a change I am using Akadama, why. Akadama is great for retaining moisture and over time it will break down to suit the roots. Yesterday I repotted a Jack Pine and a Spruce. I always place the repotted trees in the coldframe until the harshest of the frosts has cleared, which is normally around mid-March. These trees can be repotted now as they are a native species tree and very hardy. The more tender varieties can wait till towards the end of the month.

Your Indoor trees, Serissa and Chinese elm can be repotted in late spring.

Tree Seeds

Don’t forget to inspect your tree seeds and plan the next stage, which should be transplanting if in the fridge stratifying.  My Larch seeds (about 60 seeds) were placed in the fridge six week ago and now will be planted in a fine coarse soil mixture. The Blue Jacranda seeds have already sprouted and are approximately 2 cm high. These are indoor trees. They will be kept with bottom heat until the end of March to encourage the roots.

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.

Article Source

This post was written by Jarret Cade

Find out more about how to care for, maintain and keep a jade bonsai over at http://jadebonsaitree.com

Azalea bonsai are some of the more common bonsai adaptations that were introduced when bonsai was first imported over from China to Japan. It is one of the more beautiful plants to adapted to bonsai style gardening.

The Azalea bonsai is a member of the genus Rhododendron. This simply indicates that the Azalea bonsai is an evergreen that adapts itself to a shrub type formation. Small shrubs typically grow to less than 6 feet in height. The Azalea Rhododendron actually can be divided into between 500-900 species.

Since they display very large beautiful flowers they present a very stunning and elegant style of bonsai plant. This is the primary reason that the Azalea bonsai has become very popular with Bonsai gardeners.

Care of the Azalea Bonsai

It is critical for peak condition that you avoid exposing this plant to direct sun during the spring and summer months. This plant will reward for your efforts on being placed in an area of filtered or indirect sun light. The plant does not need to be brought indoors during the winter and in fact can perform well outdoors even in winter climates although it will require some protection from severe conditions. An outdoor greenhouse can provide beautiful results.

For those who want to keep their bonsai indoors year-round, the azalea is quite suitable to that application. A cool window and plenty of light is considered optimum for keeping an azalea indoors during the winter months as is the necessity for frequent misting and maintain a higher level of humidity.

When considering watering options you will find that the plants respond very well to rainwater. Collection of rainwater to a storage container will reward you with healthier plants. The azalea bonsai plant will deteriorate quickly if the roots are allowed to dry out so moisture should be maintained in the soil at all times.

You will benefit from repotting as required to maintain appropriate space for full root development and you should monitor the soil to ensure the slightly higher acidity level preferred by the azalea. PH balance needs to be 4.5 to 5.5. It is best to use a soil specifically designed for Azaleas. Repotting should be undertaken in spring after the flowers have died. Repotting is required annually for the first couple of years, and every two or three years for more mature azalea bonsai.

Fertilize your azalea at about every other week in the spring time until flowering diminishes. Thereafter, monthly feedings will satisfy nutrition requirements. You should use an acid based fertilizer such as you would find available by Miracle Gro. In the late summer or early fall, reduce nitrogen from the fertilizer mixture and begin increasing the amounts of phosphorus and potassium. This will assist your azalea bonsai to set buds and blossoms for next season.

Also, if you repot with an amended, peat based soil in spring you may not be required to fertilize until autumn. It is recommended that you discontinue fertilizing your azalea bonsai during the hottest months of the summer in order guard against burning your plants.

Pruning should be practiced in late summer taking care to seal significant wounds. This plant will produce shoots from old wood. These often occur in clumps of 5 or 6. Proper pruning will reduce the number of new shoots to one or two. The number of leaves on these new shoots should also be reduced. This will ensure that these newly formed branches will receive more that adequate nutrition and light to develop in to strong, healthy new branches.

The weakest trait may be that the branches are relatively brittle and the bark thin and tender. For this reason, great care must be taken when wiring and shaping branches. Softer aluminum wire is recommended, accompanied by the liberal use of such as raffia to protect the delicate surfaces.

Written by Thomas Hendricks

This post was written by Paul Masterson

Paul is a collector of Bonsai, tropical plants and owner of Bonsai.ie.