Soil for perfect Bonsai

• HOW TO MOVE

A bonsai needs small quantity of soil to thrive. This soil helps it to have water, gases and other nutrients. Only for this reason the soil on which the plant is placed must be of good quality. The health and growth of a tree fundamentally depends on a good soil.

• HOW TO CHOOSE

To have the best achievement such a soil is necessary which has the capacity of water retaining and nutrient absorbing power. Hence the soil is the prime object to give the actual thrust for its perfect development. If dead organic matters are added the soil is boosted to retain water and nutrients to a large extent. Hence it should always be taken into account soil is the first vital need of a perfect bonsai.

• DRAINAGE IS MUST

Next the question of drainage system comes. Water is a must for the vitality of the plant. But it must be added in proper quantity. If watering is excessive the roots would rot. Then the total effort would be nothing but a big zero. Drainage should be basically done with small stones that keep the pores open and allow the excess water to pass in easily. Again good drainage aids to have the compost perfect air. The tree then gets the proper nourishment.

• VARIETIES TO NOTICE

It is known to all that bonsai requires such soil that retains water and allows extra water to be drained. But there is an opposite factor too. Pine and juniper need less water that hints at the point that they need a soil that does not retain water. Again flower plants and fruit trees need excessive water and require such soil that has a high power of water retention. Hence there lies the fact while preparing soil the number of small stones should be taken into account.

• ORGANIC OR INORGANIC

Soil is prepared in two ways- organic and inorganic. The two types of soil need stones for drainage but there remains the factor of water retentive power. Organic soil is prepared quite easily taking materials from the garden or from stores. But preparation of inorganic soil is difficult. Volcanic lava or baked clays are necessary to get it a new brand.

• THE PERFECT WAY

The ideal bonsai soil should be 50% stones and 50% peat. They act accordingly. Organic substitutes are leaves and composted bark .But organic substances have problems too. They are to a great extent water retentive and prone to breaking down. On the other hand inorganic soil contains a certain quantity of water and flushes the excess through the bottom of the pot. Akadama, white Japanese clay, is specific for a bonsai but can be had from the nurseries only.

Bonsai art came in china about 1000 years back, but the Japanese modified it to the full extent. Now this style is very popular all over the globe. Bonsai is a Japanese word that means ‘tree on a pot ‘. In this process a tree is placed in a pot and dwarfed through pruning the roots and the branches, using wire around the trunk and branches. The tree is small but looks like a matured tree. It is indeed a wonderful piece of art.

It is the ritual to have the desired shape balancing above the ground growth and the root growth. When the tree is young the shaping is done. The process goes on with the maturity. A copper wire is used on the trunk and the branches to control the shape of the tree. The entire tree must have a proportionate size to have the leaves, flowers and fruits. Bonsai has different size, miniature, small, medium and average.

The miniature is just two inches in height. The small is two and six inches. The medium is six to twelve inches and the average grows up to two feet. Bonsai can be had from seeds or cuttings. Growing from seeds is the best process. It may be a magnificent piece of art. Cutting is of two types-hardwood and softwood. It is evident that the most of the bonsai trees are made from cutting. Growing bonsai is an important part as it takes a small containers and a small quantity of soil.

It must be taken into account that the roots are not over watered. Special bonsai soil yields good trees. The special soil dries easily in comparison to standard household soils. It must be remembered that as there is little soil water is needed in small quantity. Bonsai must be administered nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid. If chemical iron is added it may be much fruitful to thrive. Bonsai enjoys humidity. Hence it may be placed in a shallow tray with water. If it is done water easily evaporates and the humidity remains intact. Pebbles may be added to the soil for fine drainage.

Sunlight is a vital ingredient except at the time of pruning and repotting. It is not an easy task to grow a bonsai tree. It is an uphill task, a perfect challenge. The man who is creative and have enough patience may be rewarded at the last hour. The only thing that can be stressed on is that a tree is small, but there is big toil behind it. Not only a bonsai art, every object of art has tears and wears behind it. There are so many people who like gardening, but not all of them have the ability to grow a bonsai. It is the basic instinct of an artist that can grow a tree after his own fashion and choice. Again, to be very cautious is the prime factor of a perfect bonsai creator. It is not to grow but to take constant vigil as if it is his dear one.