Growing a bonsai can be a challenging yet rewarding hobby.
Bonsai is an ancient art that miniaturizes what is seen in nature. While they may look complicated, they actually are quite easy to make and just as easy to maintain. The first thing that the beginning gardener needs to do before making a bonsai is to look at nature. Notice how the elements such as wind, water and sun have affected trees and shrubs. The intention of bonsai is to mimic nature in miniature.
Instructions
1. Juniper is a popular evergreen variety for beginners.
Choose a juniper plant from the nursery and measure the diameter of the trunk. This measurement will be used to pick the container depth. If the trunk is 2 1/2 inches or less in diameter, use a container that is no more than 2 1/2 inches deep. If the trunk is larger than 2 1/2 inches, use that measurement for the depth of the container. Measure the bottom of the container and cut a piece of plastic mesh to those dimensions.
2. Cut 2 feet of the 12-gauge electrical copper wire and fold in half. Run both ends from underneath the pot through the drainage holes and up through the plastic mesh.
3. Mix 1 cup of loam and 2 cups each of sphagnum peat moss and granite grit or sharp sand in a bucket.
4. Remove the juniper from its nursery container and remove as much of the existing soil from the roots as possible.
5. Pruning the roots of the juniper will help the plant develop a stronger root system.
Remove most of the thin white roots, called feeder roots, and some of the old roots until half to two thirds of the root mass is gone.
6. Place the root ball in the container and wrap the electrical copper wire around it to secure it to the container. Fill in around the root ball with your homemade bonsai soil. Gently tap the container on a solid surface like a table to settle the soil. Water the bonsai.
7. Hand pruners and a small pair of scissors are handy to use when pruning a bonsai.
Begin shaping your bonsai in the "slanting style" by first removing some vegetation with scissors and pruners until the bottom third of the trunk is exposed. Observe the remaining branches and pick three on the first level. Remove vegetation in between these branches. Continue with this thinning process until you reach the top of the plant. Wrap 12-gauge wire around the trunk and bend it in one direction to create a slant. Alternatively, place the pot on a slanted surface, which will make the plant naturally grow "up," creating a slanted trunk. Wrap jewelry wire around each branch and move the branches so that one extends toward the front, one toward the back and one in the direction of the slant. Continue this process with the remaining branches.
8. Sometimes surprising and beautiful things emerge from the wild moss.
Place a layer of wild moss on top of the soil to cover the copper wire, add a decorative touch and conserve soil moisture. You can easily find wild moss in your backyard around the base of trees, or in the woods.
