What Is Bonsai

It is best to imagine a shape that was formed due to the crushing weight of heavy winter snows, land slides or mud slides. Trim away and branches that face directly the side of the container.

It's a full-size tree that is maintained in miniature by pruning. However, this is a misconception. You can also choose from a wide variety of fruit trees as bonsai. It offers fragrant, showy spring flowers that transform into black cherries.If you are...

Yews and other tough evergreens can be heavily pruned right away to give your bonsai its initial form. Bonsai pots need excellent drainage. New growth is pruned and shaped, and the main branches and lateral roots often take on a gnarled appearance.

Duckweed in the water as well as algae can help add color and realism. Look for small leaved/flowering species.You can't have bonsai without mosses! They can act as grass and bushes for even the tiniest Mame.

Allow several hours for the glue to dry then fish it out of the sand. Place the pot in the center of the bowl and firmly press down to get the sand stuck. Create a bead of glue along the top edge of your pot.

If you're afraid of getting bogged down try breaking the project up into easy to handle installments.I want to thank, slyperso1, commons.wikimedia.org, for the use of photos and Daves Garden for the general inspiration in the writing of this article.

Decorative plant stands are a good choice to keep clutter at a minimum if you can find one that fits your room's style.If you must put multiple plants on a stand, try to keep the pots the same or color coordinated.As a general rule, you want the plant,...

The photo on the right shows the demonstrator hacking off nearly half this bonsai treeIf dealing with cacti, the same rules apply though there is rarely much reason for pruning, other than to remove suckers that don't match or are damaged/rotting.Cactus...

That's about it.I didn't even know how to pronounce "bonsai" correctly, as it turns out.Bonsai, pronounced like "bone-sigh," means shallow dish (bon) and plant (sai). I mean, picking out a pot is pretty foolproof, right?

A normal-sized tree -- fichus, myrtle, hibiscus, pines and junipers, as well as other varieties -- is trained through pruning, potting and wiring to be miniature. The oldest bonsai trees are more than 500 years old.

Of all the fascinating things a gardener can do in the landscape, topiary heads the list for creative challenge while providing unique and interesting contrasts. This artful pruning skill is, by no means, modern; several sources cite the Persian Empire...

Only keep the sprouts that grow from the part of the potato that appears above the soil.Water your potato bonsai once a week, if it is growing indoors, and once a day, if it is growing outdoors.Once your potato bonsai tree has several leaves on the sprout,...

Ponytail bonsai plants are an interesting addition to any home decor and can be grown indoors or out (during the warm season). Careful attention to keeping the soil moist but not overly saturated will help to prevent this from happening.It is generally...

Only water the plant when the top of the soil is dry to the touch.You'll want to feed your bonsai bougainvillea regularly. Take off a little bit at a time to shape the plant and promote a center trunk.

Photo courtesy Ken Colwell This week, the world lost a very special lady, a lady who faced many of life's hardships and yet always seemed to present herself with grace and gentleness.

I often look at the work they've done and wonder how it's possible. Their enthusiasm for the things that make them tick—be it their families, community service, careers or hobbies—can't be hindered, and when I find myself in a state of discouragement,...

With care and attention, a jade plant can make an attractive bonsai.Jade plants can be trained to be attractive bonsai.Find a pot that is large enough to allow the jade plant to grow—it should be slightly wider and deeper than the plant and its root...

This pruning technique is necessary to form the low, sweeping characteristic common in bonsai art.Cut a length of flexible, sturdy wire that measures about twice the height of your cedar tree.

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Almost any orange tree will make a good bonsai. Place a mesh screen in the bottom of a bonsai tray. Potted citrus trees such as calamondin or hardy oranges such as trifoliate orange adapt well to bonsai container culture.Determine which style of bonsai...

Because this technique results in garden beds with a long-term soil fertility advantage, it's best to spend some time thinking about how and where to locate your huegel before you start assembling.

(We just won't think about that distant part of the cycle right now.) This positive thinking might not have warmed my frozen toes or made my car door usable again, but it did offer a mental reprieve from the frightful weather outside.

Homeopathy was very popular during the 19th century, when one in five doctors was a homeopathic physician. Suggested uses and dosages are printed on remedy labels, but those are only guidelines.

Keeping plants in the house, such as a bonsai tree, can be an inexpensive yet productive and rewarding hobby. Use the same type of soil and planting pot as you did before, so that the bonsai is used to its surroundings.

The toxic berries and plant parts may produce adverse effects in humans and animals.Winterberries provide winter-long interest in the garden and make beautiful cut stems, but they also contain an alkaloid nearly identical to caffeine in coffee.

Dreaming of a particular chicken breed to add to your flock? I think this sentiment is especially applicable to farmers, homesteaders and rural dreamers alike. I currently live in a second-floor apartment that doesn't get direct sunlight, so my chicken-keeping...

Sometimes it's a new supplement. I took a quick look at my typical herbal seed and plant providers and found ashitaba seed readily available from Horizon Herbs, where owner Richo Cech has been growing tomorrow's leaf since Dec.