I live in Columbia, MO. I want to begin growing a tree and make it a Bonsai. Which plant to use for indoor bonsai in midwest region?
Archive for category Juniper Bonsai Care
Bonsai master Walter Pall in Croatia, Kastela, Vitturi castle, 2007. – demonstration on Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis) – part 1/4 To see tree developement visit W. Pall’s gallery – walter-pall.de
Hello Bonsai devotees, my name is Suhendra. I want to share my knowledge about Ficus Glomerata Variegata (Loa Varigata in Indonesian Language). I bought the bonsai in northern Bandung in 2004. I drove my own car accompanied by employees. When arrived, I see numerous small and raw bonsai. Some were good, but some were only raw bonsai. Then the owner invited us to see his farm, which had raw bonsai planted in soil and polybags. Some of them were planted from seeds, graftings, and natures.
In his farm I saw a Kaliandar Variegata whose flowers were red, like timber tree flowers and I wanted to buy it. Unfortunately, the owner didn’t sell because he said it will die if dug in dry season. I was quite confused, since the tree was 2 meter height and had so many saplings. Why didn’t he separate them and planted in pots or polybags to be sold. I think the tree was good, because it had yellow striped leaves that very contrast plus red flowers. I thought it will attract so many people to buy.
When we were talking, he mentioned about Ficus Glomerata Variegata whose fertile was not good. I was interested to know more because I was interested in collecting rare plants especially that could be created as bonsai. When I saw the plant, it was only planted in polybag using unhulled paddy (paddy plants /rice that are hulled and then separated from the stalks) as media. It was put in the middle of higher trees, so there was possibility watering process could not be completed. Sunshine was also not than one hour, and there were so many branches were not cut in the lower position that made the variegata lost. I think that were the factors.
After I bought and took it home, I did the repotting: 1 part soil + 2 part fertilizer + 1 part Malang sand (any sand taken from volcanoes). Before the substances mixed in pot, the bottom should be covered by filter to shut the hole. On the filter put rough sand (2-3 mm), then softer sand (1 mm), and goat manure (mixed with unhulled paddy) with comparison 1:1. Cut all the branches, leaves including the green and variegata from the stalk. After that, pull the tree from its polybag, clean the soil, and cut and the oversized roots. Finally, put the tree in the pot, do watering, and keep in shaded place. Put in a place with 2 hour morning sunshine when the tree grows new buds. After having many variegata leaves, full dry in the sun. When the tree grow green leaves, cut immediately.
The result after 6 months, the tree became so fertile and good. So I started to shape it with Slanting Style. After 2 years with good nursery, it became 80% qualified bonsai. I kept doing the intensive care for the purpose of joining National Bonsai Competition.
One day there was a bonsai lover outside Bandung city came to my place to see bonsai. When he saw the Ficus Glomerata Variegata, he was so impressed and eager to buy it. I understood his feeling, because I had ever the same experiences when I wanted to buy good and rare bonsai tree. After he did some very good offer, I sold the tree. Why? Because I had the saplings from prior graftings, so I still could have the same trees. I felt happy because there was a person who appreciated my work from the same hobby.
And that’s the whole story and experience about how to do repotting and plant bonsai with the substances made especially for the Ficus Glomerata Variegata. I hope my information could give positive input for you, the world bonsai devotees. Thank you.
Suhendra is the owner of Bonsai Star Gallery (http://www.bonsaistar.com) and former chief of Bandung-Indonesia Bonsai Society (2003-2004). In his site you will get information on bonsai Tree, bonsai plant, bonsai for sale and everything about bonsai.
I bought a cheap bonsai before I knew anything about the art and now I want to save it. How do I get the glued rock cover off without hurting my ficus?
Bonsai, as everybody knows, is an Eastern practice of miniaturizing trees and plants in a container. A Japanese word, the term ‘bonsai’ means tray gardening. Research has it, that ‘bonsai’ has its predecessor in the Chinese ‘penjing’. The Korean craft of ‘bunjae’, also shares a remarkable likeliness.
Ancient China is said to be the birth place of this miniaturization activity. Like martial arts, the origin of this miniaturizing trait, too had a need that had to be met. The martial arts evolved as a necessary instrument of self-defense, required for the monks on their long and hazardous missions of propagating peace. Similarly, it is said, that this art came into being as it was seen as the best way to transport medicinal plants over a long distance.
The Chinese Tang dynasty is supposed to have encouraged this activity. In fact, it is also seen that cultural emissaries from this period had visited Japan and introduced this wonderful art.
The Chinese ‘penjing’ is highly influenced by the tenets of Taoism. The Chinese thought of the bifurcation of the world energy into two different forces, the yin and the yang forms the aesthetic ideal of the ‘penjing’ artist. In China, the creative value of ‘penjing’ is the same as that of calligraphy, poetry, garden art and brush painting.
The Japanese ‘bonsai’, naturally, has evolved with a slightly different perspective. The Japanese see the ‘bonsai’ as the manifestation of ‘heaven and earth in one container’. Shin-zen-bi or truth, essence and beauty are the three things that form a Japanese bonsai.
Pine, maple, elm, flowering apricot, Japanese wisteria, juniper, flowering cherry, azalea and larch are common Japanese subjects for bonsai-making. The Japanese school lays special emphasis on being natural. The trees have to be life-like without betraying the sign of human effort that had gone behind its making.
Over the years, a lot of style has developed as far as the art of bonsai-making is concerned. However, formal upright, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft, literati, and group-forest are the most common styles.
The formal upright version comprises a tapering trunk and layered branches. The informal upright style has the tree positioned just the way as it is done in a formal upright style. However, it is dubbed as ‘informal’ as it allows for an occasional bend or a curve.
Waterside trees or those that are found on mountains are stylized in the cascade and the semi-cascade style. Cascades fall below the base of the container whereas semi-cascades lean over the rim.
Raft-style bonsai are well-known for mimicking the natural phenomenon. Raft bonsai, specializes in keeping the original root-system intact and in touch with the soil. The Literati style is characterized by a small number of branches placed higher up on a long, contorted trunk. Technically speaking, the literati style is a complicated style to follow.
A group or forest bonsai is a number of trees, placed together in a container.
I LOVE the chinese elm bonsai tree but i cant find one thats not so expensive (they are $500) or more. Do you know where i can get one for cheaper?
