What is Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree ?

As you go through the history of Japanese bonsai trees (among others) you will note that this term is used to refer to a ‘plant in a pot'. As per the information provided on Harvard's Arnold Arboretum site the ancient Chinese were the first to miniaturize trees for ornamental purposes around A.D. 200. Later the Japanese who used it to create beautiful gardens adopted the bonsai technique. Basically the bonsai are outdoor plants and they flourish in cool and humid conditions away from the bright sunlight for most parts of the day. In case you want to keep them indoors you have to create the same cool and humid environment for them, otherwise they tend to wither away. Podocarpus Serissa and dwarf Pomegranate are suitable for bonsai along with some common plants such as Schefflera jade plant Ficus benjamina Bougainvillea Citrus and Hibiscus. You can also make bonsai out of several woody herb species like bay rosemary myrtle and lavender. All bonsai need a light and well-draining soil but the actual soil can vary from plant to plant. So the soil mixture suitable for growing bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) cannot be considered ideal for cultivating the southern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). A typical bonsai soil mixture comprises 1/3 part coarse sand to help the drainage of excess water; 1/3 part organic matter like ground sphagnum moss or pine or fir bark which are capable to hold moisture and nutrients and 1/3 part a coarse fired clay like Turface that also has the capacity to hold nutrients and moisture. You can adjust the proportions according to the needs of your trees. Miniature trees are originally rooted in the mountains of China where only a specific species of plants and trees grow. Because of its hostile weather conditions the trees were often stunted and contorted. The strong mountain winds also left these trees twisted in ice and the cold. Essentially it is nature that has rendered the inspiration for the art of potting trees as students of the art do their best to mimic what nature has created. By “training” trees through specialized means of pruning and shaping them to a desired height and structure these students of the art were able to recreate the sample nature has provided. From China, the practice of Bonsai spread to Japan around the Heian period.

Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree Potting Tips

When choosing a Bonsai pot, careful attention to the size and shape should be given. The art of Bonsai is to mimic a naturally growing tree in miniature. Therefore, make sure your Bonsai pot complements your Bonsai tree perfectly in terms of its appearance. Also, make sure it is sufficient enough to support growth of your Bonsai tree and to fully support it.

To put it simply, a tree with a round trunk will look good inside a round container.

The container speaks a lot about your bonsai tree.

Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree Pruning Tips

Don't skimp on the tools that you need. For most people raising a bonsai is more of a hobby than anything else. This does not mean however that you should skimp on the tools that you will need to raise your plants well. One example of bonsai tool is a concave cutter. A concave cutter is a tool designed to prune the plant without leaving a stub. Shears pliers and branch bending jacks are common as well. For shaping the tree you will need aluminum and copper wires.

Keeping them properly pruned is a big part of the enjoyment of bonsai. Always use sharp pruning shears when making the cuts. Be careful that you do not prune too much. Envision the total shape and look of the bonsai when you begin the pruning process. Thinning is typically done to avoid thick shapes and is usually done on the bottom third of the plant.

Only remove branches that are affecting the way your Bonsai is growing. If a branch is causing the tree to drastically differ from your design it may be appropriate to heavily prune that branch.

Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree Soil Tips

Last thing to consider when bonsai gardening is the type of soil to use. Ready to use bonsai soil mixture is readily available in plant nurseries. However one can opt to make his own soil mixture as well. As a general rule a soil mixture should contain one part loam two parts sphagnum peat moss and two parts granite grit. These soil materials are available in the market and can be easily obtained.

The roots are to be trimmed to reduce the size.

Bonsai soil shouldn’t be costing you very much more than normal potting compost or bags of nutrient rich soil that you use in your garden. A good Bonsai soil however may contain a long list of ingredients including clay soil and even bark. Some of these ingredients are loaded with the nutrients that your Bonsai will thrive on and paying that little extra can certainly promote good healthy growth from your beloved project.

Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree Techniques

To simulate age and maturity in a bonsai, deadwood features called "jin" and "shari" can be used to good effect with coniferous bonsai, especially: "jin" are created by removing the bark from an entire branch to create a snag of deadwood, while "shari" involves stripping bark from areas of the trunk, simulating natural scarring by limbs being torn free.

As you may see bonsai care can’t be taken lightly and it needs a lot of time until you get skilled at this area. Because keeping bonsais is a favorite hobby of many people there is no reason why you shouldn’t try it. If you take care for your tree it will look terrific... it will bloom probably... and maybe you’ll notice fruits on it. It’s basically the same as with pets such as dogs, cats, fish; You need to feed them... you need to care for them... otherwise, they won’t be happy. Bonsais are the same.

As a beginner it is important that you do what you can to make your first Bonsai as successful as possible. Many people will throw in the towel after just one failure and when you consider how long a Bonsai can take to reach maturity this really isn’t an overnight hobby. You must get into a regime of regular watering annual potting and plenty of care and attention in order to be able to enjoy a beautiful Bonsai for your troubles.

Bonsai Fukien Tea Tree Tidbits

A bonsai garden is a showcase of man's outstanding imagination and nature's creative power. It takes a lot of creativity and passion to become a bonsai grower. It also takes a lot of common sense to be able to choose the plant species that would prove a suitable plant for bonsai growing. Doing bonsai elsewhere in the world can be tricky. If your climate doesn’t match the climate in Japan you may not be able to grow successfully some of the most popular species. Your temperature range could be too cold in winter or too hot in summer. The best examples are the tropical species that cannot be grown year long in the northern climate unless you have the proper setup indoor or the winter could be too cold for hardy species.

Bonsai trees make up an art form that has been around for hundreds of years. The idea is to take what would normally be a very large tree and stunt its growth so that it stays small. Most people will keep their trees just a few inches tall. There are many things that are needed to work with bonsai plants. Thus, it is necessary that the right balance of water, air, and soil be achieved in order to have a healthy plant. In the 17th and 18th century the Japanese bonsai art reached their peak. It had become a part of the Japanese way of life. Bonsai had served to better understand the nature and to improve in appearance. The main factor in the development of the bonsai was the restriction on the most important parts of the plant. All apparently dispensable parts were removed. The removal of all insignificant and the reduction on the essential elements for the final improvement was symbolic for the Japanese philosophy of that time. Bonsai developed in different style directions which considerably differed of each other. Bonsai artists attempted more and more culturally important elements like rock to realize accent works.

Beginners can initially start with a small plant of a common variety such as hibiscus, azalea, camellia, boxwood, gardenia, or cotoneaster. The cultivation of bonsai is considered by many people as a serious hobby. Many people steer clear of the thought of raising a bonsai tree because they have been conditioned to believe that it takes years and years to nurture a bonsai to beauty. This actually is far from the case. In fact a bonsai can be made quite beautiful in only a few hours if you’ve taken care in choosing the right tree, the best pot for you, and giving it a try to prune your tree into your very own creation.

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