Azalea bonsai are some of the more common bonsai adaptations that were introduced when bonsai was first imported over from China to Japan. It is one of the more beautiful plants to adapted to bonsai style gardening. The Azalea bonsai is a member of the genus Rhododendron. This simply indicates that the Azalea bonsai is an evergreen that adapts itself to a shrub type formation. Small shrubs typically grow to less than 6 feet in height.

The Azalea Rhododendron actually can be divided into between 500-900 species. Since they display very large beautiful flowers they present a very stunning and elegant style of bonsai plant. This is the primary reason that the Azalea bonsai has become very popular with Bonsai gardeners.

Care of the Azalea Bonsai

It is critical to peak condition that you avoid exposing this plant to direct sun during the spring and summer months. This plant will reward for your efforts on being placed in an area of filtered or indirect sun light. The plant does not need to be brought indoors during the winter and in fact can perform well outdoors even in winter climates although it will require some protection from severe conditions. An outdoor greenhouse can provide beautiful results.

For those who want to keep their bonsai indoors year-round, the azalea is quite suitable to that application. A cool window and plenty of light is considered optimum for keeping an azalea indoors during the winter months as is the necessity for frequent misting and maintain a higher level of humidity.

When considering watering options you will find that the plants respond very well to rainwater. Collection of rainwater to a storage container will reward you with healthier plants. The azalea bonsai plant will deteriorate quickly if the roots are allowed to dry out so moisture should be maintained in the soil at all times.

You will benefit from repotting as required to maintain appropriate space for full root development and you should monitor the soil to ensure the slightly higher acidity level preferred by the azalea. PH balance needs to be 4.5 to 5.5. It is best to use a soil specifically designed for Azaleas. Repotting should be undertaken in spring after the flowers have died. Repotting is required annually for the first couple of years, and every two or three years for more mature azalea bonsai.

Fertilize your azalea at about every other week in the spring time until flowering diminishes. Thereafter, monthly feedings will satisfy nutrition requirements. You should use an acid based fertilizer such as you would find available by Miracle Gro. In the late summer or early fall, reduce nitrogen from the fertilizer mixture and begin increasing the amounts of phosphorus and potassium. This will assist your azalea bonsai to set buds and blossoms for next season.

Also, if you repot with an amended, peat based soil in spring you may not be required to fertilize until autumn. It is recommended that you discontinue fertilizing your azalea bonsai during the hottest months of the summer in order guard against burning your plants.

Pruning should be practiced in late summer taking care to seal significant wounds. This plant will produce shoots from old wood. These often occur in clumps of 5 or 6. Proper pruning will reduce the number of new shoots to one or two. The number of leaves on these new shoots should also be reduced. This will ensure that these newly formed branches will receive more that adequate nutrition and light to develop in to strong, healthy new branches.

The weakest trait of the azalea bonsai may be that the branches are relatively brittle and the bark thin and tender. For this reason, great care must be taken when wiring and shaping branches. Softer aluminum wire is recommended, accompanied by the liberal use of such as raffia to protect the delicate surfaces.

By: Thomas Henricks

About the Author:

BonsaiTreeGardening.com

Bonsai gardening is a very fine art and can prove to be very enjoyable. It will allow your creative skills to flow to their hearts content. Bonsai are generally grown in placed in pots, these pots should be able to be placed indoors during winter time and then when it comes to summer should be able to be placed outdoors during periods of mild weather.

Bonsai would be a great skill that you can add to your resume of gardening traits.

Bonsai gardening is an art where the gardener is able to create miniature plants and tress that look like aged, old outdoor tress. This art first began in Japan during the 12th century, a few of these plants can be grown outdoors but in general most bonsai are potted.

It is easy to purchase bonsai plants bit it provides much more fun and enjoyment when you create your own. For the very first bonsai you buy I would recommend the Japanese maple, this is because it is quite easy to work with and once you have learnt to skills required you will be able to move onto other plants.

The first bonsai gardening experience will require a few pieces of equipment. You are going to need a Japanese maple limb, sphagnum moss that has been soaked in water, a sharp knife, string, a mini sheet of heavy plastic and the rooting hormone which you should be able to purchase from most garden centers or hardware stores.

You can study the various traditional styles of bonsai gardening by reading a book on the subject or reviewing the styles online. However, you can have just as much fun by simply starting your bonsai garden and learning as you go.

To start of your bonsai gardening, first of all select a branch that has a nice structure and shape to it. The branch should be roughly about the diameter of your little finger. Begin to cut around the branch when you want the roots generated. Cut in a circle motion through the bark and into the wood that underneath, take extra care in making sure that you do not cut through the branch because you are going to air layer the branch.

Make another cut that is exactly like your first cut but about two inches below the initial cut. Then make a straight cut connecting the two cuts. Peel away the bark in this two inch area. It should come away easily but do not remove any of the green layer beneath the bark.

When you root your bonsai gardening specimen, dust the rooting with the hormone around the same area of the top cut and then wrap the bark around the area that has been removed with sphagnum moss. To do this you should wrap the moss is a thick piece of the heavy plastic and then you will be able to tie the plastic in place.

While rooting your bonsai specimen, keep the moss wet. It will take about two or three weeks before roots begin to appear and you’ll be able to see them through the plastic. As the roots thicken and begin to turn brown, separate your bonsai by cutting it from the main plant just below the new roots.

Now you are just about ready to begin creating your bonsai garden. First of all choose a container that is shallow and then place pebbles at the very bottom for drainage. The partially fill the pot with high quality top soil. Then place your bonsai into the container and fill it up with soil. When planting it is very important that you do not damage any of the newly developed roots.

You should always support the bonsai with a stake until it becomes stronger.

Begin shaping your bonsai garden specimen after it becomes firmly rooted in the pot. You can study fully grown trees and, using string, pull parts of the bonsai into the desired shape. After the plant has taken on the shape desired, remove the string.

All that there is left for you to do now is to prune your bonsai so that it will maintain the desired shape and will develop into the shape that you have desired. Bonsai gardening is a lot of fun but it does require a great deal of patience. When creating your bonsai it is always right to remember that it will not become great overnight.

It is going to take a lot of time and effort so that you can create a bonsai that will appear to look as though it is a fully grown tree. You can do this successfully as long as you apply you know how and gardening skills to your bonsai creation.

By: Holly Stevens

About the Author:

Cultivating Bonsai

More often than not, the approach to bonsai art comes with a present. A friend, a relative or a partner gives a new little tree in a short pot and he cant tell us how to handle it.

Those bonsai trees are set on a piece of furniture or next to a window and normally die in a couple of months. Here comes the misconception that bonsai trees die after a short time.

But a bonsai can live among hundreds of years (there are specimens of 1000 years and more), so you are not excused if you let your bonsai die. But what to do with that strange thing?

This is a brief kick start guide to help you in the first months with your bonsai:

Establish what species it is: first thing first you have to know what species your bonsai tree belongs to. It is important because every species has different needs. This may be a hard task, there are hundreds of species and each can have a lot of varieties and cultuvar.

To start you dont need to know the exact variety or cultuvar, you just need to know the general name of the species: it could be a maple, an elm or it could be a pine or a juniper.

Arborday.org has a guide on the trees classification that can help you. Also Wikipedia has a classification list.

Set your bonsai tree outdoor: unless your bonsai belongs to a species native of tropical regions, you have to put it outdoor (of course if you live in a tropical place you can set your tropical bonsai outdoor). A bonsai cannot survive indoor due to a handful of reasons, if you assume your bonsai is an ornament you are wrong. Period.

If you identify the species, you can know the precise spot where to set it. Usually conifers should go in full-sun, the other species should be set in mid-shadow or even shadow. This is a really rough distinction and there are a lot of exceptions, a good cultivation sheet can help you a lot.

Learn how to water it: watering is a crucial task and one of the most difficult of bonsai cultivation. Every species needs different quantities of water, and you should understand the needs of your own bonsai tree.

The bonsai lives in a small pot, theres a relatively small quantity of soil in it and the tree can certainly suffer dryness and temperature excursions.

As a general rule, if it is summer you have to water your bonsai every evening. If you water it in the morning the soil will dry in no time and the tree will suffer. If you water it in the evening itll have all the time it needs to adsorb water and nutriments and, even if the next day the soil will dry, the bonsai will not suffer.

During spring and fall you have to diminish watering, just wait until the surface of the soil starts to dry out and only then water. It is easy to over-water your bonsai tree, so follow the rule above and you should be ok.

During winter the bonsai wants little water, just keep the soil humid, not wet, and water when it begins to dry.

There are two watering methods: the first is giving your tree a shower and continue until the water exits from the drainage holes; the second is to immerse the pot in a can of water and let the soil adsorb.

In both cases remember to bathe the foliage too (never if the sun still hits).

Fertilize your bonsai: fertilizing is the most underrated task by the novice. It is really important to fertilize the bonsai because the soil in the pot will easily loose its nutriments for the tree.

The quantity of soil is limited and it is an isolated environment so its our duty to provide nutriments. If your matter si if water is sufficient, the answer is no. Can you live just drinking water? No. For your bonsai is the same thing.

Until you become an expert, a balanced fertilizer (10:10:10) will do its work. You dont have to acquire a bonsai specific fertilizer, the bonsai has the same physiology of all the vegetables, every fertilizer will do. Remember just to dilute it more than the recommendations say or youll risk to burn your bonsai.

A simple and good solution would be to use the hanagokoro, a Japanese organic fertilizer, very strong, easy and safe to use as it is almost impossible to overfeed.

You should fertilize during spring, when the vegetation begins, until July (in the boreal hemisphere) then stop in the hottest period. Restart in the second half of August until October (November for the conifers).

Get another bonsai: only action will allow you to gain the sufficient experience to manage a bonsai. Keep collecting bonsai and make your own, with try and errors you will become an expert.

Needless to say it is a great satisfaction to produce your own bonsai and a lovely feeling to watch your bonsai garden growing.

You may have noticed I have omitted such tasks as pruning, wiring, jin, shari and so on. This is a primer, a kick start guide, born just to help you keeping alive your bonsai.

Defining what is a bonsai isnt easy, but we can resume it in the perfect balance between the tree, its form and the pot hosting it. If you dont learn how to take care of your tree, and limit your experience to this primer, your bonsai will survive but itll loose its bonsai title in a couple of years or less.

If you are serious with bonsai art, you want to study. You can buy books - I will soon post reviews - or read some good online resource - in the sidebar there are a phiew -.

Of course keep reading this blog, I will post a lot of things about bonsai.

If you think this list isnt complete (keep in mind its a survival guide), feel free to add your points.

Article powered by Bonsai and Japan. Visit me!

By: Davide Petilli

About the Author:

Bonsai Pots

In my outlook bonsai farming is the one hobby you can take up and design something which can only be described as a stunning art form, even if, like me, you were crude with as much natural gift for painting and portrayal as Andre Agassi has for understated retirement speeches.

There is now suspicion that a well reserved Bonsai ranking is a thing of beauty; a baby side of a satisfied amount ranking that replicates the full sized ranking but is small enough to fit in a pot on a slab. Genuine living art at its best.

So, how calm is it to grow one of these magnificent, tiny plants? Evidently it takes some skill, patience and a little accident but it is not in actuality as grim as it seems. Let’s find out a little more about the fascinating hobby of bonsai farming.

There is not truly a restrict on what enter of plants can be adult as a bonsai although the most trendy varieties these time pine, juniper and maple. The leaves are trained into the necessary sculpt by wiring, followed by judicious and shrewd pruning. The idea is that the wiring and pruning will give a hierarchy that looks like a tiny account of what you would generally see in a square or patch.

Caring for bonsai plants is something which also requires a little expertise and experience; some grass are lasting and can survive iciness beyond while others will poverty a more sheltered environment. Other important considerations in bonsai farming recount to the tools that you prime to do the work. It is very important that you have the right tools. While a basic set of tools is not particularly steep the truthful apparatus is chief if you are to make your new hobby a winner.

With the right tools and a little schooling you can instantly learn enough to pioneer shaping your own bonsai foliage. The sculpt of the ranking is crucial and there are several different recognized styles that you can use for your works. It is forever a supplier of great enjoyment when over time you see your hierarchy gradually but assuredly charming on the mold you had envisaged for it. A constant rewarded for your developing bonsai farming skills.

The presentation of a bonsai tree is absolutely vital and to this end you do basic to ensure that your tree is displayed in the most apposite container. There are a massive form of containers presented and you should forever be sharp for something that will compliment and enhance your tree; something that will permit your living art to shine.

The scope of this introduction clause is visibly very narrow and you will necessary to look into bonsai gardening more totally to resolve if it is genuinely for you. However, I do plan that I have managed to advance some enthusiasm in the bookworm for at slightest winning the next move to result out a little more about Bonsai gardening.

A couple of plants, the right tools, a wisely preferred container and some loving mind over a period of time can blend to crop a fine piece that will add a stir of beauty and willowy technique to any garden.

Please give bonsai gardening a go. I am indeed that you will not remorse it.

By: Jenny Styles

About the Author:

Bonsai Pruning

bonsai9723 asked:

Making, raising, and caring for bonsai is easy if you use the new soil-less method which these video clips will show you. Your trees will grow and mature faster than with the traditional method that uses messy soil. I have been using this method since 1985 and have had great results. I started using this method in Philadelphia, and then when I moved to Florida I continued and find it is the best method for me. The traditional method works with slow, tedious growth, and wiring of trees. The …

Bonsai Containers

expertvillage asked:

Just getting started in bonsai? This video with tips for beginners will help you learn how to grow bonsai trees.Expert: Mike Hansen Bio: Mike Hansen, owner of Midwest Bonsai, has been growing, caring, selling, and instructing others in bonsai care for years. Mike is an expert bonsai master.

BonsaiTreeGardening.com

In my view bonsai gardening is the one hobby you can take up and create something which can only be described as a stunning art form, even if, like me, you were born with as much natural flair for painting and drawing as Andre Agassi has for understated retirement speeches.

There is now doubt that a well kept Bonsai tree is a thing of beauty; a miniature version of a full size tree that replicates the full sized tree but is small enough to fit in a pot on a table.

Genuine living art at its best.

So, how easy is it to grow one of these magnificent, miniature plants? There is no doubt that it takes some skill, patience and a little luck but it is not in fact as difficult as it seems. Let’s find out a little more about the fascinating hobby of bonsai gardening.

There is not really a limit on what type of trees can be grown as a bonsai although the most popular varieties these days are pine, juniper and maple. The trees are trained into the required shape by wiring, followed by judicious and careful pruning. The idea is that the wiring and pruning will produce a tree that looks like a tiny version of what you would normally see in a park or garden.

Caring for bonsai trees is something which also requires a little knowledge and experience; some trees are hardy and can survive a winter outside whilst others will need a more protected environment. Other important considerations in bonsai gardening relate to the tools that you need to do the work. It is very important that you have the right equipment. Whilst a basic set of tools is not particularly expensive the correct equipment is essential if you are to make your new hobby a success.

With the right tools and a little training you can quickly learn enough to start shaping your own bonsai trees. The shape of the tree is crucial and there are a number of different recognized styles that you can use for your plant. It is always a source of great enjoyment when over time you see your tree slowly but surely taking on the shape you had envisaged for it. A true reward for your developing bonsai gardening skills.

The presentation of a bonsai tree is absolutely vital and to this end you do need to ensure that your tree is displayed in the most suitable container. There are a huge variety of containers available and you should always be searching for something that will complement and enhance your tree; something that will allow your living art to shine.

The scope of this introduction article is obviously very limited and you will need to look into bonsai gardening more deeply to decide if it is really for you. However, I do hope that I have managed to raise some enthusiasm in the reader for at least taking the next step to finding out a little more about Bonsai gardening.

A couple of plants, the right tools, a carefully chosen container and some loving attention over a period of time can combine to produce an exquisite item that will add a touch of beauty and graceful style to any garden.

Please give bonsai gardening a go. I am sure that you will not regret it.

By: Richard Stone

About the Author:

Bonsai Containers

The Japanese refined and developed Bonsai techniques and evolved the art form it is today. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.

The major aspects of Japanese bonsai, has not changed significantly over time.

Bonsai initially originated in Egypt thousands of years ago and moved to China. From China bonsai moved to Japan. Where the Japanese perfected the art of bonsai.

Japanese use azaleas to create magnificent bonsai following years of pruning, wiring and careful attention. The Japanese art of bonsai, and its precursor, the Chinese art of penjing, are rooted in the traditions of Asian culture.

The art of raising bonsai dwarfed potted trees has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. The art of bonsai, as developed in America, is much freer in concept and style than Japanese bonsai.

The quality of a bonsai tree is measured on how well it portrays nature in miniature form. A bonsai should have a well tapered trunk and have branches all around the tree to give the bonsai visual depth. The art of bonsai involves the bringing together of tree and pot in visual harmony. “Bonsai” simply means “potted tree.” But many of the really fine specimens have been pruned for more than 100 years.

Requiring many years of devoted attention and care to produce, the bonsai extends beauty and expresses the significance of life. The care involved in creating and shaping a bonsai is considered a form of meditation in and of itself.

Over time, bonsai began to take on different styles, each which varied immensely from one another. Today, hardy as well as tropical indoor bonsai are trained in classic styles, including windswept, slanted trunk, rock clinging, and forest.

Bonsai are highly regarded as a symbol of Japanese culture and ideals. Contrary to popular belief, bonsai are not tortured trees. A bonsai may have areas of dead wood to give an impression of age. There are several techniques available to the bonsai grower to increase the apparent age.

No longer exclusively an oriental art form, today bonsai is practiced by thousands of people around the world, on every continent. The art of bonsai is the art of imitating the spirit of nature. A bonsai industry of considerable size exists in certain sections of Japan.

By: Fran Black

About the Author:

bonsai garden

Making Bonsai gardening a hobby needs some preparation which includes reading literature about Bonsai gardening, learning the tools and materials needed, finding the different Bonsai trees that can be grown and cultivated and searching for stores and establishments which sell Bonsai trees. Traditionally, all these tools and materials can be found in different nurseries and gardening stores. However, it would take a lot of time and effort to survey these stores one by one to find the best Bonsai tree and the needed materials.

The good news is that there are many Bonsai stores that are now available online. These online Bonsai stores were established by highly educated and well-experienced Bonsai artists. This ensures that only the best Bonsai tree and tools and materials are being sold in their stores. All of these online stores are staffed by round-the-clock crew who are ready to answer questions and queries from their customers. These people know a lot about the art of Bonsai gardening and they love the art. Thus, they give quality customer services and will highly encourage customers to pursue the art of Bonsai gardening.

Aside from this, buying Bonsai online also save customers a lot of time. They would no longer have to spend a lot of time and effort going from one store to another to look into the various species of Bonsai that are available. Online bonsai stores have their own photo gallery of the different Bonsai trees they offer with detailed information about the Bonsai. Customers can easily compare each Bonsai tree and choose those that they want to purchase.

Once they’ve chosen the Bonsai tree they want to buy, customers can easily order for the product at the click of the button, enter the necessary information to do the online transaction, pay using their online payment tool and request that the bonsai be delivered right in their doorsteps. Easy and hassle free transaction is certainly another advantage of buying Bonsai online.

Another advantage of buying Bonsai online is the fact that the customer can easily hop from one store to another if they cannot find what they need from a certain store. With a few click of the mouse, the customer can easily check out another to store to search for the Bonsai tree or materials that they need. It definitely gives customers more savings in terms of time, energy and most importantly money.

Talking about money, buying Bonsai tree online saves the customers a lot of money. Bonsai trees offered by online stores are definitely cheaper that those that can be bought in actual stores. This is because traditional stores and nurseries have higher mark-up because they have to recover more cost in operating their stores. Compared to online Bonsai stores which are cheaper to run and maintain.

By: Patrick Desnoyers

About the Author:

Cultivating Bonsai

spacepainter asked:

Turn a garden shrub into a beautiful Bonsai Tree.

Cultivating Bonsai