The Japanese Maple Bonsai is a good pick for a newbie in bonsai. It is both easy to grow and take care of, as well as being a fast grower. This maple is similar to the Norway maple, though its leaves are more deeply lobed than its Norwegian cousin.

There are various varieties and the [...]]]>

The Japanese Maple Bonsai is a good pick for a newbie in bonsai. It is both easy to grow and take care of, as well as being a fast grower. This maple is similar to the Norway maple, though its leaves are more deeply lobed than its Norwegian cousin.

There are various varieties and the leaves are so colorful, especially in the spring and fall when the leaves alter their color. The red leaves that the Japanese maple proudly displays in the summer increase their brightness in the fall. Its trunk and branches show different hues of red and green.

Indeed the Japanese maple trees are valued because of their foliage, and this is one of the main features that make them a beautiful bonsai tree. There are some varieties that sport gorgeous foliage like gold in the fall. The Japanese Bloodgood maple tree has reddish-purple serrated star shaped leaves showing in the summer and in the fall they turn crimson, thus the name. This particular tree likes the sun, although some semi-shade is good for it. The Japanese Crimson Queen maple tree is a dwarf that is also suited to making a good bonsai tree.

Maple bonsai have a good response to the leaves being trimmed, being hardy, and that facilitates creating a great branch structure for the bonsai. They are simple to root from cuttings and also from layering and respond well to both methods. A warning though the red leaf maple does have the problem of weak roots, so if even a small problem occurs the tree can expire. Therefore, red leaf maples are usually grafted into normal rootstocks. The Japanese red maples are normally grafted into the green leaf rootstock because they do better this way than when grafted to their own roots. When selecting one from a nursery examine the graft to see how well it has healed so you’ll have a good tree for a bonsai.

To select a Japanese maple for bonsai a good diameter is four or more inches. This diameter allows for training of various styles. Also, it is a more economical tree to buy. Growing them from seedlings is easy, when buying a seedling that has been started it should be four to six inches in height. When considering seedlings, go with strong ones that have big and low internodes. This enables you to have a bigger stock, which should make the lowest branch on the bonsai be about six inches up.

Put the seedlings in small vessels, they should be pruned down so the roots can populate the containers and the growth slows before making a decision on the new trunk line. This is a good way to begin the Japanese maple bonsai and it should help produce supple rounded lines. The red seedlings are good candidates for medium or large bonsai.

The Japanese maple bonsai is strong and hardy enough that even when neglected if put in caring and capable hands it can be nurtured back to life, and still be trained by wiring into a new shaped. But if too much leaf and branch matter have been left to grow then pruning and a lot of wiring before the tree gains strength could be too stressful. For this reason it is best when resurrecting a tree to let it have a period of rest during its dormant period and start again in the new season.

You can find a further articles about bonsai on this site. Please leave a comment as blogging is supposed to be interactive. Thanks for viewing this and come back soon, there is also an RSS feed for this site.

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So at one point or another a friend or relative in desperation because of a lack of inspiration will buy them a bonsai they have always wanted.

Now the vast majority of [...]]]> Lets face it a lot of people have fancied one of those cute little bonsai tree’s for decorating a room or apartment.

So at one point or another a friend or relative in desperation because of a lack of inspiration will buy them a bonsai they have always wanted.

Now the vast majority of people have no idea at all on the basics of bonsai let alone the finer details.

So how do they or you go about buying that dream bonsai tree without ruining a perfectly good relationship.

Simple follow these 3 basic rules or write them down and give them to the person you suspect will be purchasing that bonsai tree, you have always said you wanted.

1. Pick a bonsai that has good roots and branches. We do not want exposed mouldy roots or snapped, stripped branches. No need to be a Japanese bonsai master, poor roots and branches any one can spot.

2. Check the complete bonsai tree over, no apparent damage, diseases or infestation. Again no need to be a bonsai doctor use common sense when assessing the bonsai, you can even ask the garden center staff.

3. Go for something that looks like the ones you see in pictures. If it looks like a classic maple bonsai, has good bonsai type roots and branches, and has no nasty things you don’t see on bonsai pictures. Then guess what it probably is a great little bonsai tree. In this part were looking for the shape and form of the bonsai and is it suitably potted, we don’t want a novice having to re-pot there bonsai tree as soon as they get it.

Now these are very basic pointers but they should go a long way towards helping you get one of the better Bonsai that you see in DIY or other large retail outlets.

Enjoy the start of your new bonsai tree collection.

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There has to be a better way, and there [...]]]> Well it’s that time of year again stores all over are selling Bonsai trees. People see those cute little things and have just the spot for them at home. O those poor innocent bonsai trees, no sooner placed around the home then they dry up and die.

There has to be a better way, and there is, grow your own bonsai. It’s really not that difficult just, read a few articles on your favourite bonsai blog or buy a good book . Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Have fun.

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The Japanese Maple Bonsai play an important part in the structure and design of Japanese gardens. Not just the aesthetic appearance and texture but also on a spiritual level. The art of bonsai goes beyond horticulture and is part of the Zen Buddhist philosophy. Zen and Shinto traditions both play a large part [...]]]>

The Japanese Maple Bonsai play an important part in the structure and design of Japanese gardens. Not just the aesthetic appearance and texture but also on a spiritual level. The art of bonsai goes beyond horticulture and is part of the Zen Buddhist philosophy. Zen and Shinto traditions both play a large part in the design and lay out of gardens. The idea of Zen Buddhism is to be in harmony with nature and not obtrusive to it. Buddhism sees nature as having a soul, so this personifies it, and means it should be respected. The traditional bonsai artists believe that the purpose of this arts miniature approach is to promote the shrinking of human foibles such as greed and self-centred thinking. These bad traits of man promote the unthinking destruction of all of nature according to the belief.

All of the different parts of the bonsai have particular meanings of their own in the Zen Buddhist belief system. For instance the branches stretch towards the sky seeking a richer thought process or enlightenment. The stout trunk carries the responsibility of promoting the spread of the philosophy. The sturdy roots stand for a concrete grounding in the philosophy, which is ultimately bound for heaven.

Maple Bonsai fit into this as they are one of the species that take well to the formal upright style and go well with the skyward stretch towards enlightenment. They are also good candidates for the informal upright style. In this style the trunks is supposed to bend to one side or the other, but not in the direction of the admirer. This mimics the natural bending of trees away from the shading of other trees or objects, or the effects of the wind over time. As stated these trees have a strong upright tendency this makes them particularly suited to these two styles. The Maple Bonsai can also work well with the slanting bonsai style, however it isn’t a good candidate for the cascading or the semi-cascading style.

Although the philosophy of Zen Buddhism and its part in bonsai is interesting, it isn’t a necessary requirement for the cultivating and the enjoyment of these little trees. Today all over the world bonsai fans enjoy a wonderful hobby, that certainly can help you to be peaceful and in tune with nature, but you don’t have to adhere to a Buddhist belief. It can just be used as a tool for decorating the inside or outside of the home.

The bonsai tree can sometimes live for hundreds of years if cared for correctly. They are a lovely, peaceful piece of art that can be given to your children, and this can be repeated for generations to come. These trees are a personal expression of the artist, and therefore no two trees are the same, as in nature. It takes patience to learn how to create a bonsai and failure is common at first, but as mentioned patience is the key. If you want to become a bonsai master it takes time and effort, but you don’t have to be a master to create and enjoy your own bonsai. Just learn some basics, get a tree, and keep it healthy. Enjoy your Maple Bonsai in whatever way suites you, as a piece of art, decoration, or a spiritual representation of nature.

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This particular maple seedling is another fast grower. One of it’s main features is it tends to be bulbous at the base. The bark is a distinctive gray/white and the leaves similarly to other maples are five pointed. A couple of good aspects about this Maple Bonsai particularly for the less experienced is they have [...]]]>

This particular maple seedling is another fast grower. One of it’s main features is it tends to be bulbous at the base. The bark is a distinctive gray/white and the leaves similarly to other maples are five pointed. A couple of good aspects about this Maple Bonsai particularly for the less experienced is they have a high resistance to disease and can handle a period of drought. This tree can therefor be displayed on it’s own or is ideal for the root over rock style.

This is a style wherein the roots are encouraged to grow over and grasp onto a rock. This mimics what happens in nature when a bird deposits a seed into a natural crevice. The roots will crawl out in an effort to find soil, to get more nutrients after using what could be taken from the soil in the small opening in the rock. When they hit soil they then circumvent the rock. When this occurs the roots thicken out and stand in for the trunk at the very base of the tree.

The display of rocks is an art form of it’s own in Japan called Suiseki, this is one reason rock choice follows a few rules in this method. For starters these are, the rock chosen should have eye appeal, a natural look, and the size shouldn’t over shadow the tree, which after all is the main attraction.

Again the choice of tree for this style needs to be made correctly. A tree that is healthy and has a big root system is a good choice. The roots need to be strong and long enough to hang over the rock. The measurement guide for the roots is one and a half times longer than the rock is high. If the roots of the bonsai you want to use are too short, the problem is solved by planting it in a tall narrow pot so the root system will grow down and get longer. Let the roots grow until they reach the desired length, which may take a year or more, as with all bonsai patience is the key.

When the roots are ready remove damaged foliage and rinse the dirt off of the root ball. Don’t hurt the roots, before washing taking off dirt by hand helps. Now put the tree on the rock and play with the placement to find the best looking arrangement of tree and rock. Put the roots around all of the rock because the arrangement is for viewing from any side. This is not usual in bonsai where the tree normally is expected to be viewed from the front only.

Now the roots have to be secured. Grafting tape is a good thing to use and having someone hold the roots in place while securing them works best. You need to have pulled the tape around the rock fairly tight except at the bottom where it should be tape-less because this is where the roots will go into the dirt.

Next check to see that all of the roots are free on the bottom of the rock. Put the rock and maple bonsai in a container with plenty of clean sharp sand. Make sure the bottom of the tree trunk shows, while the rock is out of sight. Give it a good watering; the tree should stay in this pot for either one year or possibly two. Remember I did say the key to bonsai was patience. It will take one growing season for the roots to exhibit a good showing and during this period they will thicken up. However this does depend on them having been placed correctly. Two years gives the roots really more than sufficient time to thicken. When you check to see if the roots have grow properly and find they haven’t, no worries, simply re-pot them giving the plant one more year to get the roots right.

So as you can see from the description above not the fastest way to get a bonsai to display at home. However at the end you should be the proud owner of a Maple Bonsai that appears to have naturally grown over a rock, making a quite beautiful and unusual display.

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