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Beginner Basics Creating A Bonsai For The First Time

Beginner Basics Creating  A Bonsai For The First Time greenery from which they most often work.   A firm grasp of the fundamentals is of paramount to enhancing your ability to identify usable and non-usable elements of the plant material.  Once you have that, the ability to “see” becomes gradually clearer with more and more practice.   For this exercise, we have selected a Dwarf Japa- nese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procurement nana).   We have done so because, junipers are particularly good specimens for beginners to practice on and because they are extremely vigorous growers with flexible branches and trunks.  They like full sun, but will grow happily in a wide variety of locations and conditions.  They also have the added advantage of being a bit  “forgiving” when newcom- ers make mistakes.   Since you are learning, we assume you will be mak- ing a few mistakes along the way.  Its good to have plant material which is willing to work with you.  Junipers (par- This step-by-step pic
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Step One: Clean Up

Step One Clean Up   It will be impossible to make any effective decisions about the styling of the tree until is possible to ascertain what the existing  trunk shape and branch placement is.  The first task is, therefore, to clean up the tree.  Start by removing the bamboo stake and then begin cleaning out all dead needles and other debris from the interior of the tree.  One of the things which make junipers good mate- rial for bonsai is they readily develop new growth on old wood.  This is a good characteristic for any bonsai subject to have.  However, initially a great deal of this rampant budding along the trunk must be removed in order to see the trees shape.  Start at the bottom of the tree and begin removing green buds and suckers which obstruct your view of the trunk.  At the same time remove green growth from the interior of each branch an inch or so thus allowing you to see the position of each branch as it relates to the trunk. Once you have completed this task you will b
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Step Two Wiring & Shaping

Step Two Wiring & Shaping  Once you can clearly see the trunk line and branches you may begin to make artistic decisions regarding the final appearance of your bonsai.  As mentioned earlier, these decisions should be based on your clear under- standing of the fundamentals of bonsai design and will be applied to each type of plant material on which you work in the future.  Find a front for the tree based on the trunk move- ment and nebari.  Select its first, second and back branch- es.  Determine an apex and the placement of all second- ary branching.  Remove all others.  In a word... Cut off anything that does not look like a bonsai. (The material must first be cleaned up so that you can see the trunk shape and position of branches along the trunk.  Remove dead plant material and sucker growth along the trunk and about an inch out the base of each branch.) We know this is easy to say and not so easy to do, but proceed slowly and carefully.  Remember that it is bet- ter t
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Step Three Detail Pruning & Shaping

Step Three Detail Pruning & Shaping  Once you have move all the branches into the ap- proximate positions for your final design, trim back the length of branches to establish the overall shape of the tree.  Remember that all bonsai have a triangular shape.  In most cases, the largest and longest branches are located at the bottom.  Branches gradually get thinner and shorter as they approach the apex. Once you have shortened the branches to the desired length and established a well balanced composi- tion, begin to work on each individual branch.  Remove all green growth which emerges from the bottom of these branches.  (Trees do not grow leaves out of the bottom of a branch) and cut or pinch back foliage on the tops and sides of each branch until they begin to develop a pad like shape.  In the future, as the tree grows and develops you will need to keep these foliage pads pinched back and well formed.  They will become more dense with green growth and add greatly to it’s appeara
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Bonsai Step Four Preparation For Potting

  Bonsai Step Four Preparation For Potting  The process of transplanting a bonsai from its grow- ing container into a finished bonsai container can be com- pared to selecting the right frame for a painting.  A wise and compatible choice can make a dramatic difference in how the whole composition is perceived.  Beginners should be aware that no matter what the size, shape or color of the container they select, it must meet one very important requirement.  Containers must always provide sufficient space for the growth and health of  the root system.  This is a purely horticultural consider- ation and not an artistic one, but it is very important.  The container you select may look fabulous with the tree, but if it fails to provide sufficient room for the healthy growth of the trees roots, it will very shortly not matter what it looks like.  Make sure the pot you pick out is big enough.   There are a number of  bonsai guidelines dealing with the sizes, shapes and glazes on containers
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Bonsai Step Five Transplanting & Root Pruning

 Bonsai Step Five Transplanting & Root Pruning All bonsai pots have holes cut in the bottom. These holes are usually about the diameter of a quarter and allow excess moisture to escape from the pot.  Plastic screen is used to cover the holes and contain the soil.  This screen is held in place by a wire “hairpin” which is passed through the screen and the pushed through the bottom of the hole.  The protruding wire is then bent up on the bottom and prevents the screen from moving off of the hole during the potting process.  Once this has been done a longer length of wire is cut and bent at two right angles.   This is then passed through the drainage holes from the bottom of the pot and as close to the inside edges of each hole as possible.  This “tie down” wire will be used during the potting process to secure the tree in it’s container.  The process, thus far,  is known as “prepping the pot” and must be done before any work on the plants root system is started.  Likewise all
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Bonsai tree Step Six: Aftercare

Bonsai tree Step Six: Aftercare Once the transplanting is complete it is important to get the root mass wet as quickly as possible.  This is most effectively done by filling a basin or tub with water and set- ting the tree in the tub up to its rim.  Water will come up through the drainage holes and saturate the entire root mass.  Allow the tree to sit in the tub for about 15 minutes and then remove it.  You may add rooting stimulants, such as Vitamin B-1, Superthrive or Dy- nagro KLN,  to the soak tub, if you wish. Such chemicals sometimes help the root system to overcome transplant shock and recover more quickly.  The initial transplanting process is usually the only time it will be necessary to bottom soak the tree.  Most of the time, bonsai are simply watered from the top with a hose or a watering can.  Should the tree accidentally dry out you may bottom water again if you wish.  It is an effec- tive way to insure that the total root mass is saturated.  Remove the tree from the w
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