The Japanese art of growing small trees has become very popular all over the world and is known as bonsai. If you devote enough effort and patience to this occupation, you can grow beautiful plants at home that will become exact copies of full-sized oak, maple, birch, etc. Reduced compositions of conifers look very interesting, the cultivation method of which is described below.
Spruce Bonsai
To grow a spruce tree will turn out even from seeds. A novice will be able to cope with this task. It is necessary to place them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (3 crystals per 1 liter of water) for 24 hours. After that, the water is drained, and the seeds are sent for another day to a container with ordinary water. Now it is necessary to prepare a container with sand, make indentations in it up to 2 cm and place the seeds there.Water the soil regularly and wait for the first sprouts to appear. You can plant them at a distance no closer than 4 cm from each other. A container with seeds is placed for 60–65 days in a cool place (it can be a garage, cellar or balcony). After this period, the container is brought into the house and placed near the window so that future plants receive enough light. Within three weeks, small seedlings should appear.
Important! Adult bonsai should be replanted every 2-3 years so that the plant does not dry out and actively develops.
When they reach several centimeters in height, it is necessary to leave 2–4 of the strongest plants (by the third year, half of the seedlings die). The first 2 years the spruce grows in the same container under conditions of timely watering and regular fertilizing. After that, it is transplanted into a special bonsaynitsa and the crown is nipped to stop the growth of the tree.
Video: the formation of bonsai from ordinary spruce
Spruce formation
There are various styles of bonsai that allow you to form almost any form of plant, but when growing spruce mini-trees, two basic rules must be followed:
- spruce should have lush and thick needles;
- the crown of the tree should be tiered or have the correct conical shape.
It should be understood that each tier of spruce has its own microclimate. Therefore, when creating a bonsai in the form of a figure, it is necessary to ensure that all branches are well ventilated and have access to sunlight. The shape of the future plant needs to be thought out in advance. To get the perfect contour, you need to pinch the growth points, and pull the branches in the right direction with the help of aluminum wire. This will help to set the direction of the shoots without any problems.
Did you know? Bonsai art originated in China around 200 BC. e. After several centuries, the Japanese closely connected it with Buddhism, turning this direction into traditionally Japanese.
The formed spruce should be trimmed annually, giving it a more neat appearance. It also helps to redistribute the flow of forces from the upper strong branches to the weaker lower tier (it receives the least amount of sunlight). Further trimming of branches during the year should be infrequent and minimal (literally a few young shoots that grow out of shape) so as not to weaken the young spruce.
Bonsai Care
When the seedling is transplanted into the pot, you must continue to care for it, regularly cutting the crown. This procedure is repeated throughout the life of the tree, as every year a new tier appears on the spruce. Experts advise not only to get rid of excess branches that grow in the wrong direction, but also to regularly pull soft young shoots (they are quite malleable, so it’s easy to give them the right shape). For artificial aging of the tree, you can additionally peel the bark.
Every year in the spring, it is necessary to remove dry shoots from the bonsai, giving it a neat and well-groomed appearance. In order to prevent infection at the places of cutting thick branches, you should treat them with a solution of garden var. To prepare it, you need to mix rosin, paraffin and vegetable oil in a ratio of 1.5: 2: 1. The mixture must be boiled over low heat for half an hour, cooled and used if necessary, applying liberally to the cut areas.
Important! When removing branches, remember that if you cut too many of them, the tree may dry out.
Watering spruce bonsai is carried out exclusively as necessary (when the earth in the pot began to dry out). It is worth considering that the vessel for growing a mini-tree contains a relatively small amount of soil, so for the normal development of spruce it needs to be fertilized regularly. An excellent option would be a special recharge for bonsai called "Novofert" (5 g per 2.5 liters of water). It is very important that the plant receives a sufficient amount of light daily.The tree does not belong to trees that tolerate heat well (partial shade is important for it), so you should take care of the diffused sunlight for most of the day. Proper care will help preserve the unique color of the spruce and achieve the density of branches. In winter, it is extremely important to create conditions for the tree that are as close to natural as possible. To do this, the flowerpot with spruce is rearranged on the street or on the balcony. The plant goes into hibernation and, if the temperature is too high, it simply dries.
Bonsai photo
There are various styles and trends of bonsai that can turn ordinary conifers into real works of art.
Did you know? One of the modern areas of bonsai is the style of cockedama. It involves making moss balls and is often referred to as art for the impatient.
To create mini-trees, various species of the Pine family are used:
- Common spruce - such a bonsai can have not only the usual conical shape, but also a tiered arrangement of the crown.
- Blue spruce differs in the blue color of the needles and has an interesting conical shape.
- Canadian spruce (conic) grows rather slowly, adding annually only 2 cm in growth. This makes it easy to care for her at home.
You can also grow Christmas trees in a circle in a bonsai style right on the site or in the garden, creating interesting compositions from them. Spruce bonsai is a rather capricious plant that requires appropriate care, especially during the winter season.
If you do not study all the features of the irrigation, fertilizer and environmental temperature control procedures, the tree may begin to dry out. If you pay enough attention to Bonsai, he will delight others with his beautiful color and unique shape for many decades.