Like other plants, bonsai trees also require special care. In this content, special caring procedures and tools required for taking care of the bonsai plant are described.
1. Lighting: Bonsai trees are needed to be kept in the outside environment. Only tropical bonsai trees can be kept inside, if you are not residing in the tropical areas. The bonsai trees which are kept outside can get six or more hours of direct sunlight, a day.
Whereas, indoor bonsai tree only het two to four hours natural light. If you are keeping your bonsai plant inside your house, do arrange the full spectrum fluorescent for ensuring the necessary level of light. Plants must be kept between this artificial light for six to eight hours a day.
2. Watering: The soil that is used to grow the bonsai tree is usually the porous soil. This soil drains water and cause the bonsai plant to dry. So make sure you are giving enough amount of water to the plant and do not let it die because of low humidity. Soil drying procedure depends upon the type of the soil used and size and shape of the pot.
Additionally, different types of the bonsai trees have different water requirement. If you are planting the bonsai tree in your home, then you must have to properly research the water requirement level. It is better to place the pot over the tray of the full of water and some small rocks.
This will increase the humidity around the plant and boost up the growing process. Water the plant once a week and submerge the pot until no bubbles escape from the soil or the pot.
3. Pruning: Pruning is quite essential for caring the bonsai tree. Pruning basically removes all the unwanted branches of the tree and gives it an aesthetic design. You can prune your bonsai tree and can control the growth.
You can adopt the leaf pruning and pinching for helping the branches to grow well and look healthier. You should do pruning after two to three weeks.
After that time analyze that whether more pruning is required by the branches or not. Keep your eyes open for the growth of the trunks. You must pruning the bonsai tree and make the optimum results.
4. Fertilizing: Fertilizing a bonsai tree must be done once or twice a month. In growing season you must fertilize the bonsai tree. Do not apply fertilizer in dry soil and in non-growing season.
5. Soil: You must be familiar with the appropriate type of the soil. The soil affects the deeding, roots and watering of the bonsai tree. It dictates the growth and size of the bonsai tree. Bonsai soils must be designated to optimize the drainage. This soil is specially prepared with gravel or sand with the bark or peat added with the organic elements. Humus must be 70% and girt must be 30% in the soil.
As mentioned above, the care of the bonsai tree is very essential for ensuring the good and healthier life of the plant. For guaranteeing the health, several tools are used. Some of these tools along with their working are listed below.
1. Pruning and cutting tools: These tools are used when scissor is not viable for performing the heavy cuttings.
a. Concave branch cutter: These cutters are similar to the bolt cutters and are designed to cut the heavy items. They are used for smoothly removing and trimming the fair sized branches.
b. Spherical knob cutters: These cutters are used to cut the pieces in the spherical shapes. They are also used to cut the heavy knots and knobs.
c. Folding pruning saw: This is similar to the pocket knife and used for cutting the heavy branches. These are also used to cut the trunks from the bonsai tree.
d. Shears: Shears are used to perform from light to medium cuts.
e. Woodworking Gouges: For scoring the trunk and for removing the bark woodworking gouges are used. It prevents the bonsai tree from the natural damages.
f. Scissors: Scissors for bonsai tree comes in various sizes and shapes for performing various cutting jobs. They are the staple tools.
g. Leaf Cutting Scissors: These scissors are used for rendering the light cutting work. They are mostly imply over the leaves.
h. Shoot Trimming Scissors: These scissors are designated to cut the midsized branches and shoots.
i. Heavy Duty Shoot Scissors: These scissors work best over the shoots and branches that too large to be cut with the other scissors and too small to be cut with the pruner.
2. Potting Tools: Health and proper growth of the bonsai tree depends upon the size and shape of the pot. Frequent root modification and repotting is necessary for ensuring the development of the plant. Some of the tools that are used in potting are mentioned below:
a. Root Hooks: Root hooks are used to manage the pruning and trimming and separating the root balls. They are sharpened from the fair point and heavy wire bent on the other end.
b. Potting trowel: For manipulating the soil and digging in the bonsai pot, trowel is used.
c. Soil scoops: These are similar to the plastic cups or small metal cups with a handle. The open end of tool has a scoop shape that is used to add or remove the soil from the pot.
d. Brush: Soft brushes are implied over the bonsai leaves, trunk and branches to maintain and clean the tree.
e. Wire tools: In order to give a shape to the bonsai plant, wires are used.
f. Common wire snips: These wires snips are usually used by the electricians. They are used in bonsai plant aluminum wiring.
g. Heavy duty wire snips: These snips are used to handle the heavy wiring.
h. Pliers: For twisting and bending the wires and giving them a proper shape, pliers are used.
3. Miscellaneous Tools: Some other tools that are mostly used are mentioned below.
a. Chop Sticks: These are used for working the soil down and tamping.
b. Gardeners Knife: This knife is used for cutting the heavy non-delicate items.
c. Rake: For cleaning and maintaining the surface of the soil rake is employed.
d. Tweezers: These are necessary for working in the limited space where bonsai tree is installed.