Create a Bonsai Garden

Cultivating bonsai trees can become a lifelong hobby. Many people enjoy the peaceful art of shaping and growing these unique plants. One of the latest trends is to use bonsai in your landscaping or as a focal point in your yard. Creating a bonsai garden can be a rewarding experience that helps you to enjoy the beauty of creating something truly special and uniquely pleasing to the eye.

Bonsai cultivation can take years of practice. Many experts say that it can take years to learn how much water a specific bonsai needs. So, you should probably expect to lose a few during the learning process. Bonsai trees need to be grown in pots. This makes them very vulnerable to dry compost. You need to keep the soil moist, but not wet. There are conflicting instructions on how much to water because every tree and every compost mixture are a little different. As a general rule, you don't want your bonsai to stay dry or wet for too long. Let it dry before watering again. In hot weather, this could mean watering twice a day, so be prepared to really take care of your bonsai once they are set.

To turn a flower bed into a beautiful bonsai landscape, you will need to utilize stone, tree stumps or natural tables for the pots. Simply placing them all on the ground can look boring. Try to display each bonsai on a different level to give each one the attention it deserves. Light colored rocks for background can help the interesting trunks and leaves pop out and catch the eye.

Some bonsai species require more sun than others, so you will need to arrange them according to their requirements. Or, better yet, purchase ones that require full sun for your sunny areas and shade loving bonsai for your shady areas. You can bring your bonsai inside to prune and shape them or to get them out of the harsh sun or cold.

Pruning of the leaves can be done anytime. Use a leaf-cutting tool specifically made for bonsai trees. You can get an inexpensive kit of starter tools to get into the hobby of bonsai cultivation. In general, you want to prune as little as possible, only removing leaves that hide the trunk or disrupt the shape of the crown.

To trim branches or limbs, you will have to wait until early spring when there is no longer a risk of frost. Trim before any leaves start to bud. Also at this time, you will need to use a root tool to comb out roots. Trim the longest roots to keep the root ball shape that is flat at the bottom. There is a root sealant that you can buy to seal off large roots. Replace old compost and you're ready for summer.

Once the bonsai are on display, you will only need to occasionally prune leaves, water and feed. Watering is easily done with a hose that sprays like rain. Keep your hose on an automatic hose reelso that you do not take attention away from the beautiful bonsai by leaving your hose out between watering. Enjoy your unique creation every day of the year.

About the Author: Stacy Pessoney is an award winning author and writer of web content for many different web sites. She is well versed in many different areas, including gardening, hose reel, lawn care and landscaping.