Bonsai is a Japanese art of tree cultivation that is thousands of years old. The appeal of this culture is that the trees, which remain small, are raised true to nature - just in mini format. This Japanese tradition has long since come to us, as evidenced by numerous clubs in Germany and a wide range of specialist literature and information on the Internet. For the bonsai culture you do not need any exotic tree species, a seedling of a native tree also meets the requirements.
Native trees can also be trained to become bonsai
This is how you get to a suitable tree
Native trees offer many advantages for bonsai training: raw material is easy (and cheap!) to obtain, because you only have to go to the forest or park, and these species are also optimally adapted to the local climatic conditions and need them no extra care such as wintering in a cold house. Instead, they are ideal outdoor bonsai that can be placed wonderfully in the garden. Exotic tree species should only be preferred for a room bonsai, because oak, maple and co. do not survive long in the living room. You can obtain a suitable bonsai blank in various ways:
- They grow trees themselves from seeds.
- They collect seedlings in the spring, which they carefully dig up and pot.
- They specifically look for older trees that have remained small.
However, you must be careful with wild trees and comply with local conservation laws. Seedlings or young trees may not simply be taken from every forest!
Which native tree species are suitable for bonsai?
In principle, all native tree species are suitable for bonsai. However, it is an advantage if you prefer varieties with naturally small leaves, as there is no complicated leaf trimming for beginners. In addition to large trees such as pedunculate oak, common beech, Norway maple or pine, many shrubs can also be trained to become tree bonsai. Beautiful bonsai can be formed from hawthorn, cornelian cherry, wild apple etc. in particular.
Making a bonsai from a blank - the basics
It takes many years of careful care before a seedling becomes a finished bonsai. The basics:
- First let the seedling grow in the pot for a few years.
- Cut it regularly so that it develops thick branches and a thick trunk.
- To do this, keep shortening what will later be the main branches and trimming others instead.
- Only after a few years does the tree grow into the typical flat shell.
- Now the design of the right bonsai begins using scissors and wire.
tips
Watering and fertilizing a bonsai correctly is a tricky task: After all, the tree needs enough nutrients, but too many of them lead to unwanted increased growth.