In the wild, sequoia trees grow up to a hundred meters high. That doesn't make them suitable for every garden. With a few ingenious moves, the giants come in a completely different form. Surprise neighbors and visitors with a bonsai-shaped sequoia.

A bonsai can be grown in different ways

Various bonsai techniques

The cultivation of bonsai, which originated in Asia, is now so popular that there are several techniques:

  • the free upright form (Moyogi)
  • the strictly upright form (Chokkan)
  • the inclined form (shakan)
  • the broom form (Hokidachi)
  • the miniature form (shohin or mame bonsai)
  • the cascade (kengai)
  • the coiled form (Nejikan)
  • the raft form (Netsunagari)
  • the semi-cascade form (Han-Kengai)
  • the forest (Yose-Ue)

With the sequoia as a bonsai, the free upright, the inclined shape and the forest are the easiest to implement.

The primeval redwood is best

Usually all three sequoia species meet the requirements for a bonsai pruning. However, it is best to choose the primeval sequoia for your project. Its matching characteristics are not surprising given that it originally comes from China, the birthplace of bonsai art. Its rapid growth and the enormous flexibility of the branches make it easy for you to grow a bonsai form. In addition, the wounds resulting from the necessary pruning heal quickly.

Shape a sequoia into a bonsai

Just like other bonsai plants, you create the impressive shape by pruning and wiring the branches.

The cutback

It is best to remove annoying young shoots in the spring or summer months. Secateurs are not absolutely necessary for this. Young shoots in particular are easy to pluck off by hand.

The wiring

Since aluminum wire is particularly easy to remove, this material is highly recommended. In autumn or winter, the sequoia produces relatively little resin and slows down its growth, so that the cold season is ideal for wiring. If necessary, you can do the shaping all year round. After half a year, remove the wire. After a short break, the rapid growth requires another intervention.

Be careful with young trees

The branches of young sequoias tend to break easily. In this case, do without wire and tie the branches down instead.

Caring for the Sequoia Bonsai

The care of a sequoia, even in the form of a bonsai, hardly differs from that of natural growth. A sunny location with a lot but not extreme heat is ideal. Make sure you give enough water, especially in the summer months. In winter, you need to protect your mammoth bonsai tree from frost in a cool place. For rapid growth, you should fertilize it every three weeks during the first few months. After three years of rearing, you can put your little tree outside in the ground.'

Category:

Trees