How to Trim a Bonsai Tree

1
How to Trim a Bonsai Tree

• By Jon Ziemer

Modified by Georgia Agricultural Education
Curriculum Office June 2002
2
Introduction

• In the next few minutes I am going to tell you
  how to get started and how to care for a Bonsai
  tree.

3
What is Bonsai

• Practiced for centuries in China and Japan,
  bonsai is the reproduction of natural tree forms
  in miniature. Bonsai trees are living miniature
  trees which increase in beauty and value as they
  mature over the years.
• The selecting of a pot suitable to the beauty of
  the tree, and the arranging of small stones or
  figurines at its base.
• Bonsai is an art.

4
Materials Needed

• Bonsai containers
• 9-to-20-gauge copper or painted aluminum wire
  (for shaping)
• Screen wire (to cover drain hole)
• Potting medium and gravel
• Chopsticks or similar sharp sticks
• Pruners (some should be for fine work)
• Potted plants (to be trained to bonsai)

5
Example of Bonsai
6
Getting Started

• Step 1 The trunk is shortened by 2/3 with a
  concave cutter.
• Tip It's fairly easy to grow a new plant from
  the old top.

7

• Step 2 The trunk is wired with 1/8" aluminum
  wire.
• As the trunk is about 1 inch in diameter, twin
  wiring will be required in order to get it into
  the desired shape.

8

• Step 3 Remove all the leaves.
• New smaller leaves will grow back in a few weeks
  time, inducing new branches on the tree.

9

• Step 4 The trunk is carefully plied into an "S"
  shape.
• In a few months time, it will keep it's basic
  shape and the wires can be removed.

10
Further Along the Bonsai Road

• After one month
• After three months

11
How to Care For an Indoor Tree

• The plant receives at least two hours of direct
  sun.
• Avoid using normal household filament and
  fluorescent lamps as they do not emit light at
  the right wavelengths for healthy plant growth

12
Heat and Humidity

• It is bad to subject plant to sudden temperature
  changes
• They should not be placed near a heat source.
• Dont place on window sills

• Stand your trees on trays full of gravel immersed
  in water.
• Evaporation of the water will provide a moist
  microclimate around the tree.

13
Rotating Trees

• Rotate so all side of tree gets light.
• The side that doesnt get light will shed the
  branches.

14
Watering

• The top layer of soil must be allowed to dry down
  an inch before watering.
• Use a fine-spray bonsai watering can is not
  available, put your bonsai in the sink, fill the
  sink with water until it reaches the rim of the
  bonsai container, let it sit for 15 minutes
• Other methods will wash soil particles out of the
  pot.
• Frequent misting of foliage does not contribute
  to soil problems, and is a good method for
  increasing humidity.

15
Conclusion

• After watching and hearing about how to get
  started and how to care for a bonsai tree I hope
  you learned more about them and that they are not
  that difficult to have,