Konik spruce bonsai. Garden bonsai from ordinary trees. Spruce bonsai. Growing conditions

Coniferous bonsai - as an art originated almost a thousand years ago in China. Widespread in Japan. In Japanese culture, there has always been a connection between traditions and nature. The constant change of seasons in gardens and parks has always fascinated and attracted, and so much so that with the advent of bonsai, it became possible to transfer the beauty of the surrounding world into a home environment. Bonsai is translated not only as bonsai, but also the process of growing these plants in a pallet or shallow pot.

modern bonsai

Today, bonsai has become very popular all over the world. At its core, it is. Most of the plant species that are used to form bonsai in Japan do not grow in our latitudes. Many gardeners grow those species that grow in our territory. The most suitable species for cultivation are coniferous trees. To create a composition, thuja, spruce, are well suited. Not all gardeners know how to properly care for dwarf trees. Next, we will reveal behind the composition.

The process of growing dwarf trees is very long and laborious. Such a hobby is suitable only for purposeful and patient people. Having formed the appearance of your tree, you should not think that it will be permanently preserved. Bonsai from needles grows, actively develops and may lose its neat appearance. In this regard, when caring for the composition, regular pruning, replanting and branching are required. At the moment, strict canons of cultivation have been established, which have been formed over the centuries. Sometimes professionals deviate from them and the result can be real works of art. True, it is worth conducting such experiments only if you have some experience in this lesson.

Bonsai crown formation process

Today there are a large number various styles growing bonsai. But in caring for trees, there are still several basic rules for crown formation:

1. Spruce and thuja should have a conical crown shape, or the crown should be divided into horizontal tiers;
2. Spruce or thuja should have fairly dense needles.

All this is due to the basic rules for the development of plants in natural conditions. Compliance with the principles allows you to well ventilate each tier of a coniferous plant, and at the same time each branch receives a sufficient amount of lighting. Each individual tier creates its own microclimate, which contributes to the active growth of the plant. Thus, spruce or thuja provide themselves with conditions for life.

To form the crown of dwarf trees will have to spend a lot of effort. After the spruce or thuja has been placed in a container from its natural habitat, the top must be cut. First you need to think about the shape and style of your future plant, since the first haircut lays its foundation.

When pruning, excess branches are removed and only those that are suitable in texture are left.

Using aluminum wire form the frame of the future trunk. Also, with the help of such frames, you can give the desired look to the branches and direct their growth in a certain direction.

Formed spruce or thuja needs regular shearing. Carrying out such a procedure helps to maintain a beautiful appearance. Also, with the help of cutting, the flow of forces is redistributed between the upper stronger branches to the weaker lower ones.

For the first time in a year, spruce is trimmed with the beginning of active growth in the spring. Further, the need for trimming is determined by the intensity of plant development and the need to remove branches that violate the overall silhouette of the plant.

The cutting rules for each individual breed are different. The process also removes damaged and dried branches. In order to quickly tighten the places of cuts, they must be covered with plasticine.

It is necessary to form the direction of growth of the branches when they are the softest and most pliable for processing. Also, at the beginning of summer, needles are removed in order to rejuvenate the crown of the plant.

Root care

Dwarf spruce and thuja should be repotted regularly. This procedure is carried out with the onset of the warm season, before the plant begins to actively develop.

The procedure is carried out as follows:

1. It is necessary to prepare a container deeper than the previous one by a couple of centimeters. To do this, you can use a ceramic flower pot with drainage holes. A quarter of the container is filled with clay, then a layer of a special substrate is poured.
2. Very carefully remove damaged, old or overgrown parts of the root system. Do it with garden shears.
3. The root system is cleaned of the old substrate and covered with a new one. For an adult plant, noma is the removal of almost forty percent of the old soil. For young plants, this figure is almost twice as high. If the spruce is not healthy, then this procedure should be carried out in several stages. Do this with the help of special sticks.

Before transplanting, an earthen coma is given some time to dry out. This will preserve the integrity of the root system. After transplanting, spruce should be abundantly moistened.

winter dormancy period

dwarf trees in winter period slow down their development. For each species, the duration of the dormant period is different. Spruce at low temperatures is in a state of winter sleep for about one hundred and fifty days.

Bonsai need to be fed regularly with organic and inorganic fertilizers. For each type of miniature tree, the type of fertilizer is selected individually. Also, the age of the tree and its condition should be taken into account.

To competently approach the cultivation of bonsai at home, you need to study in detail the rules for caring for the acquired species. It is necessary to strictly observe the mode of watering and lighting, maintain the desired temperature and humidity. You can learn all the subtleties of growing bonsai only in the process of caring for the plant.

How to grow pine bonsai at home? Growing and propagating tabernemontana at home

Luxurious beauty reaches 30 m in height. The different color of the needles depends on the type of tree. Like the length of the needles. The most common color of needles is green, but there are species with a bright blue tint. The cones change from reddish to dark brown when ripe. Lives for a long time, about 600 years. For the two states of America, this is their own symbol. From the side, the spruce looks like a very massive tree, but it has flexible branches and a trunk. Experienced gardeners do not recommend growing it for beginners. A lot of petty work on which the result depends. Translated from Latin, it means resinous tree, which fully characterizes it, due to the release of a large amount of resin. The tree has a sharp crown and sloping branches. The slender trunk is especially remarkable. Cones appear at the ends of the shoots and do not open even after full maturation.

habitation

The tree can be found in the mountain valleys of North America. The cultivars are grown in Germany. Individual specimens are located in the mountainous regions of Europe. Most parts of the Northern Hemisphere can boast one type of spruce or another.

Watering

A good drainage layer of broken bricks and sand is required. A young plant needs regular watering. In summer, watering can be plentiful, given that the soil has time to dry slightly. By autumn, watering is reduced, reducing to a rare winter months. Gardeners often use a warm shower from a watering can. Or spraying in warm weather.

top dressing

A constant addition of fertilizers is not required, but periodically it is good to add universal components for coniferous plants. As an additional additive, powder fertilizers are used during active growth. Can be added organic fertilizers slowly decomposing.

pruning

The tree does not grow quickly, rather slowly, especially some varieties. To form a special style, a wire is applied that can last more than 2 years. In order for the wire not to grow under it, a soft layer is placed. Pruning of branches begins in the spring, or at the end of February. During this period, the release of resin is minimal. Young shoots can be pinched during the summer. In the same period, the crown is thinned out. It is necessary to remove dried branches and needles inside the crown and from the surface of the soil. The bark can be brushed, if moss appears, it can be scraped off with a knife.

Lighting

The container with the plant must be placed in a lighted place. But the tree also feels good in the shade and in partial shade. In the summer, it will be useful to take the spruce to the garden or terrace. When placed outdoors, wind protection can be omitted. If in summer a temperature of about 24 ° C is sufficient, then in winter it is necessary to move the plant to a room with a temperature not higher than 5 ° C. Due to the nature of the content, the tree is often grown in open ground which is more useful for him. The room must be constantly ventilated.

soil for the plant

For good growth and lush crowns take a soil substrate from soddy soil, mix it with leafy soil, add peat and sand. Connoisseurs advise adding nitroammophoski to the finished mixture. It is believed that spruce tolerates clay soils well, deprived of nutrients. One of the recommended formulations contains leaf earth, clay granulate and Japanese clay. A possible substrate of compost, leafy soil and river sand can be recommended.

reproduction

During transplantation, it is necessary to approve the root neck at ground level, not lower. An adult plant does not need to be replanted, but the top layer must be changed, peat should be added and loosened well. The roots do not go deep into the soil, so the pots may not be very deep. Transplantation is carried out every 5 years, each subsequent pot is slightly larger than the previous one. At the same time, a third of the root system is cut off, old and damaged roots are selected.

The plant is often tried to grow from cuttings, but the result is not guaranteed. Cuttings are cut in the summer from last year's branches, the needles are removed from the bottom, planted in a dark place, and the temperature is maintained at about 20 ° C. The whole process can take about 2 years. It's easier to buy a seedling in a store. For propagation by seeds, cones are collected in the fall, dried, and kept at a warm temperature. After they germinate for about 10 days in the sand. The soil must be kept moist. In spring, seeds are planted in loose soil. Usually, sprouts appear after 3 weeks. For some time, the sprouts must be held under glassware. Somewhere in the middle of summer, banks are removed. The next year, the sprouts can be planted in separate pots.

Propagation by layering is also used. To do this, select the lower branches, press them to the ground. Make several cuts, cover with soil and water regularly. Professionals use summer or spring vaccinations, but this method is not suitable for beginners, as it is considered a very complicated method.

Plant pests and diseases

Of the insects that annoy the tree, bark beetles, root nematodes, red spider mites, horntail wasps and large pine weevil should be noted. All of them leave, after themselves, a whole network of communicating holes under the bark. The appearance of insects can be traced by damage to the needles and cones. It is necessary to cut and destroy the affected areas. Young plants are treated with an oil emulsion, sprayed with insecticides. From the appearance of moth, leafworm, silkworm, aphids and sawflies, shoots and needles are deformed, urgent spraying is required chemicals. From Hermes, spraying with organophosphorus substances is used. Browning of needles, septoria, rust and spruce cancer are quite serious diseases. Which are disposed of by spraying with fungicidal preparations, which are basically blue vitriol or cyben.

plant species

Spruce is prickly. Its needles often have a bluish tint. Spruce prickly gray, All of its varieties have a bluish tint of needles due to wax coating. The crown spreads out to 8 m in diameter. The growth of the tree is about 40 cm per year. The gray globular spruce otherwise, the Glauka Globoza spruce has a dwarf appearance, can reach a height of 1 m and spread over 1.5 m in diameter. Argentea silver spruce has whitish needles that turn silvery white with age. The Oldenburg blue spruce, originally from Germany, is not so tall, its height is about 15 m, but the prickly needles have a pleasant blue color.

midori tsumi- pinching the point of growth. By shortening the shoot, you provoke the laying of new buds below the pinching point, thus obtaining dense paws with many branches. Depending on what kind of trees you are working with, the time of work changes:

• For hardwood- pinching begins during the period of active growth of shoots and lasts until mid-summer. On the remaining branch there are 2-3 leaves (buds). They finish work at the end of July, so that the regrown branches prepare for the winter;
• for conifers - pinching begins when the branch is in the “candle” mode, but the needles have already moved away from it at an angle of 45 °.

Kiri modoshi- pruning all the shoots of the last year to form dense brushes. It is produced at the beginning of sap flow, before the buds open.

Hamu-siri– thinning needles – is used only for pines. All the needles of the previous year are plucked, and the remains are thinned out by half or less (depending on how many shoots you want to get).

Fuse-zukuri- special techniques for changing the shape and direction of growth of shoots.

For these purposes, the branches are bent in the right direction to required angle and are fixed.

When bending, the main task is not to damage the tree, therefore, at the slightest crackle, the slope is reduced, and the branch is fixed. Bamboo spacers, soft copper wire, twine, burlap are used to protect branches from damage. They carefully monitor that the strapping does not grow into the bark - as soon as the branches thicken, they are tied up. Full fixation of the branch occurs after 2-3 seasons.

Shitate- barrel bending technique. Such niwaki styles, like mogi, kengai, syakai require that the barrel is not located in a vertical plane. To give shape, use spacers, stretching, bending to the ground, followed by fixation with pegs.

The trunk can be formed in two ways:

• setting the right direction for a young seedling from year to year (for example, planting a plant at an angle);
• changing the shape of the rootstock in a mature tree (usually used to reinforce existing bends).

There is a risk that the unnatural position of the trunk may cause the root system to not hold it, so the extensions are installed as follows:

Where to start?

We advise a novice bonsaiist to first practice on trees and shrubs growing on the site. Nivaki can be formed from both a young and a long-growing tree. They begin work in early spring, before the buds open. At this time, the shape of the tree, natural curves, strong and weak shoots are clearly visible. For bonsai, choose a healthy plant that can survive the stress caused by drastic interference in its life.

Operating procedure:

• at a tree or shrub, cut off all diseased, broken and dry branches;
• choose the style in which nivaki will be formed, paying special attention to the age of the tree and the natural shape of the trunk;
• decide where the front side of the composition will be, mark the branches of the first order (bases) and the topmost branch crowning the nivkai.

Skeletal branches should emphasize the levels as much as possible - for this they are placed in a plane parallel to the ground, using the techniques described above.

After that, all excess shoots are removed, leaving on the skeletal branches those that will later form the crown. If necessary, stretch marks are installed, directing the growth of shoots in the right direction.

The next stage starts only next year:

Examples of elementary niwaki

Jasmine. The shrub gives abundant shoots, and without corrective pruning after a few years has an unsightly neglected appearance. What can be done? Remove all excess growth, leaving a few of the strongest vertical shoots. Pull them together with a soft wire - at the top you will get a compact “hat”, which in the spring will turn into a wonderful white cloud with a delicate aroma.

Spirea. The lush blooming "Rich Bride" is an excellent material for bonsai. Leaving a few skeletal branches, weave them together, and cut off all excess at the root. Give the stems the desired height, form the side shoots in the form of a ball.

Lilac. An ordinary bush can become a garden barefoot masterpiece if you work a little:

• cut out all the shoots and remove the stem branches under the root, leaving one, the strongest or crooked shoot;
• cut it to a height of no more than 1.5 m;
• using the fuse-zukuri technique, form a crown from young shoots in the form of a bowl, shell or cap at the top of the main branch;
• try to direct the growth of young upper shoots parallel to the ground, tying a load to them;
• be sure to remove all excess growth at the root and adjust the top growth point.

After flowering, be sure to remove all dry candles - this stimulates an increase in peduncles for the next year.

Holly maple. The bright red leaves of this plant are good on their own. But if you give the tree the desired shape, you will get a unique composition that will decorate the shore. artificial reservoir or alpine slide. Plant two young seedlings side by side, which can later be intertwined with each other, or you can grow a tree in the sokan style - with a forked trunk.

Don't be afraid to experiment! For an enthusiastic person, there is no such plant that could not be turned into a masterpiece to the envy of all neighbors.

Spruce

The modern art of growing bonsai has many directions and styles. But they all stick general rule, which concerns the formation of the crown:

• a coniferous tree should have branches with small and lush needles;
• the choice should be in favor of a tree with a cone-shaped crown or the crown should be divided into tiers.

Consider the question of how to grow a spruce bonsai or an elite blue spruce bonsai. This is not easy to do, not every beginner will be able to cope, especially if you start by planting seeds. They are placed for a day in a bright solution of potassium permanganate, and then for another day in water. Soaked seed is placed in a container with prepared sand to a depth of 1–2 cm and left for two months in a cold place (for example, on a balcony or in a garage).

With the beginning of spring, the container is transferred to the home, placed closer to the light source (windowsill) and watered. Three weeks later, small seedlings appear, and when they reach 10 more centimeters, you can begin to form bonsai from Norway spruce. Within 2-3 years, the Christmas tree grows when watered in summer period(once a week). In early spring they bring mineral fertilizers. After this period, the seedling can finally be transplanted into a special pot - bonsai.

Pinching the top is needed in order to stop growth. Pruning and shearing will help give the plant the desired shape. Pruning can be done as needed, and fantasy will tell the shape of the crown. Treat the cut points with garden pitch. The best place for a young plant - a balcony, veranda, loggia. There is a lot of natural light here, and the sun's rays often peek in.

Cedar

Growing a cedar with your own hands is not so difficult, you just need to have the desire and certain knowledge. Now we will take a step-by-step look at how to grow a bonsai cedar from seeds:

1. The main thing is to find a healthy cone (without visible damage and signs of mold) and get a few nuts out of it.
2. Pick up a small box, making holes in the bottom for ventilation, put dried grass inside, and nuts on top. The box must be left open balcony until spring. Thus, stratification will take place - an imitation of winter conditions in nature.
3. In the spring, we transfer the nuts to the house, drop them 1–2 cm into the sandy soil in a small container and leave them on the windowsill.
4. In a month, small seedlings will appear - water them and protect them from direct sunlight. You can plant them only after 3 years in a special container - bonsai.

The formation of cedar bonsai occurs according to the following scheme:

• 1-2 months the plant rests and gets used to a new place;
• using soft wire, wrap around the trunk and create the desired frame, giving the branches the right directions, while remembering to fertilize the cedar once a month. So 2 months pass;
• at the next transplant, without disturbing the coma of earth in the root system of the tree, you need to slightly cut the roots, renew the earth in the bonsai and return the cedar to its place, mulching the soil near the roots with peat;
• after 3-4 years, it is required to pinch the upper kidney, preventing growth. This procedure will stimulate the growth of side shoots;
• after a few years, a crown is formed - this is where the scope of your imagination will be needed.

Japanese cedar bonsai can take on a whimsical shape in a cascading style or choose a strict classic version for it.

thuja

The shrub belongs to the genus of conifers. But instead of the needles characteristic of coniferous trees, it has scales. The thuja has seeds in the form of cones, with which the plant propagates. For planting use seeds, cuttings and seedlings. The conditions for planting and care do not differ from those previously described for growing conifers. Thuja is suitable for staying at home and is an excellent material for growing thuja bonsai.

Other conifers

Another representative of conifers is juniper. He is unpretentious, quickly adapts to the room climate and is in no way inferior in beauty to his fellows. The only difference is that the juniper tolerates wintering better at room temperature and does not require expulsion to the balcony.

Roxburgh pine is unlikely to be suitable for use in the home, as in nature it reaches a height of more than 2 m and has long needles. At the same time, Scots pine is a suitable basis for bonsai. Gardeners create unique and bizarre forms from it.

Features of growing and caring for conifers

We offer some tips for self-planting and caring for conifers.

To grow bonsai from conifers, you must first ask yourself the following questions:

• what kind of soil the tree prefers;
• does the room have enough light to grow this species;
• what watering needs this species tree or shrub.

Once you answer them, get down to business.

The condition of the needles "speaks" about the health of your ward. If you notice spots, shedding of needles, or if their color has changed, this indicates a disease or the appearance of harmful insects.

It should be noted that conifers have two stages of growth during the year: the first is manifested in the growth of branches (in late spring), the second is characterized by their thickening at the end of summer.

ancient art growing bonsai in flower pots, which originated in China, then developed in Japan, from where it began its march to the rest of the world. Ornamental trees were presented as expensive gifts, became collectibles and increasingly gained popularity among flower growers. Despite the fact that indoor trees are capricious in care and difficult to grow, thousands of amateurs in the world study the art of bonsai.

Features and types

You can grow bonsai from trees of any kind, but conifers look especially beautiful. The best views spruce, thuja, pine and juniper are recognized to create coniferous bonsai. There are more than 10 main styles of tree formation, each of which carries its own semantic load. But no matter how beautiful coniferous bonsai is, it is difficult to grow and care for it, so it is not recommended for a beginner to create such a work of art.

To create bonsai from spruce, these species are used.

• Spruce ordinary. A cone-shaped tree, often used as christmas decoration Houses.

• Blue spruce (gray or Colorado). Known for its bluish-green or blue needles, spruce is narrowly conical when young, and mature tree takes on a cylindrical shape.

• Spruce Glauka Konika. The miniature spruce is famous for its beautiful conical shape of the crown and dense small needles.

• Canadian spruce. Beautiful blue-green above and blue-white below, the spruce is the progenitor of the Glauka Konik spruce.

Creating a spruce bonsai

You can grow a dwarf tree from a seedling of an ordinary spruce, taken in the wild or bought in specialized nurseries. But finding the right kind of the right age is very difficult, so bonsai masters create their compositions from trees grown from seeds. Before planting, the seeds undergo a special treatment that disinfects and accelerates the germination process. To do this, you need to place the seeds of spruce for 24 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Soak the next day in clean water.

In a peat-sand mixture with the addition of coniferous humus, plant seeds to a depth of 15 mm, moisten well and cover with a film. The distance between sown seeds should be at least 4 cm. The optimum temperature for germination does not exceed 20°C. After a couple of weeks, the first shoots may appear. When all seeds have germinated, select and leave the strongest seedlings at least 75 mm apart.

When caring for seedlings, you must:

• withstand temperatures in the range of 13-15°C;
• watering should be replaced by spraying seedlings with water 2 times a day;
• keep away from direct sunlight.

Tender shoots of spruce are not resistant to diseases, especially root rot, so it is important to treat the plant with fungicides. When the plant reaches a height of 0.1 m, they begin to form a crown. The form of an adult plant is planned in advance and corresponds to the desire of the author of the idea. To form a tree, pinching points of growth, pruning and pulling branches with copper or aluminum wire are used, setting the direction of growth.

A year later, the seedlings are transplanted for the first time. It is best to transplant in early spring, before active sap flow begins. Young seedlings are carefully removed from the soil, trying not to damage the roots, the spoiled ones are removed and transplanted into separate pots. It is desirable to add soil from under coniferous trees to the soil for transplantation. Water the seedlings once a week in the summer. Mineral dressing is applied once a year in the spring.

When the seedlings reach the age of three, they are transplanted into a special bowl - bonsai. Such a flowerpot is selected taking into account appearance mature plant and colors, as it is an important component of the future composition. The bowl should be shallow, with holes for draining excess water, covered with shards, and easy to care for. The soil for planting is chosen in accordance with the type of plant, and moss is often laid out around the planted sprout, imitating grass and maintaining the necessary soil moisture.

Mature plants are transplanted every 2 years.

Care

When the bonsai takes root in the selected pot, it is necessary to continue the formation of the crown. This will have to be done throughout the life of the dwarf tree, since the growth process of the plant never stops. In addition to pruning extra branches, young soft branches are pulled back, pinching the apical bud and peeling the bark to age the tree.

In order for the bonsai to retain its decorative effect and please with a neat look, once a year in the spring they do a thorough pruning of the tree, removing excess and dried branches. Places of cut of thick branches must be treated with garden pitch to prevent the disease. The rest of the time, you need to remove only those branches that violate the structure of the composition.

When removing branches, it is important to remember the rule: if you remove too many branches and needles, the tree may die.

Watering mature plant needed as needed, checking the dryness of the soil inside the pot. Since the capacity for tree life is small and there is relatively little soil in it, for good growth and development of bonsai, it is necessary to regularly feed with special fertilizers, which may differ in composition for different species.

Proper lighting It has great importance to preserve the decorative effect of the composition. Spruces prefer diffused sunlight during most of the daytime year-round. With improper lighting, noble blue spruce bonsai can lose their unusual color and lose their uniqueness.

Dwarf coniferous trees, like their full-fledged counterparts, go into "hibernation" in the winter, reducing vital activity. Such specimens prefer to winter in the cold, since they are hot in the apartment and lack humidity in the air. The owners of dwarf firs put pots with a tree on the balcony or arrange in the garden. If this is not done, the bonsai may die.

For information on how to plant pine bonsai, see the video below.