Shohin Bonsai and its sizes and making a Shohin/ keishi Bonsai.

Bonsai is an Art of Making Plants small and giving them a form of natural look to the plant. It's a skilled art and how Nature Plays a main role in shaping plants. Bonsai Art Plants acquire a Tree shape in the master's hands just like in Nature. We are trying to keep our Bonsai Plants as natural as a miniature form of Nature 

Bonsais are divided into three groups depending on height are as 

Big Bonsai

Medium Bonsai

Shohin Bonsai.

Sunday We had a Shohin Bonsai workshop. This time our topic is How to make Small Bonsais, taking care of them was demonstrated and practically explained in detail. Here Are all details of Small Bonsais. How many sizes are there and how to make them.

Actually, Bonsai is a small miniature tree, then shohin Bonsai is still a miniature form of Bonsai. Some of the world-renowned Bonsai artists have only Shohin Bonsai nurseries. Just like for Big Bonsais Many awards were there for small Bonsais. 

Now we will see how to make a Beautiful Shohin Bonsai. Shohin Bonsai is generally divided into three categories depending on the height of the plant

1) Shohin Bonsai 

The general height of this plant is 12 inches. Shohin Bonsai can be carried with a hand . This general rule is that Bonsai which is carried with a hand is called shohin bonsai.

2) Mame Bonsai ..

 It is also called Bean Bonsai. The height Of this Bonsai is 6 inches. Mame Bonsai is a smaller Bonsai than Shohin Bonsai. It can also be carried by hand.

3) Shito Bonsai. 

The height of this Bonsai is considered 3 inches. This Shito Bonsai is smaller than Mame Bonsai, it can be carried in a palm.

4) Keishi Bonsai

The height of that Bonsai is 1 inches. Kenshi is the smallest of shito and this Bonsai can be held on a finger.

Selection of  Shohin Bonsai .

Seeds

Growing small Bonsai from seeds is the best way to grow them. The plants growing from seeds can be trained the way we want. We can give a shape in the initial stages when the trunk line is thin and bendable. The trunk can be given a beautiful curve. As the plant grows, select the branches from the base of the trunk, being its small size we need more styling and more branches on the trunk. the seed starts developing leaves and tip buds. Let the plant develop three to four leaves and remove the top bud, then more branches will start growing, shaping them. keep the size of the plant smaller as you want to make it into a smaller Bonsai.

Mame Bonsai Plants growing from seeds

     

                                                   

Branch cuttings : Growing Plants from branch cuttings is a common method. Most plants can be grown from Branches. Take a Branch cutting of 2 to 10 inches. For Shito and Kishi below 5 inches in height is preferable. Apply root to all hormones,  keep it in soil and coco peat mix, and keep the soil moist. If the soil is moist there will be good development of roots. When the branch has started growing, give it a shape and after it attains the style you want you can shift it into a Bonsai pot.  

Ficus Ramphi is growing from a cutting. All most all Ficus varieties can be grown from branch cuttings.

Wild collection: Wild collected plants are the best Bonsais. They naturally become dwarfed by environmental forces like storms, winds, and animals. These Plants when collected are already many years old and we will have a good-aged Mame Bonsai. These can be collected and can be trained into mame Bonsais.   This is a wild collected Ficus pili khan.

Grafted Plants : Grafted Plants like china focus and ginseng ficus are grafted plants , they can be made into shohin or mame Bonsai. 

Nursery Plant :

Nursery Plants are always readily made into Bonsais. We can buy a plant from a nursery and reduce the height by cutting down the length of the plant and doing some pruning and wiring to give it a shape. Then some pruning and shaping make the plant a beautiful Mame Bonsai.

Names of Plants for Shohin Bonsai and Mame Bonsai. 

The best plants are small-sized leaves plants because their small size plant looks small and attractive miniature Mame Bonsai. The leaves of Big leaves plants take time to reduce in size. Plants like peepal which have big leaves can also be made into Shohin Bonsais.

Buxus, Serissa foetida, Carmona, Jade, Ficus microcarpa, Adenium, Pomegranate, Bougain villea, Chinese Elm, Pine, Ginseng ficus, Premna.

Mame Bonsai soil: Mame Bonsai pots are very small, so they should have soil that can hold water and good fertile and good drainage for proper growth of roots and the plant. Peat moss holds moisture, cocopeat helps for good drainage and the garden soil provides organic matter for the plants to grow. The best composition is one part of the garden soil, one part of the cocopeat, and one part of peat moss. 

Wiring and pruning a small Bonsai is challenging work because of its size. The clip and grow method is best suitable for most of the mame bonsais. There are very pretty creations of their small size and need lots of maintenance. All most all these Bonsais are growing in a small pot so once you water them within ten minutes water drains out and the soil becomes dry.  If the soil is dry growth of the plant won't be proper. To maintain them properly keep all these plants in a shallow plate with pumice stones or brick pieces, and maintain a level of water halfway into the stones. another method is in a big pot put the Bonsai soil and keep the pants in the soil. In both Methods moisture from the down of the pot keeps mame bonsai cool. it helps the plant to grow healthily. Regular interval feralization is very important for these plants.  

 

Here link is given to shape a Plant into Shohin Bonsai. 

https://youtu.be/5YdmDB9VVJs