How do you apply Liquid fertilizer to a Bonsai Plant

 Liquid fertilizer is essential for any flowering or fruiting tree because it contains micronutrients which plays a great role in plant development in fruiting and flowering stage.

When to give:

Liquid fertilizer or any fertilizer to be given in the morning before ten o clock or evening after five o clock to avoid sunburn of the leaves due to afternoon sunlight. and one more important thing is not to spray on a windy day.

What to do before giving fertilizer :

First give a nice shower to the plant to remove dust settled on the plant leaves.

How much to give:

There are many companies are producing organic and inorganic liquid fertilizers. First carefully read instructions before opening the fertilizer bottle. Take a sprayer and take right measurement of liquid fertilizer as written on the label and add accurate measurement of water. Mix it well. If you are doing it for the first time on any new plant you can take diluted quantity of liquid fertilizer add little more water.

How to Spray

This is also important stage of while spraying liquid fertilizer. Now start spraying on the leaves, below the leaves, and completely drench the plant. And can be spray it on the soil of the pot also. Or with a glass or mug you can add this water to the soil.

Frequency of fertilizer

Once in fortnight that means once in fifteen days you can spray it on the plant when the plant is in growing stage. Growing stage means that is spring.

To get more fruits and flowers

To get more fruits and flowers one can start giving liquid fertilizers from September month on wards till the end of spring season. In summer Be careful it the temperatures are going above 40 degrees centigrade. In rainy season one can stop giving liquid fertilizers.

Happy Growing

Liquid fertilizers always boost the plant’s development and makes the plant more resistance to diseases.

How to crop a Bonsai photo to remove disterbing objects around our Bonsai plant.

When you are looking at a Bonsai photo, there should not be any disturbances around the Bonsai plant. when someone looking at the photo concentration should be on plant only. Distractions due to other objects lesson the main beauty of the plant. Here in cropping are using these software to a only if  necessary otherwise dont do any changes to the image.  We want real actual image of Bonsai as it is not a changed one.so use it limited.

Now we will see which software to use and how to use them. 

After taking the photo we can crop the photo by a software, so main attraction will be plant only.  For cropping image I am using Picasa soft ware . There crop the image and save the file, if you want add any addtional information you can write down by using text tool and save it. And second tool is fine tunning, By using this tool you can increase the shadow or you can lighten the image. Picasa is a simple software any one can use it. 

Second software is Adobe Photoshop. Here in this software we can we can expose all details of the plant. Its a sophisticated soft ware we need some experience to use this app. 

So Friends Take photographs and enjoy sharing with friends.

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Bonsai And Bonsai photoshoot . How to get best photo of your Bonsai. Part 2

In last post we learnt every thing about the Back drop and its colors and how to use that.

Tripod setting for Photo shoot:

Tripod is an important instrument.in photography, if you place your camera on a tripod, , you can easily adjust shutter speed and time with out any jerks. Small jerk also makes your photo shaky without any clear, sharp picture. With Tripod we can adjust of the height the  camera with the same level of the plant with its position and angle. Fix  camera or mobile in tripod and adjust the height of tripod.

camera focus point and should match with pot level. The plant trunk base should and the camera eye will be in the same level. So plant will be visible as it is. we can get true image with out any Parallax error.

If you are looking at plant from an angle the picture you are getting wont be perfect , In out come photo the plant's image will be at an angle  and trunk line can be covered with branches. so its not proper way of getting a good picture.

In the above photograph the focus of camera is going above canopy of the plant. So in out come image of the plant the trunk line looks thin and  young.

camera Angle focus is from the Above the plant

    

Focus of camera in first photo it is on left side, and in second photo it is on right side  

The placement of tripod with camera and plant should be in 180 degrees line. If tripod is on right side or left side the image we are getting is not a actual image.

Tripod helps to take good photos when there is minimum light in the room, that time we need more shutter speed.  When  using camera with hand slight movement also reduces shutter speed, resulting in blur or grainy images.If camera is placed on tripod there wont be any  movement of the hand, On tripod minimum amount of movement resulting  best photos of Bonsai plants. If you dont have tripod there many home made tripod videos are there online, you can check them. you can make your own. The main use of tripod is stability for camera with least motion and best photo shoot..

To be continued in next posts with other tips like tripod placement and exposure etc.....

Bonsai And Bonsai photoshoot . How to get best photo of your Bonsai.

Photographing A Bonsai : Once we finished shaping Bonsai Plant, we feel like capture the beauty of our creation in a frame. Here I am sharing some important points of Photography . These I learnt with experience, I would like to share with you all. We can start our photography shoot with our mobile. we don't need any expensive camera, Simple camera is also makes lots of difference. Then a normal simple tripod of for stable photos. For taking  good photos one need not to be a great photographer just follow some easy steps and your Bonsai photos will be marvelous. 

Back drop for photo shoot : First to show your Bonsai clearly with depth we should have a solid back ground with out any distractions. If you have plain wall that also makes a good back ground. Otherwise next step we can use Black or White colour or any other colour of plain cloth is makes a superior back ground.  when you selecting a cloth it should not be a shiny cloth, because it reflects the light.  

 

The cloth can be a velvet or 100% cotton cloth or Lekera cloth is gives a best back ground. Some times if your Bonsai is small then our coloured chart paper is perfect as a back drop. Back drop should be hang from a stand or with some support . please try to hang the cloth  straight down with out any folds.. The folds distracts the view of  main image. Our Bonsai plant can be placed in front of the backdrop on a table. We can put same cloth on table and place the plant on table. Then complete back ground will be full black and entire viewers concentration will be on Bonsai plant. Some times we can place turntable on the this table, that also gives a elegant look.

 In this photo table is covered with the same backdrop cloth

A turn table is place on the first table to place Bonsai plant

Chart paper also can be used as back drop in photography.

One more option is we can place glass sheet below Bonsai plant with black or white back drop, the reflection of the plant in the glass gives a beautiful look.

Here below we can see a detail view of White and Black drop . Both of them are good . according to our interest we can use any back ground. So always one back drop without any interruption is compulsory to show your beauty of the Bonsai  plant. 

 

To be continued in next posts with other tips like tripod placement and exposure etc.....

How to make beautiful bonsai pot Easily at home.

Bonsai is unlimited imagination to your creativity. I tried to create different pot for Premna plant.

A beautiful cement block which is light and can be carved with a chisel, drilling machine, and hexa blade. here everything explained with photos. 

Tools required:

Cement Block before carving

   

                                                                  Started Carving with chisel,and drilling machine removed all the solid materiel from inside 

  

Drainage hole is also made at the bottom of the pot . 

and made some stone like carvings by knife and drilling machine 

If you want you can make drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

And colors used are acrylic colors, not oil colors.

Video of Bonsai pot making

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdu_OjProeg&feature=youtu.be

 

the final product is this. then it is colored with Fevicryl brown, black and yellow. First put the black color and on brown , then put yellow color

let the color dry out.

Bonsai is a Beautiful Art there is no limit to our creativity.

Then Nursery Plant Premna  is place inside the pot and soil is added. Now  it is looking as a old wood and the plant  coming up nicely. Any one can do this pot. Shaping premna plant. pruning and ramification will be done depending on the development of the plant just started.

How to make Ficus Green island plant on a rock

Dear Friends I am sharing development of Ficus green island plant and its long journey. the first and second photo was taken long back, that time we don't have any digital photography, it is a print out. This photo is taken in 1995. Actually the plant was bought in 1993 from a nursery. Then I kept in a rock. and allowed it to grow. During the growing period lots of changes takes place in plant trunk line started thickening and roots are coming out of  rock.

This is the First photo of the plant during 1995

This photo was taken on May 2nd 2020.

This is recent photo. some did ramification was done on plant and started removing all criss-cross roots and given a fresh look to the plant. After defoliation many new leaves are started growing and they are in smaller size when compared to last year leaves size. The Plant is having great time this summer and growing nicely.

 The below link shows howto defoliate leaves of Bonsai plant to reduce the size of the leaves

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Bonsai Workshop

Monthly Bonsai Workshop

Bonsai workshop was started with everyone participating and selecting carefully choosing the best or most suitable nebari on matured ficus and removing unwanted crisscross roots, clearing the trunk line of the plant, pruning the roots , and re potted with fresh Bonsai soil. Then Members worked on their Bonsai plants . Its a great day filled with energy and spending with all Bonsai lovers. We are sharing photos of the Workshop.

A Correct Cut While shaping a Bonsai plant

Giving proper shape to a Bonsai plant is most important chapter in Bonsai Art. All Bonsai lovers will think of having a beautiful Bonsai. Beauty to comes to the plant through correct training and pruning methods. They have significant role in giving a pleasing look to a Bonsai plant.  

Training a Bonsai tree is giving a correct cut at correct place that is node of the plant where the leaf starts growing.  Knowing about  function of  the node is more important before making a cut on a Bonsai plant. All plants have nodes and inter nodes. Nodes and inter nodes are important parts of Plant Biology. Without nodes, the plant cannot develop leaves or branches. Even hardwood deciduous trees like Oaks, with life spans of more than 5000 years, and annuals and perennials of herbaceous plants, have nodes and inter nodes. 

  

Above photo shows nodes and Inter nodes of a plant. Here the space between two consecutive nodes  more. Most of the plants have long inter nodes, i.e, here in below picture the space between two consecutive nodes is clearly shown.

     

Plants of different species  have different inter nodal spaces. The Space between Two consecutive nodes that is between two leaves is very less in below photographs. These plant are having very less inter nodal space. 

      

  

     

  This photo shows long inter nodal space   

Where and how to cut a leaf at nodal point 

If the leaves are alternate cut is along with leaf angle                              

The angular cut above the leaf is helps to  prevent water damage  from stem and it heals fast so no disease. And cut looks natural.

If the leaves are opposite Cut will be in between leaves

Nodes are the important functional part of a plant where leaves, branches, flowers, fruits, and aerial roots originate on the stem. Nodes are responsible for proper propagation of the plant. 

Always New branches and flowers will rise from the node of the plant. Below first photo shows growing of a branch from the node above the leaf.

                                                                 Branch is growing from a node of leaf.

In Second photo it is clearly visible of growth of a flower from the node of a plant. There are Axillary buds at nodes of the leaf, they develop in to flowers and branches. 

These are the apical or terminal buds they are developing into flowers from base of apical node of leaf.

When pruning a Bonsai plant or any plant, a cut should  be made above the node, so regrowth of the plant will be proper.  In Bonsai, conventional method of cutting and pruning is always above the node of a leaf of a stem. 

             

                 

To maintain height of a Bonsai plant remove the top bud (apical bud or tropical bud) , then the axillary buds becomes active and many new branches will develops from the leaf axil. Allow the new branches to develop 6 to eight pars of leaves, then remove the top bud of the branch, then there new branches will develop on the primary branch. The plant will have a compact growth with many branches .

                                                 

                            This video explains how to make cut above the leaf .

                    

Inter node is the part or space between two consecutive nodes. Inter nodes carry water, hormones, nutrients from one node to the other.  Any cut made at inter nodal space make that portion of a stem to die back .

                           

Here a wrong cut is happen above the node at inter nodal space ,usually if the cut is made like that, there are chances of die back of that portion will happen.

However, in some plants like dwarf conifers, evergreens, pinus taeda,Bald cypress,Norwey spruce,Thuja occidentalis,Yew, and Boxwood,inter nodes are shorter, which makes the leaves more dense. These plants can be made into ornamental shapes ( art of Topiary) by clipping or by pruning. These plants are also can be made in to Bonsai plants because of their shorter nodes,  they look so beautiful with dense foliage.

                            Leaves with shorter inter nodes         Pine plant under training

     

The response of Bonsai plant is very important after cutting and pruning. In some instances if proper cut is not made at right place there are chances of survival of the plant becomes less. My advice is to study the nature and species of the plant, and follow proper technique that is cut above the node to give a proper shape to the plant. To maintain height of a plant remove top most new buds or leaves of the main trunk line. Then side branches will stat growing. 

I tried to explain with some diagrams

 

On above photo, Apiary or terminal bud is removed on primary Branch. Now secondary branch is growing at the axil of the leaf node. then allow the second branch to grow , let it have some leaves , then one can remove terminal bud. 

This is the Ideal growth of a Plant, But in Nature ideal growth wont be possible always. Then Depending on  development of the branches one has to do cutting and pruning by understanding growth of a plant.  

Bonsai plants are replica of miniature form of  a tree growing in nature. Any time height of the Bonsai plant will remain small when compared to the huge trees.  Training a Bonsai plant is more like an art. 

In this century Bonsai is not only a gardening hobby  Now it is more in to Art.  Always Bonsai is artist's imagination and creativity which makes the Bonsai Tree Stand tall with its beauty among other plants.

Mr. Masahiko Kimura is a great Bonsai artist from japan, he is also called magician of Bonsai His creations are  just like painters brush stokes  which gives a wonderful look to Bonsai plants.  He revolutionized the Art of Bonsai from traditional way of training in to modern Contemporary Art.

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More About Bonsai

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