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.

Defoliating a Bonsai plant

Defoliating a Ficus Bonsai plant

Defoliating means removing or cutting down the leaves of Bonsai plant. It is a regular practice all Bonsai masters do it their deciduous trees during the autumn season before spring. First we will see what are deciduous trees. Deciduous trees are usually Maple,oak mostly giant flowering trees around the region of equator , between tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn. Deciduous means  fall off or shedding the leaves. Most of these tropical plants they shed their leaves during Autumn season after their flowering season is over.  Leaves of  these plants are broad and the canopy of tree is round are umbrella shape. Ficus is Pan tropical ever green tree with broad leaves. Ficus tree sheds their leaves to reduce the leaf foliage and evaporation of water during dry season to control water storage in the plant. As soon as monsoon returns new leaves starts developing.
In Bonsai We do regular defoliation to reduce the size of the leaves. Bonsai is a miniature tree , so if the plant is having Big leaves as it in nature the proportion of the leaves and size of the plant won't match. To have Balance and Harmony of the plant and to get a pleasing look of the tree Most of the Bonsai masters reduce the size of the leaves by cutting them. Usually it can be done twice a year to keep the Bonsai tree in a perfect shape. Some artists do defoliation before wiring the plant to have a clear look tree and the branches.
Before starting defoliation two points are very important.
First overall Health of the tree
Second don't do defoliation on a freshly re potted plant
To defoliate we need a tool like sharp leaf cutter
To Defoliate first select a plant which is healthy, energetic with full leaves without any infection . Start removing leaves leaving the stalks of the leaf . Remove only the leaf . stalks will fall down on its own.  see the picture below .

Below video gives How to reduce the size of a leaf. For More Information Click on below Link

To Reduce the Size of a Bonsai Tree

This Ficus Plant Leaves are already in size when compared to the natural leaf growing in the Nature.

Roots Exposed Style in Bonsai

Root exposed style / Neagari style in Bonsai. 

In nature when soil erosion or cyclone takes place huge plants uprooted. Sometimes 50% of the roots will remain in ground, and the plants starts growing by giving new life to the tree. This type of trees is called as roots exposed style in Bonsai. Here this Ficus plant made in to a beautiful Root exposed style or Neagari style. Learn Bonsai in a natural way by creating essence of Nature.

How to make Roots exposed style

this image selected from google images

Nursery plant is made into root exposed style

Root exposed style is some portion of trunk line is replaced with roots which are exposed above the soil of the pot and give a strong and pleasing look to the plant.Most of the Ficus plants can be made into Root exposed style. In root exposed style selection of the plant depends on how strong the roots are and how long the roots. It is better to select a nursery plant which is root bound or pot bound plant.

Here we can see the plant  how strong the roots are, they are over grown and are coming out of the pot.

this type of roots will be strong and can give a plant a strong hold to stand on roots. Now remove the plastic bag with out disturbing the roots. 

Then carefully loosen the soil around the roots with a chopstick with out hurting roots.

Sometimes nursey plants will come with black or clay soil. Black or clay soil have the habit of extremely compact in nature. When it becomes dry soil contracts and there will be cracks in the soil. when the plant is coming with that type of soil keep the plant is a bucket of water for ten minutes and gently remove the soil around the

roots delicately with fingers.  Below  is the picture of plant kept in water for so time and soil is removed gently . The Best season for making root exposed style is during rainy season or just in early spring . that time plants root development will be more and plant will be in just growing stage. we did it in August month at the end of rainy season.

Below plant is also ficus species . Ficus plants they grow fast and they develop root system very fast and have sturdy roots, good for root exposed style. 

 

Below photo is Ficus variegata 

I selected Ficus variegata plant because of its variegated double colour  leaves which adds more beauty to Bonsai style. When I bought from nursery it is more than three feet tall and having long roots and they are coming out of the pot. Usually in Bonsai design depending on the trunk line thickness we decide the height of the plant. here the plant is having thin trunk line. So the height is reduced till the first branch , and the first branch is made as main trunk line .

Below picture shows clearly How the first branch is wired and merged with main trunk line. our group is having Monthly workshops. In one of our Bonsai Lovers Workshop root exposed style is demonstrated and members participated with great enthusiasm. 

 

After having a cutting , pruning and given a shape to the trunk line. Now we concentrated on root system ramification. Plant is removed from the garden plastic bag and gently soil is loosed with out disturbing the roots because for Root exposed style the main importance is root system.

Here in second picture we can see the roots clearly how strong and how long they are.

Now Roots are tied around a Bamboo stick to create some space space between the roots and tied with tape. Its gives a clear view of the roots and it adds beauty to the trunk line with out any crisscross roots. Instead of bamboo we can any place plastic pipe. I have chosen Bamboo because of its natural capacity of holding moisture which helps roots to have some moisture which gives coolness to the roots while growing. 

Second step placing the plant is a good garden soil 

Now the entire root ball with Bamboo to be placed in good soil for its further roots development. Take a plastic bag or pot , if it is a plastic bag, first make some drainage holes to allow the water to go out. Then fill lower portion of the bag / pot with with brick pieces or pumice stones for proper drainage. Fill one third of the bag with Bonsai soil and place the plant with Bamboo stick and top up with bonsai soil. the Bamboo stick should be immersed in soil completely.

  

Here is this picture we can see the entire root ball is inside the soil.

Now place the plant in a shady place for fifteen days where morning or evening sunlight is available. After  fifteen days slowly move the plant to a little sunny place, not in to direct sunlight. Because plant is is under stress of having repotting. if we keep the plant in direct sunlight evaporation of water from the leaves will be more and plants survival chances will be less.  Then after one month when the plant settles move it to direct sunlight. But ficus variegata can't tolerate afternoon heat of summer months. T that time Plant to be moved in to a shady place. Allow the plant grow and water it daily. Till one half year leave the plant like that , only do some cutting and pruning on branches to have a nice style.

After One and half year 

After one and half year remove the plastic bag. If it is a bag the removal of bag is easy , when compared to a pot. Gently remove it and open it loosen the soil. then carefully remove the bamboo stick.

 

 After Removing bamboo Plant is placed in a Bonsai pot.

We can see the development and plant is given a shape. 

This photo was taken June 2020 , recent one. Now the roots are strong and giving Bonsai plant sturdy look of Root Exposed style. The colour of leaves is a highlight to the plant.

Another way of making root exposed style of Bonsai 

Ficus benjamina is made in to Root exposed style in this method.

  

Another plant of Ficus made in to Root exposed style

    

Click on below link to watch

Video of Making Root Exposed style

Friends Please do comment, Did get full information about root exposed style Bonsai. if you want more please let me know.

Bonsai

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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