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In order to better understand how to care for your bonsai, it is beneficial to broadly categorize your bonsai in terms of its geographic origin or its natural habitat. Your tree can be placed into one of these four categories:
In this way you can immediately begin to find inroads as to how to properly care for your tree. You can better determine soil mix (including porosity, acidity, and moisture retention) for optimum growth. Take for example two very different pines very popular in bonsai: The Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora) and the Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergiana). The White Pine's natural habitat is Alpine. Many are found on the island of Shikoku above 6,500 feet. Being a mountainous tree it demands extremely well-draining, acidic soil. It prefers fertilizers low in sodium and higher in organic content. Of course, like all pines, it demands extraordinary amount of light and good ventilation year round. The Black Pine's natural habitat is Seashore. It grows in Japan from the northern part of Shimokita Peninsula to the southern island of Takarajima. Thus it is naturally tolerant of sodium (salt air being present in its natural habitat) and takes well to 'blue' fertilizers that contain sodium. It prefers slightly acidic soil and can tolerate wet conditions (but, for the record, does much better with freely draining soil just like its relative, the White Pine.) Another popular pine here in the United States is Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa). Ponderosa Pine has adapted to a wide variety of growing conditions but is classified as an Alpine tree, growing at altitudes of 3,000 to 8,000 feet. Just at the treeline they mix with Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreii) and can hybridize naturally into genetically rare and valuable mutations. It subsists in extremely meager soil, acidic and freely draining. Ponderosa Pine has probably the most efficient root system of any pine, and can survive with very little water. In fact I very rarely water mine, allowing it to grow on whatever natural rainfall occurs. They are indomitable trees and superb candidates for bonsai. What are some other Seashore trees suitable for bonsai? Buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus), Seagrape (Coccoloba), to name but two. If you're an enthusiast who lives by the ocean, these would make excellent bonsai for you (but they can be grown anywhere, given the proper conditions of their native habitat). Classifying your trees in this manner is both fun and rewarding; it gives you an opportunity to explore and learn about the world around you and it helps you to understand how best to care for your trees. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Understanding Your Bonsai's Needs in Bonsai is owned by David J. Bockman. Permission to republish Understanding Your Bonsai's Needs in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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