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    Bonsai is an ancient oriental applied art. Its history spans over twenty-two centuries. At its core, bonsai at home from pine is the creation of miniature copies coniferous trees.

    The first records of this ancient art of decoration date back to the Tang Dynasty. But it gained its greatest distribution in Japan during its heyday. design decoration living gardens in the palaces of the ruling dynasties.

    With the development of bonsai, the size of the plants constantly decreased. Thanks to this, we have trees in their current form. At the moment, a ready-made plant can be bought at any flower shop. But the care doesn't end there. It is necessary to form a crown constantly.

    Growing bonsai

    So you can take either seeds or seedlings. Pine seedlings are very suitable for this.

    Small pine seedlings must be dug up in the forest in autumn. In order to be able to form bonsai in different styles, respectively, it is necessary to dig up seedlings of various shapes.

    Initially, they must be in natural conditions. As soon as you have brought the needle seedlings home, transplant them into flower containers, and put the pots on open air. The diameter of the container should not exceed fifteen centimeters.

    Your future bonsai must be securely sheltered from drafts and wind, preferably flower pots cover with mulch. The process of forming pine crowns at home can begin after the plants come out of dormancy in the spring.

    bonsai shaping

    With the onset of spring, seedlings will need to be cut. At the same time, only ten centimeters are left. After such circumcision, lateral sprouts begin to actively grow. The trunk gradually becomes thicker.

    Pruning pine seedlings is necessary with sharp scissors. The cut must be made at an angle of 40-45 degrees. The remaining needles on the plant should be thinned out as much as possible.

    After trimming the trunks of your bonsai, use the frame wire to give the trunk of the plant the desired shape. For this, aluminum wire with a thickness of three millimeters is suitable. Gradually, the barrel will reach the required size and begin to crash into the wire. It will need to be removed and a new frame made.

    The shape of the new frame should not be changed.

    It is very important to follow the wire when forming the trunk. It should not damage the pine needles. If you decide to grow several bonsai at home, it will be interesting to give them a different shape. You can pick up interesting styles from special literature or information posted on Internet resources.

    Flower pots with your seedlings will need to be put on an elevated place in your garden.

    Plants must also receive enough sunlight.


    Watering plants

    To grow a beautiful bonsai, you need to pay special attention to the irrigation regime. The substrate must never dry out.

    Pine trees will need to be fertilized periodically. It is not recommended to cut them again. And already with the onset of the cold season, bonsai should resemble the outlines of mature trees in nature. With the start of the attack winter period plants are covered with mulch.

    By the third year in mid-spring, pine seedlings should be transplanted into larger flower pots. Their diameter should be twenty-five centimeters, and a depth of at least fourteen centimeters.

    Substrate preparation

    To grow bonsai, you need to make good soil. To do this, take two parts of pure sand and two parts of perlite. You also need to add one part of the humus. So that excess moisture drains well to the bottom, drainage is poured.

    Root care

    Great attention should be paid to pines. The roots are carefully straightened when transplanting seedlings. Also in many sources you can find information that the roots need to be trimmed. Although many growers in the early stages do not do this, and leave the roots as they are.

    Only damaged parts need to be trimmed. After transplanting into a pot, the flower is covered with a dry mixture of "Kornevin".

    1. Throughout the third year, the plant should be regularly watered and fertilized. Before the onset of cold weather, pines are pruned at the level of the upper shoots. For the winter, flower pots are again covered with mulch.
    2. During the fourth year of the life of seedlings, you can begin to form the crown of your tree. Here you can show your imagination and form some interesting bonsai. Ideas can be taken from specialized literature.
    3. In the future, every year the main attention should be paid to the formation of the crown and trunk of the tree itself. To do this, you need to do a constant trimming of the pine and pinching the branches. In order to direct the growth of branches in the right direction, a wire frame can be worn on separate parts of the plant.

    Growing bonsai at home is quite difficult. Don't expect to get satisfactory results right away. This requires patience and constant work. Don't give up on this hobby. A little training, and your work will bring you a lot of pleasure.

    How to grow a juniper bonsai tree in a pot at home How to make and grow bonsai from money tree at home? Types of bonsai that can be grown at home

    Bonsai pine is an unusual tree that can decorate a yard or. Over the centuries, the art of creating Japanese and Chinese potted trees has been divided into several types. Once they were grown by Buddhist monks, and now everyone can study and try out this art in practice.

    Pine Bonsai - Styles

    Bonsai pine has several styles, the names of which in Japanese sound like poetry. Literary - "Dance of a geisha in the spring breeze", broomstick - "Perfect harmony in the soft air." It is believed that it is possible to grow such a tree only with parallel knowledge of oneself. But if we turn strictly to the intricacies of gardening, it is important to consider some rules that determine the style.

    Pine bonsai on the site is a great decoration, the difference in styles is repelled by the slope of the trunk, the direction of the branches, their combination:

    How to make pine bonsai?

    Many gardeners have already figured out how to grow pine bonsai, this method is much easier than from seeds. Coniferous trees have 2 stages of growth per year, which determines the formation process. First - in early spring, the second - at the end of summer. Observing certain rules, it is quite possible to grow from ordinary pine.

    Bonsai pine - formation features:

    1. First year. Any pine seedlings will do, it is better to replant them in the fall, in pots up to 12 cm in height.
    2. Second year. In March, the seedlings should be cut to 12 cm so that the side shoots grow well. Put on a wire frame.
    3. Third year. In April, transplant into larger pots, mix 2 to 2 and 1 sand, perlite and humus for soil. Water well, cut off the top for the winter.
    4. Fourth year. Place the pots closer to the light, mulch the soil.

    The Chinese were the first to grow bonsai thousands of years ago, and later the Japanese mastered the method and spread it around the world. These graceful trees are replicas of the real ones and are best suited to evergreens. How to form a pine bonsai, Russian gardeners learned at the beginning of the 20th century and improved this art.

    Bonsai Features:

    1. Trunk. Must be strong, with a powerful foundation.
    2. branches. They are formed in small quantities, but with harmonious lines.
    3. Form. Single-stem - 1 root and 1 tree, multi-stem - from 1 root - several trunks.

    The main task is to ensure that the pine tree grows slowly in such ways:

    Valuable Tips:

    • grow roots in several seasons;
    • you can plant out of pots in the garden for 5-6 years of pine life;
    • only trees in which the proportions are fully formed are transplanted.


    Experienced gardeners advise planting several bonsai from ordinary pine for harmony in the garden, but different types. These can be dug up in the forest or buy a seedling, the best choice is in the nursery. For planting, it is better to take the land in which the tree grew, then it will take root better. Young pines do this much better than old ones.

    It is also important to take into account the features of a particular tree:

    1. For drainage, you can use expanded clay, gravel or broken clay shards.
    2. It is better to buy substrates that allow moisture to pass through.
    3. To study what kind of soil the selected type of tree prefers: calcareous, clay or sandy.


    Each species has its own growing characteristics. Popular bonsai mountain pine with a dense crown. It grows very well, so it is convenient to form it in different styles. In the first years it pleases with the purple color of the bark, and then dissolves purple flowers that you always want to admire.

    How to create such a coniferous bonsai with your own hands:

    1. Plant on loamy, moist and acidic soils, sand and rocky soil will do.
    2. The place should be sunny and spacious.
    3. Do not plant in a draft.
    4. In the first week after planting, fertilize with a solution of a root former, give foliar top dressing.


    The symbol depicted in the classical culture of Japan is the bonsai tree - black pine. She is valued for her dense crown, which becomes more magnificent over the years. Minus - it grows slowly and has long needles. Needles can be reduced if you constantly pinch the candles. Plus - unpretentious, survives even without nutrients.

    Specifications:

    • loves a sunny place;
    • frost-resistant;
    • does not tolerate constant humidity, good drainage is needed;
    • accepts conventional fertilizers;
    • handles pruning well.


    Japanese white pine is highly valued for its light needles and is considered unique among other species. The plant is beautiful, but capricious, requires careful care. Will please with a dense crown and a thick trunk only when good fertilizers, the formation of a bonsai-style pine depends largely on them.

    1. Feed with a low-nitrogen fertilizer in the spring, and add no more until the needles are hard.
    2. Bonsai white pine loves fertilizers with a high nitrogen content
    3. It is not necessary to fertilize in winter, it is worth starting in early spring.


    How to plant a pine bonsai?

    It is much more difficult to grow such a tree from seeds, the work requires experienced hands. But it's always worth a try based on the recommendations. You need to choose a product that is exposed to frost or go through strafitikation. Fresh seeds will germinate very quickly. You can propagate them by grafting at the end of winter.

    How to plant bonsai pine seeds:

    1. Planting takes place in early spring.
    2. It is important to provide sunlight, then the trees will grow well.
    3. With strong soil moisture, brown rot can develop, but skipping watering is also not recommended. It's important to strike a balance.

    Bonsai pine - care

    If you grow coniferous bonsai, careful care is expected. The most important thing is to thin out young shoots in time and water moderately. This tree is able to survive without irrigation, copes with drought. But you can't over-moisturize either. In winter, you need to find the sunniest place for the tree.

    A few tips:

    • fertilize every 2 weeks in summer;
    • transplant only from April to June;
    • put a wire dome from December to March;
    • do not allow the wire to grow into the tree;
    • water thoroughly in the first year: in summer - 2 times a week, in autumn and spring - 1 time.

    pruning pine bonsai

    Before cutting branches, you need to decide on a style that defines the shape of the crown and branches. They are removed from April to March, when sap production slows down. The frame is removed when the trunk thickens. It is necessary to cut when the needles do not grow, and the branches growing inside the tree must be removed.

    How to grow coniferous bonsai - pruning:

    1. The first months after planting, cutting the branches is not worth it.
    2. Trimming is carried out at an angle and with sharp scissors.
    3. Shortening the candles helps to shape.
    4. Avoid excessive pruning that harms the tree.
    5. If 2 shoots appear at once, remove the longest one.

    Every year in May, I pick up a pruner and shorten the resinous “candles” of forest pines that grow on my site. As a result of regular pruning, even the most unpromising pines turn into compact fluffy trees or acquire a different impressive appearance.

    Do you need ship pines near the house?

    Pine is beautifully formed. Any. Pine ordinary, or forest ( Pinus sylvestris) - not an exception. There are such species, for example, black pine ( Pinus nigra), which initially look impressive. It is better not to “spoil” them, although you can work with them. I like ordinary forest pines with a wide cone-shaped crown. Unfortunately, they are smart only at a young age. Then these trees are stretched, and their trunks are exposed. I know many cases when mature 20 - 40-meter ship pines became a serious problem and even a threat to people and buildings. Especially during strong squally winds. You can slow down rapid growth and give the crown an interesting shape different ways. I chose the most simple, time-consuming, but very effective option.

    Shortening "candles"

    By shortening young growth candles, you can not only make the pine more fluffy, but also give its crown different shapes. In May, the rapid growth of buds begins, which were laid in the previous year. Young shoots, or "candles", appear from them. Partial pruning of these shoots allows you to get garden bonsai. To do this, with secateurs or garden shears, I shorten young shoots by a third or more. The work must be completed before the "candles" begin to open.

    To create a certain image, some shoots can be completely removed or experiment with the height of the parts remaining after shortening. There are many options.

    By the way, there are cases when unscrupulous sellers sell forest pines formed in this way as mountain or other valuable species. Such dexterity was very popular at the dawn of perestroika.

    With a strong shortening of the “candles”, the tree grows in height noticeably more slowly, and prickly “balls” soon appear in place of the stumps.

    "Candles" three weeks after shortening

    The density and shape of the "balls" depend primarily on the degree of trimming. The most win-win option is to shorten each "candle" by the same amount. For example, when only half or a third of the height of the shoots remains. If it is more interesting to have a pine not with “balls”, but with “bowls” or “cubes”, then when cutting it is important to pay attention to the height and bend of the upper and side lines, which are obtained by shortening the bunch of “candles”. When trimming, do not injure the needles. The needles are not shortened!

    More complex shapes

    Pine trees look spectacular, in which some "balls" are planted on others. To do this, during spring pruning, one (or several) "candles" from a bunch of shoots are left untouched. Next year it will be possible to plant a new "ball" or "bowl" on it. It is possible to create unusual trees and break symmetry by cutting out individual branches. But it is better to start bold pruning only after the mechanism for the transformation of pines becomes clear. To do this, it is advisable to practice on a simple technique - shortening all the "candles" to the same height.

    Near Kaliningrad, near a luxurious mansion, I saw a low pine tree with sparse branches that held green “bowls”. Asymmetry gave this tree a special chic.

    Zero waste production

    The cut parts of the "candles" (fresh and dry) are useful and tasty to add to tea when brewing it. Coniferous decoctions or infusions are poured into a bath filled with water. They can rinse your hair and body after a shower. In addition, it is a valuable medicinal raw material. V traditional medicine"Candles" are used with a slow pulse and general weakness, when a person "can hardly move his legs." Vodka tincture of chopped fresh "candles" helps. It should be drunk three times a day before meals (15-20 drops per 0.5 cup of cool water). Vodka tincture can be replaced with decoctions. It is better not to increase the dosage. With dry "candles" stuff a pillowcase from a pillow and put it on the bed. Bags with dry pine shoots are left in the closet where linen is stored.

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    The art of bonsai came to us from Japan and China, and now it is becoming more and more popular. I have always been interested in learning how ficus, pine, dwarf birch, etc. bonsai are created. It turned out that everything is quite feasible ...

    willow bonsai

    When I am abroad, I always pay attention to the plants that adorn not only gardens and streets, but also hotel lobbies, courtyards and houses. A few years ago, I was sitting in an armchair near a flowerpot with some kind of plant with a very strange trunk. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be Benjamin's ficus. It was not one, but as many as five plants with thin trunks, braided with a “pigtail” and already tightly fused. The trees seemed very stable and were in good condition, their intertwined trunks did not affect their well-being in any way.

    One day the day came when I remembered this ficus, and I decided to repeat this experience in my garden. Of course, it was unthinkable to use a ficus outdoors in our climate, so we decided to look for a tree that is well adapted near St. Petersburg. Willows from the nearest forest became such plants.

    In the spring, four thin twigs were dug. They planted them very close to each other - the willows took root perfectly, began to grow, and spread their leaves. The following spring, it was necessary to hurry to work with willows, as the stems quickly thickened and hardened. She braided them with a “pigtail” until the first branching of the branches, secured them with a thick tourniquet and left them for a year.

    I used the old one as a harness. electrical wire, soft enough and not bright, so that local thieves do not cut it off in winter. In a year, next spring, removed the lower branches, braided the stems even higher, and raised the tourniquet to the very branches.

    This was repeated for several years, until I considered that the interlacing of the trunks was already quite high.

    Last and this spring, she cut off all the branches that grew inside the tree crowns, leaving only the outer ones, and trimmed the upper shoots, giving them the shape of an oval.

    The shape of the trees can be whatever you like, and the height too. But it should be comfortable for work and haircuts, according to your height. The photos show willows from both sides, in spring and summer 2011, they are 6 years old.

    Knowing my interest in this topic, many years ago my family gave me the book "Bonsai from the Trees of European Forests" by Wolfgang Kohlchepp. I read everything, as they say, “from cover to cover”, especially the sections: “Bonsai grown from plants purchased in the nursery” and “Bonsai taken from nature, yamadori”. Later, I found many articles on the Internet and advice from experienced amateurs, and decided to grow my own pine bonsai in the garden.

    To carry out the plan, it was necessary to pick up a plant. In nature, there are magnificent trees that, despite their age, are great for shaping. Often in the garden there is a need to thin out trees planted often. Such plants are ideal material for bonsai.

    Walking along the quarry not far from the dacha in Beloostrov near St. Petersburg, we found a small lopsided pine. Three branches grew on its trunk a little thicker than a pencil, it was 40 cm tall. In order to dig such a tree, you need to cut its roots in a certain way. Carefully dug up and brought to the garden.

    They planted a pine tree according to all the rules of bonsai: they shortened the roots and placed them in a container that was slightly larger than the roots. The container was made from a plastic container.

    Since it is impossible to leave a container plant in the garden for the winter, they dug it to a shallow depth. In the spring of next year, the pine began to stretch, and it was possible to start shaping.

    A lot has been written about the formation of plants in the bonsai style, I will not repeat myself. I just want to dwell on the features that I encountered.

    According to the rules, it is necessary to tightly wrap the trunk and, wrapping the branch, attract it, creating a certain shape. Of course, experience does not come immediately. What shape should be given? We got the following:

    Sometimes it was necessary to remove the branch after it had become very lignified, because it did not look in the silhouette of a tree.

    If you want to form strongly curved branches, then you need to wire the next year after planting.

    If you do not notice in time that the wire is tightly tightened and crashed into the trunk, then scars are obtained after its removal.

    Later, trees from the nursery and from the forest were added to this pine. Scotch pine is a very hardy species and has a beautiful rough bark. Mountain pine, which can be purchased in a nursery, also has smaller frequent needles.

    The ancient art of growing bonsai trees in pots has spread throughout the world, turning from an amusement of the Japanese aristocracy into a mass hobby. Over the centuries, the Japanese have learned to form miniature copies of naturally growing trees. In Japan, this art has reached tremendous development and today it represents a whole science with numerous schools and shaping techniques that make it possible to obtain plants of various configurations: straight, asymmetrical, oblique, “wind-bent”, “weeping”, cascading and others. These forms are inspired by the very nature of Japan, where, in a special climate, plants acquire harmonious, perfect silhouettes.


    Recently, Russian gardeners are increasingly using oriental style in design, and the creation of bonsai in the open field is undoubtedly a fashionable and promising direction. The formation of a garden bonsai differs little from the traditional one, however, the methods of working with woody plants familiar to everyone are used: pruning, pinching and grafting.

    The sizes of the garden bonsai, unlike the canonical Japanese, are arbitrary. The source material can be the old fruit tree, an unsightly twisted shrub in the corner of the garden, an unusual specimen found in nature and, of course, a young plant. Take a closer look at the plants in your garden, maybe one of them is already ready to make a bonsai out of it?


    It happens that within just a few years of targeted pruning from a nondescript tree with bare trunks and sticks sticking out in all directions, attractive unusual trees can be created in oriental style.

    Many in the gardens probably grow old apple or cherry trees, which have not been pleasing with crops for a long time and look sloppy. Try to remove any small branches on the lower part of the crown so that the main trunk is clearly visible, and in the spring cut the top of the crown parallel to the ground. Repeating these steps annually, you will form thick caps of foliage at the top of the crown on a graceful curving trunk. Soon you will see how the silhouette of the tree changes, and you will enjoy this very easy garden work.

    With coniferous plants, the result can be more spectacular, but the formation process is longer. For example, the dense and dense crown of mountain pine, which has pleased you for many years, begins to become sparse and loose. Great excuse to get started!


    Formation coniferous plants takes time, but gives impressive results. Author's photo

    Look inside the crown and highlight several branches that form a beautiful silhouette. Cut the rest of the branches without regret, and at the beginning of summer, when the buds start to grow, pinch them, leaving 1–2 cm. By the next season, many new buds will be laid in the upper part of the crown, and they will give rise to a new beautiful crown in the form of a cloud.

    The same can be done with Scotch pine. The only thing is that along with pinching the shoots and thinning the crown, the branches of the Scotch pine will have to be fixed in a horizontal position. Usually they use thick wire, tie loads or pull ropes. This is necessary to maintain the tiered shape of the crown, otherwise - without fixing - the branches begin to "bulge", the space between the tiers closes.


    I note that of all conifers, Scots pine and mountain pine are the most suitable material for garden bonsai middle lane. Do not be afraid to cut out extra branches, because pines are very plastic trees, it was thanks to their abilities that they were able to adapt to the harsh conditions of nature - the withering winds of the highlands and the harsh frosts of the north.

    Pines with great pleasure take the desired shape, the main thing is to help them. At the same time, the gardener himself will comprehend harmony and develop taste, bringing the form to perfection. In addition, working with the form is a hobby for many years, and the result is an exclusive and unusual plant that pleases the hosts and surprises the guests.


    In addition to pines, other conifers are also suitable for creating garden bonsai. European larch is very resistant and tolerant of pruning, varieties of Chinese and medium juniper, pea cypress are well formed. You can try to work with varieties of common spruce.

    Remember that pines do not know how to lay buds on lignified shoots of last year, so you can only pinch young shoots at the beginning of summer, and junipers, larches, spruces and cypresses can be cut at any time even with scissors.


    Of the deciduous for our climate, hawthorns, maples, oak, as well as fruit trees - apple trees, cherries are suitable. Despite the small assortment, these trees are stable in our climate and tolerate shaping well.

    Recently, ready-made bonsai grown in a nursery and suitable for planting in open ground. These are usually multi-stemmed versions of Scots pine or mountain pine, on which dense green caps of needles are formed. Such plants, as a rule, are very expensive and do not always look harmonious, so they can be considered as material for creating a more perfect tree from the point of view of the owner. In any case, after planting, you will have to take care of them, continuing the work started in the nursery - annually pinching the shoots and cutting out extra branches, otherwise your bonsai will turn into an ordinary tree.

    If you know the grafting technique, then the process of creating a bonsai can be somewhat accelerated: several cuttings of a dwarf variety can be grafted onto a tall stock (for example, pines), thus creating a multi-tiered plant at once. The advantage of this method is that in the future it will not be necessary to pinch the shoots, since the grafted variety is dwarf.


    When creating a bonsai, do not forget that this is not only a formed tree, but also its harmonious combination with the surrounding space. Bonsai is a self-sufficient work of art, closely related to the rest of the composition, as it imitates a piece of nature in miniature.

    Agree that your masterpiece will look a little ridiculous if nettles or beds of strawberries grow around. Therefore, to give an oriental flavor and support the overall style in the garden, cut everything in a row! Favorite shrubs - spireas, barberries, dogwoods and even perennial curtains will be an excellent addition to shaped trees, if you give them smooth, streamlined outlines with regular shearing.

    In addition, plants that are similar in appearance to plants of the Japanese flora will add zest. For example, instead of moss, you can grow saxifrage, stonecrop, azorella, some types of bryozoan, and astilbe will look good in the shade. Strive to make the composition harmonious, and the garden itself will tell you what changes are needed.

    Konstantin Korzhavin