Jade Twin Trunk Bonsai

Current Image - July 2010
It took me a while to straighten up this plant, which was in cascading down as seen in last image. It was a challenge that it cannot be straightened up, and after two year of wiring, rewiring, it finally has worked in my favour. Alas, when i re potted in current pot, i planted it in a slanting way, for it appealed to me. Though, i am still confused, as what will be the final shape straight or slanted.

Last wiring - June 2010
Straight plant, clean twin trunk style.

Early 2010, guess, I was in a bad mood, i twisted the trunks around each other & named it Krishna.

Mid 2009 - the plant had straightened to a great extent after 1 year of wiring.

Mid 2008 - Plant after first wiring.

Original Image - Bought this plant in Mid, 2008

For more images of Jade Twin trunk - click here for more details

Jade Bonsai - Inform Style Mame

Jade as on July 2010 - After few monsoon showers, i had repotted this into a 1 Inch high, 5 inch wide tray. This is under training since Mid 2008, whenc i had planted a cutting next to huge stone as seen in the last image in this photoseries.



Picture of jade post repotting early June, 2010

Picture of jade post repotting early January, 2010

Picture of Jade, Mid 2009. Had rewired & reshaped.

Rewired.

Stone Removed. Pruned. Early 2009

Picture of Jade in Dec, 2008 or around, after growing wild for few months.

Picure of jade Mid 2008, when i wated the crown to fall & cover the face.

Adansonia / Boabab

Under training for more than 2 years. Seen beside is an image as on July, 2010. The white background is the outline of the canopy i plan to build for this beautiful tree.

Boabab can survive for 5000 years and the biggest one is in South Africa, which has a Beer bar inside its trunk, worth seeing.

It stores all the water it needs in its fibrous trunk & can go without water for months. An ideal plant for indoor bonsai during winters when it shed all its leaves & becomes dormant. No need to water for months at a go.

Bonsai Tutorials

- Click here to know all about Fertilizers for your Bonsai

This will tell you all that you need to know about plant food.

- Things to keep in mind, when selecting pots for your Bonsai

It is very important that the pot is in proportion to your Bonsai. This article will tell you as what you need to keep in mind.

- Tips on how to wire Bonsai

Without wiring, you cannot achieved the desired shape. This article tells few things to keep in mind when wiring a bonsai.

- Wind Swept Style Bonsai tips

This is probably the most difficult bonsai style. Things to keep in mind, when making a wind swept style are listed in this article.

- Cascade Style Bonsai tips

This is the most astounding style of Bonsai, listed here are some of the finer points of cascade style bonsai.

- Twin Trunk style tips

What you need to know before you try your hands on Twin Trunk style bonsai is mentioned here.

- Bonsai Basics

Some basic points that you need to keep in mind, before you get started are stated in this article.

- Makin Neem Bonsai

here are some of the points that you need to keep in mind for making neem bonsai

My Bonsai under training since 2007

# Jade Twin Trunk Bonsai

Under training for last 2 years since Mid 2008, to view the progression series click here

# Jade Informal Style Mame

Jade Informal Style (Mame) - Under training since last 2 years (as on July 2010), to view the progression series, click here


# Boabab Slanting Style Bonsai

Boaboa /Adansonia - A tree that can live for 5000+ years. Under trainign since 2 years.

# Rayan /Khirni Informal Upright style bonsai

Rayan - Under Training since 2 Years - to view last 2 years of progression, click here

2. Jade - Formal Upright Style - Click here to view more details

4. Jade - Twin Trunk Bonsai - click here for more details

8. Rayan - click to view more details

10 Peregrina / Jatropa Literrati bonsai

11. Peregrina / Jatropha - click to view more details

12. Adenium click to view more details

13. Neem Bonsai - click for more details

about fertilizing bonsai

Plants make food by process called Photosynthesis, where Carbon dioxide & water in presence of sunlight gets converted into Sugars & carbohydrates, and this is what plants feed on. Fertilizers are like Vitamins for plants, which aids in carrying out the various functions like growing, photosynthesis, flowering, seeding, etc.

Fertilizers are classified as
- Macro-nutrients
- Micro-nutrients or trace elements

Macro-nutrients:
These are further classified as Primary & Secondary Macro-nutrients:
- Primary Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K)
- Secondary Calcium (Ca), Sulphur (S), Magnesium (Mg)

Micro-nutrients or trace elements
Boron (B), Chlorine (Cl), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo) and Selenium (Se).

Organic vs Inorganic Fertilizer
To plants it makes not difference if the Fertilizer is Organic or Inorganic. All that it needs is Macronutrients & Micronutrients in the right proportion to grow. It does not care if the same is manufactured or is available as natural resource i.e cow dung, compost, manure, etc.

Solid vs Liquid Fertilizer
Plants absorb nutrients from roots or via opening in leaves. In nature, the roots play a major role in absorbing fertilizers. Remember roots do not eat soil, all it can do is absorb water & fertilizers dissolved in water. Hence it makes no difference to plant if fertilizer is available in solid or liquid form.

What Fertilizer to Buy?
Together Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Potassium is know as NPK. Composition of NPK differs as per plant requirement i.e NPK 19:19:19 or 24:19:19, etc. These rations determines as what % of element in more & in which ratio. NPK 19:19:19 means all three elements Nitrogen, Phosphorous & Potassium are in equal proportion.

Element: Use Purpose
Nitrogen Ability to produce chlorophyll & thus aids in plants growth
Phosphorous Roots development, Flowering & absorbing food
Potassium Protection against draught, cold, diseases

NPK 19:19:19 which has all nutrients in balanced proportion is recommended for Bonsai Plants. The fertilizer you buy should contain the other elements too as listed above but in very small quantities.

Usage guidelines;
- Please refer instruction manual thoroughly
- Please seek usage instruction from expert if possible
- Fertilizers should be used sparingly
- They should used in small quantities, once every 2 weeks
- Preferably they should be diluted in water & than fed to the plants
- If sprayed on leaves it should be done during early morning or evening hours
- Excess usage can harm plans & even kill them
- Usage should be more in Growing season & less in dormant period

Ramesh Sinha
Ahmedabad Bonsai Club
9924332267

Join Indian Bonsai group on Facebook

For more information, please visit this website.
http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/fertiliz.htm

Wind swept style bonsai

Picture courtesy - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73893&id=546591265 Tony Tickle album on Face book.

One of the most exciting wind swept images I have come across, as seen in raw nature. If you plan to make one, here are some points to be kept in mind. Pl. note that this happens to be the most difficult style to copy.

- Note, the center most branch is the longest, and if you can tilt the image by 90 degrees, you will see a triangular shape. Simply put, it is formal bonsai, laid horizontally.

- Try to show dead wood, and rough wood, which is a typical characteristics of a wind swept

style.

- The branches will turn 180 degrees and go on the opposite side of the flow of wind

- The background should be visible form between two branches

- The lower part will have lesser growth because of branches above

- The tip of branches are towards the sky

- The branches are more or less horizontal, and are not falling down

- Show less foliage

- In above picture couple of trees which are planted next to each other have grown in wind swept style, if it was one tree, foliage would have been very less

- ramesh sinha

pl. share your learning on this style

Ahmedabad Bonsai Club