The art of bonsai plant care (penjings) in containers originated in China over 1,700 years ago. It became popular especially during the period of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It was in the 11th century that it made its entry into Japan. Bonsai are ordinary trees, and dwarfs by hereditary. Allowed to grow in wild, they grow quite tall. The first bonsai were plants collected in the Himalayan mountains. They had been dwarfed and shaped over the years by severe weather and harsh environment. Those who do bonsai plant care today, deliberately keep it small. Their roots and twigs need to be trimmed repeatedly and new shoots need to be pinched back very often.

Bonsai are virtual living sculptures – the art of bonsai plant care lies not only in reducing the size but also in shaping them into forms laden with aesthetic appeal. If not pruned properly, azaleas (Rhododendron) will develop in a shrub. Japanese use azaleas to develop bonsais with years of pruning, wiring and careful attention. Bonsai plant care indoors is not straightforward. Many trees flourish up to 1 or 2 years before showing external signs of distress. Eventually they lose health and vigor and slowly die out.

If you want to do bonsai plant care inside your home, choose one which can cope with any stressful environment. Tropical species, which requires little dormancy, low light levels and poor humidity could be a good choice. Place plant on a well-lit windowsill that is not kept closed at night. Make sure leaves are not burnt in sun and make use of a humidity tray.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 11th, 2006 at 2:17 am and is filed under Care, Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.