Bonsai Tree Care

Most of the native trees have to respect a certain size in order to look natural. We made a list of these suggested sizes:

- 3-7inches/8-20cm: juniper, rhododendron, spruce fir;
- 7-10inches/20-30cm: barberry, field maple, rocky maple, small pins pine, corneal tree;
- 10-23inches/30-70cm: birch tree, nut tree, pine, ash tree, elm tree;
- 20-33inches/60-100cm: beech, oak tree, sycamore, black pine, larch, linden tree, common maple, ash tree, elder tree;
- 33-43inches/100-130cm: plane tree, chestnut tree, black pine, ash tree, acacia.

The really good Bonsai trees are those that resemble the actual wild trees, only smaller. In order to shape them correctly, you need to know the proper style for every kind of tree you intend to use.

As an example, it is difficult to create Bonsai trees with natural proportions using pines with long pins. A Bonsai tree no taller than 5inches/15cm looks ugly with pins of 2-3inches/8-10cm length. More, there are a lot of Bonsai styles that are quite difficult for a beginner planter. This is why you should usually choose a classic, easier shape to design for your Bonsai trees.

The most thought for style by beginner planters are the straight ones, easily bent or somewhat oblique. The bizarre, complicated and too dynamical shapes should be kept only for the times when you have more experience. Bear in mind that experience means more practice, not more reading. As you already heard a lot of times, probably: “Practice makes perfect”.

It is not very important for a tree to be old to be a beautiful Bonsai tree. Sometimes, it is a lot more emphasis put on the age of the tree then it should really be. The younger trees may look quite impressive if they have a harmonious shape and a beautiful trunk. You should not necessarily use older plants. Still, bear in mind that there are styles that are not suited for younger trees, like the Sharimiki or Sabamiki, along with other bizarre styles.

Recently:

• Bonsai Sizes: Basics
  Bonsai Styles and Shapes: Introduction
  Bonsai Tree Care
  Bonsai tree soil structure
  Bonsai Pots