Bonsai For The Beginner
Almost everyone who sees a Bonsai tree falls in love with it. They appear to be at once uncomplicated, yet sophisticated at the same time. A Bonsai tree that is properly cared for can live for an extremely long period of time. In fact there is a Bonsai tree in the National Arboretum in Washington DC that is over 385 years old. While the Bonsai has exhibited the ability to live for an extended period of time, they can be a challenge to grow, particularly for the first time grower. It is expected that most people will kill their first Bonsai simply from a lack of experience.
Among the vast number of trees that are cultivated as Bonsai each year, the Jade Bonsai maybe best suited for the beginning grower. The Jade Bonsai, which is also known as the Small Leaf Jade or the Elephant plant is a succulent plant that is native to South Africa.
The Jade Bonsai is a very easy plant to care for. Being a succulent, means that the plant holds large amounts of water in its thick leaves, branches and trunk, which translates to less watering. Even though it is easy to care for the Jade Bonsai still requires pruning and shaping. Pruning will stimulate new growth and help to grow a strong trunk. Pruning is also required to remove excess leaves that are not within the artistic scheme you envisioned for the tree.
As a new tree, the bark of the Jade Bonsai is green, but as the tree matures the bark turns to a reddish brown and finally to a slate gray as the tree reaches full maturity. The leaves of the Jade Bonsai are fleshy in texture, and have a blue green leafs. The Jade Bonsai produces star shaped flowers in the fall; these flowers are pinkish to purple in color.
Being a tropical plant, the Jade Bonsai will not tolerate cold climates, so if you live in a colder climate the Jade Bonsai should be treated as an indoors plant. If you live in a warmer area or in the summer months in a colder climate, the Jade Bonsai will flourish nicely if placed out of doors in a full sun area. In both cases regular watering of the tree is required. Be sure not to over water the tree however, just keep the soil moist.
As your Jade Bonsai matures, it will respond very nicely to wiring. You can start to shape your jade Bonsai with wires within the first 4 weeks. However be very careful as you contour the branches, as they are still very delicate and will break off easily. Because the trunk can store excessive amounts of water, it is recommended that you are conservative in watering just prior to wiring this tree.
Your Jade bonsai also needs repotting every two years. This process should be done in the early spring. Allow the soil to dry out fully before repotting. Then, place it in a shady place until you see new growth. After that, water it as usual.
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