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The Bonsai Experience |
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Contents
Background
Pictures
Tips for Success
Water Care
Light Care
Contact Information
Background
The Bonsai Experience is the sole creation of bonsai
enthusiast Luke
Gibbons. The word bonsai literally means “to pot” and
“to plant”. The
art
of bonsai involves growing a miniature tree that appears perfectly
proportional
to a larger naturally occurring specimen contained by a
setting
that mimics nature.
Luke has spent years studying the precious art of bonsai
creation and
maintenance. Luke’s bonsai showcase is currently on
display in
Pictures
Shown below are pictures of some of the many varieties and
styles of
bonsai
on display at The Bonsai Experience.
Tips for Success
The best piece of advice for a beginning bonsai enthusiast
would be to
practice
keeping your trees alive for a few years before attempting to
transplant,
shape, or trim. This allows for the
trees to acclimate to their
surrounding
environment, water schedule and owner.
Another tip introduces the considerable care necessary to
fertilize a
bonsai
tree. If your pot is roughly five inches
in diameter, you should use
a
five finger pinch of fertilizer.
However, this is only an approximation
of
correct fertilization techniques which are developed over years of
practice.
The final and most important piece of advice is to
remember that the
bonsai
practice is one of enjoyment and relaxation.
Successful bonsai
requires
a calm hand, a clear mind and devout patience.
Water Care
There are two successful methods for watering bonsai. The first is to set
up a misting system to supply
an adequate amount of daily water. This
system
is advantageous for bonsai enthusiasts who do not want to
dedicate
the time to water bonsai trees individually.
The disadvantage is that
determining
the correct misting cycle is very difficult and must be
adjusted
for weather variances. The second method
is to carefully fill
each
individual bonsai pot with water, let the pot fully drain, and repeat.
This method is better for beginners, those with plenty of
free time, those
with
few plants, and those who simply enjoy watering each plant.
Plants should be monitored daily and should be watered when
the soil
reaches
a reasonable level of dryness. This
level of dryness depends
upon
the specific soil. A good watering rule
of thumb is to squeeze the
soil
with your hand. If water leaks out then
no additional water is
necessary. If no water leaks but no water is felt within
the soil then the
bonsai
will soon need water. Over-watering is
the leader of bonsai
problems
and should never be practiced.
Light Care
Determining the correct light environment for each
individual bonsai is
essential
for successful growth and health.
Specific attention needs to be
given
to each plant in order to ensure that the plant is not receiving too
much
or too little light. The bonsai owner
needs to research
recommended
light levels and control the amount of light each variety of
plant
receives.
Contact Information
The Bonsai Experience:
Luke Gibbons
Tele: (661) 555-5677
