The word "bonsai" in translation from Japanese means "grown in a tray." This is the art of growing an exact copy of a real tree in miniature. The history of the creation of a bonsai with its own roots goes back 2 millennia into the past. Initially, miniature bizarre trees began to grow in China, but a century later, the inhabitants of Japan adopted the technology.
Representatives of the Land of the Rising Sun have made bonsai a part of their traditional culture, bringing many innovations to the cultivation process. The Japanese introduced the concept of admiring bonsai. With the spread of oriental culture around the world, interest in these miniature plants has grown.
There is a developed technique for growing dwarf trees, and you can also make an artificial analogue that will look spectacular in the interior, and its creation will not take years of life.
How to grow a bonsai
Do-it-yourself bonsai tree cultivation is a long and laborious process. This is not a cactus that can be forgotten for a month, and nothing will happen. Many varieties of trees are suitable for growing: conifers (pine, larch), deciduous (elm, poplar), fruit (plum, apple tree), shrubs (ficus, acacia, juniper). Coniferous plants symbolize wisdom, and deciduous ones symbolize beauty and youth.
You can grow from seed or buy a finished seedling. Planting is done in a small pot in well-fertilized soil. When watering, water must be added fertilizer weekly. In florist shops you can find special mixtures that are designed to meet the needs of these particular varieties of plants.
At the initial stage, it is necessary to fix the trunk with a strong wire in order to give the plant the desired shape. In the homeland of this art, it is not customary for a bonsai to be straight and tall. Each season, it is necessary to change the fixing materials so as not to damage the growing trunk with ugly scars. When the base is thick and strong enough, the frame can be removed.
Do-it-yourself bonsai cultivation requires attention and perseverance. It is necessary, as it grows, at least once a year, it is best to do pruning in early spring. This process is carried out so that the tree does not go into growth and takes the desired shape. Thick and long branches are cut.
Periodically, bonsai must be transplanted to new land. At the same time, trimming of the lateral roots is performed. This must be done very carefully so as not to injure the plant.
Artificial or real
Growing a real tree is a long process that lasts for decades. Not everyone has the patience to create such a masterpiece. Not surprisingly, bonsai is rarely sold in flower shops and is quite expensive.
Artificial trees are a great alternative. You can decorate your house with a beautiful tree and at the same time do not stretch this process for years. Creating them is a creative and exciting occupation. Despite the apparent complexity, anyone can cope with it, with a little perseverance and work. A few evenings, and an exclusive home decoration - DIY artificial bonsai - is ready. You can make it from various materials: beads, coins, ribbons, kanzashi, artificial and natural greens, dried leaves and much more. Below are a few options for how to make your own bonsai.
Base
A small tree can be “planted” in a small decorative flower pot or in a flat vessel of an original shape. The diluted gypsum mixture is poured into the container, and a plant is installed in it.
You can do without utensils at all. Cover the container with a suitable shape with cellophane and do all the manipulations with gypsum and a tree. After drying, remove the workpiece and paint as you wish.
To lay out pebbles, decorative moss, sisal and other elements at the “roots” and on the “earth” to give the composition a natural look.
Beaded Bonsai
One of the easiest to make is bonsai made from beads. All materials necessary for its manufacture are easily accessible. In addition, there are many options for creating: autumn, winter or green trees, Christmas trees, blooming sakura, maple, grapes - anything you want can be turned into reality using beads and wire. In a word, it is very simple to make a bonsai with your own hands. The master class is described below in the article.
Twigs and crown
To work, you need a thin copper wire and about 100 g of green beads. To make the tree look more alive, it is recommended to take several shades of the same color and mix them in one container.
Measure out 45 cm of wire. String 5-8 beads and fix into a ring, stepping back from the edge of 10 cm. Again, string the desired amount of beads and arrange the ring at a distance of 0.5 cm from the first. Thus, make a few "leaves" so that there is an end of 10cm.
The resulting wire with loops must begin to twist, starting from the first leaflet, clockwise. This will turn out a small twig. Beautifully spread the leaves. Such branches need to be made at least 50 pieces to get a fluffy and beautiful tree. The number of branches depends on the desired bonsai size and the wishes of the master.
Now you need to form thicker branches, twisting 5-6 branches together. Each subsequent one is attached just below the previous one. It turns out 9 pieces. They are also twisted with each other - at first 3 pieces, and then combined into one.
Spread thoroughly. Crohn is ready.
Barrel making
Now you need to make the trunk. To make the tree stand firmly, you need to install a thick strong wire in the center and fix it with a thin wire or floral tape. Using thin paper, a bandage or a floral tape, wrap the future trunk, giving it the desired size and shape.
The next step is fixing the tree. In the container, you need to dilute the gypsum to the density of sour cream and put it in a bowl in which the bonsai will “grow”. Set the tree and let the composition freeze. You can brush the trunk and branches with gypsum and create an imitation of bark with a toothpick.
The final step is painting the trunk and base. Acrylic paints are suitable for this. Pick the right color (usually brown) and paint over the surface. After drying, the process can be repeated as necessary. The final touch - coating the barrel with PVA glue or varnish. After complete drying, the tree is ready.
Here's how to make artificial bonsai from beads. By varying the number of beads in a leaf or twisting twigs, you can make interesting compositions that will be different from each other. You can add large beads that will mimic the fruit, coins with holes drilled in them or bead buds. You can take as a basis ornamental pebbles or wooden beads. In each case, the original tree will be obtained.
By the way, the barrel can be made from improvised materials: driftwood, cardboard, plastic.
Real pine bonsai
Natural pine branches can become the basis for an artificial tree. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to create a bonsai. In order for the composition to last a long time, it is necessary to preserve the needles. Take one part of denatured alcohol and acetone, add 2 parts of glycerin, mix. Sprinkle pine branches with this composition so that they are completely covered, and leave for a week. After that, dry them in the air. If the colors fade, you can tint with acrylic dyes.
The trunk and branches are made of durable wire, wrapped with fabric, covered with plaster and stained. As in the previous workshop.
Bunches of pine needles are glued onto the finished trunk with a hot gun.
This almost real tree will fit into any interior.
Artificial green bonsai
You can take artificial greens as a basis . It does not need to be preserved and prepared. It is necessary to make the trunk according to all the rules and attach green leaves, flowers, fruits or needles to it with glue.
On the branches you can fix butterflies or birds. Bonsai is a limitless flight of fantasy.
Artificial Tree Care
Real bonsai requires careful care during the entire growth period. But artificial trees are not demanding at all. It is periodically necessary to remove dust from them. To do this, you can carefully walk with a whisk on branches or blow the composition with a stream of warm air from a hairdryer.
A do-it-yourself bonsai tree made with love is a good gift for a long memory for friends and for relatives.
Once you make a miniature tree, you don’t want to stop. Indeed, for the manufacture of bonsai with their own hands, different materials are used that give scope to creativity.