By Ahmed Hajouj.
What are the basics of effective Bonsai care.
Caring for your Bonsai tree involves many of the same activities associated with caring for a pot plant or an indoor plant. Well developed and healthy fibrous roots are essential for the continued good health of your Bonsai tree and repotting is an essential way to manage this process. Normally a young or fast growing Bonsai will need to be repotted roughly once a year; for less prolific growers or older trees it can be done as infrequently as once every five years. You should always try to repot during late winter or early spring when the buds start to swell.
How to repot a Bonsai tree.
The process of repotting a Bonsai tree is one that you should take seriously and follow these simple instructions:
First, you should tidy the tree by carefully pruning off any unwanted, long branches. Also, make sure the tree has been under cover for a few weeks if it is an outdoor Bonsai, this way the soil will be relatively dry. Once you remove the tree from it’s pot you will be able to see whether it really needs repotting. If it is root bound then you should repot it, however, if there are another few inches of room so the roots can grow a little longer then you can carefully replace the tree in it’s original pot and continue as normal.
You should remove surface soil from the roots either by hand or using a nylon scrubbing brush. Brush away from the trunk and be careful not to damage any of the roots. Removing the loose soil will give the Bonsai tree a healthier look and feel. Once you’ve removed most of the soil in this way, you can use a small, fine bristled paintbrush to remove the soil stuck in the roots or that has collected in the roots.
Use a Bonsai fork to comb out the roots. Do this by combing out the roots from underneath and then use scissors to prune up to a third of the roots and then cut out small wedges around the root base to allow fresh soil to collect and keep your Bonsai healthy. Add a layer of grit to the bottom of the pot and then add the Bonsai compst of your choice.
Take the time to position your Bonsai tree in the pot and then push a little more soil into awkward places. Complete this as often as you need to as mentioned above.
By Ahmed Hajouj.
My mother has recently taken up orchid care and, being the curious sort of person that I am, I was interested to learn what makes them ‘special’. What makes them a plant apart from the normal houseplants grown at home and why do they appear to be a challenge to the green-fingered?
My mum has always been able to look after plants, both indoors and out, so it was no surprise when, having been given her first orchid as a present, she got ‘hooked’ on how to look after them. I have ‘brown fingers’ not green ones, so am full of admiration of anybody that can keep houseplants alive for more than one season.
After talking with mum and a bit of my own research here are some tips for orchid care:
Orchids How To 1: Consider it’s natural conditions
When you buy an orchid, make sure you can recreate the conditions the plant requires in its natural environment. There are all sorts of varieties, some hardier than others so look at the label to check.
Orchids How To 2: Careful Watering
Watering them about every 4 – 7 days seems to be enough, but it does depend on the season. To check if the plant needs water, push a wooden stick or pencil into the medium, if it comes out darker, there is enough there. Orchids can require different amounts of water at different times of the year, so keep checking!
Orchids How To 3: Feeding
Most orchids benefit from a specialist orchid fertilizer that is fed as a weak solution and applied once a week. To do this, use only half the amount mentioned on the packet. The type of fertilizer will depend on what your orchid is growing in, so it is wise to check that first.
Orchids How To 4: Repotting.
Sooner or later, unfortunately, the orchid is going to need repotting. Remove the old mix from the pot, being careful not to damage the roots. Rinse the roots and trim off any hollow or mushy ones, as they are considered dead. Place the plant into a new pot, orchids apparently like being root-bound, so there should only be about 1″ between the roots and the edge of the pot. Add the new mix/medium to the pot, tapping the sides to make sure it settles properly. Press gently to settle the plant but don’t use too much force or the roots may break. Use a stick to support the plant in the pot so it is secure. If your plant is growing in sphagnum moss, make sure it is damp before wrapping it round the roots and repotting, that way you don’t have to worry about pockets of air. After repotting the plant should not be watered for 3 – 5 days to allow it to recover.
Orchids How To 5: After it flowers.
Check whether your orchid flowers only once from the flower spike or will flower repeatedly from the same spike. Once the plant has finished flowering the spike needs to be removed at the base with a sharp instrument to lessen damage to the plant itself. If you aren’t certain, don’t cut it off!
Orchids How To 6: Caring for it.
An important part of orchid care is looking out for various fungi or parasites. Isolate any plant that has a problem, check it out, find the remedy and start treating as soon as possible.
By Ahmed Hajouj.
Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants. When talking about house plants, there is no need to worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.
1. Watering
A watering can is a must-have in every garden. It is recommended that you purchase the one with a narrow spout to ensure adequate watering. But that does not always apply, so the finger test may come in handy. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If you feel that the soil is damp, don’t water it. Otherwise, do.
2. Feeding
With foliage plants, they always need to be high in nitrogen. For flowering plants, on the other hand, K2O is needed. Fertilizers such as the slow release ones can be mixed with the compost. However, some plants like cacti and orchids need special feeds. Feed plants on the height of their active growth.
3. Lighting
Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no shade. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Others need sun or no sun at all like cheeseplants.
4. Temperature
With houseplants, they can survive in temperatures a little bit higher than 15 – 250 C or 55 – 750 F. But drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them.
5. Humidity
Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. The compost will not dry out. Plants are capable of creating their own climate if grouped together. This tip can also be used for keeping the soil moist. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the day’s temperature.
6. Repotting
Other plants require repotting for optimum growth but some plants may not be suitable for this idea. They would not want their roots to be disturbed or other plants’ root system is small. One way to check if your plant needs repotting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then repot.
You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap its benefits. You don’t only have a garden that can add to your house’s beauty you can also learn how to respect and nurture life in its varied forms.
By Ahmed Hajouj.
Early spring is a great time for transplanting trees and shrubs, but you must do so before they wake up. Transplanting a plant is a very traumatic experience for the plant if it is awake. It’s like doing surgery on a person while they are awake. Dormancy starts in the fall as soon as you experience a good hard freeze, and the plants remain dormant until the weather warms up in the spring. This is when you should transplant, while the plants are dormant.
You can transplant in the spring up until the plants leaf out. When the buds are green and swollen you are usually safe to still transplant, but once the leaf develops, you should wait until fall. When transplanting you can dig the shrubs out bare root, just make sure they are out of the ground for as short a time as possible, and keep the roots damp while out of the ground.
Make sure there are no air pockets around the roots when you replant them. When possible, it is always better to dig a ball of earth with the plants when you transplant them. The rule of thumb is 12″ of root ball for every 1″ of stem caliper. If the diameter of the stem of a tree is 2″, then you should dig a root ball 24″ in diameter.
Don’t be afraid of cutting a few roots when you transplant. Just try not to cut them any shorter than the above guidelines allow. Cutting the roots will actually help to reinvigorate the plant. It’s a process simply known as root pruning. When the roots are severed, the plant then develops lateral roots to make up for what is lost. These lateral roots are more fibrous in nature, and have more ability to pick up water and nutrients.
Some nurseries drive tractors over the plants in the field with a device that undercuts the roots of the plant just to force the plant to develop more fibrous roots. This makes transplanting the plant the following year much more successful, and makes for a stronger and healthier plant.
The old timers root pruned by hand by forcing a spade in the ground around their plants. If you have a plant in your landscape that is doing poorly, a little root pruning while the plant is dormant could bring it around. It’s worth the effort.
By Ahmed Hajouj
As with all types of plant pots, Bonsai pots are available in a huge array of sizes, shapes and colours but making sure you select the correct pot for your Bonsai tree can make the difference between a good looking Bonsai and an incredible looking Bonsai. Be warned, though, the pot you pick can have either positive or detrimental effects to the growth of your beloved Bonsai tree.
What type of Bonsai pots should I be considering?
Firstly, if you have a juvenile Bonsai that is still growing quite rapidly you will need to consider several training pots before you decide on a final show pot to exhibit your Bonsai. However, when selecting a Bonsai pot you should never pick one that means you will need to drastically trim the roots. If you do want to reduce the size of your pot or the roots then you need to take it in gradual steps, moving down a pot size at a time before eventually reaching the size you want.
Make sure the pot you are considering has very good drainage and is entirely frost proof, this will help keep your Bonsai safe and healthy all year round whether it is kept indoors or outdoors. If you are selecting a glazed pot, be sure that only the outside of the pot is actually glazed, because the Bonsai will need the rough surface on the inside for the roots to grab onto and establish themselves.
What pot for what tree?
The type of pot you should buy is indicated by the kind of tree you are growing as well as the style you want. Conifers lend themselves brilliantly to naturally coloured, unglazed pots whereas deciduous trees look good in glazed or unglazed and in just about any colours. Experiment a little to find the right pot for you, and especially consider pastel colours for your deciduous trees or a bright coloured pot for a flowering tree.
Also, consider how much room the roots will need for your particular choice of tree. Cascading trees will require a deep pot with plenty of room for the roots to grow down but also so the branches can hang over the side without draping on the floor.
If you have a heavily glazed pot, remember that the colour of the glaze will age and ware off slightly over it’s lifetime and many people wipe the glaze with French polish in order to speed the process up giving your glazed pot a slightly more natural and aged feel.
