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GREEN
DRAGON BONSAI
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All
your Bonsai needs catered for, we supply
all things Bonsai. Bonsai trees, Bonsai tools, Bonsai pots, Bonsai feed,
Bonsai Accessories and much more all at the most competitive prices anywhere.
Satisfaction guaranteed
along with everything else
Plus we will give all the FREE Bonsai advice you need.
Callers welcome by prior arrangement, feel free to ring us with your enquiries or email us FREE DELIVERY ON UK ORDERS OVER £50* Buy online now for same day or next day despatch on most items All of our pots are frost proof and are fully guaranteed against damage in transit Green Dragon Bonsai, Prestatyn, Denbighshire Tel:- 075 0000 5337 |
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DAESHOJO
MAPLE BONSAI ILEX
CRENATA
ILEX
CRENATA
ILEX
CRENATA
ILEX
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ILEX
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How old is it? It doesn't really matter how old a Bonsai is. What matters is the image presented by the tree. If it brings to mind something other than what it actually is then the artist has succeeded. A tree that is in fact ten years old can be made to look like something much older and it is this illusion of age that matters far more than the actual age. There is an important point here and a warning to beginners because as you can imagine a magnificent old tree with a history to it will command a high price tag.
Is this a proper Bonsai tree? There
are still people out there who are under the impression that there is
a separate species called "Bonsai". They have been led to believe this
because trees are often sold to the general public bearing only this
label. There is no mention of the actual species of the tree as it would
probably lessen the appeal of the "Bonsai" stigma and with it the price.
If a tree has been trained to the point where it can be classed as Bonsai
then it will speak for itself and needs no label except its own species.
Do they take a lot of looking after? Not really. Of course it depends on how many trees you have. Usually the question is asked with the idea that if the answer is no then that means you can put it on top of the television or on the coffee table in adark corner of the room and forget about it. A Bonsai needs no more care than any other plant in a pot but Bonsai is about so much more than just having a tree.
There is no such thing as an indoor tree. There are trees native to differing climates that are not hardy will not survive outdoors in this country all year round. These trees will tolerate conditions indoors but they will never thrive and will always remain a little confused by central heating, double glazing and the outside light levels that do not tie in with the temperature that it experiences. Even if this "indoor tree" has never known anything other than a greenhouse just outside Beijing, it's genetic make-up tells it that it is somewhere else. Bear these native conditions in mind when trying to find a place in the house for trees. My mother-in-law was adamant that she could keep a maple in her lounge. It took a near death experience with the poor thing before she gave it back to me to save. Three years later it has recovered some of its branches and now lives in the garden and in the greenhouse over winter.
I get asked this question constantly throughout the autumn
and winter months because the good old Chinese Elm the mainstay of commercial
Bonsai around the world is a deciduous tree, ie it is programmed to
lose its leaves in winter.....However, the arguments I normally get
are Having said that Chinese Elm is a strange beast, the genetics are all mixed up and hybridised to the point where some lose leaves and some don't while others just lose a few. The best solution is to place the tree in a cooler position during winter and allow it to make up its own mind. On the other hand, winter is not the only time that this
question arises. Isn't it cruel? It depends on what your definition of cruel is. To the league against slaughtering vegetables, cutting bits off trees is probably considered cruel. But then where do you draw the line. Perhaps they're right. Does this explain why lawnmowers and hedge-trimmers are so noisy, so that we can't hear the lawn screaming or the privet crying out for mercy. What is cruel is when someone neglects the welfare of their trees. Thankfully, in most cases, the care we give to our trees comes close to pampering.
Don't you have to prune the roots or something? This
is a misconception that I have come across numerous times. Yes, you
do have to prune the root system but the idea seems to horrify beginners
and the importance of it is blown out of all proportion. It is simply
one more skill to learn and when you've done it once you'll wonder what
all the fuss is about.
How do you keep it small? There
is no short answer to this question since treatment varies depending
on species, age, size, time of year and what your definition of small
is. Young trees tend to have more vigour than old trees as do trees
that have only recently been introduced to potted culture. If the shape
and style of a tree is already determined then the techniques used will
be the same in all cases except that in vigorous trees it will have
to be carried out with greater vigilance. (See techniques for details.)
If pressed for an answer it would have to be a combination of pruning,
trimming, pinching,
watering, feeding and wiring. Link
to each of these topics for a more in-depth view.For advice on specific
species, e-mail your query
No. Fertiliser contains varying amounts of 3 ingredients -Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. This is referred to as the N:P:K ratio. This ratio appears on the side of the bottle as, for example 10:10:10. This ratio also gives an idea of the strength when mixed to manufacturers recommendations. A ratio of 20:20:20 would be twice as strong. These are examples of balanced fertilisers, i.e. they have roughly equal amounts of each component in the mixture. Bonsai, because they are confined in a pot with varying levels of water, drainage and other factors, are best fed with a weaker dose than recommended. I use Chempak 3 as the basic fertiliser for all my trees because it is nicely balanced. In the Autumn when new growth needs to be hardened off before winter, I use Chempak 0:10:10. The low nitrogen content stops fresh growth and the concentration of P and K help in hardening off. We have a range of feeds available that cover all aspects and are tried and tested.
The instruction that came with my tree said to mist
it every day but the leaves are still dropping off. "Mist the leaves on a daily basis." This is
a good one and harks back to trying to create a humid atmosphere but
will not work without heat and only then if there is enough water and
heat to fill the whole room with a humid atmosphere. Mist without heat
will only lead to, damp conditions that will encourage mould, mildew
and fungus problems. I was told to water it once a week is that too much? I can't believe that there are still people out there
offering advice on watering based on time. The rules for watering are
simple. I've lost all my leaves and it looks a bit dry, should I water it and will it recover? A multiple question, that usually ends in "please
help."
Any more questions? The answer to the question at the
top of the page about the Chinese Elm WHAT IS BONSAI? - A brief
introduction defining Bonsai TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES - An outline of the basic requirements THE CHINESE ELM - Everybody starts here, some home truths FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - A whimsical look at some common problems BONSAI CALENDAR - What to do and when to do it STYLING - DEVELOPING THE EYE - Slightly more advanced but essential 5 MINUTE RAFT PLANTING - A simple project THE ILLUSION OF BONSAI - More food for thought |
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