First, when choosing the perfect, young tree from a nursery for bonsai, you want a tree with a healthy and sturdy trunk. If possible, choose a tree for bonsai that also has a unique trunk, one that would be great for styling. After your tree is home, you will need to put the tree in its new home. Now, some trees are transplanted from the nursery to your home, being planted outdoors. However, you may also want to grow your bonsai outdoors at first, then transplanting it indoors. Regardless, the transplanting method is important to ensure the tree remains strong.
Therefore, you first want to transplant your bonsai tree into a large pot, using soil prepared specifically for your type of bonsai. Then, once you begin to see new growth on the tree, copper wiring would need to be wrapped so it spirals up the trunk and then going around the main branches of the tree. The wire can then be bent to help with the shaping of your bonsai tree, based on the style you want.
Your bonsai tree would remain in that container with the wiring for about one year. During that time, you may need to loosen the wire or rewrap it so the tree does not become scarred. After a year, your bonsai tree will be ready for transplanting. For this, choose a shallow container that will become your bonsai’s permanent home. Make sure the container has galvanized wire mesh on the bottom and then a layer of drainage material. Next, add a layer of peat moss, followed by coarse potting soil.
Now, about seven to ten days prior to transplanting your bonsai tree, you want to prune most of any new growth on the top. Then, when you get ready to transplant, start by loosening the dirt from around the roots of the bonsai tree, cutting them back so that all you are leaving are the horizontal roots and small sprouts, called feeder roots. The key here is to do the trimming of the roots fast to ensure they do not have a chance to dry out.
Next, the bonsai tree would be positioned in its new container. For this, you want to place it in the soil so it looks attractive with a nice stance. Carefully, spread the roots of the tree out evenly over the soil. If necessary, add enough soil so it covers the roots completely. Keep in mind when choosing the shallow container you want one with holes in it for proper drainage. In addition, the bonsai’s roots will use the holes to weave in and out of as an anchor.
To complete the transplanting process, add a rock or some other type of feature to create the bonsai look. Remember, most bonsai will need to be repotted about every two to four years depending on the species you choose. During this process, you would follow the same process but in this case, keep the same container.
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