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GREEN MATTERS
The art of nurturing green dwarfs
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Nature in miniature sounds fine. But how does one raise the little ones? Take a look at the tips given by experts to RANJANI GOVIND
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Dash of decor: Though short, these are grown-up trees yearning for outdoor ambience with gentle wind and gleaming sunlight.
It is a misconception that bonsais grow well enough indoors and one needn’t take them outdoors at all. Bonsais or ‘trees in trays’ are short and pruned green dwarfs that need sunlight, water, fresh air and balanced nutrition just like normal plants. But the care one takes for bonsai increases as it is an art. Let us analyse some points of necessity.
* Sunlight is paramount for photosynthesising and nourishing the plant. They may look short, but these are grown-up trees that yearn for the outdoor ambience with gentle wind and squashy gleaming rays of the sun. Keeping them in the shade would force them to grow larger and lighter shade leaves, even as internodes in them increase with taller shoots craving for sunlight. This would beat the purpose of growing a bonsai itself as the science here involves bringing the tree species in smaller form with fruits and flowers for which sunlight is essential. Keeping them indoors for interior décor would certainly add a dash of glamour to your living, so long as they are brought out later. But take care not to keep them directly on the ground or in a crowded place but in an elevated position to gain free circulation of air around.
* Except during the rainy season, bonsais require water everyday, ensuring the soil remains moist throughout. Watering is best done from above with a rose spray attachment to your hosepipe. One needs to drench the soil 2-3 times in short intervals. Experts say it is difficult to predict how much water a bonsai would need, as it depends on species requirement and climatic conditions.
* Fertilizers are another must for the little ones wherein nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium will together ensure good development. Nitrogen promotes leaf and branch development, phosphorous supports roots and tissue that regulate flowering and fruiting, and potassium promotes resistance to fungal and bacterial attacks.
Bonsai experts say that plant micronutrients are essential for good physical condition. Organic and inorganic fertilizers are used according to one’s taste. This is the kind of minimal pest control to follow. This is sufficient, say experts, as the containers are relatively small, and the roots and shoots have contained growth.
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