How to add nutrients /fertllizer

Just as we human being need nutrient to grow and stay healthy. A potted plants depend on us for nourishment .Organic manure is healthy option as chemical manure like N P K or UREA though make impact instantly but is bad for plant health in long run.
         The next time you toss away the following kitchen waste , and if you garden , then think of it .These materials provide inexpensive source of fertilizer to your plants.

     Below are few basic material found in every household that can be used .

EGG SHELLS:

Though nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are most vital for healthy plant growth, calcium is also essential for building healthy “bones”—the cell walls of a plant. egg shells are composed of calcium carbonate, and are an excellent way to introduce this mineral into the soil. To prepare the eggshells, grind with a mixer, grinder, or mortar  and burry  them into the soil.

BANANA PEELS: 

               just like egg shells this throw away part is useful .eat the edible part and  use scissors to cut peel into smaller fragments. these pieces can be used straight into pot or composting them.

Burry the peels about 2 inch below the soil without disturbing the roots.

As the peels decompose , all the remaining minerals will reach the roots

Nutrients that occur in  banana peels :

• potassium 
• phosphorus 
• calcium 
• magnesium
• sodium 
• sulfur 

manganese 

ONION PEEL:

ONION peel ( outer dried skin) is rich source of calcium ,potassium, magnesium , iron and many more. it serves as a best organic fertiliser for plant.
Take handful of peels and soak in 1 lit jar with water for overnight.
use the reddish water , a little amount , in every pot.

stunning Arial roots - create your own

source 

wondering How To Get Stunning Roots Display Bonsai Are Made ?





Bonsai trees are tiny works of living art have delighted and mystified people for centuries. Perfectly pruned, these miniature trees provide hours of enjoyment as well as giving an air of relaxation to the room in which they reside.
 A designer looking bonsai like this  costs a lot of money but developing it by yourselves is not only satisfying but becomes your prized possession.
            To develop arial roots on bonsai you need have following basic materials :

➽A lot of patient
➽ black plastic bag
➽ A pair of scissors
➽ Young sapling of plant
➽ Soil mixture
➽ A pot
➽ A few stones/ bricks
               
                     Let's get started

Take the plastic bag and cut bottom with scissors. Now it looks like a hollowed pipe. Here I have used black plastic bag but you can use any kind of bag that is 50 micron or more as it has to last for couple of months and face different atmospheric conditions.

Take the pot, it can any pot a terracotta or plastic container, here I am using a shallow oval bonasi pot.

Place the plastic bag on the pot. Plant the sapling (ginseng ficus ,dicus reigiosa  ,schefflera ) or any of the plant cuttings in horizontal position. Cover the roots and the stem with soil. Secure the sides of the soil filled bag with some support from both sides.

Treat this plant as one of usual bonsai. 

Now here the role of PATIENT. The whole project should be left undisturbed for couple of months depending upon how fast the species the plant is used.

 It takes 24 months for the roots are strong enough to stand on their  own and ready to exposed .

Final phase

Cut the plastic bag and you find splendid mesh of roots from top going to pot.

EXPOSING THE ROOTS

Now there are two ways to remove the soil that was contained in the plastic bag. Either leave it on it own to come out - a natural withering or use water jet to remove.

Though the above plant was standing on its own ,i added straw pipes to still developing roots and wires for added support for a month

Other Blogs that can useful

quick & easy way to create thick trunk of a bonsai

A bonsai looks stunning beautiful if it has strong and thick trunk (nebari) .

         A thick nebari is developed after bonsai is quite matured /old.Or is created from air layering technique .
   Here is another method to create thick nebari with short time.
Material Required :
↪Quick Crete
↪Few nails

↪Hammer
↪Dead wood

↪casting bowl

Let's get started
hammer the nails to near side base of the dead wood.
prepare the quickcrete mix
let stand the dead wood in the casting container

pour the cement mix and let it stand for two days to set and dry.

After 48 hours the dead wood can stand on its own and can be used.
this ensures that plant and the wood when placed outside can face strong windy conditions and cannot be uprooted .

Anchor your plant with few wires to this newly formed nebari .

watering bonsai

How often should one water his  Bonsai?

A Bonsai tree needs to be watered depends on too many factors. Instead, one  need to observe your trees individually. The following will help you to get Bonsai watering right:

• Water your trees when the soil gets slightly dry
     This means one should not water bonsai tree when the soil is still wet but only when it feels slightly dry; use your finger to check the soil at around one centimeter deep. But never let a tree dry out completely! Once you get more experienced you will be able to see .watering should be done daily during summer .
• Never water on a routine
   observing your trees individually, instead of watering them on a daily routine, until you know exactly.

  .Drainage Holes

just as no man can stand for long with feet in water .Same  is  applied to potted plants . water logging in pot can lead to rotting of roots . shallow pots 6-8 inch wide  should have two drainage  holes of 1 inch diameter .

d

GINSENG FICUS BONSAI

Bonsai is an Art ,  a passion .there is always something new in every plant.

A bonsai can never be a finished work of art, because it will always be a living piece of nature, continuing to live and grow.

The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai, but to make the bonsai look like a tree.

— John Naka, American Bonsai Master

Ginseng ficus bonsai trees are very hardy and easy to maintain .Many  bonsai beginner choose these. They grow dense foliage, and they have very thick trunks. . Ginseng ficus trees are native to Malaysia and Taiwan. These plants usually have develope ariel roots that look like tree trunks.

Most ficus Bonsai trees  produce aerial roots , which are often displayed in  Bonsai . Aerial roots grow down vertically from the branches and when they reach the soil they develop into supporting trunks. 

Trees Features:

Ficus are one of the best varieties suited for creating  Bonsai. They're very easy to take care of and need little attention. Ficus "Ginseng" varieties have thick trunks, with substantial exposed roots, giving the tree a very exotic look . Gensing Ficus trees have  compact foliage and glossy, oval leaves.tree can be designed to any shape .

. Gensing Ficus trees are a warm weather loving plant and should moved inside when the temperatures drop to the below 40 .

Watering:

As most of ficus can thrive 1 or 2 days without water . Water your tree well in the summer and decrease watering in the winter. Ficus are very tolerant of being over or under water .occasionall sprays of mist during growing season develops Ariel roots.

Fertilizing:

Fertilize your Ficus Bonsai Every two weeks during the growing season and decrease in the winter. Ficus trees will respond almost immediately to fertilizing with beautiful new growth. 

Pruning / Training:

Leaf pruning reduces leaf size. Prune back to 2-4 leaves after 6-10 leaves have grown.  Allow shoots to extend 4-6  nodes then prune back to 1-2  leaves as required. Cuts should be smooth or slightly concave so the wound will heal quickly.  Pruning can be done anytime but, late summer and autumn pruning will reduce scarring.ficus respond well
Ariel  Roots : 
Gensing  Ficus grow Ariel  roots naturally; this feature can be  showcased by styling Ficus in dramatic air-root and the stunning root-over-rock style .
REPOTTING
Ginseng Ficus plant can be repotted after 1-2 year.Prune back roots to half keeping healthy ones .Use potting good  mixture .

Other quotes of JHON NAKA included "Bonsai is not the result: that comes after. Your enjoyment is what is important"; "It must have philosophy, botany, artistry,  "The bonsai is not you working on the tree; you have to have the tree work on you";

bonsai soil mixture

my kind of soil mixture for bonsai is simple , though there are readymade mixture available in market.
following are the ingredient :
1. Course sand :  some of tou might  wonder why sand? .as you know a rock is made of different minerala and sand is mixture of different rocks . so adding sand to soil not provide necessary minerals to plant but make soil porous .locally available sand can be used free From any unwanted material.

use any of three

2. Coco Peat : available at local gardening /seed supplier shop in brick shapes.
though it can be prepared at home using coco husk. Grind coco husk in food processor. throw away long strainds.

3. Matured cow dung :  a matured cow dung is dark brown/ black in appearance and free from any odour.

Take all the ingredient in equal amount . Mix the thoroughly .Place wire mesh in pot's drainage holes.Pour a layer of soil mix the place your Bonsai plant .now keep filling the pot to the top.

wire mesh placement

placing first layer of potting soil

placing plant and adding soil mixture

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

some other blogs 

stunning Arial Roots : Blog1

Ginseng Ficus             : Blog2

Getting thick Nebari   :  Blog3

Watering Bonsai             :Blog4      

•