DIY pine bonsai: types, care, pruning. Small-flowered pine, Japanese white pine

Pine bonsai is a classic of Japanese garden art. Today, more than a hundred varieties of pine are known, which are, to one degree or another, suitable for the formation of bonsai, but four of them are especially popular. Today we will tell you how to properly grow a classic bonsai from pine or fir.

To grow a pine bonsai with your own hands, you will have to be patient. the main task is to do everything possible for the plant to grow slowly, which is achieved by frequent pruning of branches and roots, using special soil, and special methods of care.

In general, a home bonsai should meet the following characteristics:

have a powerful and strong trunk, which has a pronounced base, and the roots protrude slightly above the surface of the soil;
have a small number of branches, and each one should be clearly visible and in harmony with general style trees;
match one of 15 classic shapes;
to be like a tree growing under ordinary conditions.

As already mentioned, 4 main types of pine are used for planting bonsai in the garden.

Video “How to form a pine bonsai”

From this video you will learn how to form a pine bonsai with your own hands.

Japanese black

This variety is used most often, as it has an attractive bark texture, is hardy and does not require nutritious soil. In Japan, growing bonsai from black pine is considered a tribute to tradition. However, during the growing process you may encounter a number of difficulties:

the tree forms excessively long needles (this happens due to improper watering, violation of the feeding regime, or if the location of the pot is incorrectly chosen);
The biological feature of this plant is its extremely slow growth.

Japanese black pine tolerates the most difficult conditions favorable conditions content, surviving even on poor rocky soils.

Japanese white

This bonsai will have an unusual appearance: living up to its name, the Japanese white pine is covered with needles white. This is a conical tree, which is distinguished by a dense spreading crown.

Mountain

Caring for mountain pine bonsai at home also does not require a special approach: the culture is unpretentious, tolerates significant temperature changes well, without even changing the color of its needles. Provided that such a bonsai is provided with the right conditions content, over time it will form a lush crown with thick butcher's broom.

In addition, this variety blooms in a soft purple color. The crown of the plant can be formed into different styles depending on the gardener's preferences.

Ordinary

Bonsai grown from Scots pine is the most affordable and simplest option in our latitudes. In cases where other species require special conditions, the common pine will obediently “fulfill” all the gardener’s requirements, taking the desired shape. The variety has paired yellow-green needles and red-brown scaly bark.

Planting and growing conditions

As for how to grow a classic pine bonsai, the secret lies in limiting the growth of the tree’s root system as much as possible (such trees grow in small bowls). Thanks to this approach, the above-ground part of the tree is suppressed and the desired dwarfism of the plant is achieved.

Before planting a seedling, it is recommended to prune the root system, focusing on the main root shoot. Do not forget that a large stone should be placed at the bottom of the container, which is covered with earth. After this, the plant itself is planted.

Rules of care

Regardless of whether you are growing a fir bonsai or any of the listed pine trees, the plant needs an abundance of sunlight. If you place the container with the tree in a shaded area, you will get too long needles, which is not welcome in the art of bonsai. In addition, due to lack of lighting, the tree's branches may begin to die.

Another danger is drafts. Try to protect your plant from them as much as possible.

Watering and fertilizing

The plant needs moderate but regular watering. It is important that the growing pot contains an adequate layer of drainage material. Try to keep the soil constantly moist. Feed the bonsai with a small amount complex fertilizers, and no more than once a month.

Reproduction

There are two ways to grow a young bonsai from an adult plant: from seeds sown in the spring, or from cuttings that should be rooted during the summer.

Transfer

It is advisable to transplant pine trees in early spring - before the buds swell. This is done once every 2–3 years, and during the initial planting of a seedling no earlier than after 4–5 years. When carrying out the procedure, do not try to thoroughly clean the roots of the plant from the remains of the old soil - on the contrary, it will be better if it remains, since this soil contains a lot of compounds useful for the tree.

Trimming and shaping

It is difficult to form a pine bonsai, due to the fact that the principle of pruning is not similar to other crops. The point is that the period active growth the plant falls exclusively on the second half of the spring season, unlike other trees.

Another feature is separate growth zones that differ in activity. Thus, the apex is the fastest growing zone, the upper side shoots are characterized by medium growth strength, and the lower ones – weak.

Formation should begin from a young age of the seedling, since an adult tree is almost impossible to bend, forcing it to grow in the direction you want. As a rule, formative pruning is carried out in the autumn to minimize the loss of juices, carefully processing the cuts.

What to do with the kidneys

Pine buds grow in small groups. To give your bonsai the desired appearance, you can treat the buds as follows: remove them on the upper branches (which grow the fastest) and leave them on the lower ones, the process of formation and growth of which is slower.

Actions with candles

With the arrival of spring, the buds you have saved will begin to stretch into candles, the size of which may vary. They can also be pruned depending on the desired crown shape, following the same rule of active tree growth zones. You should not cut off all the candles at once - it is better to extend the procedure over 2-3 weeks.

Plucking out needles

This is one of the mandatory procedures, without which air and sunlight will not be able to penetrate to the internal shoots through the external needles. In addition, by plucking you can also control the width and height of the tree's crown.

The manipulation is carried out from the second half of July until the onset of autumn. Both old and young needles must be removed. We are guided by simple rule: the more needles there are on a certain branch, the more growth activity it exhibits. By removing some of the needles, we can redistribute vitality plants to other zones.

Needle trimming

Sometimes it is necessary to shorten the needles to make the tree look harmonious. To do this, proceed as follows: allow the tree to freely grow needles throughout the spring and all summer, and at the end of August, cut off all the needles that have grown during this season.

Of course, the tree will try to actively grow the lost needles, and it will succeed. But the needles will be much shorter, which is what we wanted.

Remember: this method is only good for a fully formed tree; a young seedling can suffer significantly from the procedure.

Now you know how to make a pine bonsai with your own hands.

The plant is woody, 20-25 m high. There are multi-stemmed species. In cultivated plantings it grows slowly, reaching a height of two and a half meters by the age of 25. It has a smooth bark, which, as the plant grows, gradually becomes finely scaly. The crown is pyramidal, loose, expanding as the plant ages.

Young shoots are greenish in color, with slight pubescence. Later the pubescence disappears, the shoot acquires grey colour. The needles are long (3-6 cm), soft and thin, dark green. The needles are collected in bunches of 5 pieces each. At the ends of the shoots, the needles are curved and twisted.

Pine cones are medium in size (3-4 cm), cylindrical shape, “sessile” and resinous. Stay on branches for 6-7 years. The tops of the scales of the cones are rounded, convex, and have a faint navel. Seeds: lionfish. The homeland of small-flowered pine is Japan. Cultivated since 1861. The plant is sensitive to moisture deficiency. Some varieties do not tolerate low temperatures well.

Varieties of small-flowered pine

There are about fifty varieties of small-flowered pine. Almost all of them grow in Japan. Some varieties are used for growing in pots as bonsai. Most varieties of this plant are distinguished by early fruiting.

Variety Blauer Engel- differs from the wild form in its modest size and color of needles. Its height is just over half a meter. The crown is wide and spreading. Khvoinki blue color, have a bend. The plant is grown in decorative purposes. In order to form a beautiful crown shape, young shoots are pinched annually.

The variety unites a whole group of pine forms with small and medium height, oval or wide pyramidal crowns and blue curved needles.

- a dwarf among tree forms, which is a tree or shrub, reaching a height of just over a meter by the age of ten. It has blue needles, 4 to 5 cm long. It bears good fruit.

- half-dwarf. By the age of ten it grows two meters. It has a wide crown, up to a meter in diameter. The needles are bluish-blue. Fruits well.

Popular bonsai that can be grown from seeds

Almost all owners of dachas and summer cottages plant on their plots different trees, as a rule, these are trees on which edible fruits grow - for example, apple, pear, cherry, plum.

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Where to get seeds

After 2 years, the tree can begin to be pruned to shape its shape. As a result, in 4-5 years you will have a wonderful bonsai.

It consists of selecting a container, disinfecting the soil mixture and stratifying the seeds. It is best to take a clay pot, shallow but wide, always with drainage holes. We make the soil from two parts humus and one part sand. It must be disinfected by holding it over steam for several minutes. After this, dry and sift.

Store seeds or plant immediately?

After placing the seeds in peat or sandy substrate, you need to try to keep the pots or containers from getting too hot - the warmer it is, the more favorable the conditions for fungi. Therefore, in sunlight, do not let the plantings overheat, provide constant influx fresh air. At the same time, do not shade the emerging shoots under any circumstances; pine trees need a lot of light. Optimal temperature soil for active growth - 22-24 degrees, no more. That is, you need to regularly moisten the peat or sandy substrate, at least once a day.

If you have decided to improve your plot and plant a pine grove on it, take care first of all of the planting material. To do this, you need to go to the nearest forest, where fairly strong trees of the species you need grow, and notice among them several of the healthiest ones. Then, starting from mid-September, you need to visit the chosen place from time to time and watch when the cones begin to fall, with the help of which the pine tree reproduces.

In order for the seeds to be ready for planting, they must be properly germinated and treated with preparations, otherwise problems such as seed death due to certain diseases are possible. Before planting, the seeds are placed in water for several days to swell and begin the process of primary germination. It is also possible to germinate seeds in sphagnum moss or vermiculite. In this case, it is advisable to break the hard shell of the seeds. This process ensures better germination. Further, in order to avoid the occurrence of plant diseases, the seeds should be treated with a fungicide, liquid or dry, and the soil must be sterilized.

Seed germination and pre-treatment

Bonsai - growing an exact copy of a tree, but only in miniature. Many plants grow in our garden, some of them existed even before the garden was formed - old, perennial trees that simply remained on the site, a young garden produced by our own efforts, as well as many flowers and industrial plants, berry bushes, root crops and so on. But, despite the abundance of beautiful and useful plants on the site, you always want something new, unusual.

4) After winter is over, you will need to pull out the cones and plant them in the soil. To do this, they are planted to a depth of about 2 cm and immediately watered with water.

How to grow bonsai (video)

Planting seeds, soil composition

So, in order to plant a pine tree, you need to dig a hole first, then saturate this soil with water, you will need to pour soil from the forest at the bottom of the hole, after that the tree is inserted and the hole around it is completely covered with soil from the site, but it is still better to fill up the roots earth from the forest.

But also very often, especially in Lately began to plant on their plots and various coniferous trees. Pine is especially popular among such trees.

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Seedling care

Fresh seeds should be taken for planting. To speed up their germination, you can pierce or cut the upper peel, and placing them in warm water for 24 hours is also suitable.

Having mentioned the temperature regime, it will be quite natural to focus your attention on the lighting. As already mentioned, Scots pine needs a lot of bright sunlight. Therefore, it is best to keep containers on windows facing south. Shading of sprouts leads to inhibition of their development. However, it should be taken into account that in photosynthesis it is not just light that plays a key role, but the ultraviolet spectrum, so on a window where there is not natural light all day, the growth of pine trees will be slower than on open ground.

You may have to monitor until November, so take a photo of the selected trees in advance. It is advisable to collect fruits from under several pines. Before choosing trees, familiarize yourself with their species, since there are certain varieties of pine whose seeds take about two years to ripen. After picking up the cones, make sure that they have not yet fallen off with seeds.

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How to grow a pine tree from seeds - sequence of actions until the result

Preparing seeds - collecting and peeling the cones

Bonsai can be such a position in the garden - growing an exact copy of a tree, but only in miniature. Today we will look at how you can grow bonsai from seeds. The path is not easy and long, but it brings the desired result.

5) Then you will need to place the cones on the window. They will need to grow in approximately 5 – 10 days.

Cedar pine.

Pine, like any tree, does not require a special approach.

This answer and many others regarding pine will be answered in this article. You can see what it looks like here.

Stratification - is it really necessary for pine seeds?

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Stage 2 – Landing

It should be noted that artificial lighting in no way replaces natural lighting. In particular, from incandescent lamps you can only get bright light and heat, but not ultraviolet radiation. Fluorescent lamps do not even provide warmth. There are special fluorescent lamps with a photosynthetic effect, but they are not powerful enough to fully provide the pine sprouts with the necessary lighting. Therefore, it is easier to make a greenhouse in the garden so that the shoots are exposed to Sun rays than installing their ineffective imitation that consumes electricity at home. The fact is that peat is formed from sphagnum bog moss, which turns under the influence of dampness and in the process of decomposition by bacteria into a kind of compost. This planting substrate, in addition to excellent oxygen saturation, is very rich in various microelements, initially replacing fertilizers for seeds. Moreover, top peat retains to some extent the antiseptic properties of sphagnum moss and protects pine embryos from rot and fungus.

Temperature conditions for seed germination

Prepared seeds are planted in spring, late summer or even autumn. Great for planting peat cups or pots pre-filled with a mixture of sand and peat in proportions 1:1. You can replace this composition with store-bought cactus soil, to which coarse sand should be added. The soil mixture should not fill the container to the brim; you need to leave about three centimeters to the top. Next is 1 centimeter of prepared, but already sifted soil. Next, the soil needs to be pressed down a little with a piece of wood and the seeds laid out. They are sprinkled with sand on top. The thickness of the last layer should be a maximum of two diameters of the seed being planted. Press down again with a piece of wood and pour a little water on it.

So, let's start with the fact that you can grow a huge number of bonsai from seeds, but it will require patience, time and some expenses, because some plants can take more than five years. As we said right away, the path is not easy and quite long, and only the most patient gardener will reach the end, who will get the desired result.

What should be the lighting for containers with seedlings?

6) When this period has passed, it will be necessary to plant the soil in the ground on the site.

Another option for pine that can be easily planted on summer cottage. But this tree will be much taller and more voluminous in size than, for example, a mountain pine. It, like the previous one, has been growing for a very long time, but the advantage is that it does not need income at all. Green needles, which, by the way, grow a lot on the tree right up to its very base.

Watering and fertilizing the soil in containers with seedlings

The main thing to remember is that once the tree has been planted, during the first week it will need to be watered at least once a day. After the first week you won’t have to do this.

Planting a pine tree.

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The most favorable periods for planting are spring and late summer. We do this:

Moisturizing the substrate in which the seeds are placed must be constant, more precisely, daily. The degree of water hardness does not play a special role when growing pine. In this case, it absolutely does not matter how the hatched seed is immersed in the soil or sand, downwards or sideways, it will still develop correctly. Moderate watering is recommended so that the oxygen needed by the roots remains in the substrate.

Lowland peat is not suitable for sowing pine because it is too dense soil, practically not saturated with oxygen, slowly absorbing and also slowly releasing moisture. To distinguish between the top and bottom layers of peat, you first need to pay attention to their color, comparing photos or finished samples, the first is much lighter than the second, it has some reddishness, while the bottom layer is closer to brown and dark brown. They also have different degrees of looseness, as mentioned earlier, and it’s enough just to knead the lump with your fingers to understand what type of substrate is in front of you.

How to grow bonsai from seeds?

It is also very important to know how to plant a pine tree from seeds. After all, very often they land in this way.

3)

If you decide to plant not one but several pine trees at once, then you will need to do everything as follows. Each individual tree is planted under the same conditions as in the previous version, following the same rules. But the main thing is to correctly calculate the distance between the pines.

Almost every tree can be grown in this way, but you also need to know about the popularity of one or another. For example, among the tropical ones, the most popular are boxwoods, myrtles, abutilons, leptospermums, acacias, wisterias and, of course, ficuses. Broadleaf trees include beeches, hornbeams, maples, birches, elms, Japanese beeches and pomegranate trees. Among the conifers are fir, cypress, spruce, cedar and pine.

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Growing Japanese pine bonsai Bonsai from seeds, first results

To begin with, you need to take a few cones.
Common pine.

This primarily depends on exactly how tall the pines will be. If these are decorative pine trees up to 2.5 - 3 meters high, then the distance between the holes for planting pine trees should be approximately 70 - 80 centimeters.
At the same time, the main thing to remember is that the best period for planting is months
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Large seeds are laid out one at a time, and small ones are sown.
Such a container is placed in a tray with water, which is then absorbed from below into the soil. In the same way, you can feed the plantings with soluble mineral fertilizers. Concerning organic fertilizers, they are strictly contraindicated, since oversaturation with nitrogen can occur, and there is a risk that the roots will begin to suffocate. You need to stop feeding in mid-summer so that the winter dormant period begins in time. Attention - over the course of a year, the shoots rise by 10-12 centimeters, which can be seen when taking photos; the pine tree can only be replanted in the 5th year, when a sufficient number of needles appear and a stem is formed.
Some tree species require sharp cooling when growing seedlings from seeds, or, in other words, they need stratification. These include linden, ash, rowan and even pear. This method of activating the development processes of planting material is also applied to Scots pine seeds.
The soil in the container must be constantly moist, not dry out or filled with water.

It is best to collect these cones in the winter, since when it gets warm, the cones tend to bloom and at the same time the seeds fly out. In order to get these seeds, you must first dry the cones well - for this you can, for example, put the cones on a radiator or over a gas stove - in a word, in a place where high air temperatures are constantly present.
You can buy it in any store that sells gardening supplies, but it’s also quite easy to grow it yourself.
If these are not ornamental pines, but ordinary loess trees whose height reaches up to 18 - 20 meters, then in this case the distance between them should be no less than 5 meters.
April, June and July
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Sprinkle them with a thin layer of soil on top and compact it, pressing with a spatula.
Bonsai is becoming one of the most popular species indoor plants, so many gardeners strive to master the art of breeding them. There are several ways to do this. We will talk about one of them in this article.
According to some statistics, stratification slightly accelerates growth by initial stage, during the first year, which can be noted by taking a photo of seedlings planted with and without pre-cooling for comparison. But at home, such methods of preparing seeds are undesirable, since violation temperature regime may ultimately lead to rotting of the planting material. However, extracted from well-dried room temperature cones, pine seeds are able to sprout without being kept in a cool, damp environment (within 0 degrees).

Seeds for growing bonsai can be found in botanical gardens or even in public parks, where beautiful, and often even unique trees. If you do not have such an opportunity, then you can always buy seeds for growing bonsai at home. This can be done online or through live plant stores, either locally or by order. But you shouldn’t be particularly deceived by the beautiful images on the packages of seeds that are sold, because what you buy is only planting material, from which the desired bonsai will only be obtained as a result of special efforts, knowledge and labor.

A few days after this, the seeds can be obtained without much difficulty. It is best to plant the finished seeds in a wooden box, which will be filled with drainage. After about a month, the first elements of the pine tree will be visible. The main thing to remember is that in order for a pine tree to successfully develop from seeds, you will need to create favorable conditions for it - always maintain warmth and do not forget to water it every day.

Cones for its cultivation are best collected in March. In order for the tree to grow better, it is necessary to use phytosporin for prevention during the first year of the plant’s life.

How to plant a pine tree in the country so that it grows for a long time

Once you know how to plant pine trees correctly, it is also important to know which pine tree to plant on the site, because not all types of pine trees will be able to successfully grow and develop in such conditions.

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I'm on Vk - http://vk.com/alexeyprizrak Cover with white paper and water.Growing bonsai from seeds

In addition, you can try to apply to a small batch of seeds the method of soaking in ice-cold melt water, which, like stratification, according to some gardeners, activates accelerated growth and saturates the planting material with energy. In general, germination in warm water well-dried seeds to obtain uniform, friendly shoots. If you consider stratification for Scots pine seeds as necessary stage preparation, you can use the following tips from arborists.

Depending on the type of bonsai, its formation can be done at the age of several years. At the moment when the first sprouts from seeds are noticed, it is necessary to ensure the flow of fresh air into the container. This can be achieved by placing a small sliver under the glass or making plastic film several small holes. When the first leaves appear, the seedlings can be fully opened.

Enough interest Ask, since pine trees are primarily intended for planting in the summer. Planting pine in autumn. So, in order to plant a pine tree in the fall, you must first prepare the planting site so that the soil has time to settle.

Of course, in addition to the fact that you can buy a tree, you can also grow a pine tree yourself - this is, of course, more difficult, but nevertheless interesting and exciting. How to plant a pine tree from a cone will be described below. Planting a pine tree from a cone.

The most best views The pine trees for planting on the site are as follows:

Pine tree care

In order to plant a pine tree, you do not need to choose a very large tree, because the smaller your tree is, the greater the chance that it will plant well and grow well.

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How to plant pine trees in the country if there is not one pine tree but several of them

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For this purpose, you can use the same planting material as for conventional breeding. It is recommended to create bonsai from maple or pine seeds, but you can also take juniper, birch, apple and others. The main selection condition is compatibility with the local climate. Ficus, wisteria, and albizia are most often used for indoor bonsai.

When the cones are fully opened, the seeds are soaked in gauze for 3 days. To hatch them, you need to keep the planting material in a humid environment for about 10 days, so a shorter period will simply reduce the dormant period.

At the age of one to three months, it is necessary to form seedlings. The taproot is cut off (when picking), approximately 2/3. There is a possibility that the seedling will have to be re-rooted. In this case, you will need to use a drug that stimulates root formation, for example a special hormone.

Seeds for growing bonsai can be found in botanical gardens or even in public parks. Seeds of various plants can differ from each other not only in appearance and weight, but also by type of seed box. In addition, for each individual variety there is a specific sowing method that will allow the seeds to germinate correctly. A hole will need to be dug approximately 2 times larger than the size of the seedling itself. Drainage will need to be installed at the bottom of the hole. The hole will need to be well watered. Planting a pine tree from a cone occurs in the following several stages:

Then you will need to dig around the tree - stick your hand under it and feel the root. This is done in order not to cut it. As soon as the amount required for the purchase is collected, I will order interesting gadgets from China and share them with you. As soon as the channel reaches every 500 subscribers, I will hold a competition with small (if possible) gifts. (Be sure to include your real name or YouTube nickname so that I can thank you) Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alexeyprizrak

For the Japanese, growing bonsai is a whole philosophy that combines the spiritual and physical sides of the process. To an ordinary person To achieve success, you need to treat this matter with love and patience. You need to have some knowledge on how to make a pine bonsai. Growing a bonsai on your own will require a lot of time and labor. As a result amazing plant will give joy and beauty for many years.

A traditional bonsai must meet the following characteristics:

Trunk. It should be powerful and strong, with a pronounced base and protruding roots.
Branches. There are few branches, their lines should be harmonious and clearly visible. The trunk and branches of a bonsai give the tree that unique, whimsical image.
Form. A Japanese pine bonsai must conform to one of 15 classifications. To help a beginner or an experienced gardener, drawings, diagrams, photographs or your own fantasies and wishes.
A miniature pine should look like a tree growing in natural conditions.

The main task when creating a bonsai is to achieve slow growth of the plant. This is achieved in several ways: frequent pruning of tree roots and shoots, artificial growth inhibition, use of special types of soils, in special ways care and watering of trees.

How to grow a pine bonsai in open ground

IN landscape design Bonsai pine takes pride of place. Its obvious advantages are original form, unpretentiousness to growing conditions, resistance to low temperatures, high level adaptation.

By observing certain conditions, you can grow this miracle tree directly in the ground:

A real bonsai is a visually old tree. The aging effect is achieved by artificially bending and landing the branches using weights and wire. To give the impression of a long-growing pine tree, the bark is specially cut in several places with the tip of a knife.

Formation of bonsai from Scots pine

Scots pine can be an excellent basis for growing your own bonsai. Conifers differ from deciduous trees in two stages of growth per year, which should be taken into account when creating a pine tree as a bonsai. The first wave of growth occurs in late spring and is expressed in the lengthening of branches. The second wave occurs at the end of August and is characterized by thickening of the branches.

In just a few years you can grow a Scots pine bonsai with your own hands in a pot:

A Scots pine bonsai should have a strong and developed superficial root structure (nebari). Root growth is achieved over several growing seasons; as a result, the tree must firmly and confidently hold onto the ground.

If you plant young trees from pots in open ground, then you can get a garden bonsai from Scots pine. This is done in the fifth or sixth year of the plant’s life. The advantages of growing in the garden are the rapid growth of trunk strength and the sufficient height of the tree. Before transplanting, the crown and trunk of the bonsai must be fully formed, that is, its proportions by this moment already fully correspond to the desired ones.

Forming pine bonsai is about maintaining a balance between the creations of nature and man. In order not to disturb the harmony, you can plant several bonsai from different types trees, surrounding them with objects and plants similar in style and mood. Transforming an ordinary tree into a beautiful dwarf counterpart is a fun and interesting activity. Bonsai pine will become a real decoration of the garden with its own individual shapes and lines.

Video about planting pine bonsai

or Cedar elfin wood- Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel

Distributed throughout Eastern Siberia and Far East, in Northeast China, Korea, Japan. It grows on dune sands, mountain slopes, and swamps in the moss tundra. ON In the south it grows at an altitude of 1600-2000 m, forming a strip of dwarf cedar at the upper border of the forest (on Sakhalin 700-1000 m), to the north the altitude of distribution decreases. In Kamchatka it occurs almost from sea level. Forms large, impenetrable thickets on mountain slopes, scree, and sand. The branches lie under the snow for the winter and straighten out in the spring. Grows on rocky and poor soils. Protected in nature reserves.

Pinus pumila "Glauca"
Photo by Dmitry Vinyarsky

A plant of wide ecological amplitude. For your original look received many names: “lying forest”, “northern cedar tree”, “northern jungle”, etc. The emergence of creeping dwarf cedar forests was facilitated by its growth conditions.

These are small trees (no more than 5 m in height) with intertwined crowns, pressed to the ground (crawling and creeping along it) and forming impenetrable thickets. Palmate branches, covered with tufts of needles, stretch upward only at the tops. Young shoots are greenish, in the second year of life they are gray-brown, short, with reddish pubescence. The needles are 5 pieces in a bunch, up to 10 cm long, bluish-green, thin, curved, functional for 2-3 years. Male spikelets are intense red, decorative. The cones are red-violet, turning brown as they ripen, 3-6 cm long, ovoid or round, collected at the ends of the branches, falling without opening, along with the seeds. The cones ripen in the second year. The seeds are oval, up to 0.9 cm, dark brown, with a thin skin.

Introduced into cultivation around 1807, known in St. Petersburg since 1833. According to V.I. Lipsky and K.K. Meissner (1915), it was introduced into cultivation by the VIN Botanical Garden, where it is currently grown. Also available in the collections of the Arboretum of the Forestry Academy and the Otradnoe Scientific Experimental Station.

In GBS since 1952, 2 samples (26 copies) were obtained from Primorye and Lipetsk LSOS. Tree, at 36 years old, height 4.4 m, crown diameter 260 cm. Vegetation from 18.IV ±11. It grows slowly, the annual growth is 3-5 cm. It is dusty from 12.V ± 7 to 18.V ± 4. The cones ripen in September of the following year. Winter hardiness is high. Absent from the landscaping of Moscow.

Pinus pumila
Photo by Vyacheslav Radyushkin

Pinus pumila
Photo by Konstantin Korzhavin

Pinus pumila
Photo by Vyacheslav Radyushkin

Winter-hardy. It grows slowly. Photophilous, does not tolerate dry air. Elfin cedar is undemanding to soils and grows well even on the poorest, rockiest, sandiest soils. Does not require special care, not susceptible to serious diseases and pests. It is extremely rare in culture, although it is valuable ornamental plant especially for the northern regions.

Propagated by seeds and grafting onto other types of pines. The survival rate of grafting forms and varieties is very low. Species plants can be grown from seeds. But, unfortunately, even on a natural specimen they mature once every 20-30 years, and only if it grows on open place. Before sowing, seeds require artificial stratification for six months at 2-5 °C. Sowing before winter is also possible, but mice can eat the nuts. The photo on the right is a 3-month-old seedling. Dwarf often forms adventitious roots on branches in contact with the ground - layering. Ask if your friends have mature elfin wood in their garden.

Pinus pumila "Chlorocarpa"
Photo by Dmitry Vinyarsky

Used in single and group plantings in parks and forests, for decorating rock gardens. This plant will fit into a variety of compositions and parts of the garden: undergrowth under pines, larches, oaks, an element of tree groups or, for example, a tapeworm planted among large gray stones on dumps. Slopes and slopes are strengthened with cedar dwarf wood. And they even grow it in containers (most other conifers will simply freeze to death in this case). This means that it is perfect for decorating roof gardens.

Most Popular garden form with bluish needles.

"Glauka", Sizaya ("Glauca"). Selective form. Shrub 1 - 1.5 m high, rarely up to 3 m. Crown diameter is about 3 m. The shoots are powerful, curved and rising. The needles are gray-blue, more intensely colored than the type. It grows slowly, with an annual growth of 3 cm. The main charm of this form is the dense pubescence of the branches with five-coniferous bunches of long (up to 8 cm) sharp curved needles of silver-blue color, which do not fall off for three to four years. Young red-violet cones are an additional decoration of this luxurious pine; By the time of ripening, the ovoid, up to 5 cm long cones become shiny, light brown. Winter-hardy. Photophilous. Does not tolerate stagnant water. Introduced into cultivation in 1943 in Boskop. Propagated by seeds, cuttings (14%). Suitable for group plantings in gardens. for growing in containers. Used for landscaping parterre lawns, rock gardens. In the Botanical Garden BIN since 1998, obtained from nature, from the slopes of the Golovnin volcano on Kunashir Island. Should be grown in lime-free soil.

It is impossible to describe in detail all the varieties of dwarf cedar used in Europe; we will briefly report on some with unusual colored needles:

"Chlorocarpa" The size is close to normal, the needles are gray-green, and the young cones are yellow-green. Not particularly attractive, but will interest conifer collectors.

Pinus pumila "Draijer's Dwarf"
Photo by Kirill Tkachenko

"Draijers Dwarf"- a compact wide plant with a funnel-shaped crown and a slow growth rate (5-6 cm per year). Needles 3 cm long are loosely arranged, especially blue ones. Before 1950, selected by G. Hesse and distributed by den Ouden and son in Boskop as P. pumila var. nana, since 1954 received the latter name.

"Dwarf Blue"- wide pine with shoots, fluffy due to pointed, radially arranged bunches of white-bluish needles 3-4 cm long;

"Globe"- Fast-growing shape compared to the species, rounded, up to 2.m high and wide, very dense. Needles are 5-7 cm long, thin, beautiful, bluish-green (=P. sembra "Globe"; den Ouden and Boom). The old tree was selected in the Gimborn Arboretum, Doorn; introduced into culture in 1965 by Dreyer, Heemstede.

"Jeddeloh". The shape is flat, wide, widely spreading with a nest-like deepened middle; branches on the outside rise obliquely; annual growth is 7-10 cm; shoots are densely covered with needles. The needles are pressed to the shoot, straight, arched inward at the end, 3-5 cm long, fresh green, the inner sides are bluish-white. The apical cones are cylindrical, 10-12 mm long, gray-brown, without resin; scales pressed. Yeddelo selection, very tenacious and healthy specimens.

"Jermyns". The dwarf form, especially the slow-growing, very compressed and pin-shaped form, is different in appearance from other forms. Introduced into cultivation in 1965 by Hillier and Son, Winchester.

"Nana"- a shrub with a denser crown than the main species. Male flowers are wine red. The needles are twisted, bright gray-green. Previously considered a form of European pine (Pinus cembra), it is now classified as a dwarf pine, and the name of the form “Nana”, despite the lack of dwarfism, remains.

"Saentis"- the crown shape of this cultivar resembles a miniature pine tree, standing out strongly among other representatives of the species with its vertical structure (the most vertical of the elfin trees).

"Saphir". The form is weak and unevenly growing. The needles are short, beautiful blue. Dreyer selection, 1970