Page 34 - Tài liệu Ebook cây cảnh Bonsai Basics

36 OBTAIN! G YOUR BONSAI
/

damping off. To avoid severe dehydra-
tion, the seedling should not be exposed
to direct sunlight. It should be gradually
hardened to both cold and heat. If the
season is suitable, the seedling can be
potted on after a few months. At this
stage, an ordinary clay pot should be
used, as the plant cannot yet be thought
of as a bonsai. One can now start to feed
the plant with fertilizer to promote its
development. The pot should be stood
outdoors, weather permitting.
If you have a garden, you might be
able to plant your tree in a bed for its first
year, although you will have to monitor
Professional nurserymen raise their plants (conifers
here) in polythene tunnels or greenhouses. development carefully, to ensure that the
seedling does not grow too quickly to be
suitable for bonsai training later. These
roots sometimes reach astonishing pro-
portions, to stunning effect. Such bonsai
can make a spectacular contribution to
the decor of a room.
Bonsai treatment should start in the
second year after germination, though
its first potting in a bonsai tray will not
take place until the end of its third year.
Throughout this time, whether you use
pots or plant out in beds, make sure that
no weeds develop to the detriment of the
seedling.
In hot weather, break the crust of soil
that forms around the base of the young
A small metal-framed greenhouse built from a kit, plant to prevent too much evaporation
suitable for amateur use. by capillary action.

Professional growers ofl'er a selection of potential Before transplanting into a special bonsai container,
bonsai which have already matured for those who use an ordinary pot after providing it with a
choose not to produce their own. drainage hole.