Page 68 - Tài liệu Ebook cây cảnh Bonsai Basics

70 CARING FOR YOUR BONSAI

REPOTTING

Compost
Good quality compost is essential, since
it has a direct effect on the health of the
tree. Opinions on composition are di-
vided, but as a general rule, a bonsai will
thrive in compost made up of equal parts
of good quality loam, peat and either
sand or rotted turf. Some plants, such as
rhododendrons and azaleas, need a lime-
free or acid growing medium. The ex-
perts generally agree that the ideal
mixture differs for deciduous trees, coni-
fers and flowering trees. It is important
to stick to the compost mixture in which
the bonsai plant developed, so you
should ask the grower about this when
you buy your bonsai. The compost
should always be sieved to eliminate any
risk of damaging the roots.

Make sure that your bonsai container is well
drained, to prevent any JlOSsibility of root rot. Why repot?
This is an important matter, which is
frequently neglected. Unlike a normal
indoor or balcony plant, the bonsai
needs a container in complete harmony
with its size and style. Let us recall that in
Japanese, the word bonsai means tree in
a tray. Ignore this at your peril: you may
end up with an aesthetic catastrophe and
a spoiled bonsai.
There is an extensive range of bonsai
containers, usually offered by the grow-
ers themselves. Most of these trays are of
Japanese or Chinese origin. Flat trays
are best suited to trees with a spreading
or trailing habit, with slightly deeper
trays for upright trees and even deeper
trays for tall, slender or cascading plants.
Forest or grove arrangements are most
attractive displayed in very fiat trays or
even sometimes simply on stone slabs
decorated with some rocks. Most bonsai
trays are made of stoneware, either
glazed or unglazed. They are seldom
A simple test will tell you whether your compost is
acid, alkaline or neutral (pH level). This gadget is decorated and the most usual colours are
sold in most garden centres. blue, pale green and brown.