The purchase of a houseplant and the care and maintenance of it requires time and effort. It will reward you through its ability to bring life to the home and as a decorative feature. You can gain additional benefits through growing your own new plants from seeds or cuttings.

Seeds

You should always collect and use good quality seed. It is not always possible to guarantee that the seeds are first rate unless you have selected your own from a good plant. If you obtain your seeds from a reputable source, that is a good start.

If you are growing plants from seeds, it is vitally important that the soil is properly prepared. You should begin with sterile earth, not just the dirt that is outside your house as this soil may have weed seeds, bacteria that may be harmful to the new seedlings, insect larvae or any number of other problems. To maximize seed germination, it is best to use good soil that is known to be pest free.

Using a seed starting tray is best for most new plants as they contain a capillary mat which will soak up water from below, feeding the seeds and maintaining moisture in the soil. They are also an ideal size for the critical first few months of a plant’s life. You should aim to keep the soil warm (at least 72 degrees F or 22 degrees C) during the day and no less than 65 degrees F or 18 degrees C at night. Use a warming lamp if needs be.

Enough light is vital for newly developing seedlings. If the climate or the location of the plants does not allow enough natural light, supplement with artificial lighting. The light should be suspended above the tray allowing a few inches between the tray and light.This heat will then penetrate the soil, warming the seeds to allow germination and once the seedling is above the surface, the same light and heat will supply the energy required for photosynthesis and therefore plant growth.

When the seedling has developed a few leaves, it is time to apply a fertilizer that is diluted to between 1/4 - 1/2 strength. It is then time to transplant the seedling into a pot.

Cuttings

You can use many of the same ideas when growing a new plant from a cutting. For instance, you would like to try growing Bird of Paradise plant from cuttings. Just like growing white Bird of Paradise from seeds white bird of paradise from seeds, the first step is to choose a good, healthy cutting. Green stems that have not hardened or become woody are the best and choose one that has a node (this is the point where a leaf attaches to the stem). This will then develop into roots to support and feed the new plant.

Be sure to remove all but one or two leaves with their nodes. Until the nodes develop roots, the plant will obtain its nutrients from the leaves. The soil should be prepared as for the seeds and the cuttings inserted with care and gently into the soil.

Ensure that the soil is kept moist but not overly wet during this stage as too much water will cause rot that will kill the new plant. Allow for plenty of light as with seeds - at least 12 hours per day, supplementing with artificial lighting if necessary.

After the plant has developed a root system, allow a few months before replanting into a longer term pot.

Some Interesting Facts About The Mini Bonsai Trees

You are aware than bonsai means ‘tree in a pot’ in Japanese and this terms refers to a type of trees that are dwarfed by special growing techniques to reproduce the larger version in a miniature form. These plants are not only stunning beautiful, they are also very expensive and painstaking to grow. This is why most people would be surprised to know that there is another yet smaller type of miniaturization called the mini bonsai.

What Is The Mini Bonsai?

The mini bonsai is a tree which is further miniaturized having it grow to maximum the size of your palm. This type of bonsai is very common in Japan and China where it is also known as mame bonsai or shonin bonsai. The great thing about these mini bonsai trees is that almost all of them flower and fruit every year offering an amazing spectacle.

The mini bonsai can propagate from both seeds and cuttings in different seasons according to the growth chart of the species they belong to. The best part with these miniature trees is that they can be grown absolutely anywhere as they need very little special care or space. Their beauty is such that it can completely mesmerize anyone who sees it for the first time.

The same conditions and rules apply to the mini bonsai as it would apply to the regular bonsai trees, i.e. utmost care should be given that water is sufficient in the soil because flooding would rot the roots while dryness would kill it. You need to ensure that the plant has adequate food and light or it would wither away. Most of the mini bonsai trees though considered (maybe owing to their exquisite shape and size) to be indoor plants are actually outdoor plants.

This is why when kept indoors these trees need to be placed in a well ventilated area preferably facing southeast in a place where they could get well exposed to sun light for about six hours per day. If the place offers more than six hours direct sunlight, ensure that they have something that provides shade as protection against dryness.

For food the miniature bonsai trees would need nitrogen based fertilizer twice a month during the spring and summer and daily watering. Pruning and shaping should be done in late spring and early summer when the growth of these trees attains the maximum rate. These trees need to be repotted once every two years until they reach ten years of age. Immediately after repotting the tree would need a lot of water and natural shade to allow the roots to catch up.

Sometimes all of this looks like a lot of trouble and special care; however when you see the miniature trees in all their glory flowering and fruiting, you would find that each one of the efforts involved to get these masterpieces are well worth the trouble.

There are many articles around that will tell you about the ins and outs of looking after your Bonsai tree. They go into forms and styling, pruning techniques, repotting and so on. But let me just take you quietly into the feeling of Bonsai and why the majority of Bonsai gardeners become addicted.

If you have not heard of Bonsai trees or Bonsai plants you are a rare person indeed! Bonsai miniaturization probably dates back before the Chinese started several centuries ago. Then Bonsai techniques were picked up by the Japanese who really went to work and refined and perfected the skills to turn them into an art form. Since then the rest of the world has caught up with this amazing hobby and taken to it with a vengeance!

The newcomer to Bonsai could well be tempted to give up before they even start given the seemingly overwhelming amount of information. There are styling rules, pruning rules watering rules, repotting rules….the list goes on and on. But to get bogged down in the intricacies of the how to information is to miss the point of why the hobby has taken such a hold.

There is a uniqueness to Bonsai trees that is hard to describe. Their tiny size and indefinable beauty transport you to a completely different perspective, a place of peace and tranquillity where “chill out” is the word of the day. The noise and tension of the day drain away and you experience a feeling that has to be felt to be understood. Its even better when those Bonsai plants have been groomed by you!

There is much to learn, as there is much to practice, but the benefits of having patience and just spending time with your Bonsai plant are enormous. The more you get to know your Bonsai the more you will find yourself entering into a kind of meditation where the world is shut out while you study the form and style of your Bonsai tree. A little pruning here , a little shaping there, some watering and feeding and you become so involved that you are in danger of becoming addicted. But so what! Its an addiction you are happy to live with.

Of course nothing really beneficial comes without putting in time and care. But the thing about Bonsai is that the journey towards perfection is the addiction! Its the doing not the getting that calms the spirit. This is the whole point.

There are some basic skills you need to learn before you can loose yourself in this type of stillness. Choose which type of Bonsai trees that you want to work with and purchase some good Bonsai supplies. For the beginner there is comprehensive information available to get you started.

If you allocate enough time to the basics in the beginning you will be rewarded well into the future with a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure.