Hibiscus Bonsai
Everything you ever wanted to know about the hibiscus bonsai
The hibiscus bonsai is a tiny unique flowering tree. Bonsai is actually a Japanese art, and although most people think of the tiny trees as bonsai trees, the term has much less to do with the tree itself and more to do with the art. The art of bonsai is actually the recreation of nature in miniature, and it allows people to express their wishes to elevate nature and bring it into their homes.
Bonsai can be practiced with many different types of plants, and creating a hibiscus bonsai is a unique adventure anyone will love, whether or not they hold true to the beliefs of the bonsai art form.
To create your hibiscus bonsai, start with a simple potted hibiscus plant. Make sure that the bottom of the pot holes in it so any excess water can easily drain out. Too much water can destroy the plant, and it will need even less water when it’s miniature sized. If you do want the end result to be quite small, then you may want to choose a younger plant that hasn’t grown very large yet. You’ll also need a large bucket. Just pull the hibiscus plant out of the pot as if you were transplanting it, and place it into the bucket. The bucket should be large enough for you to work on the roots of the plant. Fill the bucket with water around your plant.
You’ll also need a pair of garden clippers to shape your hibiscus bonsai. Just make sure that every cut you make follows the original shape of the plant. You’ll begin by trimming back a third of the roots. After you’ve made these first trims, you can place the hibiscus bonsai back in its pot. You may want to add a layer of rocks to help further with drainage.
Now it’s time to attend to the foliage of the plant. Just use your garden clippers to cut back the branches so it looks like a bonsai tree. The plant should be much smaller than the one you began with, and you may even need a smaller pot. After you’ve finished these trims, make sure you water the plant to help it replenish some of the nutrients it lost when you cut the roots and branches back. After all, you’re trimming so many of the branches and roots that your plant will certainly need a break and some extra help.
Just water your hibiscus bonsai about once a day, being careful not to overwater. One of the easiest ways to kill this type of plant is to overwater it, so you need to be especially careful during the days immediately following your trimmings. You probably will also want to add fertilizer, but opt for a slow action fertilizer to make sure the plant doesn’t grow back to its original size. You’ll also want to continue trimming the branches, although the roots shouldn’t grow too large if you placed the plant into a smaller pot.