Mini Bonsai

The King of Kaohsiung

It's Christmas time here in Taiwan and I am yet again on a well deserved holiday.  Christmas time in Taiwan is not the same as I remember when I was a young boy growing up in the city by the bay.  Christmas time in Geelong in the mid 70's was a magical time, a time when I believed in Santa Claus, a time to enjoy the beach lifestyle with my family throughout the summer break.  

Christmas time as a 41 year old in Taiwan is different but still possess its own comforts.  The fever of Christmas does not hit Taiwan very hard, which I enjoy and being in the Northern hemisphere, December is when the sun isn't at the height of its power. Taipei is about 10 degrees Celsius, however, a 5 hour bus ride down south will give you another 10 degrees.  It is here in a city called Kaohsiung that we find ourselves searching for a mini bonsai teacher who is awaiting our arrival.  

I have always been drawn to small bonsai and have attempted to slowly accumulate my own collection.  Unfortunately, the end result, more often than not has been one of despair, watching them lose vigor and ultimately die.  Intuitively, I felt guilty leaving a small bonsai on my bench alone because I had the feeling that it was just a matter of time before it died, something was missing.  This fact and the need to escape the cold winter of Taipei brought us to the city of  Kaohsiung to meet a mini bonsai specialist.  He was very welcoming and very passionate about bonsai.  Meet the king of Kaohsiung, Mr.陳國生. 

Mr 陳國生 has an arts degree and since retiring has devoted all of his time to cultivating and teaching the joys of owning small bonsai.

We find Mr.陳國生 patiently waiting for us at the front of his daughter's apartment on the ground level, sitting at a table studying a bonsai in the palm of his hand.  He welcomes us with a big smile and calmly invites us to sit.  We begin asking a myriad of questions which makes his eyes sparkle, I assume an acknowledgement of his earlier curiosity in similar questions he once had.  

ENVIRONMENT is the key for a small bonsai to survive, he tells us.  Small bonsai that are placed is a small pot need help from what is around them to stay healthy and alive.  This makes sense!  I like it when things make sense.  The other key area is what soil you plant your tree in.  A sandy soil is extremely crucial.

A major environmental must for these trees is HUMIDITY.  You can create humidity for your mini bonsai by placing them in a tray of stones.  This is super important for the survival of your trees.  As you water your bonsai the water which drains onto the rocks will eventually be evaporated and create much needed moisture.  Small trees love this as their leaves will be constantly sucking water into them from the atmosphere that you have made.  Well done.  If you have mini bonsai, do this straight away and your trees will be happier and more importantly, healthier.  

These small guys are all placed on a tray that is covered with small pebbles, tiny pebbles.

The humidity in this tray is excellent.  

                                   

A close up of the type of rocks, pebbles, river sand, that you need to create the environment of humidity for your small bonsai.  

MOSS - another key feature that is needed to develop the ideal environment for survival.  If you can make moss grow in a pot than that is a sure sign that your bonsai will grow in the same area.  Practice your moss growing skills and perfect it.  

You can also see wire that is criss crossed over the moss.  Moss that you collect from a forest or even on a concrete wall will work out fine.  It is crucial that you just don't place this on your bonsai and expect it to grow nicely around your tree straight away.  The first thing your should do is put it is a pot and clamp it down using wire like hooks, on some soil.  The tiny moss roots need to stay connected to the soil for them to stabilise.  

                                   

Once the moss has settled down in the pot for some time and it remains healthy, remove it by cutting some of it away with scissors.  You can then place this moss to your bonsai.  Again take two pieces of bonsai wire and use them like hair pins, gently securing the moss to the soil.  The moss will eventually grow over the wire.  The key for moss to grow on your bonsai soil if you have placed it there, is for the small roots to stay connected to the soil.

I asked Mr. 陳國生 about how he deals with insects that damage his trees.  His answer was interesting.  He uses other plants to protect his bonsai.  He has researched and found out what other grasses or plants naturally grow near the trees that he is developing as bonsai. He has learnt from what nature naturally does.  He then puts these grasses and plants in pots and places them on the same tray that houses his bonsai.  He tells me that this method works very well.  

Mr. 陳國生's small rooftop nursery.

Unbelievably these are the same type of tree.  With careful pruning and care the small saplings on the right have the ability to develop into the beautiful bonsai tree on the left.

This tropical ficus does not need soil to grow.

It is placed on this dish of stones.  Around Mr. 陳國生's nursery he has bowls of water which add to the humidity levels, thus creating a very comfortable environment for small trees to grow.

We also made some small bonsai pots!

All in All, we enjoyed a great time learning more about small bonsai.  To see more of Mr. 陳國生's work, both trees and pottery, visit his facebook page at :  陳國生

Thank you to the King of Kaohsiung.

Please visit my online pottery shop at AllinoneCeramics for handmade ceramic pieces.