Flowering plum includes a variety of plum trees that are both native and introduced, and can be found growing on the low slopes and in valleys across the United States and southern Canada. They can even be seen by the sides of roads and along fences — especially in those parts of North America with moist soil that is made of clay, loam, and sand.

Flowering plums are largely grown for their ornamental value, though some species are also enjoyed for their tasty fruit, which can be made into jelly. They grow quickly and can reach a height of approximately nine meters.

The most common domesticated plum is the common garden plum that is found in Europe and western Asia. It was brought to North America by French and British colonists. Its gray bark may be either smooth or fissured.

The American plum has a scaly, dark brown bark. It is native to North America and is found throughout much of the eastern USA, western Oklahoma, northern Montana, and south-eastern Saskatchewan. The American plum grows throughout the entire state of Ohio, as well.

The Canada plum is found in North America, but grows best in southern Canada and the northern United States west of Minnesota and Illinois. In Ohio it can be found in a few of the northern counties. Some types of the Canada plum have been developed for fruit and others for flowers.

The leaf of the Flowering Plum is broad and usually less than 13 cm long. Leaves turn purple or bronze in the autumn before falling off. The flower bud is pink, but it turns white when it opens. The fruit pip is a little bigger than 3 cm and is red and blue. When it matures it hangs low on twigs which are only as thick as a pencil. The bark is furrowed and dark brown.

So you can see that you have several choices when considering planting and growing a flowering plum bonsai plant in your home. Choose based on your aesthetic preferences, and also on weather zone tolerances of the various types. And enjoy!

Barbara Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/growing-a-flowering-plum-bonsai-110660.html

I’m thinking of putting a few in my room. How long does it take to grow at it’s full size?

Depends if you want to cheat or not and what the trees are. Some commercial growers plant the trees in the ground to get them to grow fast and get thick trunks, then chop them down. That way they can get a sellable tree within a few years.

I have a number of trees that have become good shapes within 5 years, growing in pots, but it depends on having good potential trees as saplings, feeding and watering them well and giving them PLENTY of light. Remember that they are trees (a bonsai simply is a stunted normal tree) and need more light than housplants. Generally even "indoor" species benefit from being outside during the warmer summer months.

You can bonsai most trees, I have bonsai oaks, elms, maples, cedar and native species grow into good shapes fast. Find out all you can about the variety of species you have it will help you turn them into trees to be proud off.

Good Luck

-Michael

I bought "The Mini Bonsai Kit" from Barnes and Nobles (it is produced by The Running Press tohugh). How long will it take to grow approx.?

If it’s like most bonsai trees, that come with the training wires etc. It will take a year or more before you will see any growth. Bonsai trees take a lot of time and TLC.

As I examine myself each morning in front of the mirror I continuously remind myself that in the bonsai world having short stubby limbs is considered to be desirable.

In fact, in the bonsai world I will only become more desirable as I age. The more wrinkles, gnarly growths and peculiarities I develop the more popular I will become. In fact the world may well be a better place if we all wore a set of bonsai goggles.

In much the same way that drinking a bottle of wine for some increases our perception of how attractive people are, bonsai goggles do the same. However the benefits manifest over a vastly wider spectrum of life than just your “love” life, at a fraction of the cost, and with greater health benefits.

When looking at yourself through your bonsai goggles your life will be transformed. No matter how old you are you’re still trendy. You become increasingly attractive to younger types who have embraced many elements of eastern culture.

You actually become good for the environment; providing a breath of fresh air for those around you. You become an exemplary water saver as you require only 1 cup of water per day to survive, and you provide people who live in small spaces with room to move whilst being stylish and easy on the eye.

Your husband or wife no longer drive you nuts, and you become that special companion that gets cared for daily . Just watch where you’re putting those branch pruners, however!

You are even given away as a gift and become that special companion to your partner’s friends no strings attached.

The most amazing thing about the world when viewed through bonsai goggles is that everyone finds a way to grow, to move forward, no matter what the circumstances might be. Nature has a habit of always finding a way. bonsai trees will always grow no matter how inhibited it is by its surroundings.

Sometimes we forget that we already have all these elements within us. Luckily we now have bonsai goggles to remind us that we can grow and prosper no matter what our situation or surroundings may be.

With the use of bonsai goggles you will be able to view life positively and help you discover that the abundance and growth that nature displays are qualities that reside within us all.

Bradley Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/do-you-wear-bonsai-goggles–72491.html

In using fertilizer for your growing bonsai, you need to exercise proper balance and lots of attention to detail. Your determination to make your bonsai grow lies in many factors but it ultimately boils down to your determination and consistency.

It’s not just humans that need tender loving care. Bonsai plants need that extra care too especially when it is during their growing period. It is very important to note that bonsai will not grow on its own with mere fertilizer alone. It mainly grows from carbon dioxide and water. But this does not mean that fertilizers are no longer important. Just like vitamins are to the human body, fertilizers give vitality to bonsai plants that cannot be attained by mere infusion of carbon dioxide and water.

The elements of fertilizer must include phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. These nutrients in fertilizer are incorporated in the mixture to aid in cell division of the bonsai and other processes that are vital for effective photosynthesis. As a bonsai owner, you must know what these particular elements do to your bonsai plant. It’s like getting to know what your own vitamins do for your body.

Fertilizers naturally come from soil, but there is still a need to put more fertilizer through absorption in the roots or in the foliage. When you are growing bonsai, in a way it is unnatural to make use of soil from containers to grow it. Garden settings are different from naturally grown settings. Thus you will really need the fertilizer to recreate the same amount of nutrients that can be found from healthy soil with lots of manure in it.

In using fertilizers, find the trusted brand in your area. Check for which brands work best under the particular soil you are using. Consult expert advice and team up with other bonsai enthusiasts so that you can maximize your experience. You don’t have to do trial and error to find the perfect fertilizer. Other peoples’ experience may be just as valuable and time-saving, so make sure you did find other people who are experienced in growing bonsai before you start out.

When you have finally settled with what fertilizer brand to use, read the manual. Don’t underestimate the written things in the fine print. Make sure you have read and understood all the instructions written there. It is attached to the ingredient to aid you in using the product so don’t just disregard it and place the fertilizer in any way you choose.

While it’s always possible to be precise up to the last drop, make sure that you have estimated as properly as you can the amount you will place on your soil. Too much fertilizer may do much harm. On the other hand, too little may not help you achieve the desired growing results. Do everything in the right measure.

Bonsai growing requires a lot of balance, even in applying fertilizer. It is really an art in itself and something that you can get used to as you go along with your bonsai-growing hobby.

Patrick Desnoyers
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/bonsai-vitamins-fertilizers-and-your-growing-bonsai-100703.html

To many, the bonsai is a cute and beautiful work of plant art. However, other people often question the purpose of the bonsai’s existence. Is it just a mere whim of humans to limit a plant’s growth and display its success to the world? Or is it also a statement of human practicality and ingenuity? Just read on and you will find out.

This art of plant making has been developed in China a long time ago. Contrary to how the modern human sees the bonsai, these plants were considered of utmost importance during those early times. The bonsai art was developed to easily transport herbal plants from one place to another. You see, moving actual acacia or maple trees for medical purposes is quite difficult compared to transporting their potted versions. This was actually a breakthrough technology that sent the Chinese herbal medicine science into a well-deserved boom.

That was how useful it was a few centuries ago. This is how functional it is nowadays…

Bonsai plants are like emblems of the past. They are embodiments of ever-thriving traditions and knowledge that need to be upheld. As such, every glance at a bonsai plant will remind you that as a human, you have the power to limit what nature has to offer. However, this power need not be abusive. It must be warm and caring for without such characteristics, the bonsai or the embodiment of nature will die.

These beautiful beliefs also contribute to bonsai cultivation’s relaxing qualities. It makes perfect sense for unwinding with a lot meaning. Instead of getting drunk or going to malls, you will find that growing a bonsai is all you need to release the positive energy in your life.

Today’s modern world is also a very little one. Too many people sharing this earth results to too little space. As such, many people do not get to take glances on big trees and plants they so wished to see. Urbanization also adds to this problem. People in the city do not get to see as much natural beauty. The beautiful flowers and trees seem to have been reserved for the people of the countryside. The bonsai defies all these by being of a perfect size, ready to fit into any modern home’s minimal space… ready to merge itself into an urbanized person’s life!

Patrick Desnoyers
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/why-grow-a-bonsai-90671.html

this is easier
Planting a tree in a small pot does not automatically turn it into a Bonsai. To create a Bonsai involves continual pruning and shaping of suitable species of shrubs or trees to produce a style that you desire.

You start the hobby of growing Bonsai with a young tree or shrub. Suitable species include Bottlebrush, Ironwood, She Oak, Silky Oak, Crepe Myrtle and Fig. Ask your local nursery for other suggestions that are suited for your climate.

When choosing a plant consider the following points:

*The plant will need material for you to work with, so look for a tree with many branches.

*The plant should have a wide trunk, preferably wider at the base.

*The leaves of the plant should be naturally small.

*The lowest branches should start close to the ground.

*To add the illusion of age to the tree, try to find a plant with radiating roots present.

*Make sure the plant is healthy.

When choosing a pot for the plant, aim for shallow pots unless the tree you choose has a thick trunk. The wider the trunk the deeper the pot. The pots must have drainage holes, and pots that have been glazed on the inside prevent the plant from breathing. Using your artistic flair, choose a pot by its colour and texture, and ask yourself whether it will suit the plant you have purchased.

After you have chosen a plant it is a good idea to plant it either in a large pot or in the ground until it has matured. This will speed up the growing process and give the roots greater strength. To increase the mass of branches, prune the tree continuously.

When you feel the tree has matured enough to be styled into a bonsai, prepare the pot by covering it¡¦s drainage holes with insect screening or thin fabric. This prevents the soil from clogging up the holes when you water the plant. When you fill the pot with potting mixture choose a mixture for outdoor plants. The Bonsai is not an indoor plant. The tree will not be as strong once it has been potted, so style the tree before you remove it from its location.

When you unpot the plant from its initial location, get a stick and loosen the soil from around the roots. Scrape up to a third to a half of the old soil away. Using a pair of scissors, trim the roots that are exposed outside of the existing soil. You can now place the tree in the pot, filling the rest of the pot with your potting mixture.

After decorating the top of the potting mixture with pebbles, moss or fine bark, you are now ready to style the plant. You can shape the trunk of the tree by using wire. Wind a thin piece of wire around the trunk of the tree and to the branches you wish to shape. Bend the tree gently allowing the wire to hold it in place. The wire can be removed from the tree when the branches do not spring back if the wire is released. With continuous pruning and trimming, your artistic talents will show as the tree matures. You have now created a Bonsai.

I live in central Queensland, Australia. About 3 hrs from Toowoomba. Does anyone know where I can get some information on growing bonsai, prefferably indoor but any info can help. Are there any books or websites that are good sources on how to grow bonsai in Australia? Please help me?

Bonsai is not a plant, it is the art of pruning plants ( usually shrubs) into different shapes and forms thereby keeping them small. You can have bonsai indoors or out depending on the plant you use.
Check out google for the technique, or try your library, gardening web sites ect.

hello i want to know some Personal tips about bonsai.

Growing any bonsai takes time. You start with a small ficus plant in a pot 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Keep it there for 2 or 3 months to make sure that it is healthy. Don’t fertilize it, but make sure that it has adequate water and light. Then start watching it for 30 minutes a day. Just do that for another month. Transplant it to a smaller pot or the container of your choice. It must be large enough to contain the root mass which will be left when, during the transplantation, you trim away about 50% of the smallest roots. After that move, trim away 3 of the smallest branches which you have been watching during your month long observation. Don’t trim away more than 3 of those branches a week for no more than 4 weeks. Continue to observe the tree. Make sure that it has enough water and light. A small amount of water twice a day, not a lot all at once. For about 3 to 6 months, keep up the watering and the light and the observation. Observe the tree for a total of 6 months without doing anything. Then trim off the new growth at the tips of the branches which you have left on the plant. Gently remove the tree from its container. Prune off 30% of the small roots. Return it to its container. Wait another 3 months. By then you should know your bonsai well enough to do for it what it needs. Good luck, grasshopper.

Three weeks ago I took a sprig from a matured bonsai and placed it in water. Now it has tiny roots and it seems healthy. Can I now transfer to soil appropriate for growing bonsai in a small ceramic container ? I have read some information about how to start growing bonsai but haven´t found the right information about sprig planting. Please help.

you need a potting media that drains quickly and doesnt hold water long. Also dont put the cutting in a ceramic pot for bonsai, you need to get the smallest container you can for the transplant, We horticulturist never put a plant in too big of a pot, it causes it to root rot from the fouled potting media. By the way you need to identify the parent plant it came from. that will help you in deciding when to transplant it. Do this, take a plastic or styrofoam cup, smallest you can get. Fill it with a potting media made of vermiculite, perlite, peatmoss and then place the transplant into the cup. to keep from damaging the roots, use your finger to make a hole in the mix after watering it down until it drains out the bottom. You need to poke a hole in the bottom for drainage. The key for a delicate transplant here is light, quick draining media. If it is doing well in the water, get as much root growth as you can before you transplant it, the more roots the better. I wouldnt transplant it at this point, let it grow until it gets a good amount of roots and you start getting new growth on the sprig. I use to collect wild bonsai out in the wild, it is neat and fun if you have the time to do so. have fun