Maintaining The Bald Bonsai

You cannot go wrong with a bald bonsai tree as it is on the finest and easiest variety that can be grown. "Taxodium distichum," is the botanical name for this bald cypress, which can mature to a height of nearly 40 meters. The diameter of the trunk can vary from 2 to 3 meters and can even go up to 5 meters in some cases. These trees have a long life of nearly 1000 years and are found in the United States all along Delaware to Texas, in the South and grow all the way up to Mississippi and Missouri, in the North.

The bald cypress tree does not require much attention and care and therefore is an excellent variety of bonsai that one can cultivate. Novices can use this for learning the art of bonsai as it is easy to grow and nurture. It is possible to achieve outstanding results with minimum effort even though you do not have much gardening skills. It is often referred to as the bald bonsai.

You find these cypress trees grow naturally in swampy areas of the Southern regions of the US. This does not restrict growing the bald bonsai growing equally well in any other region. It can be easily grown, either indoors or outdoors and requires adequate sunlight, to flourish well. You can grow this bald bonsai indoors but ensure that you place the pot somewhere near a window or ledge, where it receives maximum sunlight during the day.

You can bonsai this bald cypress tree down to 160th scale of its full size, which is generally about 25 cm, in height. This bald bonsai sheds its leaves in winter, unlike other species of trees from this family. This is probably the reason for it getting this name. You find small branches growing, about 2m apart, on this tree and these can grow to a length of nearly 2 cm. The bark of the tree generally ranges in color, from a grey color, to a reddish brown.

Alluvial soil is the best soil that works wonderfully for cypress trees. These can be sourced near large water bodies. It can tolerate a certain amount of salinity in the water, but does not do well in coastal brackish waters. Warmer climates down south are ideal for fast growth of the bald bonsai tree. It is possible for the tree to grow in cold regions in the North, but ice damages the seeds.

Most bonsai plants are ideally repotted in spring every year. However the bald bonsai seems to yield ideal results, when it is transplanted in the dormant winter months. There is no need to fertilize the plant in winter, because of the dormancy, though it is advisable to do so every week in spring. It flourishes best where the environment is swampy.

Beginners find this bald bonsai tree easy to grow and use it to for practicing different techniques. A novice is comfortable with cultivating this tree as it adapts easily to diverse conditions.

If you'd like to know more about the bonsai tree gardening, go to http://www.BonsaiPlantsCenter.com and subscribe to Paul Smith's FREE online mini course that will teach you all the necessary basics needed to grow your first Bonsai. http://www.BonsaiPlantsCenter.com