MY day is set to be very busy today so I thought that I'd get out a bit of reading for those who have been following me for my #Bonsai content - I literally have a few hours to get to court (for those new to my blog, I am a journalist not a criminal - or lawyer, but I do have a few lawyers if you need one).
In South Africa, especially the province of Gauteng, we have one of the most beautiful trees known to our country and every once in a while, roads are turned purple as this tree's flowers fall to the ground, transforming our daily images of roads into fairy-tale walkways which beauty has to be seen to be believed.
The Jacaranda tree, as can be viewed in it's full glory below and despite common belief that the tree is native to South Africa, it is in fact not.
It was introduced to South Africa by Brazil in 1829 and is even considered an invasive tree.
(IMAGE SOURCE: UNKNOWN)
During Summer months, this tree's flowers often become riddled with honey bees collecting nectar and of course, as much of it as possible.
Often, while walking along roadways you might even be unfortunate enough (if walking barefoot) to get stung by a few, especially if they feel as though you pose a threat.
(IMAGE SOURCE: www.caribbeangardenseed.com)
So then, would it surprise you then that this tree is in fact also ideal for the use as a bonsai?
What makes this tree ideal as a bonsai is that they love sunlight, love rain, love warm conditions and survive in almost any condition except severely cold conditions - they are riddled throughout Johannesburg and go dormant during Winter when average temperatures reach around -4°C.
Other great benefits of using this tree as a bonsai include that it is also very easy to shape and maintain - they are also considered to be somewhat fast growing so, if you are not very patient, you might want to start with this tree so as to get hooked on bonsai.
Unfortunately, I do not like using them purely because I am quite allergic to bees - quite ironic right? Since I just love nature so much...
If you missed an earlier post of mine in which I wrote about using Red Maple as a bonsai tree, I shared an image of various styles which could be applied to the Red Maple - these can also be applied on the Jacaranda tree.
Below is a prime example of each different design style you can apply on this tree. Some designs require multiple trees*:
(IMAGE SOURCE: bonsaiempire.com Bonsai styles)
When choosing to grow this tree from seed, it is advised that you pick a prime spot which will receive plenty, if not full, sunlight - and ensure that they are not planted near walls or roads if for the use as a full scale tree, as they have been known to damage walls and roads.
Sadly, this tree, if grown as a cutting, may take between two to three years to produce flowers and even longer if grown from seed - seven to fourteen years to be precise.
So, how do you go about getting your seed ready?
There are two ways and surprisingly both work just fine as long as you are able to maintain a temperature of 25°C and upward.
First off, you can either soak the seed in water for twelve to twenty-four hours and then continue to plant them in a soil mixture of your choice - they do really well in just about any mixture however, they do best in sandy soil and would benefit greatly from decent drainage. It is advised that the bottom of the bonsai pot be filled with river stones to ensure drainage at all times - cover the stones with Canadian peat moss to ensure that some moisture is retained.
The remaining method is to simply drop the seeds into the soil and leave them be - they'll grow eventually however, the above treatment has been proven to be more effective.
(My personal advice: Use cosmetic cotton pads and place the seeds in between them, mist them with water daily and provide indirect sunlight - the seed should sprout within two to four weeks.)
When the tree comes of age, generally just over a year and after Spring, (if planted the previous year) trimming should become more regular, especially if you intend to showcase it's amazing form and branches.
Once the tree starts blooming, branch trimming will take up a decent amount of time and any suckers should be trimmed off.
Some advice I was given is to ensure that the tree's branches do not cascade to far outward or downward as this might cause the trunk to split: It is best to grow this tree and shape it in a manner which will support it's size and weight.
If allowed to grow uncontrollably as a general tree, Jacarandas have been known to grow as tall and wide as 60 feet!
#GreatTips:
- Ensure that you bonsai pot/garden remains free of the flowers once fallen - they turn into a yucky slime that is rather sticky.
- They do best in full sun.
- Water thoroughly and allow the ground to dry before watering again.
- Drought tolerant.
- Train the tree as a bonsai from a young age.
- Re-potting should be done every second year.
BONUS IMAGE: 
(SOURCE: UNKNOWN)
END OF ARTICLE:
Read some of my other articles:
#BonsaiNews: Grow your own Marula tree (Complete Guide)
#BonsaiNews: (Complete Guide) Do you want to grow your own avocado tree?
#BonsaiNews: Japanese Maple makes for an excellent bonsai!
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