About the Importance of Light for Plants, Trees and Bonsai

Tip! Since that day I have collected a number of different Bonsai trees, I have attempted to grow them myself and I have traded with other Bonsai enthusiasts. Unfortunately, a number of bonsai trees have also died on my watch.

This is not specifically bonsai related but horticulture related. As bonsai are plants and doing bonsai is doing a specific type of horticulture, it is good to know the basic of plants caring.

Trees are green plants, they are a living organism. There is two types of living organism on earth when it comes to food. The first are heterotrophic, these consist of humans and animals and what set them in this category is the fact that they cannot syntheses their own food so they eat what they find in their environment. The second are autotrophic organism, which syntheses their food from mineral substance they absorb. They produce carbohydrates, also known as sugar by photosynthesis. Ill try to explain the photosynthesis process in simple terms.

Plants absorb water and minerals by their roots but they also sweat water from their leaves creating an upward stream in the trunk, which permit the sap fed by the roots to reach the leaves by the woody vessels. Now, half the job is done, but without light and chlorophyl, the rest of the process cannot be accomplished. These two ingredients will transorfm the raw sap into an elaborate sap, wich will go back from the leaves to the rest of the plant by the bast vessels.

Tip! Today, bonsai is the act of training a miniature tree to look similar to its larger counterparts. Bonsai trees are actually not miniature trees by nature, but stay that way through constant trimming and binding.

The quality of light is important but also the quantity and the length are. For the quality, the visible to human-eye light spectrum is composed of all the seven (7) rainbow colors. But the main colors are red, green and blue. Those useful to plants are blue and red spectrum. The quantity refers too how much light is present and the length refers to the time of exposition to light.

The blue spectrum of light will interact with the plant by inducing foliage composition and creating a dense plant. The red spectrum will induce growth but also flowering. The role of the green spectrum with plants is undetermined. The best source of light is still free, because it is the sun. The sun produces an almost equal amount of red, green and blue rays.

Two phenomena are also associated with plant and light. They are called phototropism and photoperiodism. The first one can be observe on sunflowers. Sunflower will turn wherever the sun is. They are not searching for the sun, but the best source of light.

Tip! Since bonsai trees are typically grown in pots, like many potted plants, they need to be watered often. This is for the simple fact that water can quickly drain from pots leaving the plants dry.

The last of the phenomena, photoperiodism, is how the plants react to the cycle of day and night, presence of light and lack of light. The successive periods are in direct link with the seasons. Amount of light and day lentgh vary with the seasons, so in fall when temperature drop and day are getting shorter, leaves are dropping and plants will go dormant. The contrary is happening in spring when days are getting longer and temperature increases, plants goes out of dormancy and activate its development. Playing with this phenomenon is a technique used by flowers producers. They induce flowering at a certain period of the year, like Easter or Christmas by giving no more then 8-9 hours of sunlight per day. To induce the flowering, they gradually bring back the exposition to light to an average of 12-16 hours of light a day. Of course this can be used on flowering bonsai tree.

Tip! So I though that I would provide a number of tips to newbie bonsai fans about how to enjoy this great way to relax.

As we see, light is the main actor in plants development. But aside the technical side of things, what about direct effect of light or lack of light on our bonsai? Some plants are less demanding in term of light, but tree, hence bonsai, will require all the light they can get.

First, in situation of lack of light, the plant will react by producing a “leggy” plant. Leggy plants are those with long internodes on the trunk and branches. This is a result of plants trying to reach the light above the canopy of what it think is a shade create by taller tree’s. We don’t want this to happen to our miniature tree.

What You Need to Know About Bonsai Gardening! Brand New Ebook. Amazing Techniques Revealed on How to Grow Shockingly Beautiful Bonsai.

How can I make sure I get the most light I can get?

Well you can place your bonsai in the sunniest place, where they get sunlight all day, from every side. That means, you cannot place your bonsai near a fence where sunlight is blocked on one side, you will have a slowest development on one side. If you cannot get your bonsai sun on all side, you can rotate them every week. You can also use this to your advantage. If you have a stronger side on your bonsai, you can expose the weak side to sunlight to induce growth and balance the tree.

Another thing to consider when finding the right spot in your garden is to make sure that tree’s are having sunlight all day, so they benefit the gradual rising and decreasing of sunlight on the morning and evening. If you place a tree in shade in the morning but expose to a full sunlight in the afternoon, it will produce a shock to the tree and will dry up the leaves.

On the other side, we want to be cautious with bonsai when they are in pot. Too much sun light, will heat the pot and soil, dry the soil fast, not having enough water for the bonsai and damage can result. Some species are susceptible to leaves scorch, like the Japanese maples. To much wind and sun will dry the leaves and the leaf tips will become brown. You also want to be cautious with bonsai seeds seedling for them not to dry.

Tip! If you already are experienced in caring for bonsai plants, looking after a mini bonsai could give you that extra little challenge. Make sure you look after your mini bonsai as it will help you develop your pruning skills further than you can with a regular sized bonsai.

In conclusion, light is the most dominating factor in the plant growing process, it should never be neglected and treating your bonsai well with sunshine will benefit them but your satisfaction also. It is also particulary important with young tree grow from bonsai seeds, the right amount of light, will induce lower branching and compactness of the plant at a very young age.

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