| 1 |
Acacia (arabica) |
L. Acacia |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Trim often in growing season. Hard prune after flowering |
Requires diligent pruning to prevent cross branches. |
|
| 2 |
Adenium |
L. Adenium Obesum |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Use only granular brick crush as soil. Trim leader, tips for side branches. Fertilse with heavy P/K and rose mix for profuse flowering. |
Chip and grow method is recommended though once branches grow, they can be wired. Avoid wiring and pruning in rains, feed urea just before rains to build rot resistance |
|
| 3 |
Aralia (polyscia,ming) |
L. Aralia |
Evergreen Foliar |
Semi-shade |
Pinch growing tips. Hard prune annually to get compactness. |
Prune drastically. Use heavy but flexible wire; wind loosely or the plant tends to snap. |
|
| 4 |
Azadirachta (Neem) |
L. Azardirachta Indica |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Prune regularly with minimal wiring |
Wire carefully as branches break easily |
|
| 5 |
Baobab, Monkeybread tree |
L. Adansonia Digitata |
Deciduous Foliar |
Full sun |
Feed regularly bimonthly. |
Although the tree grows a profusion of leaves, its lateral development is slower. Should be grown in the ground or a large pot to achieve girth. Tends to develop heavy one sided roots sometimes |
|
| 6 |
Bauhinia |
L. Tomentosa galpini |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Prune regularly with minimal wiring |
Clip and grow. Wire only when absolutely necessary. Dwarf variety is more suitable. Susceptible to inexplicable die-back. |
|
| 7 |
Bottlebrush |
L. Callistemon |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Light and medium pruning. Pinch growing tips. |
Minimum wiring required. Prune severely to avoid legginess of shape. Thereafter clip only vigorously growing shoots. |
|
| 8 |
Bouganvillea |
L. Bouganvillea |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Hard prune before growing season. Maintain shape through pruning. |
Fertilise liberally in all seasons; prune heavily but stop pruning one month after the end of rains. Defoliate once brances have elongated to induce sub-branching. |
|
| 9 |
Boxwood |
L. Buxus |
Foliar |
Full sun |
Prune only older growth. Wiring is not necessary nor possible due to bushy growth habit. |
Likes an open soil mix or better still prefers to grow on rocky surfaces. Does well on rock slabs. |
|
| 10 |
Brya |
L. Brya Ebenus |
Foliar |
Full sun |
Trim regularly every month |
Selective pruning of branches helps to achieve density of shape. Allow lower branches to elongate before stopping. |
|
| 11 |
Commiphora, Gugal |
L. Bursera |
Deciduous Foliar |
Full sun |
Prune regularly as the plant has a tendency to grow profusely in its growing season which starts at the advent of monsoon. |
Wood is brittle; use minimum wiring only. Keep a lookout for crossing branches when in growth. Peel flaky bark to expose showy greenish bark underneath |
|
| 12 |
Carmona, Ehretia |
L. Carmona microphylla |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Compatible to scissor training, brittle for wiring although tender branches can be wired. |
Chip and grow. Prune at will to get rampification. Do not neglect watering. Plant tends to shed leaves if temperature falls too low or if less watered. |
|
| 13 |
Casuriana |
L. Casuriana equisetifolia |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Basic shape can be given with wire. No intricate wiring necessary. |
Can be shaped in the classic pine style, but only with careful and diligent pruning. Lateral sub-branches need to be wired to get shape. Pinching new and dense growth is essential for balance |
|
| 14 |
Cedar, Deodar |
L. Cedrus deodara |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Use only sand. Late spring annual pruning necessary |
To develop lateral spreading of the tree, cut new growth of side branches half-way back in spring. |
|
| 15 |
Cherry, Barbados/Surinam |
L. Malpighia Glabra |
Fruiting |
Full sun |
Trim only after fruit crop. Stop trimming new growth after monsoons |
As plant is fruit bearing it requires a deeper pot. Fertilise with potash and phosphates after monsoons for fruiting in winter |
|
| 16 |
Chikoo |
L. Achras zapota |
Fruiting |
Full sun |
Trim only after fruit crop, fertilize before spring with phosphate. |
As plant is fruit bearing it requires a deeper pot. Fertilise with potash and phosphates after monsoons for fruiting in winter |
|
| 17 |
Crepe Myrtle |
L. Lagerstroemia Indica |
Flowering |
Full sun |
No wiring, only pinching or occasional pruning for shape |
Fertilise with Phosphates amp; potassium throughout the year. |
|
| 18 |
Custard Apple |
L. Annona Squamosa |
Fruiting |
Full sun |
Wire shaping possible; scissor training essential to keep shape. |
As plant is fruit bearing it requires a deeper pot. Fertilise with potash and phosphates in spring for fruiting in slate summer and monsoons |
|
| 19 |
Dividivi |
L. Caesalpinia coriaria dividivi |
Deciduous Foliar |
Full sun |
Scissor pruning only |
Do not wire as the branches are brittle and are easily scarred. Watch pruning scars as they tend to bulge. Good for group plantings due to tiny leaf size. |
|
| 20 |
Duranta |
L. Duranta Repens |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Scissor training; minimum wiring; prune at will throughout growing season |
Needs continuous pruning and thinning to keep under control. Tip-Pruning should be avoided as this causes dieback. Feed with lime to counter die-back. |
|
| 21 |
Elm |
L. Ulmus |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Wire shaping possible; scissor training essential to keep shape. |
Prune at will. Shorten overlong branches continually on lignification to strengthen tree scaffolding. Defoliate shoots once during growing season to induce sub-branching and also for reduction in leaf-size. |
|
| 22 |
Ficus |
L. Ficus |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Extensive wiring possible at any time. Prune throughout the year; shorten shoots to two/three leaves when they grow seven / eight leaves to get the twigginess in branches. Tolerates drastic pruning but fertilise well beforehand |
Genus contains more than 100 varieties, all extremely suitable for bonsai, especially for root-over-rock style. Prune at will during the growing season. Fertilise well before heavy pruning to avoid die-back. They like hot and humid conditions under which most ficus varieties grow aerial roots easily and these can be incorporated in the design, depending on the style. Also tolerates low light conditions due to which it is cultivated as indoor bonsai in temparate climates. |
|
| 23 |
Fire thorn |
L. Pyracantha angustifolia |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Upright growth habit needs to be controlled. Wiring and careful pruning will achieve the result |
Does not flower easily in tropical conditions. During bloom period, pinch out flowering branches just above first flower cluster; this will produce neat little clusters of berries to form in following fall/winter, and will keep plant in check. |
|
| 24 |
Gardenia |
L. Gardenia Jasminoides |
Flowering |
Full sun |
Light and medium pruning. Pinch growing tips but stop pruning after monsoons to allow flower buds to set. Light wiring only when control of form becomes necessary |
Fertilise in spring with phosphates. Prune back hard after flowering Feed throughout the year to build flowering reserve. |
|
| 25 |
Gmellia |
L. Gmellia |
Deciduous Foliar |
Full sun |
Scissor pruning only |
branches are stiff and slightly brittle on lignification. Avoid wiring |
|
| 26 |
Guava |
L. Psidium Guajava |
Fruiting |
Full sun |
Wire shaping possible; regular pruning is essential to keep shape. Stop pruining after monsoons |
Fertilise in spring and end of monsoons with phosphates. Use deeper pot as the variety is fruit bearing |
|
| 27 |
Hawthorn |
L. Malpighia Coccigera |
Evergreen Foliar |
Full sun |
Prune for shape; minimal wiring to only young shoots |
Repot in summer for optimum rsults. Prune and reprune growing tips amp; also shoots that break the periphery of the shape |
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