Will a Persimmon Tree Make a Good Bonsai?
Bonsai fanciers use certain varieties of persimmon trees in their arrangements. In 1983, the King of Morocco gave a persimmon bonsai tree to President Reagan as a special gift: it now lives in the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Native to central China and Japan, this deciduous fruit tree grows well in temperate and subtropical regions. Does this Spark an idea?
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The variety known as the Princess persimmon (Diospyros rhombifolia) is suitable for use as a bonsai specimen. When you grow it as a bonsai plant, the leaves remain small and resemble those of a tomato. It produces 1-inch reddish-orange fruit that is oval shaped. This tree benefits from a humidity tray underneath its decorative container. During winter, you must keep this bonsai tree in an area where the temperature stays between 33 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Planting a Persimmon Bonsai
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Select a healthy young Princess persimmon tree at your nursery and also choose an appropriate bonsai pot. Growing a bonsai fruit tree is considered an art, from training it to planting it to caring for it. Use special potting soil deigned for bonsai plants: it can be peat moss, pine bark, river sands, grit, calcined clay and blends. Trim the roots of your tree to fit the pot you have purchased. Keep your bonsai persimmon tree outdoors in an area similar to where you would grow a full-size tree. Consider buying a book about bonsai care.
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Caring For a Persimmon Bonsai
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You will need special cutting tools, the correct environmental conditions and fertilizer. Form your tree into a desirable shape when you plant it, keeping in mind the tree's natural growth pattern. Cut off unwanted branches with sharp clippers by cutting them to the main trunk, but avoid cutting into the trunk. Water your persimmon tree every day. Fertilize it the same as you would for a full-size persimmon tree growing in the garden: in spring when active growth begins and monthly until late summer.
Using Your Bonsai in Decorating
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Create a serene setting by combining your persimmon bonsai tree with other Asian-themed items such as sand gardens, fountains and Zen-inspired items. Although your bonsai persimmon tree will flourish best in a natural outdoor setting, you can bring it indoors for special events: it will add interest as a centerpiece on a formal dinner table or you might place it on an attractive small table by itself or on a larger table with other Asian-inspired items.
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- Photo Credit bonsai tree image by Ana Stefanovic from Fotolia.com
