Bonsai for beginners
Bonsai leaf reduction.
Just how much will leaf’s reduce in bonsai soil and a bonsai pot?
These are both Dwarf Umbrella Trees/ Schefflera Arboricola from cuttings I was given a meeting a year and a half ago. Once rooted the cuttings on the left were planted in a 6” deep pot with potting soil, compost, and sand mixture. The plant on the right was potted in a 2” deep bonsai pot with bonsai soil from BC Bonsai. Significant reduction of leaf size and internodes can be seen on the plant in bonsai soil. Also of note is the woody stock and longer internode length on the plant grown in soil.
Lesson: if you want thicker trunk, grow in dirt. Smaller leafs and smaller internodes switch to bonsai soil, shallow pot with crowded roots
