Bonsai plants are essentially eye-catching. They look beautiful and add grace to your décor. But like everything else, they also need caring. If you think that just watering them will be enough then you are definitely mistaken. Bonsai are no less than ‘mini trees’. A well shaped bonsai is surely a delight to the eyes. To take proper care of your plants, you need to formulate a plan first. Straightaway pruning and snipping them away will not help the cause.

There is this “Rule of Thirds” that refers to a certain method for shaping the bonsai plant. It says that, ‘one should calculate total space of the plant and its container and thereafter, divide it into thirds both horizontally and vertically’. The resultant is proper ‘division of space’ that should be kept in mind while you prune your plants. This will also help you in achieving the desired results. A perfect bonsai plant should like a properly shaped miniature tree. The shape of its sides, front and back should be balanced.

Some of the basic requirements for bonsai plants are, watering them 2-3 times a week, moderate light and fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. Before watering, make sure to check the moss, whether it is dry. To maintain optimum moisture, a humidity tray comes very handy. To properly shape your bonsai, you need to keep in mind three important factors pruning, nipping and wiring. You must have a good pair of sharp pruning shears, scissors, copper wire and a pair of wire cutters at your disposal.

The function of pruning is to control the growth of the plant by getting rid of foliage and limbs whereas nipping helps in maintaining the shape of the bonsai. Pruning is an initial stage and when the plant acquires the desired shape, one needs to use nipping technique. Finally, wiring is used to bend and twist the branches so that bonsai gets its perfect shape. Implementing all these methods will help you in keeping your bonsai plants in perfect shape and size.