Mame Bonsai

They are the miniature of a bonsai tree, shorter than 15 cm (6 inches), they easily lay on the palm of your hand: they are mame bonsai.

Mame are more difficult to cultivate as their minute dimensions make them very fragile, yet, if well treated, they can have an exceptional long life.

Cultivating mame rises a lot of troubles, think of their little dimension and what will happen when the wind batters them; think of how little is the soil in their pot and how fast it can dry; think of how big are your fingers when touching its foliage, like an elephant in a christallery.
a
Mame’s water needs are exceptionally high, you may have to water them two times a day during spring and even more when the hot summer comes. In addition you have to take in great care the position where you set them because they can suffer dryness under the sun, but will weaken in the shadow (clearly it depends on the species).

Educating them with the wire usually isn’t the best choice, their little branches will easily break during the modelling. Better to educate just pruning them, and wire only if it’s indispensable.

Starting material useful to create a mame is the easiest to find. You can start using a couple of years old seedling or piping. Very important is the species to grow because mame should have small leaves or it will loose its grace.

The golden rule with bonsai is patience, with mame this rule is even more appropriate. To grow a well balanced and beautiful mame you need not less than eight or ten years. This is because it requires a lot of time to become stronger, to develop its trunk and to gain balance with its pot. You cannot start a mame with an already grown plant, you have to necessarily grow a seedling or a piping, but the satisfaction to hold in the palm of your hand a little mame is incommensurable.

Why don’t you get one of them?