Delhi Dudes recently started their new series on YouTube “The Live Plants” and Mr. Nitish Kumar was invited on the show as the first guest of the new series. Also, known as Bonsai King, he has been working with different types of plants for over 15 years now.
He brought a plant belonging to the Ficus microcarpa species and educated viewers on it. The plant belongs to the bonsai category. “Bon” means plant and “Sai” means pot. In simple words, it means “Miniature Plant in a pot”. These plants are capable of surviving extreme cold weather without sustaining much damage.
In the interview, Mr. Nitish stated that Ficus has other varieties as well but he chose the microcarpa one. This variety has small leaves and supports the wire well. He further stated that other varities of plants like Jamun or Mango trees would start being dead from one side if they were wired.
The ficus microcarpa species has multiple aerial roots compared to other ficus plants.
Now coming to the specific plant that he brought to the show, he said that it was a regular, straight plant 10 years ago. He then decided to give shape to the plant but after a few days it rained heavily and the pot was completely filled with water. For two days, the plant was under water and it started to become dead from one end. But Mr. Nitish was not ready to give up on the plant yet. He repotted it and dried out the excess water. He was on the verge of losing hope when a small new leaf appeared on the plant. He then decided to transform it into a bonsai plant.
He used a marble penjing tray for the bonsai plant. The plant has been on the penjing tray for around 4 years now and the roots are spreading so well on the rock. He further stated that the penjing rock soaks and holds the water very well making it beneficial for the plants.
The plants get water and nutrition even when they start getting a bit dry.
Elaborating more on bonsai rock planting, he said that it should look like the plant is actually coming out of the rock. The rock and plant shouldn’t look separate. He guided his viewers to opt for small rocks around 2-3 inches. When asked about the effectiveness of penjing rocks as a base for the bonsai tree, Mr. Nitish said that even the moss is now forming on the rock making it look more natural.
The plant has been featured in shows in the “on the rocks” or landscape category and has won the main title every time. It has won around 6-7 awards since last year. People now recognize on their own that the plant belongs to the bonsai king – Mr.Nitish.
Concluding his interview, Mr. Nitish stated that Bonsai art is a living art. There is room for continuous improvement. The art doesn’t settle down ever.
