Bonsai Trees Are An Ancient Art Form
Bonsai trees are mature but miniature plants, created not by breeding but by pruning and other growth reducing methods
. This art - for bonsai is an art, not a horticultural practice - began in china in ancient times and was later formalized in Japan. A comprehensive book on the subject, published in 1829, introduced many Japanese to this pursuit, which had before been restricted to monasteries and the courts of the nobility.
Any tree or woody shrub can be used as a dwarf potted plant, but certain species are more suited to the purpose. Certain species are most easily adapted to the pruning of roots and branches necessary to restrain a mature plant to a size that can fit into a pot, and to provide the desired appearance. Plants with smaller leaves or fine needles, for instance, are better than a broad-leaved tree or shrub.
Seeds can be obtained for starting your own plants, but it is more usual to start with a more mature plant chosen for its characteristics than make it visually appealing. Species of western juniper are widely used in the United States, while types of pine are popular in Japan. The artist is the final judge of which tree will achieve the final vision, but the plant must be hardy enough to survive the rigorous transforming process.
Nurseries and online sites offer either finished bonsai plants or guidance to suitable varieties. Plants can be grown from seed, but it is easier to start with a more mature plant, with a sturdy trunk that is still pliable enough to be shaped. For a straight, flourishing tree, it is necessary to have a tapering trunk with regular branches, although perfect symmetry is not an objective. For the twisted effect of the familiar crooked examples often assumed to be the norm, training with wires or even strong clamps is done, to a preconceived design.
Other styles show a tree shaped by the struggle for life. The effect may be achieved by removing or scarring the bark, twisting and bending the trunk as if shaped by strong, prevailing winds, or having the tree grow over or out of a rock. Some artists train the trunk to lie horizontally, with the branches growing up to simulate many small trees. Others cause many sprouts to grow from one root mass, giving the final impression of a close grouping of trees on a hilltop.
Before trying to create a bonsai tree of your own, you will want to read up on the subject. There are traditional ways, or categories, in which the plants are trained. Some are upright, some slanted, some drooping down over the sides of the shallow containers that are preferred. Some trees are even trained horizontally, while others are contorted as if by long years spent growing in a prevailing and too strong wind.
Many of the miniature trees are designed to depict the struggle for existence in harsh conditions. Artists strip off the bark to simulate great age, sometimes scar the trunks as if they were struck by lightening, or cause them to grow over or out of rocks sized to look like a mountain top. The various conventions and the ways these are achieved and interpreted make a fascinating study.
Bonsai trees require dedication and commitment, since the tree is stressed and must be carefully watered, fertilized, and trimmed on a regular schedule. The rewards are great, however, both in beauty and in inner satisfaction.
by: Oscar Mandria.
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