- Japanese:
- “tray-planted”
- Related Topics:
- tree
bonsai
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What is bonsai?
Bonsai is the art of growing and training living dwarf trees in containers. Bonsai specimens are created from ordinary trees and shrubs, not hereditary dwarfs, dwarfed through careful pruning of roots and branches and training of branches using wire. The art originated in China but was developed primarily by the Japanese.
The inspiration for bonsai comes from trees in nature that grow in harsh, rocky places, remaining dwarfed and gnarled. Bonsai can live for a century or more and be passed down through generations. The containers, usually earthenware, are chosen to harmonize with the tree in color and proportion. A sizable bonsai industry exists in Japan and California.
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How does bonsai differ from ordinary potted plants?
Bonsai are ordinary trees and shrubs, not hereditary dwarfs, trained to be living dwarf trees in containers. Unlike regular potted plants, bonsai require specialized techniques like pruning roots and branches and training branches by wiring to maintain their small size and shape. The goal is to create an aged appearance, mimicking trees in nature that grow in harsh, rocky environments. Bonsai can live for over a century and are often passed down as family possessions. Bonsai pots are carefully selected to harmonize with the tree.
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What are common tree species used for bonsai?
Bonsai are ordinary trees and shrubs, not hereditary dwarfs, trained through pruning and wiring to mimic age and natural shapes. Prized for their aged appearance, good bonsai specimens are hardy species that can be kept outdoors in mild winters and brought inside for display.
Aesthetics favor small leaves, flowers, and fruit. Open space between branches is also important. Though categorizations vary, miniature bonsai are known broadly as shohin.
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How are bonsai trees shaped and maintained?
Bonsai trees, ordinary trees and shrubs dwarfed through specialized techniques, originated in China but were refined in Japan. These trees are not hereditary dwarfs but are shaped by carefully pruning roots and branches and training branches with wire to achieve a naturalistic, aged appearance.
Maintaining bonsai involves regular repotting every one to five years, root pruning, daily watering, and seasonal pruning of shoots. The selection of a container that harmonizes with the tree is also essential. These practices ensure the bonsai remains healthy and aesthetically pleasing, often living for a century or more.
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Why is pruning important in bonsai horticulture?
In bonsai horticulture, pruning is essential for shaping and maintaining the small size of the dwarf tree. Bonsai specimens are created from ordinary trees and shrubs, not hereditary dwarfs, and dwarfed by carefully pruning the roots and branches. Wiring is also used to train the branches. Pruning encourages flowering, improves the plant's appearance, and contains its size. Furthermore, bonsai require repotting every one to five years, with gradual root pruning to reduce the size of the soil ball, allowing the tree to grow in the desired container.
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What artistic principles are involved in designing a bonsai?
Bonsai design embodies artistic principles rooted in nature, drawing inspiration from trees in harsh environments. The goal is to create an aged appearance through the trunk, branches, and exposed roots, reflecting the philosophical concept of impermanence.
Aesthetics of scale are important, favoring small leaves, flowers, and fruit. Open space between branches and foliage is essential, while lower trunks should be bare in forest arrangements. Container selection is key, with earthenware pots chosen to harmonize with the tree in color and proportion. Trees are positioned off-center, trained to have a viewing side.
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bonsai, living dwarf tree or trees or the art of training and growing them in containers.
Bonsai specimens are ordinary trees and shrubs (not hereditary dwarfs) that are dwarfed by a system of pruning roots and branches and training branches by tying with wire. The art originated in China, where, perhaps over 1,000 years ago, trees were cultivated in trays, wooden containers, and earthenware pots and trained in naturalistic shapes. Bonsai, however, has been pursued and developed primarily by the Japanese. The first Japanese record of dwarfed potted trees is in the Kasuga-gongen-genki (1309), a picture scroll by Takashina Takakane.
The direct inspiration for bonsai is found in nature. Trees that grow in rocky crevices of high mountains, or that overhang cliffs, remain dwarfed and gnarled throughout their existence. The Japanese prize in bonsai an aged appearance of the trunk and branches and a weathered character in the exposed upper roots. These aesthetic qualities are seen to embody the philosophical concept of the mutability of all things.
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Bonsai may live for a century or more and may be handed down from one generation to another as valued family possessions. Aesthetics of scale call for short needles on conifers and relatively small leaves on deciduous trees. Small-flowered, small-fruited varieties of trees are favoured. Open space between branches and between masses of foliage are also important aesthetically. In diminutive forests the lower portions of the trunks should be bare.
Good bonsai specimens are usually hardy species that can be kept outdoors the year round wherever winters are mild. They can be brought into the house occasionally for appreciation and enjoyment. In Japan they are customarily displayed in an alcove or on small tables in a living room and later returned to their outdoor bonsai stands.
The selection of the appropriate container in which to cultivate a bonsai is an essential element of the art. Bonsai pots are usually earthenware, with or without a colourful exterior glaze. They may be round, oval, square, rectangular, octagonal, or lobed and have one or more drainage holes in the bottom. Containers are carefully chosen to harmonize in colour and proportion with the tree. If the container is rectangular or oval, the tree is planted not quite halfway between the midpoint and one side, according to the spread of the branches. In a square or round container the tree is placed slightly off centre, except for cascade types, which are planted toward the opposite side of the container from which they overhang. Bonsai are trained to have a front, or viewing side, oriented toward the observer when on exhibit.
Although categorizations vary considerably, miniature bonsai are known broadly as shohin. The smallest of these (keishi and shito) range in size up to about 2 inches (5–7 cm) in height and, started from seeds or cuttings, may take three to five years to come to quality stage. They may live several decades. Small bonsai (mame), 2 to 6 inches (7 to 15 cm) in height, require 5 to 10 or more years to train. Medium bonsai generally range from roughly 7 to 15 inches (20 to 40 cm) in height but can be up to about 2 feet (60 cm) tall and can be produced in as little as three years. Large (dai) bonsai can be as tall as 47 inches (120 cm) and require two or more people to move them.
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Naturally dwarfed trees collected in the wild frequently fail to adapt to cultivation as bonsai because of the severe shock brought about by the change of environment and substrate.
Bonsai must be repotted every one to five years, depending on the species and extent of root growth. Gradual root pruning during transplanting in subsequent years reduces the size of the soil ball so that the tree can ultimately go into the desired small and shallow container. Water is usually provided on a daily basis; liquid fertilizer is also used. Pruning and nipping of shoots is performed through the growing season.
A bonsai industry of considerable size exists as part of the nursery industry in sections of Japan. The technique is also pursued on a small industrial scale in California.