What Are Bonsai?

The big joys of growing bonsai

Bonsai are trees and plants grown in containers in such a way so that they look their most beautiful--even prettier than those growing in the wild. Cultivating bonsai, therefore, is a very artistic hobby. It's also a good illustration of the gentle respect Japanese have for living things and an expression of their sense of what is beautiful. It's much more involved than growing potted flowers, and requires a much bigger commitment--physically and emotionally.

The oldest mention of the word bonsai comes up in a mid-fourteenth century poem, but it wasn't until around three centuries later that people began using it regularly. Early bonsai can be seen in picture scrolls, though, dating as far back as 1309.

In ancient times bonsai were usually enjoyed by aristocrats, priests, and other high-ranking people, but from around the seventeenth century, commoners began delighting in them, too. After Japan ended three centuries of isolation in 1868 and opened itself up to Western countries, bonsai came to be appreciated as objects of art, and people began growing bonsai not just as a hobby but also as an artistic pursuit. Large-scale bonsai exhibitions were staged, and scholarly books on growing techniques were published.

Today, growing bonsai continues to be a hobby enjoyed by members of the general public. It's also regarded as an important part of Japan's cultural and artistic tradition, nurtured over the years by the nation's climate and people's love of nature.

Caring for bonsai is no longer just a Japanese pastime. More than 1,200 people from 32 countries attended the World Bonsai Convention that was held in the city of Omiya, Saitama Prefecture, in 1989. The convention helped launch the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, which has been a driving force in popularizing bonsai and raising bonsai-growing skills around the world. The association has organized international conventions about once every four years since the Omiya gathering; so far, they've been held in Florida in the United States and Seoul in South Korea. The next convention, set for 2002, will be in Munich in Germany.

Types of bonsai

All sorts of trees and shrubs are used as bonsai. In essence, any plant that can be grown in a small container can be cultivated as a bonsai. The most popular varieties are pines; maples, whose leaves change their color in autumn; flowering trees, like the cherry and plum; and fruit-bearing trees, like the quince and persimmon. In countries other than Japan, varieties that are best suited to the local climate are used. The trees can grow as tall as a meter (three feet), or be small enough to be fit in one's palm.

Bonsai fall into a number of categories according to shape, but the most important thing to keep in mind is to allow the tree to express its individuality freely, without forcing it to fit any particular category, and to help it achieve its most beautiful, balanced form.

Just as people choose clothes in which they look good, containers should be chosen that best suit the trees in terms of size, shape, and color. This will allow the bonsai to be seen in the loveliest light.

The process of raising bonsai requires controlling the kind of shape the trees take. Sometimes you need to bend branches with wires or to cut them off altogether. You might think that's cruel, but these steps are essential for the tree to remain healthy in a pot.

The trees have a life of their own, of course, and grow in accordance to the laws of nature, so they can never be completely controlled by humans. The key is not to force your will on them but to appreciate the dignity of each living plant and treat them with love and respect.

Bonsai that have been watered and lovingly looked after day by day can make a deep and lasting impression on the viewer--particularly when such trees are centuries old and have been handed down from one generation of bonsai lovers to another.

Unlike other works of art, there are no such thing as "finished" bonsai as long as the trees are still alive and growing; they must continue to be tended to on a daily basis. That's why bonsai growing is sometimes called an art without end. For many enthusiasts, though, it's precisely this timelessness that makes raising bonsai so rewarding and worthwhile.

Bonsai Care Techniques

Introduction

Bonsai are potted trees or shrubs that have been pruned and trained so that they grow to no more than around 1 meter (3 feet) high. Even though they're small, they have the appearance of full-size trees growing in a forest. Some bonsai trees live for over a hundred years and are lovingly passed down from one generation to the next.

A great deal of care is needed to maintain a tree's health in a small pot. Some of the more important techniques for raising bonsai are described below.

Pruning

Branches are pruned with scissors and other tools to adjust a tree's shape. A young bonsai being pruned for the first time requires particular care, since its basic shape and style will be decided then. When the tree gets a little older, branches are cut to achieve a better balance, taking into consideration things like the direction, density and length of the branches. A bonsai that is nearly fully grown is pruned to maintain and enhance its beauty.

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  Before pruning
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  After Pruning

Bonsai are living plants and will get bigger if nothing is done to keep them small. Pruning helps control their size, but its purpose is not to stunt a bonsai's growth; it's a technique for tapping the natural tendency of plants to grow to create shapes that are pleasing to the eye. When and in what ways branches are cut vary depending on the type of plant. Proper pruning can promote the healthy growth of bonsai by allowing it to receive plenty of sun and air.

Wiring

Wiring involves attaching wires to the trunk and branches to create a desired turn or correct an unnatural curve. Aluminum and copper wires are commonly used, although aluminum is easier to manage and is suited for beginners. Wires come in more than 10 different thicknesses; which one is used depends on the size and hardness of the branch. Wires are usually wrapped from the trunk and then from the lower to the upper branches, although they sometimes cover just a small part of the tree that needs to be altered. When the wires are left on for too long, they can start eating into the enlarging branches and injure the plant. Bonsai growers have to be careful to remove the wiring before this happens. When a desired effect isn't obtained, a tree may have its trunks and branches wired all over again.

Wiring is a way of producing a more pleasing shape; it's not a way of forcing a cultivator's ego onto a bonsai. The wires are used to bring out each tree's true "personality" and distinctiveness, not to suppress them. Some people feel sorry for a tree that's all wired up, but this is part of a disciplining process similar to the training kids must get before they can become mature adults. Growers don't look down on their bonsai; they regard the plants as a friend or a child on whom they lavish their love to help them grow strong and healthy. Wiring is a way to help a tree reach its full potential.

Repotting

The key to having a healthy bonsai is to keep its roots fit. This requires regular repotting, a process where overgrown roots are pruned and replanted in new soil. First of all, the bonsai must be freed from the pot, and the soil carefully removed from the roots. The roots are then trimmed by about one-third. When replanting, you have to be careful not to leave any pockets of air in the soil. The same pot may be used again or a larger one chosen to accommodate a bigger tree. Color and shape are also important considerations in choosing a pot.

The bonsai depends on the small amount of soil
 in a container for survival. When the pot becomes filled with roots, the trees' growth becomes stunted, and it becomes harder for the plant to absorb water and air through the soil. Thus repotting can increase a bonsai's longevity.