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Bonsai is actually a method of training trees. The Egyptians were the first to
create bonsai mostly for practical reasons - mobility and convenience. The Chinese
later created it for aesthetic purposes before the Japanese perfected the art.
Not all plants are suitable to create a bonsai. A tree with a classic 'old' bonsai
look should have all its parts - the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits,
buds and roots in perfect scale with the size of the tree. Among the plants appropriate
for bonsai are spruce, pine, bougainvillea and pomegranate.
To create your own bonsai, nursery stock can be a very good selection since
the plant's roots have already become accustomed to cramped conditions. You can
also collect plants for bonsai from the wild, but it is a slow method and there are
many unknown factors such as the age and health of the plant. It is also possible to
propagate your own bonsai. it is a slow method, but it has the advantage of letting
you shape the plant from the very beginning.
After having obtained the plant, your next step is to choose a suitable bonsai
container. For the initial containers called training pots, you can use any pot that is
large enough to hold the heavy roots. Make sure that the drain holes in all training
pots are large enough for good drainage. After a year or so, transfer the plant to a
traditional bonsai pot that is similar in shape to the training pot. They are either
round, oval, square, rectangular or hexagonal.
Next, decide on the shape of your bonsai. Study the tree carefully and take into
account the natural form of the species. Make a rough sketch of what you wish to
create, and use it as a guide. Then, use the three basic operations to accomplish
that shape - pruning, nipping, and wiring. When pruning, remove only the excess
foliage and undesirable limbs. Once the basic form is established, shaping is done
by nipping or pinching back. Nipping is done to shape the plant and to develop
luxurious foliage. Trim the roots but keep all fibrous roots and maintain a balance of
one branch for one root if at all possible.
Your last step is to wire the branches. Copper wire is usually used as it is flexible.
Number 8 wire is the heaviest and should be used only on the trunk. Use wire as
light as number 16 for thin branches. Wire evergreen trees only during their dormant
period and deciduous trees during their growing season. After that, maintain your
tree just like you maintain other plants. Make sure they have sufficient sunlight, fertilizers and water. Remember, the bonsai plant dies more from over watering
than from desiccation.
Taking care of bonsai plants is not a task for amateurs. This is because they
are unusual trees and they require unusual care. If you are serious about growing
your own bonsai plants, take more time to conduct your research. You can also try
discussing the matter with people who have experience in raising bonsai. |
