Introduction To Bonsai By: Thomas J.

To many people, the sight of little trees in beautiful clay pots, is somewhat of a mystery to them. At the same time they are also drawn to them and fascinated by their many different styles and shapes.

For those who are lured in to growing these tiny wonders, they can also be somewhat of an addiction at times. Some would say that bonsai is nothing more than a pleasant hobby that will take up much of your time. Others would say that it is an art form requiring a devout dedication to not only the health of the tree, but to the study of art design principles and rules which should be adhered to as closely as possible in order to make a bonsai tree that is "pleasing to the eye".

Bonsai, actually pronounced bone-sigh (never pronounce it Banzai to a seasoned bonsai grower, you'll not make many friends this way) means tree in a tray or as we would say, in a pot.

Many people don't realize it, but a lot of the reasons why they like looking at bonsai, also has to do with the pot. The two actually go together with the rule of thumb that the pot should actually compliment the tree.

The one basic principal belief in bonsai, is that it should give the allure of age,when viewing the tree. This in most cases is actually an illusion brought on by the artist or grower, who looks for tree stock to use that will help him along in his pursuit of creating and displaying an age old tree.

This chinese elm for instance, has a bark that truly gives the appearence of an aged tree. To find material such as this along with a flaring root system, will surly give the illusion of age even though the tree might only be ten to fifteen years old.

Of course there are also bonsai trees that are quite old, especially the collected mountain junipers, and pines that have been trained and handed down from generation to generation in both Japan and China.

Most people get introduced to bonsai by purchasing a common specimen known in bonsai circles as the "Mallsai", usually a juniper procumbens cutting that they are told will live indoors. In a short time the tree usually dies because it can't adapt to the indoor climate which it was never intended to do. After that most people will think they aren't cut out to grow bonsai, and just give up.

With the advent of the internet, many people have sought advice on online bonsai forums and have been helped tremendously with their various day to day problems concerning the general health of their trees, and even styling advice. Their greatest asset though would be to join a local bonsai club if one is available in their area. There is nothing better than local advice from someone who has "been there, done that", especially when it comes to dealing with pests that might be plaguing someone in one part of the country, but is nowhere to be found in another part.

To be really successful in bonsai, you will need somewhat of a commitment to your trees just as you would any living thing. By this I mean being able to do more than just water them once in a while. In fact there will probably be times when you will need to water them more than once or twice a day, and if you can't be there to do it, you must make sure someone else will be. Watering will not be done on a schedule, but on an as needed basis, however often that might be. One of the main things every bonsai grower will need to know, is his soil and if it's doing what it's supposed to do.

Read here for some info on soil.

Another task you will need to know is repotting and the importance of it. Once you've pretty much learned the basic steps to keeping your bonsai alive and healthy, you will need to start learning about the styling aspects and what all is involved there.

The most important thing you will need to know about in this area, is wiring and the correct way to do it. Read this small article on the basics of wiring.

You will need to know the basic styles that will best be suited for your particular tree such as Upright, Informal upright, Slanting, Cascade, and Semi Cascade. For these five different styles you will need to choose the correct pot that will compliment the tree. There are many books on the market today that will give advice on these matters, but one stands out in the bonsai community as the "bonsai bible" and that is John Nakas books Bonsai Techniques - 1 and Bonsai Techniques - 2

Of course in order to do this type of work, there are special tools that will make the job not only easier, but give that special feeling, that you are serious about your endeavor into what some would call "Living Art".

Bonsai is also a teacher. It will teach you to have patience, and it will teach you the importance of time. If you don't allow it to teach you these two important aspects of bonsai culture, you'll never be satisified with what you've achieved no matter how hard you try to convince yourself. Look at these two pictures. The one on the left shows what some would be happy with just as it is, a bonsai tree in a pot. But the same tree on the right five years later, shows what time and patience will do if you let it.

Now what about finding material to use for bonsai. Many people who live in mountainous regions, will go collecting for material that is suitable for bonsai culture. For beginners this might not be the ideal thing unless you are with someone who knows what to look for, and only goes where collecting is allowed.

For this reason many beginners will do their collecting at local garden type nurseries and even the so called "box stores" such as Home Depot. If that is all you have for the time being, then use these places as your source, and try and make the best with what you have available. Look at this Procumbens Juniper purchased at a local box type store. The picture on the left was taken right after it's initial styling and placed in an oversize pot so as not to stress the tree too much from removing so much soil and root from its original nursery container.

The same tree two and half years later, with its final pot and styling complete.

Or how about this maple seedling, purchased at a garden nursery in 1991. Ten years later shows what time and patience will do.

So over the course of time you will probably need to decide just what you want bonsai to be for you, a hobby where the rules are for someone else, or an art form where dedication is a must, and design principles and horticultural knowledge will put your trees on the cutting edge of world class bonsai if that is your goal.

Either way though, always let bonsai be fun and a great way to meet the challenge of the years as they go by.