Bonsai
From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
Bonsai ("tray gardening", in Japanese) is the art
of growing trees and plants, kept small by being grown in
a pot and by the use of skilled pruning, formed to create
an aesthetic shape and the illusion of age, although many
bonsai trees are quite old and simply show their age in miniature
form. The Chinese art of penjing is very similar to and is
the precursor of the Japanese art of bonsai.
Sketches of trees grown in pots, apparently used for decorative
purposes, occur in Egyptian tombs, dated over 4,000 years
old. Subsequently, caravans were known to transport trees
in containers of various kinds throughout Asia. The trees
were sources of chemicals used medicinally by healers in the
caravans and places visited along the way.
The
modern-day art of bonsai originates from China over two thousand
years ago, where it has been called penzai and written in
the same Hanzi that gave rise to the Kanji above. It was brought
to Japan by imperial embassies to Tang China (the 7th - 9th
century). In the Kamakura period, penjing that recalled customs
from the Heian period came to be drawn in some picture scrolls
and documents. In the Muromachi period, penjing has developed
into various directions in Japan. Just like a Japanese garden,
it came to assume the artistry of "Wabi-sabi" to
be essence. However, the bonsai was still the enjoyment of
people of the chosen hierarchy in the period. In the Edo period,
it became possible to enjoy the bonsai for many daimyos, samurais,
merchants, townsmen, and others. The show of the bonsai was
often held. In addition, the bonsai pot became popular by
each daimyo's employing the pottery master who belonged exclusively
to the bonsai pot. It is said that it came to be called "Bonsai"
this time. Indeed a lot of bonsais were drawn in many an "Ukiyo-e".
The
art is still practiced in China today, often under the name
of penjing. As the Chinese art is intended for outdoor display,
the plants tend to be somewhat larger than seen in Japanese
bonsai.
Cultivation
A bonsai is not a genetically dwarfed plant. It is any tree
or shrub species actively growing but kept small by crown
and root pruning. Theoretically, any species could be used,
though ones with attributes such as small leaves and twigs
will generally make better bonsai, helping to create the illusion
of a larger tree in miniature. Properly maintained bonsai
can have lifespans that might be able to reach that of their
full-sized counterparts. However, bonsai require a great deal
of care, and improperly maintained bonsai will not survive.
Artistry
In the art of bonsai a sense of aesthetics, care, and patience
come together. The plant, the shaping and surface of the soil
and the selected container come together to express "heaven
and earth in one container" as a Japanese cliché
has it. Three forces come together in a good bonsai: shin-zen-bi
or truth, essence and beauty.
The
usual plants used in Japan are species of juniper, pine, azalea,
camellia, maple, beech, bamboo and plum. The plants are grown
outdoors and brought in to the tokonoma at special occasions
when they most evoke the current season.
The
Japanese bonsai are meant to evoke the essential spirit of
the plant being used: in all cases, they must look natural
and never show the intervention of human hands. Chinese penjing
may more literally depict images of dragons or even be guided
to resemble highly intricate Chinese characters, such as ?,
"longevity", in various styles, but usually cursive.
Common
styles
There are many different styles of bonsai, but some are more
common than others are. These include formal upright, informal
upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft and literati.
The
formal upright is just as the name suggests, and is characterized
by a tapering trunk and balanced branches. The informal upright
is much like the formal, but may bend and curve slightly,
although for aesthetic quality the tree should never lean
away from the viewer.
Cascade
and semi-cascade are modeled after trees that grow over water
or on the sides of mountains. Semi-cascades do not lean as
far downward as the cascade style.
Raft
style bonsai are those that are planted on their side, and
can include many other styles such as sinuous, straight-line,
and group planting styles. These all give the illusion of
a group of trees, but are actually the branches of a tree
planted on its side.
The
literati style is the hardest to define, but is seen often.
The word literati is used in place of the Japanese bunjin
which is a translation of the Chinese word wenjen meaning
"scholars practiced in the arts". The literati style
is usually characterized by a small number of branches typically
placed higher up on the trunk and a long, contorted trunk.
Their style is inspired by the Chinese paintings of pine trees
that grew in harsh climates, struggling to reach the light
of the sun.
Additionally,
bonsai are classed by size. There are a number of specific
techniques and styles associated with mame and shito sizes,
the smallest bonsai. These are often small enough to be grown
in thimble-sized pots, and due to their miniscule size require
special care and adhere to different design conventions.
Techniques
Shaping and dwarfing are accomplished through a few basic
but exacting techniques. The small size of the tree and the
dwarfing of foliage are maintained through a consistent regimen
of pruning of both the leaves and the roots. Various methods
must be employed, as each species of tree exhibits different
budding behavior. Additionally, some pruning must be done
seasonally, as most trees require a dormancy period and do
not grow roots or leaves at that time - improper pruning can
weaken or kill the tree.
Most
species suitable for bonsai can be shaped by wiring. Copper
or aluminum wire is wrapped around branches and trunks, holding
the branch in place or shape until it eventually lignifies
and maintains the desired shape (at which point the wire should
be removed). Some species do not strongly lignify - or are
already too stiff/brittle to be shaped - and are not conducive
to wiring, in which case shaping must be accomplished primarily
through pruning.
Bonsai
Care
Because of their relative lack of protection from the elements,
bonsai care can be quite difficult. The shallowness of bonsai
containers affords roots little protection and certainly little
water and nutrient reserve. Consequently, proper watering
of bonsai is practically an art in itself. Some species can
handle and even prefer short dry periods, while others require
near-constant moisture. Heavy watering does however make the
trees more susceptible to fungal infections and "root
rot." Sun, heat and wind exposure can quickly dry a bonsai
tree to the point of drought, and most trees must be afforded
some protection from these elements. Various evergreens do
not display outward signs of drying and damage until long
after the damage is done, and may even appear green and healthy
despite having an entirely dead root system.
Bonsai
are generally repotted and root-pruned every few years. This
prevents them from becoming pot-bound and encourages the growth
of new feeder roots, allowing the tree to absorb moisture
more efficiently.
There
are nearly as many opinions about soil mixes and fertilization
as there are bonsai artists. Bonsai soil is primarily a loose,
fast-draining mix of components, usually a mixture of coarse
sand or gravel, fired clay pellets, and an organic component
such as peat or compost. There are various thoughts as to
proportion of these elements; some artists work with a standard
1:1:1 ratio for all trees, others vary depending on tree species,
age, or climate. Some artists omit the organic component entirely,
preferring to fertilize manually. Various fertilizers exist
for bonsai, and some artists maintain a very strict feeding
schedule, reducing nitrogen content later in the season to
discourage new growth. Others rely on various vegetable fertilizers
to encourage growth early in the season, although the long-term
efficacy of this approach has not been conclusively demonstrated.
Contrary
to popular conception, most bonsai are not indoor plants,
and if kept indoors will most likely die. Certain trees, particularly
tropicals, will flourish if kept indoors - those of similar
species to common houseplants like ficus and umbrella plant
(schefflera) will thrive indoors, while those based on outdoor
shrubs or trees (most confiers, maples, larch, etc) require
a cold dormant period in which to store energy for spring
growth. These outdoor trees must be protected from wind and
drying effects in the winter, but also must be kept cold and
in a generally darker environment. In-ground cold frames,
unheated garages, porches, and the like are commonly used
by hobbyists and artists.
Inexpensive
bonsai trees often sold in chain stores and gift shops are
derisively referred to as "mallsai" by experienced
bonsai growers, and are usually weak or dead trees by the
time they are sold. Due to the conditions under which they're
transported and sold, they are often rarely watered and are
kept in poor soil - usually a clump of sphagnum moss with
a layer of gravel glued to the top -, which leaves them susceptible
to both drying and fungal infections. Some "mallsai"
can be resuscitated with proper care and immediate repotting,
although this is reportedly rare.
Most
nursery stock trees can be grown as bonsai. While Japanese
varieties of juniper and maple are usually seen as the most
suited for traditional styles, other north-American, Korean
and Siberian species of various trees will also work quite
well and are especially suited for colder climates, while
some south Asian, south American and African species lend
themselves well to tropical cultivation or growth in warmer
climates.
Links
bonsaiTALK
Wiki
Bonsaibasics.com for
beginners
Bonsai Culture Group
Malta
The Internet
Bonsai Club
Bonsai
in Japan - Omiya Bonsai Village
US National Bonsai Foundation
National
Bonsai and Penjing Museum - U.S. National Arboretum.
Bonsai Clubs International
Bonsai
Web Virtual Show
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