At first impression one might think that any ordinary house plant is a bonsai. However, that is not so. Bonsai is a Japanese word meaning literally “tree in a tray”. It is an art of growing a tree in a small pot.
To be a successful bonsai artist you need to know about the conditions your tree will be growing in, the techniques used to control the environment and how to manipulate the appearance of your tree to appear in a particular form.
Growing conditions
Any tree grown in a pot will vary in both size and growing requirements. Smaller trees flatter than a full grown tree, thus they are suitable for growing in smaller trays, pots and containers. Sometimes when you are purchasing a bonsai you might also need to buy a small cedar pot, much like an azalea for that azalea look.
In Japan, the primary varieties of trees that are used in bonsai are the dwarf acers, cherries, flowering cherries, and barberry. In many cases the dwarf varieties are better suited for bonsai than the full sized varieties. These beautiful plants will produce smaller fruits that take less of your time to care for.
Horticulture is the science of growing, in this case, the bonsai tree. The art of bonsai is not only beautiful but also helps to keep the trees that are manicured on a single tree all year round. The idea behind bonsai is to replicate a naturally growing tree as closely as possible.
Each season you will need to practice certain pruning, potting, and root pruning on your bonsai so that the tree appears to be maintaining a healthy balance between growth and the growing of the branches and leaves.
Your bonsai will be subject to the whims of weather, pests, and of course your personal taste and schedule. This is why many bonsai masters will work hard to keep their bonsai alive and full of life even after years of practice. With the proper care your bonsai should grow and mature exactly like the tree it was originally meant to be.
Each distinct form of bonsai is a masterpiece in itself, and yet no two bonsai gardens or styles are exactly alike. The interest lies in the attempt to recreate as much as possible, the vision of the creator.
Contemporary bonsai artists who are creating outdoor masterpieces in concrete to be viewed up close and admired from a distance are able to exercise more control over their trees than the average hobby gardener.
The forms and styles of bonsai are so varied that no two are alike. There are miniature trees, large trees,eriales, literati, predators, and plenty of Others.
Finding a Bonsai Tree is Easy
With thousands of varieties of bonsai trees it is easy find one that is right for the home. These wonderful plants have been around for thousands of years and their survival rate is usually only one or two years. If your bonsai tree runs out of roots it will usually still survive for many years.
Once you find your bonsai, with a little searching you can find a bonsai tree that is suitable for every environment you can imagine. They are beautiful and colorful and will be a welcome addition to your home. Here are some tips on what to look for when purchasing bonsai trees.
1. The Brand
A very important factor to consider when purchasing bonsai trees is the brand. There are over 20,000 different names of bonsai. Not only do they have different names, but whether you know the name of the tree or not it will have a identifying name such as “Juniperus procumbens nana” or “Jade Bonsai”.
So what does this mean? A bonsai tree can have many different names given to it by its previous owner. In some cases these may be spelled with the name of the tree, in other cases it may just be spelled with the family name of the tree.
So how do you find your bonsai?
Start by looking for a bonsai tree for sale. A good place to look is to check newspaper classifieds in your area. You want to find a tree that is for sale and is relatively small. The ideal would be a bonsai up to 10 inches in height.
Continue to look for additional stores around you that sell bonsai trees. A couple places that I know of are Herbura Florist and Greatavedesons. They have some of the smaller bonsai trees in stock.
There are five basic styles of bonsai trees.
