Perhaps the best definition of a fine bonsai is that it is a miniature landscape designed around a dwarf tree. The literal Japanese translation of bonsai is "tray planting," and it was among the cultural symbols of China that Japan assumed during the Kamakura period between 1185 and 1333 via Zen Buddhism, a belief system rapidly spreading throughout Asia during that time period. Bonsai originated in China more than a thousand years ago, where it was referred to as punsai. The Chinese version of bonsai was much different from today's version and was restricted to growing a single tree having gnarled roots and sparse foliage in a pot.
Trees and plants that you see in bonsai displays are not special dwarf species, but ordinary varieties. Entering the word "bonsai" in a search engine on the Internet will provide you with almost more information than you can use and shows just how popular the art of bonsai has become. Many informative books on bonsai are available as well.
For those of you who are new to bonsai, here's a list of eight things you'll need to get started:
1. A good book with pictorial instructions for selecting style and illustrating cutting, trimming, and root grooming techniques.
2. A low-cost tree or plant with a one-half-inch to one-inch trunk. It's not a good idea to start with seedlings because they take too long to germinate and grow to the size necessary to shape a bonsai. Bonsai pots are too shallow to grow seedlings. Normally, plants are not placed in bonsai pots until they're big enough to display as bonsai. Some people even start to shape a plant outside and don't transplant it until the shaping is finished.
3. About three rolls of copper wire to be wrapped around branches for shape training. Wire comes in several different sizes, such as 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, and 2.5 mm. Heavier wires are for larger branches; thinner wire is for more delicate plants. Don't wrap too tightly or leave the wire on too long. As your plant grows, the wire will cut into the bark if you're not careful to remove it before it becomes too tight.
4. Fertilizer. Fertilizer usually comes in pellet, dry, or liquid form. Some people like the liquid because they say it's easier to use, but individual preference should dictate which fertilizer you use. Your nursery can advise you on what fertilizers are available and best to use for your area.
5. A concave cutter, used to prune branches. Concave cutters come in a variety of sizes and qualities. For beginners, good cutter sizes range from about six-and-three-quarter-inch to eight-inch, ranging in price from less than thirty dollars for metal steel to almost a hundred for stainless steel. The standard rule of "you get what you pay for" applies. If you can afford stainless steel tools, they'll probably never need to be replaced and will be cheaper in the long run. Check around, because bonsai tool sets are available at some nurseries and specialty shops.
6. Trimming shears for pruning tips of branches and leaves. Shears also come in metal steel and stainless steel, and the same principle of getting what you pay for applies. While more expensive at the time of purchase, with proper care, stainless steel tools probably will never have to be replaced and will save you money over time. Shears will range in price from less than fifteen dollars for the cheaper steel to nearly forty dollars for the higher quality stainless steel.
7. A container or pot. Just about any pot with good drainage will do while you train your plant. When your plant has been trained to the point where it looks like a bonsai and you want to enjoy its beauty or show it off, then it's time to choose the proper container so that you can complete your landscape. Bright colors are normally shunned, because the whole purpose of bonsai is to create a landscape. Good colors for this are black, dark blue, dark brown, dark red, or gray because these colors are representative of soil and nature.
8. Soil. Soil should be mixed with whatever components the plant you've chosen for your bonsai require. Soil mix for bonsai can be purchased and is composed of several ingredients. This specialty mix imitates the volcanic type of soil (rocky and porous) that prevails in Japan.
The Best Plants for Bonsai
A few of the commonly used trees and shrubs for bonsai include Azalea, Beech, Camelia, Cedar, Cherry, Cypress, Holly, Japanese Maple, Mediterranean Fig, Pine, Pomegranate, Rainforest Fig, Serissa, Trident Maple, and Zelkova. Any plant with sizable trunk and branches can be used, but some of them are more difficult to adapt to the shallow pots that are used for bonsai.
A Few Commonly Used Styles
Of the many bonsai styles in existence, the five basic styles are the cascade, formal upright, informal upright, semi-cascade, and the slanting (or windswept). This is where a good book is valuable in helping you to decide not only which style you like but also to which style your selected plant lends itself.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Getting Started
1. Select the plant you want.
2. Decide which style is best for you and your plant. (Refer to your book for pictures).
3. Prune. Decide carefully which branches you want to keep and which ones you want to eliminate. Remember that you want to create balance. Pruning should take place only two or three times a year (early spring, late summer, and late autumn), not daily.
4. Wire the plant, if necessary. Make sure you're using the proper type of copper wire that can be easily manipulated, and handle your plant with care so that you don't break any branches. Don't wrap too tightly.
5. Repot, if you think your plant is ready. Pots should complement the plants and not be oversized. For aesthetic reasons, a standard size is that the depth of the pot equals the thickness of the trunk, but you can select whatever you like. You can use mesh to cover the drainage holes. Leaving the majority of the feeder roots (the thin, white ones) and a few of the old thick roots, trim away about one-half inch to two-thirds inch of the thin, white roots. Cover the mesh with a layer of soil and position the plant where desired (usually off-center) and add the rest of the soil.
6. Moss and other small plants can be placed around your bonsai if it's big enough so that it can look like a full-sized tree in comparison to the surrounding plants in the same pot.
7. Set your bonsai aside where it's sheltered, give it some water, and allow it to recuperate.
Don't forget to water and feed your bonsai, or to monitor the wire. Ensure that you always remove the wire before it damages the bark of the tree. This article covers only what you need to know to get started creating your bonsai. Many advanced techniques exist that will heighten the beauty of your bonsai and provide you with years of creative enjoyment.
