Good afternoon jacquelinerogers and thanks for the question. I hope
you find the information below useful and I definitely encourage you
to invest in a bonsai plant but will also warn you not to get
discouraged. It take a lot of practice to create a bonsai that lives
for years and many people, myself included, have throw out many dried
up bonsai in my time!
Unlike other houseplants, bonsai are fun to ?create? and can reflect
your own unique style, depending on the type of bonsai and how you
prune them. It is said that as one sculpts a bonsai, the bonsai also
is sculpting you.
Says Arthur Joura, bonsai curator at the North Carolina Arboretum:
"It's a real life-affirming thing," he enthuses. "You [can] go out and
see [a regular tree] ? maybe up on the mountain or down on the
coastline, someplace where life is difficult ? and who knows how many
years this tree has been hanging onto this cliff face, being whipped
down by the wind and beaten down by the rain and ice and snow. ... And
every year limbs break off, and every year it struggles to survive,
and there's inspiration in that, to me. It's a visible manifestation
of the struggle to live and survive, despite what life throws at you.
With bonsai, you can capture that spirit and recreate it."
Source: Mountain Express
( http://www.mountainx.com/ae/1998/1007bonsai.php )
They are easy to care for but must be properly cared for in order for
them to remain alive. You can also add a bit of creativity and humor
to your bonsai:
Bonsai Crash
( http://www.crashbonsai.com/ )
Bonsai Accessories
( http://www.emperorsbonsai.com/access.htm )
One of the most unique things about a bonsai, besides the plant
itself, in the container it lives in. Containers are available in
hundreds of variations of size, material, shape, and color and range
in price from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. The most popular
maker of bonsai pottery is Tokoname Ware, produced in the Tokoname
region of Japan.
Tokoname Bonsai Pots
( http://www.tokoname.or.jp/bonsai/ )
Guidelines for selecting the size of a container for bonsai are
governed by the tree's height, width of branch spread, and trunk
diameter. If a bonsai is taller than it is wide, the pot length should
be a little more that two-thirds it height. If a bonsai's branch
spread is wider than its height, the pot should be a little more than
two-thirds its width. The depth of the pot should match the diameter
of the tree's trunk at its base.
Materials used to make bonsai containers include: wood, plastic, mica,
terra cotta, stoneware, and porcelain. Suffice it to say that plastic
and mica pots are normally used as training pots. Terra cotta
containers are low fired which makes them prone to freezing. This
brings us to stoneware, which is considered by most experts to be the
ideal ceramic container for bonsai. It is fired higher than terra
cotta and is therefore stronger against freezing.
Here are some examples of bonsai pots:
Stone Lantern
( http://www.stonelantern.com/bonsaipotshome.html )
Brussel?s Bonsai
( http://www.brusselsbonsai.com/bonsai-pots.htm )
Unique Bonsai Pots
( http://www.donnawarepottery.co.uk/bonsaipots.htm )
WS Bonsai
(http://www.shop.wsbonsai.com/shop/category.asp?catid=66 )
How to Select a Bonsai Pot
( http://www.ehow.com/how_17857_select-bonsai-pot.html )
BONSAI STYLES:
The five basic bonsai styles are:
1. formal upright
2. informal upright
3. slanting (or windswept)
4. semi-cascade
5. cascade.
* * * * * * * * * *
Formal Upright: This occurs when it has grown in the open under
perfect conditions. The trunk should be perfectly straight, tapering
naturally and evenly from base to apex. The branches should be
symmetrically spaced so that they are balanced when viewed from any
direction.
Recommended Species: Larches, Junipers, Pines and Spruces are all
suitable species. Maples can also be used, but are not as easy to
train into such a conformist style. Fruiting trees are not suitable
for formal upright.
Google Images: ( http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=formal+upright+bonsai
)
* * * * * * * * * * *
Informal Upright: When growing, these trees bent or altered their
direction away from wind or shade of other trees or buildings, or
towards light. The trunk should slightly bend to the right or left -
but never towards the viewer.
Recommended Species: Most species of plants are suitable for this
style, mainly the Japanese Maple, Trident, Beech, almost all Conifers
and other ornamental trees such as the Crab Apple, Cotoneaster and
Pomegranate.
Google Images: ( http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=informal+upright+bonsai
)
* * * * * * * * * * *
Slanting: Trees that slant naturally occur a result of winds or deep
shade during early development. Whether curved or straight, the whole
trunk leans at a definite angle. The stronger roots grow out on the
side, away from the angle of the trunk lean, to support the weight.
Recommended Species: Most species are suitable for this style, as the
style does bear similarity to informal upright. Conifers work
particularly well.
Google Images: ( http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=slanting+bonsai
)
* * * * * * * * * * *
Semi-Cascade: The tip of a semi-cascade projects over the rim of the
container, but does not drop below its base. The style occurs in
nature when trees grow on cliffs or water. The angle of the trunk in
this bonsai is not precise, as long as the effect is strongly
horizontal, even if the plant grows well below the level of the pot
rim. Any exposed roots should balance the trunk.
Recommended Species: Many species are suitable, except strongly
upright ones. Flowering cherries, cedars and junipers work well.
Google Images: ( http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=semi+cascade+bonsai
)
* * * * * * * * * * *
Cascade: The growing tip of a cascade bonsai reaches below the base
of a container. The trunk has a natural taper.
Recommended Species: Many species are suitable, if they are not strongly upright.
Google Images: ( http://images.google.com/images?q=cascade%20bonsai&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&sa=N&tab=wi
)
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CARING FOR YOUR BONSAI:
The three most important steps for caring for your bonsai are as follows:
1. Soak thoroughly: Every week, immerse your tree, up to the first
branch, in a sink or tub of tap water. Watch the bubbles. Very few
bubbles indicate that you can wait longer before watering next time.
The soil should dry out a little on the top between watering, but
never dry completely.
2. Mist leaves daily.
3. Sunlight: Bonsai need about five hours of indirect or filtered
sunlight each day. In the warmer months, you can put your bonsai
outside, but not in the direct noonday or afternoon sun. During the
summer, a few hours of direct morning sun, while the world is still
cool, will benefit the tree. During the winter, keep your bonsai
where it receives maximum indirect light. Beware: tender trees may
freeze on windowsills: direct sunlight may be too hot.
If you follow these suggestions, your tree will remain healthy.
Pruning: Bright green growth will appear at the tips of the branches,
especially during the spring and summer. If the new growth results in
a nice shape, leave it. However, if you prefer, trim the tree to look
he way you think the tree should look. Needles, leaves, and branches
that grow from the underside of large branches can be removed.
Food: When you see new growth, feed your plant continuously, whether
by inserting a fertilizer stick, by adding weak fertilizer to the
weekly immersion, or by using a slow release fertilizer.
Internet Bonsai Care Guide:
( http://www.poppyware.com/pgb/care/NetkitCare.html )
Bonsai Boy FAQ
( http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/bonsaiboyfaq.html )
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BOOKS:
Bonsai (101 Essential Tips) - by Harry Tomlinson
( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0789496879/qid=1122391418/sr=8-2/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-19382337290555?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
)
The Complete Book of Bonsai - by Harry Tomlinson
( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1558591184/qid=1122391418/sr=8-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-1938233-7290555?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
)
Bonsai: Grow Your Own Bonsai from Cuttings, Seeds, and Saplings - by
Werner M. Busch
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1585744417/qid=1122391418/sr=8-4/ref=pd_bbs_4/102-1938233-7290555?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
)
Bonsai (Rd Home Handbooks) - by Harry Tomlinson
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0895776472/qid=1122393560/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-1938233-7290555
)
Beginning Bonsai: The Gentle Art of Miniature Tree Growing - by
Shirley Student, Larry Student
( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0804817294/qid=1122393560/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/102-1938233-7290555?v=glance&s=books
)
Bonsai Survival Manual : Tree-by-Tree Guide to Buying, Maintaining,
and Problem Solving - by Colin Lewis
( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0882668536/qid=1122393560/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/102-1938233-7290555?v=glance&s=books
)
Bonsai Bookshop
( http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7574/bookshop/bonsaibookshop.html )
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OTHER LINKS:
Origin of Terms:
( http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/TermOrigins.html )
Open Directory Project
( http://dmoz.org/Home/Gardening/Bonsai_and_Suiseki/Bonsai/ )
Bonsai Web
( http://www.bonsaiweb.com/ )
The Bonsai Guide
( http://www.thebonsaiguide.com/ )
Garden Web Bonsai forum
( http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/bonsai/ )
Bonsai Site Forums
( http://www.bonsaisite.com/forums/ )
TropicalBonsai.com Forum
( http://www.tropicalbonsai.com/forums/ )
Bonsai Talk ? Links to various Bonsai Forums
( http://www.bonsaitalk.com/links/Forums/English/ )
If you would like to learn more about Bonsai, ask your local nursery
if they carry books and magazines on Bonsai, and if there are any
Bonsai Clubs in the area. Check at your local library for Bonsai
books, clubs and magazines.
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If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.
Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher
Sources:
History of the Bonsai
( http://www.celestialbonsai.com/history.html )
Pine Garden Bonsai Company
( http://www.poppyware.com/pgb/care/General.html )
The Bonsai Site:
( http://www.bonsaisite.com )
Mimi.hu
( http://en.mimi.hu/bonsai/cascade_style.html )
Bonsai Monk
( http://www.bonsaimonk.com/pot-select.html )
Bonsai in Asia
( http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7574/bonsaihistory.html ) |
