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Bonsai (Japanese literally "potted plant") is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in containers. Cultivation includes techniques for shaping, watering, and repotting in various styles of containers.

Originating in China during the Han Dynasty, bonsai is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word penzai. The word bonsai has been used by the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees.

History

The origins of bonsai are believed to have begun nearly 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty in China. It has since developed into new forms in parts of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

At first, the Japanese used miniaturized trees grown in containers to decorate their homes and gardens. During the Tokugawa period, landscape gardening attained new importance. Cultivation of plants such as azalea and maples became a pastime of the wealthy. Growing dwarf plants in containers was also popular. At this time, the term for dwarf potted trees was "a tree in a pot" (hachi-no-ki).

The c.1300 rhymed prose essay, Rhymeprose on a Miniature Landscape Garden, by the Japanese Zen monk Kokan Shiren, outlines the aesthetic principles for bonsai, bonseki and garden architecture itself.

Bonsai are not genetically dwarfed plants. They are created from nearly any tree or shrub species and remain small through pot confinement and crown or root pruning. Some specific species are more sought after for use as bonsai material. This is because they have characteristics that make them appropriate for the smaller design arrangements of bonsai.

The small size of the tree and the dwarfing of foliage result from pruning of both the leaves and the roots. Most trees require a dormancy period and do not grow roots or leaves at that time. Improper pruning has weakened or killed trees.

Copper or aluminum wire wrapped around branches and trunks holds the branches in place until they lignify (converts into wood). Some species do not lignify strongly, or are already too stiff/brittle to be shaped and are not conducive to wiring, in which case shaping is accomplished primarily through pruning.

Cultivators use deadwood features called jin and shari to simulate age and maturity in a bonsai. Jin is the term used when the bark from an entire branch is removed to create the impression of a snag of deadwood. Shari denotes stripping bark from areas of the trunk to simulate natural scarring from a broken limb or lightning strike.

Watering

With limited space in a bonsai pot, regular attention is needed to ensure the tree is correctly watered. Sun, heat and wind exposure can dry bonsai trees to the point of drought in a short period of time. While some species can handle periods of relative dryness, others require near-constant moisture. Watering too frequently, or allowing the soil to remain soggy, promotes fungal infections and root rot. Free draining soil is used to prevent waterlogging. Deciduous trees are more at risk of dehydration and will wilt as the soil dries out. Evergreen trees, which tend to cope with dry conditions better, do not display signs of the problem until after damage has occurred.

Bonsai are repotted and root-pruned at intervals dictated by the vigour and age of each tree. In the case of deciduous trees, this is done as the tree is leaving its dormant period, generally around springtime. Bonsai are often repotted while in development, and less often as they become more mature. This prevents them from becoming pot-bound and encourages the growth of new feeder roots, allowing the tree to absorb moisture more efficiently.

Pre-bonsai material are often placed in "growing boxes" which are made from scraps of fenceboard or wood slats. These large boxes allow the roots to grow more freely and increase the vigor of the tree. The second stage, after using a grow box, has been to replant the tree in a "training box;" this is often smaller and helps to create a smaller dense root mass which can be more easily moved into a final presentation pot.

Wiring

This is an often-used way of training bonsai material into beautiful and pleasant shapes. However it is not the best way for all species. Some are very brittle and wiring is not recommended. Instead these trees are shaped by pruning and trimming of the branches and twigs.

The correct application of wire takes some time to learn because of the technical aspect of what the wire does and how it does it. If wrapped too close together, the wire will be too tight and will essentially kill the part of the tree it is applied to. If too loose, the wiring is ineffective. There is also the possibility of breaking part of the tree being wired. Often jacks of different sizes are used, especially on very large trunks. The type of wire used is usually copper or copper colored aluminum. Bright, shiny wire should never be used as it detracts from the beauty of the tree and harder metals are far too stiff and unforgiving. It is permissible to leave wire on when showing the tree if it is neat and done correctly. Before attempting any wiring, it is recommended that a student study the technique thoroughly. We have to use wires of right thickness, considering the thickness of the branch to be wired. The wires should be removed immediately after proper shaping is attained. Some times we have to remove the wire frequently and wire it again to prevent damages to branches. All these depend on the growth rate, species etc of the plant.

Special tools are available for the maintenance of bonsai. The most common tool is the concave cutter, a tool designed to prune flush, without leaving a stub. Other tools include branch bending jacks, wire pliers and shears of different proportions for performing detail and rough shaping. Anodized aluminum or copper wire is used to shape branches and hold them until they take a set.

Fertilization and soil

Opinions about soil mixes and fertilization vary widely among practitioners. Some promote the use of organic fertilizers to augment an essentially inorganic soil mix, while others will use chemical fertilizers freely. Bonsai soils are constructed to optimize drainage. Bonsai soil is primarily a loose, fast-draining mix of components, often a base mixture of coarse sand or gravel, fired clay pellets or expanded shale combined with an organic component such as peat or bark. In Japan, volcanic soils based on clay (akadama, or "red ball" soil, and kanuma, a type of yellow pumice used for azaleas and other

Containers

Every bonsai pot is equipped with drainage holes to enable the excess water to drain out. Each hole is typically covered with a plastic screen or mesh to prevent soil from escaping.

Containers come in a variety of shapes and colors (glazed or unglazed). Containers with straight sides and sharp corners are generally better suited to formally presented plants, while oval or round containers might be used for plants with informal shapes. Most evergreen bonsai are placed in unglazed pots, while deciduous trees are planted in glazed pots. It is important in design that the color of the pot compliments the tree. Bonsai pots are produced all over the world, but some are higher quality than others. Some are highly collectible, such as ancient Chinese or Japanese pots made in highly-touted regions with experienced pot makers such as Tokoname, Japan. However, collectible pots are not confined to Asia; European Artists such as Byran Albright and Gordon Duffett produce unique pots which bonsai artists collect.

Location

The suitablity of any tree to being kept indoors is totally dictated by the plant's needs. The term indoor bonsai simply means that it is in a location outside its normal growing habitat, and as such, would struggle to cope with its new location when outdoors. For example, any tropical or sub-tropical species would be considered as indoor when located in a temperate climate area, just as a deciduous tree would be considered "indoor" in a tropical environment, both would reqiure artificial conditions to maintain good health. Certain trees do grow better than others in these artificial environments but all have specific needs.

Many successful entrepreneurs in indoor bonsai have grown hardy trees inside. Japanese black pine and Buddhist pine are two examples of common outdoor bonsai that can survive inside, although the Buddhist pine can tolerate more variation in lighting and cold. Those who have successfully grown hardy specimens indoors have resorted to the use of multiple techniques, such as having a cold room designated for bonsai and even using the refrigerator. With indoor hardy bonsai, having proper lighting and the ability to give a cooling season are both necessary to ensuring survival. A window will allow the full spectrum of light through, south-facing windows being the best in the northen hemesphere. In the absence of such a window, full spectrum grow lights become necessary to mimic the sun. The hardier plants require more of the spectrum.

While some claim that there is no true indoor bonsai, Buddhist pines and Chinese Elms are common bonsai that will readily adapt to an indoor climate, provided they are given acclimatization time.Both these plants have been and continue to be commonly used for outdoor bonsai as well. This being said, it is recommended that only the experienced student attempt this. If proper dormancy and ventilation cannot be provided, the hardy species will die after only a few years because they essentially lose the energy to stay alive. In fact, anyone that is trying to sell a pine or juniper (for example) as an "indoor bonsai" should be considered inexperienced at the least.

Over wintering

Some trees require protection from the elements in winter and the techniques used will depend on how well the tree is adapted to the climate. During overwintering, temperate species are allowed to enter dormancy, but care must be taken with deciduous plants to prevent them from breaking dormancy too early. In-ground cold frames, unheated garages, porches, and the like are commonly used, or mulching the plant in its container up to the depth of the first branch or burying them with the root system below the frost line.

Root-over-rock style maple

Many different styles of bonsai exist. In English, the most common styles include: formal upright, slant, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft, literati, and group/forest.

• The formal upright style, or Chokkan, is characterized by a straight, upright, tapering trunk. The trunk and branches of the informal upright style, or Moyogi, may incorporate pronounced bends and curves, but the apex of the informal upright is always located directly over where the trunk begins at the soil line.
• Slant-style, or Shakan, bonsai possess straight trunks like those of bonsai grown in the formal upright style. However, the slant style trunk emerges from the soil at an angle, and the apex of the bonsai will be located to the left or right of the root base.
• Cascade-style, or Kengai, bonsai are modeled after trees which grow over water or on the sides of mountains. The apex, or tip of the tree in the Semi-cascade-style, or Han Kengai, bonsai extend just at or beneath the lip of the bonsai pot; the apex of a (full) cascade style falls below the base of the pot.
• Raft-style, or Netsunari, bonsai mimic a natural phenomenon that occurs when a tree topples onto its side (typically due to erosion or another natural force) and branches along the exposed side of the trunk, growing as if they are a group of new trunks. Sometimes, roots will develop from buried portions of the trunk. Raft-style bonsai can have sinuous, straight-line, or slanting trunks, all giving the illusion that they are a group of separate trees -- while actually being the branches of a tree planted on its side.
• The literati style is characterized by a generally bare trunk line, with branches reduced to a minimum, and typically placed higher up on a long, often contorted trunk. This style derives its name from the Chinese literati, who were often artists, and some of whom painted Chinese brush paintings, like those found in the ancient text, The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, depicting pine trees that grew in harsh climates, struggling to reach sunlight. In Japan, the literati style is known as bunjin-gi. (Bunjin is a translation of the Chinese phrase wenren meaning "scholars practiced in the arts" and gi is a derivative of the Japanese word, ki, for "tree").
• The group or forest style, or Yose Ue, comprises a planting of more than one tree (typically an odd number if there are three or more trees, and essentially never 4 because of its significance in Japan) in a bonsai pot. The trees are usually the same species, with a variety of heights employed to add visual interest and to reflect the age differences encountered in mature forests.
• The root-over-rock style, or Sekijoju, is a style in which the roots of a tree (typically a fig tree) are wrapped around a rock. The rock is at the base of the trunk, with the roots exposed to varying degrees.
• The broom style, or Hokidachi is employed for trees with extensive, fine branching, often with species like elms. The trunk is straight and upright. It branches out in all directions about 1/3 of the way up the entire height of the tree. The branches and leaves form a ball-shaped crown which can also be very beautiful during the winter months.
• The multi-trunk style, or Ikadabuki has all the trunks growing out of one root system, and it actually is one single tree. All the trunks form one crown of leaves, in which the thickest and most developed trunk forms the top.
• The growing-in-a-rock, or Ishizuke style means the roots of the tree are growing in the cracks and holes of the rock. There is not much room for the roots to develop and take up nutrients. These trees are designed to visually represent that the tree has to struggle to survive.

Indoor bonsai

Main article: Indoor bonsai

Traditionally, bonsai are shaped from temperate climate trees kept outdoors as they require full sunlight and a winter dormancy period at near-freezing temperatures. In the artificial environment of a home, these trees will become weakened and die. Houseplant amateurs seeking the visual appeal of bonsais within their indoor garden have applied bonsai-growing techniques to tropical plants that thrive indoors during the winter.

Collecting

Bonsai may be developed from material obtained at gardening centers, or from material collected from the wild or urban landscape. Some regions have plant material that is known for its suitability in form - for example the California Juniper and Sierra Juniper found in the Sierra Mountains and the Bald Cypress found in the swamps of the Everglades.