Friday, 17 February 2012

The Art of Japanese Bonsai Trees

By Christopher Tallini


Bonsai trees have long been a way to bring a piece of nature inside so that you can enjoy a garden in miniature. No matter what form of bonsai you choose to grow or how you cultivate it though there are dozens of different aesthetics and styles you should keep in mind when pruning and growing your miniature trees.

Bonsai Tree Style

There are many different styles of bonsai tree. The tree's "style" refers to the shape that you give it, how you prune it and what direction the tree grows in. For instance, traditional bonsai trees that you often see, with the angled curve off to one side, fall into the Shakan, or slanting form, style. There are dozens of others, and if you don't want to pick a style there's nothing that says you have to. You can always free form your bonsai.

Parent Tree

Bonsai is taken from a larger tree, and the part of that larger tree is planted in a pot to grow on its own. One portion of your aesthetics is in deciding just what that parent tree is, and which portion of it you take. The original "seed" of your bonsai can make a lot of difference, especially if it's already growing in a given direction of if you can see it will develop a certain shape. Make your job easier and keep an idea of what you want to do with your bonsai before you even plant it.

Bonsai Pots

As referenced in www.BonsaiTreeGardener.net, the pot can add or detract from your bonsai tree's overall aesthetic appeal. For instance, a plain pot that you get when you're just starting out might be a good place to cultivate your bonsai tree, but it may also look cheap or boring next to the beautiful plant that's growing up out of it. You need to be sure and pick a pot that complements both your living and working space as well as the bonsai tree that you're growing. Try and change bonsai pots only when necessary so that your tree isn't adversely affected by transplanting.



Pruning

You should prune your bonsai trees regularly throughout the growing season. If you have a deciduous bonsai tree, then you need to use scissors in order to neatly trim up the plant and maintain its form. For coniferous, or evergreen, bonsai you need to grip the branches in your fingers and snap them at the weakest place. This helps avoid brown spots and dead patches in your bonsai that would otherwise show up if you were to use scissors.

Bed Arrangement

While a bonsai standing alone can be a statement all its own, as well as a great artistic look, you can also create an interesting and aesthetically pleasing look by planting other, small accents in the soil. As such you could create an entire miniature garden. However you need to be sure to keep everything trimmed and in proportion to everything else in order to maintain the illusion. Also keep enough water/nutrients in the soil.




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