Bonsai is the art of miniaturization of trees and shrubs. The word art is most appropriate here. The art of practice is to know the techniques, requirements of the tree, discipline in caring for the specimen. However, you also need an artistic sense to properly shape the tree, choose a pot and arrange the surroundings. It's not easy, but if you want to try it, read this tutorialhow to make bonsai
How to make bonsai to get this effect?
What is bonsai
The Japanese wordbonsaiconsists of two parts: bon means a tray or container, and sai means a tree, a plant. A matching pot completes the beauty of a miniature tree and forms an inseparable whole with it.
Bonsaiis a tree shaped in such a way that it retains a small size despite its age. The main aim is that the form reflects the shape of adult, old trees of a given species. Plants are planted in characteristic flat (apart from the cascade style) pots.
It is important to remember thatbonsaiis divided into indoor and outdoor types. English expressions, appropriately denoting: species intended for indoor use and to be kept only outside the home, in the garden.
Plants for bonsai
Examplesspecies for indoor bonsaiare: Chinese peppercorns, ficus, pistachio (Pistacia vera), small-leaved elm (or Chinese elm - Ulmus parvifolia), Sageretia. When runningbonsaiat home, it is very important not to overcool the specimen in winter or keep it near heaters, so that the tree has enough sunlight and not too dry air.The list of these requirements is very difficult to meet in full, therefore - contrary to appearances - growingbonsaiat home is difficult.
For cultivation bonsaipractically all species of trees and shrubs are suitable - growing naturally in Poland: majestic oak, small-leaved lime with charming heart-shaped leaves, hornbeam, beech, larch, all pines and others. Wonderful, effective trees are made of species from Japan and China, such as palm maple or Japanese ginkgo. Of course, all decorative varieties look the most beautiful.
An important feature of bonsai plantsis the size of the leaves. For example, a chestnut tree, even when shaped in miniature form, will still have relatively very large leaves, even when they are two or three times smaller than in naturally growing specimens. This species is suitable for growingonly in the form of large bonsai- about a meter high.
How To Make Bonsai - 4 Ways
1. The easiest way, but the least satisfaction - buying a finished specimen
Buying a ready-made bonsaiis the fastest and easiest method of acquiring your own tree, also relatively cheap. However, it should be remembered that the artbonsaiis, however, for the persistent and not expecting quick results. Moreover, this solution is usually disappointing. The trees that are massively imported to hypermarkets are often in a very poor condition and after time we find out that the buyer is left with grief and an empty pot. It is true that in Poland there are severalprofessional bonsai storesoffering trees for interiors and gardens, but their price is not the lowest, and the satisfaction is much lower than from the results achieved by yourself.
2. Formation of the plant purchased in the nursery
A short way to the goal, but giving satisfaction from the search in nurseries, your own choice and independent shaping of a bush or a tree.In order tomake a bonsai, you need to purchase a plant that is at least several years old.The key criteria are the thickness of the trunk and the density of the crown. It is also important to know the basic styles of bonsai and a little imagination so that - looking at the plant you buy - you can imagine how we will shape it, how it will look like.
After returning home, let's put the bush at eye level and examine it several times from each side, until we choose the front, representative side.
Forming the bonsaistart by cutting out the crossing branches that do not match to a well-thought-out layout, too long, extending beyond the crown. We will also trim the roots for balance. First of all, the so-called Tap root, i.e. the thick main root, is responsible for the stable maintenance of the tree and less for providing nutrients. We also prune too long thin hair roots. The next step is to give direction to the branches by wiring them in proportion to their thickness with wires.Trees are made of aluminum or copper wires. Copper wire is stronger and less noticeable, but needs to be hardened to be hard. The aluminum wire is softer. It is important not to leave the wire on for too long as it could grow into the tree. The plant is planted in a transitional pot, larger than the target pot. It can be a cheaper plastic pot forbonsaiAfter these treatments, we have to give the plant time to the next season to move on to more artistic shaping treatments.
Sometimes the most beautiful forms of bonsai are created by nature itself
3. Acquiring interesting forms from nature
"You can alsomake a bonsai from a plant obtained from natureThis method of getting a tree is called Yamadori from the Japanese language. You can find amazing specimens shaped by nature itself - specimens that, after a short care (about 3 years) and a small correction of nature, could go straight to the exhibition.The search can begin anywhere, but the most likely treasures are in regions where conditions are unfavorable, such as in the mountains between rocks, or on the edge of forests, where deer regularly nibble on young growths. "
The best season for acquiring trees and shrubs is early spring, just before the start of vegetation - March / April (until the end of April). However, before we obtain such a specimen from nature, it is good to cut the roots of the chosen art a year earlier by driving the spade blade deeply around the plant, at a certain distance from its trunk. In this way, by leaving it in the ground for one more season, we will allow it to develop new roots right next to the trunk. You can also pre-trim the tree while still in the forest.
"It should be noted that each area has its owner. They are usually state forests. To comply with the law, you must obtain a permit, in this case a forester, to dig up the plant from nature.
"4. Conducting from seeds or from a young seedling
This is the longest way to achieve the intended goal, which isof our bonsai specimenHowever, it gives the most satisfaction and allows the greatest control over the shaping of the plant from the very beginning. It is also the cheapest solution (apart from obtaining it from nature). In fact, only a few years old tree can be calledbonsaiUsing this method we are rewarded with the possibility of observing the development of the plant from the very beginning, but it requires the most patience.
How to make a bonsai - pruning and shaping a tree
How to form a bonsai?
In nature, the tree dwarfs and takes on interesting shapes under the influence of various forces of nature and as a result of the activity of wild animals. The Bonzaista tries to imitate these processes. For example, deer and other animals gnawing young shoots are replaced by regular pruning of new twigs.
Another factor influencingnatural forms of bonsaiin nature are difficult living conditions. A plant does not grow to a normal size when there is not enough room for root development. To achieve this effect, we plant the plant in a shallow and small container, which is to contribute to limiting the growth of roots. Additionally, treesbonsaiare pruned once or twice a year, depending on the species and age.
"The wind and a small amount of living space shape the branches of the tree - by means of attraction (e.g. with a string towards the pot) or by wiring the branches, they are given the desired shape. The branches of young trees point upwards, and older trees point more downwards, so these actions are also aimed at creating a visual impression of the old age of the specimen.
Bonsai styles and forms
"Bonsaican be a single tree or a group of trees. Group planting, the so-called cane (Yose-uye), is at least five (with less than a dozen, the number should be odd) trees of one species planted in a large shallow pot.Another non-standard planting is Saikei, or landscape on a tray. It is an attempt to reflect the entire landscape in the area of a large pot. The composition may consist of several specimens, from rocks, sand, gravel, as well as elements such as: a miniature house, figures of human figures or even a stream. "
The most popular forms of bonsai :
Upright irregular form (Moyogi)- balanced crown, trunk with a few gentle bends - deviations correctly directed to the left or right side of the fixed front side of the tree. Most often found in nature and therefore in artbonsai .
Regular erect (Chokkan) form- a form with a straight vertical trunk, evenly tapering upwards. Branches parallel, often almost on the outline of a triangle. Trees that have such a conical arrangement in nature, such as larches and spruces, can be shaped in this way.
Form with two trunks (Sokan)- a characteristic feature are two trunks with one base.It is important that they are not of the same size and thickness to avoid a slingshot-like effect. One of the trunks must be significantly smaller (1/2 or 2/3 of the height of the larger one) and thinner.
Inclined form (Shakan)- the trunk is clearly inclined in one direction, but by definition at an angle not greater than 45 ° from the vertical.
Broom-like form (Hokidachi)- usually thin branches form a crown in the form of a fairly compact hemisphere resembling a dense fan-shaped broom. Trees with a naturally dense spherical crown look good in this style. We recommend small-leaved linden in this style.
Literary form (Bunjin)- light and subtle slender form, rather bulging upwards, with a slightly bent trunk, no side branches up to about half its height.
Cascade form (Kengai)- trunk pointing almost vertically downwards, descending downwards, often below the base of the pot. The pot in this style is different than in the others - it is narrow and tall so that it can balance the weight of the plant that leaning out strongly.
Bonsai planted on a stone (Ishizuke)- the roots entwine the rock / stone, descending from a greater height to the ground.
Bonsai pot
An important and inseparable elementbonsaiis a pot. The container must be selected in proportion to the size of the tree. The width of the pot should correspond approximately to the width of the crown. The height of the pot for a single specimen should be the same as the thickness of the trunk at the base or no more than twice the thickness of the trunk at the base, but this is not necessarily the case. An important function is played by the characteristic large drain holes, which are covered from the inside with a net that protects the soil against falling out.
Brightly colored glazed pots are more suitable for trees with colorful fruit, strongly flowering or most often with strongly colored foliage, to emphasize these features.
"In addition to the standard oval and rectangular shapes, the pots can also be in the form of a shell, hand-made pots similar to a rock or hollowed in the rock.
Rafał Rynkiewiczwww.palmatum.pl"
