Bonsai Secrets

Bonsai Secrets

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Bonsai or to give it's original Chinese name of 'pen jing' is an ancient art form originating during the reign of the Han Dynasty. The Chinese character for pen is identical with the Japanese one for bon and also refers to a pot.jing translates as a scenery.

The name bonsai literally means 'potted plant' and describes the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in small pots or containers with the cultivation to include techniques for shaping, watering, and re-potting in various styles of containers.

Although the word bonsai has been accepted in the West as a general term for all miniature trees, the word bonsai actually encompasses both Pot and Tree. To be a success the tree must be cultivated in such a way as to compliment the pot that it is grown in, and visa versa

Bonsai are classed into individual styles, and these styles are based on their descriptions. The shape of the tree, angle of the trunk, all go towards explaining the origins of the style

Bonsai is often described as living art and growing and caring for Bonsai is not as difficult as you may imagine. You can grow your own from seedling or buy a ready-made bonsai for conversion

If you choose the latter and buy an established bonsai, your tree will have already received basic pruning and styling and on older trees, some more advanced refinement. Further shaping will be necessary as your tree sends out shoots.

There is a misconception that Bonsai Trees are a special type of tree that is somehow manufactured to be miniature.

This simply isn't true. A bonsai tree is the same as any other tree, the only thing different is the way the bonsai

has been shaped and pruned to obtain the dwarf effect.

Another common misconception about bonsai is that it is 'un-natural', with the trees being starved in order to dwarf them. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The art of bonsai is to maintain the natural form of trees. The tree is reduced in size by judicious pruning, pinching and directing the growth into the desired form to achieve the illusion of a fully grown, aged and well groomed tree.

Growing bonsai trees is a challenging but rewarding hobby. For someone who enjoys being creative and who has a lot of patience, learning how to grow bonsai trees is an exceptional hobby.

Bonsai trees require regular watering, feeding and re-potting to keep them in optimum health and in many cases they are actually healthier that their counterparts in the wild, enjoying the same longevity.

However, any plant growing in a pot will eventually become 'root-bound' - the roots will fill every available air space in the compost making it impossible for water, food and air to reach the roots and finally choking itself to death. Bonsai are no exception and regular re-potting is necessary to keep them healthy.

About the Author:
Don Miller has been growing bonsai for over 25 years. If you found this article on "Secrets of Bonsai"' of interest the you will find more information and articles on the Bonsai Guide Website at:=

http://www.go-to1.com/bonsai



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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