BONSAI FAQS.

WHAT DOES THE WORD BONSAI MEAN

Bonsai, pronounced BON SIGH, simply means a plant growing in a container. However the accepted meaning of the word today is a tree or shrub that has been miniaturised and shaped growing in a container or pot.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINES OF BONSAI

If the original meaning of the word Bonsai is accepted then the origins are almost lost in time. There are 4000 years old records of trees grown in rock type pots from the Middle East. Ayurvedic healers from India also grew many medicinal trees and shrubs in containers so they could be moved to where they were needed. If the more normally accepted meaning of the word Bonsai is taken then the art probably originated in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907ad). In a tomb in Chien Ling there is a mural showing two serving girls with small potted trees in their hands. China still produces thousands of Bonsai (Penjing in Chinese) a year. It is thought that Bonsai eventually came to Japan around the sixth century ad.

HOW ARE BONSAI KEPT SMALL

It is a misconception to think Bonsai are kept small by giving them little water and no fertiliser. The opposite is true. Bonsai trees must never be allowed to dry out as they could quite easily die. They should also be regularly fertilised throughout the growing season. Bonsai are kept small by being grown in a container, thus restricting their root growth. They are also frequently pruned. Pruning also helps to keep them healthy as it stops the top growth from becoming too extensive for the small root ball.

IS IT CRUEL

If you consider keeping a houseplant, cutting your hedge or lawn or training fruit trees as cordons Or espalier forms to be cruel then you would consider training Bonsai to be cruel. If that were the case then naturally you would not keep them. Quite often when a houseplant starts looking sick it is thrown out. This is not the case with a Bonsai. The owner will go out of his way to bring it back to health.

HOW ARE BONSAI TRAINED

The most regular way is by judicious pruning. With deciduous trees there will be a dormant bud at the base of each leaf. If you note which way the bud is facing when you prune above that bud then that is the direction the new shoot will grow. If you were to start with a very young plant then pruning might be all you will ever need to do. Older trees will quite often need to have the trunk and branches bent to the required shape. This can be done in a variety of ways but the most common is by wiring. This should only be done in the growing season when the sap is flowing freely