Vincent Bronson

Guide to Bonsai Tree Gardening Vincent Bronson

Bonsai is a Japanese word, which literally means planted in a container. It is deeply rooted in Chinese horticultural practice and Japanese Zen Buddhism. People who grow bonsai have one main goal - to create a miniature and realistic version of a tree. It is important to note that bonsai is not a plant that is genetically dwarf. Rather, it can be any tree. Growing a bonsai tree requires the mastery of different techniques, which will prevent the tree from growing tall. This makes it a form of art as well. Some of the things that you need to learn include pinching, pruning, and wiring, which will be important in limiting the size of the tree as it grows. When bonsais have been first introduced, it was exclusive to the people from the higher class. It was only in the 17th century when it became popular amongst commoners. It was Japan that introduced bonsai to the rest of the world as an artistic pursuit. The physical characteristics may differ, basically because you can plant almost any tree and grow it as a miniature version. Their appearance will depend highly on the type of bonsai, which we will discuss further in the next section. Nonetheless, for experts, there are some things that they look at in the physical growth of bonsai to judge its appearance. Among others, one of the most important is to have a trunk that shows a lot of character. The trunk should taper as it goes up. The bottom part of the trunk must be entirely visible. It is also important that the arrangement of the branches is in ascending order. With this, if you look at the bonsai tree from the top, it must form a triangular shape, even if the sides are not equal in terms of length. Another important characteristic that must be present in a bonsai is that the roots should radiate from the base of its trunk. Part of the root must be visible, although they should never cross one another. The maximum height of a bonsai tree should be four feet. Its height must be proportional to the size of its canopy. It is also necessary that the bonsai comes with a healthy foliage, which is an indication that it receives the care and maintenance that it demands.