بونسای(Bonsai)چیست؟آشنایی با بونسای،تاریخچه،،اصول پرورش ونگهداری بونسای،انواع بونسای(درخت درگلدان)

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بن ساي‌هاي هميشه سبز، خزان‌دار، مثمر و غير مثمر

زيباترين بن ساي‌ها معمولاً گونه هاي خزان دار هستند. اين گياهان در فضاي باز به راحتي رشد مي‌كنند و در برابر تغييرات فصول عكس العمل نشان مي‌دهند. مشاهده‌ي گونه‌هاي خزان دار و تغيير رنگ برگ‌ها در پاييز و زمستان و جوانه زني مجدد آنها در بهار بسيار مورد توجه علاقمندان است. از جمله گونه‌هاي خزان دار مي‌توان چنار، ممرز، بلوط، افرا و ... را نام برد.

سوزني برگ‌ها، سيتروس‌ها، فيكوس‌ها و ... از جمله بن‌ساي‌هاي هميشه سبز هستند. جذابيت اين گونه‌ها به سبز بودن آنها در پاييز و زمستان بر مي‌گردد. بيشتر گونه‌هاي فضاي بسته هميشه سبز هستند.

نگهداري از بن ساي‌هاي غير مثمر مانند: فيكوس، برگ نو، افرا، راش و ... قدري راحت‌تر است. پرورش گونه‌هاي مثمر مثل سيب، انار، به، خاس و ... در صورتي كه از آنها ميوه بخواهيم قدري دشوار است. در اين موارد ميزان، نوع و زمان تغذيه‌ي مصنوعي بسيار مورد اهميت است.

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معيارهاي انتخاب گونه گياهي مناسب :

براي انتخاب گونه‌ي مناسب بايد علاوه بر زيبايي گياه، موارد ديگري را هم در نظر گرفت. ميزان تابش مسقيم آفتاب، شدت نور و دماي محل نگهداري در انتخاب گونه تعيين كننده هستند.

بسته به اينكه محل نگهداري فضاي بسته (اتاق) است يا فضاي آزاد، گونه‌ي گياه بايد تفاوت داشته باشد. البته در فضاي بسته هم در صورت وجود تابش مستقيم يا استفاده از لامپ‌هاي فلورسنت، مي‌توان از گونه‌هاي فضاي آزاد با رعايت برخي شرايط استفاده نمود.

گياهان سايه پسند مثل فيكوس‌ها براي اتاق‌هاي كم نور و درختاني مثل نارون، انار و زيتون براي اتاق‌هايي كه روزانه چند ساعتي از تابش خورشيد بهره‌مند مي‌شوند، مناسب هستند.

درختان زيبايي چون انواع افرا، بلوط، آزاد، ممرز و انواع سوزني برگ‌ها براي بن ساي فضاي آزاد بسيار مورد توجه قرار گرفته‌اند.

انتخاب گلدان مناسب :

براي تهيه يك گلدان خوب، علاوه بر سليقه و علاقه، در نظر گرفتن چند نكته مفيد است:

يك گلدان مناسب بايد از نظر وزن با گياهي كه در آن كاشته مي‌شود تناسب داشته باشد. زهكشي گلدان بايد به خوبي انجام شود. در مورد سوزني برگ‌ها بايد كمي بيشتر از معمول باشد. شكل و اندازه گلدان بايد متناسب با نوع گياه باشد.

تناسب رنگ گلدان با رنگ برگ‌ها يا ساقه هم مي‌تواند در زيبايي گياه تاثير داشته باشد. براي گونه‌هاي خزان دار كه ريزش برگ آنها مورد توجه است، گلدان‌هاي بيضي و گرد زيباتر هستند. در مورد ساقه‌هاي ستبر و گياهان كهنسال، گلدان‌هاي عميق‌تر مناسب‌تر اند. ضمن اين‌كه به تعادل گياه هم كمك زيادي مي‌كنند.

خاك :

در گلدان‌هاي بن ساي بافت خاك با گلدان‌هاي معمولي تفاوت دارد. زهكشي و توانايي نگهداري آب بايد زياد باشد. به طور متوسط هر گلدان روزانه يك بار آبياري مي‌شود؛ بنابراين بايد از زهكشي مطلوب برخوردار باشد، در عين حال بايد توانايي ذخيره و نگهداري آب و مواد غذايي را هم داشته باشد. به اصطلاح نبايد به راحتي آبشويي شود. يك خاك خوب بايد همزمان دو خصوصيت زهكشي، نگهداري آب و مواد غذايي را داشته باشد.
سوزني برگ‌ها نياز به خاك تقريباً سبك با زهكشي قوي دارند. قدري هم اسيدي بودن خاك براي /انها مفيد است. در مقابل بيشتر پهن برگ‌ها خاك مرطوب را ترجيه مي‌دهند. با توجه به گونه گياهي مورد نظر، مي‌توان مخلوطي از خاك برگ (هوموس) الك شده، رس و شن را مورد استفاده قرار داد.
با افزايش نسبت شن قابليت زهكشي خاك بيشتر مي‌شود. هرچه خاك برگ بيشتر باشد، قدرت نگهداري آب بيشتر است. افزايش نسبت رس در مخلوط سبب سنگين‌تر شدن خاك مي‌شود. به طور كلي تهيه يك مخلوط مناسب به روش آزمون و خطا هم بد نيست!

منبع : bonsai-culture

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انتخاب ظرف(گلدان) مناسب بونسای:

براي تهيه يك گلدان خوب، علاوه بر سليقه و علاقه، در نظر گرفتن چند نكته مفيد است. يك گلدان مناسب بايد از نظر وزن با گياهي كه در آن كاشته می شود تناسب داشته باشد. زهكشی گلدان بايد به خوبي انجام شود. در مورد سوزني برگها بايد كمي بيشتر از معمول باشد. شكل و اندازه گلدان بايد متناسب با نوع گياه باشد.
تناسب رنگ گلدان با رنگ برگها يا ساقه هم ميتواند در زيبايي گياه تاثير داشته باشد. براي گونه های خزان دار كه ريزش برگ آنها مورد توجه است، گلدانهای بيضی و گرد زيباتر هستند. در مورد ساقه های ستبر و گياهان كهنسال، گلدانهای عميقتر مناسبتر اند. ضمن اينكه به تعادل گياه هم كمك زيادی می كنند.

چرا تعویض گلدان بونسای لازم است؟

گیاه به مرور زمان رشد می کند و سیستم ریشه آن بزرگتر می شود تا بتواند آب و مواد غذایی مورد نیاز گیاه را تهیه کنند. در مورد بونسای ریشه های گیاه با محدودیت فضا مواجه است. سرعت رشد گیاهان مخلتف متفاوت است اما حتی کند رشدترین آنان نیز در صورت عدم تعویض گلدان بعد از مدتی دچار کمبود فضای کافی برای رشد ریشه هایشان خواهند شد و ریشه ممکن است دچار پیچش و پیچیدگی شود. در چنین شرایطی رشد ریشه های جدید که برای جذب آب و مواد غذایی لازم و حیاتی هستند کاهش مییابد. علاوه بر آن بستر کاشت نیز بعد از مدتی ساختار اولیه خود را از لحاظ زهکش و تهویه را از دست خواهد داد. اگر گیاه در این وضعیت باقی بماند بعد از مدتی نشانه های ناشی از شرایط نامساعد محیط رشد را بروز خواهد داد.
در زمان تعویض گیاه گلدان آن بزرگتر نمیشود بلکه این ریشه ها هستند که هرس میشوند. یکی از عوارض جانبی هرس ریشه افزایش حجم ریشه است زیرا با هرس هر ریشه تعدادی ریشه جدید از همان ناحیه ای که عمل برش انجام شده است بوجود می آیند. در ریشه ای که عمل هرس به خوبی مدیریت و انجام شده باشد مجموع ریشه های نرم و فعال از نظر حجمی همانند ریشه های گیاهی است که هرس نشده است اما تفاوت مهم در ظرفیت جذبی آنان است زیرا ریشه های گیاهی که هرس نشده از این نظر فعالیت محدودی دارند بنابراین هرس ریشه گیاهان بونسای امری اجتنابناپذیر است تا ریشه ها را بتوان فعال نگهداشت. البته گیاه بعد از انجام عمل هرس ریشه به مدت 6 هفته تا حدودی رشد رویشی خود را از دست میدهد (این مسئله در مورد گیاهان همیشه سبز همانند انجیر بیشتر مشهود است) اما بعد از گذشت این مدت زمان، گیاه نسبت به قبل از تعویض گلدان و انجام عمل هرس، رشد رویشی بیشتری از خود نشان میدهد زیرا ریشه های جوان تشکیل شده و برای گیاه آب و مواد غذایی بیشتری جذب می کنند.

چه زمانی برای تعویض گلدان بونسای مناسب است؟

در هر زمان از سال نمیتوان نسبت به تعویض گلدان بونسای اقدام کرد و مناسبترین زمان برای انجام این کار موقع استراحت و خواب گیاه است تا استرس کمتری به گیاه وارد آید. اگر در زمانی که گیاه در حال رشد و فعالیت است این عمل انجام شود به دلیل وارد شدن استرس به گیاه و عدم جذب آب و مواد غذایی کافی برای برگهایی که در حال رشد و فعالیت هستند احتمال از بین رفتن گیاه نیز وجود دارد. مورد دیگری که باید به آن توجه کرد از سر گرفتن فعالیت توسط ریشه های هرس شده است. باید به مدت زمانی که ریشه های هرس شده در معرض دمای کم محیط قرار میگیرند نیز توجه کرد. اگر در طی فصل زمستان و دوره استراحت گیاه دمای محیط نگهداری نیز سرد باشد، ریشه ها تا زمانی که گیاه رشد مجدد خود را در بهار شروع نکند خود را ترمیم نمیکنند. برخی پرورش دهندگان بهترین زمان تعویض گلدان را درست در انتهای دوره استراحت (ابتدای بهار و قبل از شکستن خواب جوانه های شاخسار) آن بیان میکنند که با توجه به تفاوتهای موجود در عادات رشدی گیاهان مختلف و همچنین شرایط متفاوت آب و هوایی مناطق گوناگون ، زمان انجام این عمل در انواع مخلتف بونسای میتواند تا حدودی با یکدیگر متفاوت باشد.
قبل از آنکه گیاه را از گلدان قبلی درآورید ابتدا بستر کاشت و همچنین گلدان جدید را آماده سازید تا فاصله زمانی این دو عمل کاهش یابد و ریشه ها کمتر در معرض هوا و خشکی قرار گیرند.

زمانی که گیاه با ریشه هایش از گلدان قدیمی بیرون آمد باید تا جایی که امکان دارد خاک قدیمی را از لابه لای ریشه های گیاه پاک کرد به عنوان مثال با چوبی ظریف و بلند و با دقت و حوصله این کار را انجام داد. توجه داشته باشید که معمولا خاک کهنه در قسمت طوقه گیاه و در قسمت مرکزی توده ریشه گیاه باقی میماند و مهم است که این خاک را نیز از ریشه های گیاه جدا کرد تا خاک جدید و غنی جای آنرا بگیرد. اگر خاک کهنه در مرکز توده ریشه باقی بماند در آینده علاوه بر احتمال وقوع پوسیدگی ریشه ، از حجم خاک سالم برای ریشه دواندن بونسای کاسته میشود. بخصوص اگر که شما متوجه رشد ضعیف بونسای شده اید اما در مراحل اولیه بیرون آوردن آن از گلدان قدیمی متوجه مشکل خاصی در توده ریشه نشده اید میبایست مرکز توده ریشه را از خاک کهنه پاک کنید تا بتوانید مرکز ریشه ها را به شکل کامل بررسی نمایید. عریان کردن ریشه های درختان خزاندار و درختان پهن برگ صدمه چندانی به سلامتی آنان وارد نمیکند(البته به شرط رعایت کردن سایر نکات در حین تعویض گلدان) اما باید مراقب درختان مخروط دار همانند کاج و ... بود.همانطور که اشاره شد برخی از پرورش دهندگان برای عریان کردن ریشه های بونسای از جریان ملایم اب استفاده میکنند که این کار برای درختان مخروط دار توصیه نمیشود.

اگر لازم باشد که عمل هرس ریشه نیز انجام شود میبایست ریشه را برای افزایش دقت عمل به خوبی عاری از خاک نمود. در هرس ریشه ریشه های جوان و فعال نگهداشته میشوند اما ریشه های چوبی و ریشه هایی که بسیار بلند شدهاند را میتوان کوتاه کرد. در تمامی مدت عمل هرس ریشه نگذارید تا آنان خشک شوند اگر لازم است درخت را داخل ظرفی آب قرار دهید میزان ریشه هایی که قابل هرس است بستگی به میزان رشد گیاه ، حجم توده ریشه، اندازه گلدان جدید و نوع گیاه دارد اما به عنوان یک قانون کلی گفته می شود که در هر مرتبه هرس نباید بیش از 20٪ الی 30٪ از حجم کلی ریشه های گیاه را حذف کرد.

قرار دادن گیاه در گلدان جدید:

درخت را در بالای توده بستر کاشت که قبلا در گلدان ریخته اید قرار دهید و با ملایمت بسیار درخت را کمی به طرف پایین فشار دهید تا ریشه ها تا حدودی به درون بستر کاشت فرو رود. در مرحله آماده کردن گلدان جدید از دو عدد سیم صحبت کردیم و گفتیم که این سیمها را برای ثابت کردن گیاه بونسای در گلدان جدید احتیاج داریم در این لحظه سیمها را به دور تنه درخت آورده و آنها را گره می زنیم تا به ثابت ماندن درخت کمک کنند.سپس تا حدی که فضای اطراف تنه و سطح گلدان پر شود از مخلوط بستر کاشت استفاده کنید. البته این کار را در یک مرحله انجام ندهید بلکه به تدریج و در چند مرحله بستر کاشت را اضافه کنید و در بین مراحل نیز با ملایمت و با فشاری اندک بستر کاشت را به خوبی بر روی سطح گلدان پخش کنید برای این کار از وسیله ای بلند و ظریف نیز میتوانید استفاده کنید تا مبادا نیروی فشار دست و انگشتان شما به ریشه ها آسیب وارد آورد.

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Bonsai Tree Care

Bonsai, translated from Japanese as “tray planting,” is a millennia-old tradition
that still thrives with plant enthusiasts today. Bonsai is an art, where tree and pot form a harmonious unit with synchronized shape, texture, and color. Many different types of bonsai trees exist today. Bonsai tree care includes pruning and trimming, while others can grow more freely. With the basics of bonsai tree care that follow, you can enjoy the grace and elegance of bonsai in your home or office. These tips will help you ensure that your bonsai plant lasts, making your bonsai gift a new hobby, too!

Water and Humidity
Bonsai tree care includes proper watering. Once a week, immerse your bonsai in water until the bubbles stop reaching the surface. Doing so, assures top to bottom watering and lets the pot and soil soak up their maximum holding capacity. Do not use too much water pressure (like a hose) as this can blast soil out of pots; be sure to get an adjustable spray nozzle to allow for different needs or simply use a watering can.

Don’t just water the soil. All parts of a bonsai plant absorb water to some degree; 35% of the water intake for a plant doesn’t involve the root system at all. Washing off the foliage is important as it keeps dust and pollutants from clogging stomata or breathing holes in the plant’s leaves.
Soil
Using the correct soil is a crucial step in bonsai tree care and ensures your bonsai stays strong and healthy. When looking for bonsai soil, you must look for two things. First you must check that the soil you choose will retain water properly and absorb nutrients from the air

around it. The second quality that you should look for in bonsai soil is drainage - if the soil retains too much moisture then the roots will be prone to rotting. Housing your bonsai
The ideal proportions for a standard bonsai pot should be 2/3 to 3/4 as wide as the tree is high and 1/2 as deep as the tree is high. The height of the pot should be roughly the same as the diameter of the trunk; please allow for some growth before you apply the height of the pot.

Pruning
The tree and the pot form a single harmonious unit where the shape, texture, and color of one compliments the other. It is not enough just to plant a tree in a pot and allow nature to take its course - the result would look nothing like the traditional bonsai tree. The tree must be shaped. Remove any branches that clutter the chosen style and obstruct the basic design. Then, prune to redirect growth – pruning of branches is usually performed in spring and a lot of the new growth is removed.

Light
All bonsai trees need light. The amount of natural or artificial light required to produce optimal results varies with each species of bonsai. If your bonsai flourishes better outdoors, pick a spot that provides six or more hours of sunlight. Indoor bonsai need two to four hours of natural light near a window, or artificial light. Always check your bonsai care sheets for details on the ideal places for your bonsai to thrive.

When you send bonsai trees as your next gift, your recipient will know your gift was sent carefully. Go an extra step and share your bonsai care knowledge with your loved one and help them with a tradition that lasts

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An Introduction to Bonsai

The main definition of bonsai as an outlet for both art and horticulture is quite wide. There are many myths which are associated with bonsai. These not only provide confusion for budding enthusiasts, but gives the pastime a bad name for anyone not majorly experienced in the area. A bonsai is not a genetically dwarfed plant and is not kept small by cruelty in any way. In fact, given an adequate supply of water, air, light and nutrients, a properly maintained bonsai should outlive a full size tree of the same species. The techniques of Bonsai are no more cruel than that of any other horticultural endeavour. It is also common belief that bonsai are only a few centimetres tall. This is untrue, although bonsai are small in comparison to their huge life-sized brothers, most are over 25 centimetres tall and up to 1 metre in height. To the Japanese, there is a link to many of the ideals that their society is based on. Zen Buddhism - where the pastime originated, man, nature, elements and change all are intertwined into this unique method of meditation and expression. To our world now, bonsai is viewed as a hobby that allows a greater understanding and being with nature and also a way to enhance our gardens.
Bonsai can be developed from seeds or cuttings, from young trees or from naturally occurring stunted trees transplanted into containers. Most bonsai range in height from 5 centimetres (2 in) to 1 metre (3.33 ft). Bonsai are kept small and trained by pruning branches and roots, by periodic repotting, by pinching off new growth, and by wiring the branches and trunk so that they grow into the desired shape.
The bonsai with its container and soil, physically independent of the earth since its roots are not planted in it, is a separate entity, complete in itself, yet part of nature. This is what is meant by the expression "heaven and earth in one container". A bonsai tree should always be positioned off-center in its container, for not only is asymmetry vital to the visual effect, but the center point is symbolically where heaven and earth meet, and nothing should occupy this place. Another aesthetic principle is the triangular pattern necessary for visual balance and for expression of the relationship shared by a universal principle (life-giving energy or deity), the artist and the tree itself. Tradition holds that three basic virtues are necessary to create a bonsai: shin-zen-bi standing for truth, goodness and beauty.
Given proper care, bonsai can live for hundreds of years, with prized specimens being passed from generation to generation, admired for their age, and revered as a reminder of those who have cared for them over the centuries. Although these bonsai are extremely beautiful - meticulously cared for over the years and containing such a wealth of knowledge, age is not essential. It is more important that the tree produce the artistic effect desired, that it be in proper proportion to the appropriate container, and that it be in good health.

Bonsai are ordinary trees or plants, not special hybrid dwarfs. Small leafed varieties are most suitable, but essentially any plant can be used, regardless of the size it grows to in the wild. In Japan, varieties of pine, azalea, camellia, bamboo and plum are most often used. The artist never duplicates nature but rather expresses a personal aesthetic philosophy by manipulating it. The bonsai may suggest many things, but in all cases must look natural and never show the intervention of human hands (with the exception of Chinese bonsai which in many cases depicts images of dragons and other influential symbols of the culture at the time of origination). Grown in special containers, bonsai are primarily kept outdoors (with the exception of some plants suited, trained and grown indoors), although they are often displayed on special occasions in the tokonoma, the alcove in the traditional Japanese rooms designed for the display of artistic objects or on a polished stand.

Overall, bonsai are something that are quite personalised and there are no strict rules to abide by if you undertake it merely as a hobby which to gain enjoyment out of. It does not have to be an expensive commitment, but it is a commitment that requires a great amount of time, patience, skill and endurance. Although things may not go to plan, don't give up. Remember that the Japanese bonsai masters were once beginners too and they have surely had their share of trial and error.

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The History of Bonsai

Bonsai first appeared in China over a thousand years ago on a very basic scale, known as pun-sai, where it was the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots. These early specimens displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds. There are a great number of myths and legends surrounding Chinese bonsai, and the grotesque or animal-like trunks and root formations are still highly prized today. Chinese bonsai come from the landscape of the imagination and images of fiery dragons and coiled serpents take far greater precedence over images of trees- so the two forms of this art are quite far apart. With Japan's adoption of many cultural trademarks of China - bonsai was also taken up, introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) by means of Zen Buddhism - which at this time was rapidly spreading around Asia. The exact time is debatable, although it is possible that it had arrived in AD 1195 as there appears to be a reference to it in a Japanese scroll attributed to that period. Once bonsai was introduced into Japan, the art was refined to an extent not yet approached in China. Over time, the simple trees were not just confined to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries, but also later were introduced to be representative of the aristocracy - a symbol of prestige and honour. The ideals and philosophy of bonsai were greatly changed over the years. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.
In an ancient Japanese scroll written in Japan around the Kamakura period, it is translated to say : "To appreciate and find pleasure in curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity". Whether this was intended as a positive or negative statement, it leaves us to believe that growing dwarfed and twisted trees in containers was an accepted practice among the upper class of Japan by the Kamakura period. By the fourteenth century bonsai was indeed viewed as a highly refined art form, meaning that it must have been an established practice many years before that time.
Bonsai were brought indoors for display at special times by the 'Japanese elite' and became an important part of Japanese life by being displayed on specially designed shelves. These complex plants were no longer permanently reserved for outdoor display, although the practices of training and pruning did not develop until later - the small trees at this time still being taken from the wild. In the 17th and 18th century, the Japanese arts reached their peak and were regarded very highly. Bonsai again evolved to a much higher understanding and refinement of nature - although the containers used seemed to be slightly deeper than those used today. The main factor in maintaining bonsai was now the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. The reduction of everything just to the essential elements and ultimate refinement was very symbolic of the Japanese philosophy of this time - shown by the very simple Japanese gardens such as those in the famous temple - Roan-ji.
At around this time, bonsai also became commonplace to the general Japanese public - which greatly increased demand for the small trees collected from the wild and firmly established the artform within the culture and traditions of the country.
Over time, bonsai began to take on different styles, each which varied immensely from one another. Bonsai artists gradually looked into introducing other culturally important elements in their bonsai plantings such as rocks, supplementary and accent plants, and even small buildings and people which itself is known as the art of bon-kei. They also looked at reproducing miniature landscapes in nature - known as sai-kei which further investigated the diverse range of artistic possibilities for bonsai.
Finally, in the mid-19th century, after more than 230 years of global isolation, Japan opened itself up to the rest of the world. Word soon spread from travelers who visited Japan of the miniature trees in ceramic containers which mimicked aged, mature, tall trees in nature. Further exhibitions in London, Vienna and Paris in the latter part of the century - especially the Paris World Exhibition in 1900 opened the world's eyes up to bonsai.
Due to this phenomenal upsurge in the demand for bonsai, the now widely expanding industry and lack of naturally-forming, stunted plants led to the commercial production of bonsai by artists through training young plants to grow to look like bonsai. Several basic styles were adopted, and artists made use of wire, bamboo skewers and growing techniques to do this - allowing the art to evolve even further. The Japanese learnt to capitalize on the interest in this artform very quickly - opening up nurseries dedicated solely to grow, train and then export bonsai trees. Different plants were now being used to cater for worldwide climates and to produce neater foliage and more suitable growth habits. Bonsai techniques such as raising trees from seed or cuttings and the styling and grafting of unusual, different or tender material onto hardy root stock were further developed.
Bonsai has now evolved to reflect changing tastes and times - with a great variety of countries, cultures and conditions in which it is now practiced.

In Japan today, bonsai are highly regared as a symbol of their culture and ideals. The New Year is not complete unless the tokonoma - the special niche in every Japanese home used for the display of ornaments and prized possessions - is filled with a blossoming apricot or plum tree. Bonsai is no longer reserved for the upper-class, but is a joy shared by executive and factory worker alike.
The Japanese tend to focus on using native species for their bonsai - namely pines, azaleas and maples (regarded as the traditional bonsai plants). In other countries however, people are more open to opinion.
The evolution of bonsai over the past two centuries is truly amazing - now a well known and respected horticultural artform that has spread throughout the world from Greenland to the U.S. to South Africa to Australia. It is constantly changing and reaching even greater heights, representative of how small the world is really getting.

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Simple Styles and Techniques...



Every experienced bonsai enthusiast has his/her own personal idea of what bonsai is to them and what defining factors make them aesthetically appealing. "Don't be drawn into the trap of taking everything that this person says as gospel!"
This applies especially if you are using a book as a reference when you are situated in a different part of the world from where it was written.

If a beginner is unable to have the experience of being taught the important principles of bonsai by an expert, he must obtain as much material on bonsai as possible - whether this may be just pictures of trees, discussions on the different styling processes involved or lists of suitable species to use. This mass of information will familiarise them to bonsai and help them gain experience by experimenting on cheap bonsai material. Frequently going to bonsai nurseries and bonsai shows will also allow the beginner to see true bonsai in real life from all sides, opposed to the usual 2D format. This will enable the beginner to see the way bonsai should be displayed and what the end result will be like
The two basic styles of bonsai are the classic (koten) and the informal or 'comic' (bunjin). In the former, the trunk of the tree is wider at the base and tapers off towards the top; it is just the opposite in the 'bunjin', a style more difficult to master.
Over the years, bonsai enthusiasts have frequently tried to reclassify the styles, and their many sub-divisions into which plants can be trained. Once you understand the principles behind these designs/styles, you will have a reference point from which to assess a tree's potential for bonsai and to decide what style suits it.
If you study very carefully the way trees grow in nature, it is possible to design a realistic bonsai without knowing the names of these styles. You do not need to stick strictly to the precise rules of your chosen style: adapt them to suit a plant's natural habitat.
When you start a bonsai, always remember that you are working with a living plant. Look carefully at its natural characteristics and you may discern within them a suitable style, or styles. All conifers are reasonably unsuitable to the 'broom' style, for example, but are very suitable for all other styles, especially formal and informal upright - to which they are particularly suited. Often you can train a plant into several styles, even if it is basically upright like a beech or elegantly slender like a maple. Even if one style only really suits a particular plant, you still can interpret this in many different ways.
Shrubs like azaleas that are not tree-like in nature have fewer restrictions in the style you choose, but, generally, it is best to base any design on the way a tree grows in nature. People that are still learning the basic principles of bonsai should not try to train a bonsai into a style totally unlike a tree's natural growth pattern, although this is quite possible as you gain more experience.

The Five Main Bonsai Styles: The five basic bonsai styles are formal upright, informal upright, slanting (or windswept), semi-cascade and cascade. All have their own individual beauty and serenity. I will now attempt to explain the basic principles of each style. Click on one of the links below for an explanation of each style.

Formal Upright | Informal Upright | Slanting Style | Cascade | Semi-Cascade

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Formal Upright

A tree with a style such as formal upright occurs when it has grown in the open under perfect conditions. The most important requirement for this style is that the trunk should be perfectly straight, tapering naturally and evenly from base to apex. The branches should be symmetrically spaced so that they are balanced when viewed from any direction. It is quite a demanding style to achieve.

Recommended Species: Larches, Junipers, Pines and Spruces are all suitable species. Maples can also be used, but are not as easy to train into such a conformist style. Above all, fruiting or naturally informal trees are not suitable for formal upright.
Processes/Techniques Used: To achieve an effective formal upright, make sure that about one third of the trunk is visible from the front, either from the base to the first branch or cumulatively, as seen through the tracery of its branches. Generally, the placement of branches follows a pattern. The first branch up from the bottom is the longest and in proportion usually is trained to grow to an equivalent to a third of the total height of the tree. This is the 'heaviest' branch almost making a right angle to the trunk. The second branch directly opposes the first branch and is higher on the trunk. As the branch structure ascends, they taper assuming a somewhat cone-like form. The top of the bonsai is usually very thick with foliage - so full and tightly ramified that it is difficult to see its internal structure through the mass of leaves or needles. The tip of this style of bonsai also has a slight curve, to lean forward and effectively 'look at the viewer'. Depending on what species of tree you are using, the whole tree does not have to be symmetrical but rather the branches could ascend by alternating on each side. (I personally prefer this, as the former seems too regimented.)
As mentioned earlier, the branches and trunk of a formal upright bonsai always take on a very distinctive taper. This is achieved by cruelly cutting off the growing tip of the trunk or branch with each new year and wiring a new branch into position to form the apex. This is something quite hard to do, however it produces a stunning result when the trunk starts to mature and the taper starts becoming prominent.

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Informal Upright

In nature, such trees bend or alter their direction away from wind or shade other trees or buildings, or towards light. In an informal upright bonsai the trunk should slightly bend to the right or left - but never towards the viewer. (This applies to all types of bonsai. Neither the trunk or branches should be pointing towards the viewer when the bonsai is viewed from the front.)
Recommended Species: Most species of plants are suitable for this style, mainly the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum), Beech, practically all Conifers and other ornamental trees such as the Crab Apple, Cotoneaster and Pomegranate.
Processes/Techniques Used: An informal upright bonsai basically uses the same principles of the formal upright bonsai only that it is informal.

The style still requires a tapered trunk, however the trunk direction and branch positioning is more informal and closer to the way a tree would look when exposed to the elements at an early age. The trunk usually takes on an unexpected curve or series of twists and the branches are thus positioned to balance this effect. As with formal upright, the crown of the tree is mainly very full with foliage and despite the informal trunk, is most always located directly above the base of the tree. (This is an attribute of the informal upright style, if not done like this, the tree would be slanting.)
Jin (carved remains of dead or unwanted branches to look like dead and rotting limbs of a tree) is also more appropriate and effective with the informal upright style.

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Slanting Style

Trees that slant naturally occur a result of buffeting winds or deep shade during early development. Whether curved or straight, the whole trunk leans at a definite angle. The stronger roots grow out on the side, away from the angle of the trunk lean, to support the weight.
Recommended Species: Most species are suitable for this style, as the style does bear similarity to informal upright. Conifers work particularly well.
Processes/Techniques Used: As mentioned before, this style does bear similarity to informal upright. The trunk can be either curved or straight, but must be on an angle to either the right or left (never to the front), with the apex not directly over the base of the bonsai. This style is quite a simple one that can be achieved by many methods. At an early age, the bonsai can be trained to an angle by means of wiring the trunk until it is in position. Alternatively, the tree can be forced to grow in a slanted style by putting the actual pot on a slant, causing the tree to grow abnormally.
With formal upright, informal upright and slanted styles, the number three is significant. The lowest branches are grouped in threes, and this grouping begins one-third of the way up the trunk. The bottom-most three branches almost encircle the trunk, with two branches thrusting forward, one slightly higher than the other. The third branch, emanating from a point between the first two, is set at such an angle as to make the foliage appear lower than the other two. This pattern presents an easy way to tell front from back and sets the tone of the entire composition.