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Bonsai, the art and science of miniaturising a tree and cultivating it in a container is a pleasurable experience and an increasing number of people of all ages and different walks of life are experimenting with and enjoying this art.

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Bonsai, the art and science of miniaturising a tree and cultivating it in a container is a pleasurable experience and an increasing number of people of all ages and different walks of life are experimenting with and enjoying this art. Due to their perennial appeal, bonsais have become a style statement and nowadays these are increasingly being used within houses and offices to create a focal point. 

Bonsai gardening is not an overnight affair; it is a living art that keeps on evolving and taking shape perpetually. Unlike, a graphic or a sculpture, painting or a song composition, a bonsai is never finished as it always keeps growing and continues challenging the aesthetic abilities of the artist.

The word bonsai is made up of two Japanese words: bon meaning pot and sai, meaning growing, the combination refers to plant grown in a pot. Bonsai gardening is a craft where both passion and arduous work coupled with horticultural techniques goes on for several years to create a piece of vibrant art, resembling a mature, balanced and an aged tree in nature. Technically, any plant can be created into a bonsai, though some species might seem to be more suited and more gratifying than others.  It is also not that only the dwarf species, as is generally thought of are suitable for creating bonsai. Bonsai, in fact has nothing to do with the genetics of a tree; the only contrast is the manner in which a tree is skilfully pruned and configured to bring about an appealing dwarf effect. 

However, the paramount essence of cultivating a bonsai is to create a healthy and miniaturised but a realistic and a natural form of tree. Bonsai and other potted plants are incomparable as bonsai conveys the charm of the entire grown up tree and its compatibility with its special receptacle whereas the potted plants are appreciated for their foliage or for their flowers or for both.            

Key elements 

Bonsai gardening is truly an art of fusion of passion with horticultural techniques where shaping a tree to proportion is the key to accomplish an aesthetic bonsai. Therefore, relationship of these elements of bonsai to each other ought to be balanced, harmonious and proportional: 

  • Size of the tree
  • Thickness of the trunk
  • Leaves, blossoms and fruits
  • Receptacle or container in which it is displayed. Aesthetically chosen container becomes the part and parcel of the bonsai making it a mesmerising artefact.

Did you know?

  • A bonsai does all the functions as that of a normal tree.
  • It can be created from any tree species.
  • Stunting of a bonsai does not cease its growth. 
  • A bonsai has a potential to be a focal point to jazz up any garden, office, home, etc. 
  • With proper care bonsai is known to live for over a century.
  • Even the bonsai have their miniature version as small as 7.5 centimetres.

a SUCCULENT twist 

The phenomenal adaptability of succulent plants to store water makes them a natural choice for indoor and outdoor gardeners. Unique characteristic of these plants that have fleshy leaves, swollen trunks or thickened bases have triggered interest the world-over. There has been a tremendous surge in applying bonsai techniques to succulents as these make enthralling and unusual additions to bonsai collections. Succulent bonsai are easier to create and take less time than their non-succulent counter-parts.

Why succulents are ideal for bonsai:

  • Ease in transportation and transplantation of mature plants.
  • Ease in adaptation and growth.
  • Ease in maintenance.
  • Their dramatic shapes, even when dormant, and leaf-less look make way for interesting shapes.
  • Their lesser watering need.
  • Their minor root pruning.

General Classification

  • Bean-sized (Shito) — up to 7.5 cm
  • Miniature (Mame) — more than 7.5 cm and up to 15 cm
  • Small sized (Kotate Mochi) — more than 15 cm and up to 30 cm
  • Medium sized (Chiu) — more than 30 cm and up to 60 cm
  • Large sized (Dai) — beyond 60 cm

Styling and shaping techniques

A crucial job in the creation of bonsai is to develop its proper profile and allow it to grow and maintain its miniature form. To do this effectively, understanding of the species and the factors that affect the plant’s growth process are essential.

In the creation of bonsai, the tree’s apical dominance needs to be neutralised. This is done by pinching and pruning the top and outer parts which would perforce allow redistribution and spread growth to the inner and lower parts.

Excerpted with permission from Bonsai Culture by Maj Gen C S Bewli

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